Blockchain.com seeks U.S. approval for prediction markets, crypto derivatives trading — SkimNews
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- Blockchain.com filed for two CFTC licenses — a designated contract market (DCM) designation and futures commission merchant (FCM) registration — to offer event contracts and crypto derivatives to U.S. retail and institutional customers.
- CEO Peter Smith said users should be able to "manage their digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events easily, without jumping between different apps," framing the applications as a step toward a unified U.S. platform.
- Blockchain.com already offers prediction markets internationally through a partnership with Polymarket and perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid, but those products are not available to U.S. customers today.
- Crypto.com and Gemini run their own event contract marketplaces, Coinbase offers them through a partnership with Kalshi, and both Kalshi and Polymarket have launched perpetual futures — making the U.S. market Blockchain.com is entering increasingly crowded.
- Blockchain.com is one of 12 companies (11 others) to file for a DCM license this year, as the CFTC has approved six new designated contract markets in 2026.
- Blockchain.com confidentially filed for an IPO with the SEC in May, with Bloomberg reporting a target valuation of $4 billion to $6 billion and a planned public listing this year.
Why it matters: Gaining DCM and FCM status would let Blockchain.com serve U.S. customers directly instead of routing them through partners like Polymarket and Hyperliquid, narrowing a gap with Crypto.com, Gemini, Coinbase, Kalshi, and Polymarket. With 11 other firms also filing this year and six new DCMs already approved in 2026, the CFTC pipeline is congested — and clearing these approvals would be a key pre-IPO milestone ahead of the company's confidential SEC filing targeting a $4-6B valuation.
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