CFTC may allow spot crypto trading on registered exchanges

The U.S. CFTC is launching an initiative to legalize spot crypto trading on DCM-licensed exchanges. The effort aligns with Trump’s working group’s crypto strategy and SEC’s blockchain vision.

CFTC invites industry to help shape crypto spot trading rules

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has launched a new initiative to enable the trading of spot crypto assets on licensed designated contract markets (DCMs). Acting Chair Caroline Pham called on industry participants to help define the rules.

“This marks our effort to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world,” Pham said, reiterating her proposal from 2022. She encouraged stakeholders to provide feedback on how to list digital asset contracts under current authority.

Coordinated push from CFTC and SEC

This move follows the release of a report by President Donald Trump’s digital asset task force, which calls for greater regulatory clarity in crypto markets. It specifically tasks the CFTC with defining how spot crypto contracts can be listed and traded.

The initiative also aligns with the SEC’s “Project Crypto,” which aims to modernize securities laws and transition financial markets to blockchain infrastructure.

Additional highlights:

• Public feedback is due by August 18.
• Congress is working on the Clarity Act to make the CFTC the primary regulator for crypto spot markets.

The plan marks a major step toward transparent and federally regulated crypto trading in the U.S.