CFTC explores allowing spot crypto trading on futures exchanges in new initiative
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is launching a new program to ultimately enable the trading of spot crypto asset contracts on registered futures exchanges, also known as designated contract markets (DCM).This development comes amid the cooperative efforts between the CFTC and SEC to bring much-needed clarity to the U.S. digital asset market, especially concerning the classification of cryptocurrencies as either securities or commodities."Starting today, we invite all stakeholders to work with us on providing regulatory clarity on how to list spot crypto asset contracts on a DCM using our existing authority," said CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline Pham in a Monday statement.CFTC is asking for feedback or suggestions on this topic from stakeholders and the general public. The deadline to submit comments is Aug. 18.Last week, the commodities regulator launched "Crypto Sprint," which is an initiative dedicated to implement recommendations from the recent White House digital asset report. Pham said the spot crypto trading program is the first step in the Crypto Sprint initiative.The report from President Trump's digital asset working group recommended giving CFTC the authority over spot markets for crypto assets that are classified as commodities, and collaborating with the Securities and Exchange Commission to bring clarity for digital asset users and businesses in trading or registration processes.In the Monday statement, Pham said CFTC is "full speed ahead" on enabling immediate trading of crypto at the federal level, in coordination with the SEC's Project Crypto.Project Crypto, which also builds off of the White House report, is an initiative to modernize securities rules and regulations to facilitate the financial system's move onchain. More specifically, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the agency will work on drafting rules around crypto distributions, custody and trading.Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.