Blockchain.com seeks CFTC greenlight for US prediction markets, crypto derivatives trading: CNBC
Blockchain.com, a crypto wallet and trading platform, has applied for a pair of U.S. licenses to offer prediction markets and crypto derivatives, CNBC reported Friday.Approval of those licenses, specifically a designated contract market license and registration as a futures commission merchant, falls under the purview of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission."Users should be able to manage their digital assets, trade derivatives and take positions on real-world events easily, without jumping between different apps," CEO and co-founder Peter Smith said in a statement cited by CNBC.Blockchain.com already offers prediction markets through Polymarket and perpetual futures via Hyperliquid, but currently only to non-U.S. customers. If these applications are approved, it would open the door for Blockchain.com to offer those products to U.S. customers.This follows a September agreement with the New York Stock Exchange to give Blockchain.com users access to tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through the exchange's planned digital trading platform.Blockchain.com is also preparing for a potential public listing, confidentially filing for an IPO in May. More recent reports last week from Bloomberg revealed that Blockchain.com was seeking to raise roughly $500 million at a valuation of between $4 billion and $6 billion, and targeting a listing before the end of 2026.It's important to note that Blockchain.com has intended to go public for at least four years now. In April 2022, the company was speaking with banks about a potential listing that year, shortly after raising funding at a $14 billion valuation.