Key Highlights
- The CFTC approved spot cryptocurrency trading on U.S.-regulated exchanges, marking a historic first.
- The first product, a Leveraged Spot Digital Asset, will launch next week on Bitnomial, a fully regulated exchange.
- The agency plans to use tokenized collateral like stablecoins and update rules on margin, clearing, settlement, and reporting to support safe crypto trading.
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved spot cryptocurrency products for trading on federally regulated exchanges for the first time.
The announcement was made by Acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham, who said the agency is following directives from President Donald Trump, as well as advice from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, after some discussions with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through the CFTC’s “Crypto Sprint” program.
Pham said Americans can now trade spot crypto on CFTC-registered exchanges “with the customer protections and market integrity that Americans deserve.”
“Historic milestone” for crypto trading
Pham highlighted that the new framework uses the CFTC’s long-standing authority to expand crypto trading while keeping markets safe. She described it as a “historic milestone” built after months of public discussions and coordination with other regulators. This also puts into practice key recommendations from both the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets and the CFTC’s internal crypto-focused programs.
The first product under this framework will be a Leveraged Spot Digital Asset product, which is expected to launch next week on Bitnomial, a U.S. derivatives exchange registered as a Designated Contract Market (DCM). This product is the first example of spot digital assets being officially traded on a U.S. regulated platform.
Tokenization in futures market
Additionally, the agency outlined its plans to include tokenized collateral, like stablecoins, to be used in futures markets. The CFTC said it is considering updates to rules covering collateral, margin, clearing, settlement, reporting, and recordkeeping to support blockchain-based trading within regulated exchanges.
Caroline Pham became acting CFTC chair in January, shortly after President Trump took office. She is expected to step down once the Senate confirms a new chair. Michael Selig, an SEC official nominated by Trump, is expected to take over after Senate approval.
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