TheBlock
Binance.US plans to file in August for a designated contract market (DCM) license from the CFTC, CEO Stephen Gregory said at a recent conference. A DCM designation would allow the exchange to list its own event contracts in the United States, rather than routing them through a third-party venue.
Why it matters
The move puts Binance.US into a fast-thickening field. The WSJ reported last week that Robinhood is in talks with Crypto.com to surface prediction market contracts to its brokerage users, and Kalshi and Polymarket have spent the past year pulling retail flow onto regulated and offshore event-contract books. A DCM license from Binance.US would let it bypass partner venues and tap that demand directly, while extending its regulated US footprint at a moment when the parent group's global derivatives business remains under CFTC scrutiny.
Market impact
A successful application would give US traders a second federally regulated crypto-native venue for event contracts, and would test whether the CFTC is willing to widen the licensed DCM pool beyond the incumbent exchanges. Watch for the actual filing in August and for any objection period that follows; the speed of approval will set the pace for the rest of the field chasing the same retail flow.
Frequently asked questions
-
What is a CFTC designated contract market license?
A designated contract market (DCM) is a CFTC-licensed exchange authorized to list futures, options, and event contracts for US traders. A DCM license lets Binance.US list its own prediction market contracts directly rather than routing through a third-party venue.
-
When will Binance.US file the CFTC application?
Binance.US CEO Stephen Gregory said at a recent conference that the company plans to apply in August. The actual filing date and the subsequent CFTC review timeline will set the pace for the rest of the regulated prediction market field.
-
How does this affect Robinhood's prediction market plans?
Robinhood is in talks with Crypto.com to surface prediction market contracts to its brokerage users, per the WSJ. A licensed Binance.US DCM would add a federally regulated crypto-native venue to the same retail flow Robinhood is targeting.
-
Is Binance.US the same company as Binance.com?
No. Binance.US is the US-regulated affiliate that operates separately from the global Binance.com platform. The parent group's global derivatives business remains under CFTC scrutiny, which makes this DCM application notable.
-
What prediction markets does Binance.US plan to offer?
The seed does not specify the categories. A DCM license would allow Binance.US to list its own event contracts in the US, but the contract lineup and launch timeline will only be clear after the August CFTC filing and approval.
CoinTelegraph
CryptoSlate
Crypto Rank News
CoinDesk
Crypto News
WuBlockchain