Blockchain.com has filed two applications with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal agency that regulates derivatives markets in the United States, as it moves to expand its product offering in the country. The digital asset platform is seeking a Designated Contract Market (DCM) license, which would allow it to operate as a futures exchange, alongside registration as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), which would permit it to act as a broker for derivatives contracts. Event contracts — derivatives whose payouts are tied to the outcome of real-world events, from election results to economic data releases — have moved into the mainstream of US retail trading in recent years. If approved, the licenses would enable Blockchain.com to offer event trading contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives to both retail and institutional clients across the United States within a fully regulated framework.

The filings reflect a broader strategic vision of consolidating digital asset services into a single platform. According to CEO and co-founder Peter Smith, users should be able to manage their digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events without switching between multiple applications — a goal the DCM and FCM applications are designed to advance in the domestic market.

This is not an entirely new direction for the company. Earlier this year, Blockchain.com tested prediction market products with some of its international clients through a partnership with Polymarket, while offering perpetual contracts powered by Hyperliquid. The CFTC filings extend that product strategy into the regulated US market, a step the company argues will bring event-based trading under appropriate federal oversight.

Joining a Crowded and Rapidly Evolving Market

Blockchain.com's applications place it at the intersection of two converging trends: crypto exchanges entering the prediction market space, and prediction market operators adopting crypto-style products. Crypto.com and Gemini operate their own event contract marketplaces, while Coinbase primarily offers similar products through its partnership with Kalshi. Moving in the opposite direction, Kalshi and Polymarket have launched perpetual futures — derivative contracts with no expiration date, and among the most popular trading products in crypto — for US and international customers, respectively.

Competition for regulatory approval is also intensifying. Blockchain.com is now one of twelve companies to have filed for DCM licenses this year alone, and the CFTC has approved six new designated contract markets in 2026. The surge in applications underscores both the growing mainstream appeal of event contracts and the industry's push toward compliant, US-based trading infrastructure.

The licensing effort also coincides with the company's preparations to enter the public markets. Blockchain.com confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May, and reports have indicated it is targeting a public listing this year at a valuation between $4 billion and $6 billion. The outcome of the CFTC applications could prove consequential for that trajectory, as a fully licensed US derivatives and prediction market offering would strengthen the company's position as it approaches potential investors. With both filings still pending before the CFTC, the regulator's review and decision timeline now stand out as a key development to watch as the company's planned listing approaches.

Source: Metaverse Post