Blockchain.com has applied to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for two licenses that would allow the cryptocurrency platform to offer event contracts and crypto derivatives to retail and institutional customers in the United States, the company told CNBC, as it makes a bid to join the U.S. prediction-market boom.

The company filed for two separate designations: a designated contract market (DCM) license, which would let it operate as a futures exchange for event contracts, and a futures commission merchant (FCM) license, which would allow it to act as a broker for derivatives. Event contracts are derivatives whose payouts hinge on the outcome of real-world occurrences, such as election results or economic data releases. Together, the approvals would enable Blockchain.com to run its own regulated marketplace serving both retail and institutional traders in the U.S.

The move would bring in-house services the company currently offers only through partners abroad. Blockchain.com began providing prediction markets to some international customers earlier this year via a partnership with prediction-market platform Polymarket, along with perpetual futures powered by the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid. A CFTC license would allow the firm to operate its own event-contract venue rather than route these services through third parties.

Founded in 2011, Blockchain.com is one of the longest-running companies in crypto, having built its name on a widely used digital wallet and blockchain explorer before expanding into trading and institutional services.

CEO and co-founder Peter Smith told CNBC that the goal is to let users manage digital assets, trade derivatives and bet on real-world events all in one place.

A Crowded Federal Rush

The application lands amid a crowded rush toward federally regulated event trading. According to CNBC, Blockchain.com joins 11 other companies that have filed for DCM licenses this year, and the CFTC has already approved six new ones in 2026. A DCM is the same federal designation held by established U.S. futures exchanges such as CME Group.

Part of the appeal of the federal route is jurisdictional. A CFTC license offers cover from state gambling regulators, who have filed lawsuits against prediction-market operators including Kalshi and Polymarket.

The regulatory backdrop is shifting fast, with states battling federal regulators in court over who gets to police such markets. The CFTC recently sent the White House new rules aimed at cementing its authority over prediction markets, while a court fight over whether event contracts are federally regulated swaps—pitting the NFL and others against Kalshi—has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court.

Booming Volumes

For Blockchain.com and its peers, the appeal of prediction markets is evident: business is booming. The sector is increasingly entering the mainstream, and trading volumes have increased dramatically over the last year. Analysts at Bernstein have projected that the sector could generate billions of dollars in revenue by the end of the decade, in what they predict will be a $10 trillion market.

Blockchain.com's applications now await CFTC review, a process unfolding alongside the pending rulemaking and litigation that will help define who polices event trading in the United States.

Source: Decrypt