CFTC Greenlights Spot Crypto Trading on Regulated U.S. Exchanges

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved the first-ever listed spot crypto trading on regulated exchanges. The commission stated that this marks a significant step in advancing Trump’s vision to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world.

U.S. CFTC Announces Spot Crypto Trading On Regulated Exchanges

In a press release, the commission’s Acting Chairman Caroline Pham announced that listed spot crypto products will begin trading for the first time in U.S. federally regulated markets on CFTC-registered futures exchanges. The agency remarked that this marks a significant step forward in the Trump administration’s pledge to make America the crypto capital.

Furthermore, the CFTC chair stated that the commission has a central role to play, even as the administration has developed a comprehensive all-of-government plan to help the country reclaim its place as the world leader in the crypto markets. “Recent events on offshore exchanges have shown us how essential it is for Americans to have more choice and access to safe, regulated U.S. markets,” she added.

This development comes just months after the commission first indicated that it was open to allowing spot crypto trading on regulated U.S. exchanges. Now, the agency has declared that spot crypto can trade on registered exchanges that have been the gold standard for nearly a hundred years, with the customer protections and market integrity that Americans deserve.

Meanwhile, Pham also noted that this historic milestone implements recommendations from Trump’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets alongside months of public engagement and the expert input of stakeholders, CFTC staff, and other regulators. Notably, the agency launched ‘Crypto Sprint,’ which focused on public consultations on several crypto components.

The First-Ever U.S. Leveraged Retail Spot Crypto Exchange?

In line with the CFTC’s announcement, regulated exchange Bitnomial announced the upcoming launch of the first-ever leveraged retail spot crypto exchange operating under the commission’s regulation. The exchange stated that both retail and institutional traders will benefit from net settlement and portfolio margining across spot, perpetuals, futures, and options, all on one exchange.

The launch is scheduled for next week, which the exchange described as representing a watershed moment for U.S. crypto markets. Commenting on the upcoming launch, Luke Hoersten, Founder and CEO of Bitnomial, said, “Leveraged spot crypto trading is now available under the same regulatory framework as U.S. perpetuals, futures, and options.”

Furthermore, he stated that broker intermediation and Clearinghouse net settlement eliminate counterparty risks while providing the capital efficiency traders need. The exchange also noted that institutions and brokers will benefit from finally having access to a CFTC-regulated exchange rather than state money transmitter oversight, resolving longstanding compliance incompatibilities.