Blockchain.com has filed for two licenses with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to bring prediction markets and cryptocurrency derivatives trading to U.S. customers. The company is seeking a designated contract market license to operate as a futures exchange and a futures commission merchant license to act as a broker for derivatives contracts.
In a statement, Peter Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com, said users should be able to manage digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events without switching between different apps. Smith noted that the applications build toward this future through appropriate regulatory frameworks.
The company began offering prediction markets through a partnership with Polymarket and perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid to some international customers earlier this year. The move aligns with a broader trend where crypto-related companies and prediction market platforms are entering each other's domains. Digital asset exchanges Crypto.com and Gemini Space Station operate their own event contract marketplaces, while Coinbase offers them primarily through a partnership with Kalshi. Conversely, Kalshi and Polymarket have launched perpetual futures for U.S. and international customers, respectively.
Blockchain.com is one of 12 companies that have filed this year to seek approval for designated contract market licenses. The CFTC has approved six new designated contract markets in 2026.
The regulatory push coincides with Blockchain.com's move toward the public markets. The company confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May. Bloomberg reported last month that Blockchain.com is planning to go public this year, targeting a valuation between $4 billion and $6 billion.