Blockchain.com has applied for two CFTC licenses to operate as a futures exchange and derivatives broker in the U.S., seeking to offer prediction markets and crypto derivatives as it also prepares for a potential IPO targeting a $4 billion to $6 billion valuation.
Blockchain.com, a digital asset platform, has applied for two federal licenses with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, seeking to bring event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives to retail and institutional customers in the United States, the company told reporters Friday.
The firm is requesting designation as a designated contract market — the regulatory classification that would allow it to operate as a futures exchange — as well as registration as a futures commission merchant, the category of broker licensed to handle derivatives contracts.
"Users should be able to manage their digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events easily, without jumping between different apps," Peter Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com, said in a statement. "Our DCM and FCM applications build toward that future in the U.S. through the appropriate regulatory frameworks."
The move places Blockchain.com among a crowded field of applicants. Twelve companies in total have filed for DCM licenses in 2026 alone, and the CFTC has granted six new designations this year.
Blockchain.com already offers prediction markets internationally through a partnership with Polymarket, along with perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid, for some of its existing international customers. The two new license applications would extend those capabilities to the U.S. market under formal regulatory oversight.
The company is not alone in pursuing this space. 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. Kalshi and Polymarket have each launched perpetual futures products — for U.S. and international customers, respectively — underscoring how quickly the boundaries between crypto trading and prediction markets have blurred.
The CFTC applications also arrive at a consequential moment for Blockchain.com's corporate trajectory. The company confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May. It was reported last month that Blockchain.com is targeting a valuation between $4 billion and $6 billion as it plans to go public this year.
Whether the CFTC moves quickly on the applications remains to be seen. The agency's willingness to approve six DCMs in 2026 signals a more open regulatory posture than in recent years, but each application still requires individual review. For Blockchain.com, securing both licenses ahead of a public offering would lend the company regulatory credibility at a time when institutional and retail investors are scrutinizing the governance structures of crypto-native platforms.
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