CFTC Clears Path for Nasdaq and Cboe To Offer Crypto Trading
Key Takeaways
- CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham confirmed talks with major exchanges to launch regulated leveraged crypto trading.
- Platforms like Cboe and CME could soon offer margin spot trading for Bitcoin and Ether.
- Analysts say it could pull trillions in offshore trading volume into U.S. markets.
After a 40-day government shutdown froze major financial agencies, the U.S. is finally back to business — and regulators are wasting no time.
CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham recently confirmed that the agency is in active discussions with several regulated exchanges to introduce leveraged spot cryptocurrency trading, a first for the United States.
If approved, the plan would allow CME Group, Cboe, ICE Futures, Nasdaq’s derivatives arm, Coinbase Derivatives, Kalshi, and Polymarket U.S. to launch trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) with margin under the CFTC’s supervision.
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Crypto Trading on Nasdaq?
Unlike the unregulated margin trading that dominates offshore exchanges, the CFTC proposal would fall squarely under the Commodity Exchange Act, which mandates that any leveraged or financed commodity transaction must occur on a Designated Contract Market (DCM).
In practice, that means traders could gain access to leveraged Bitcoin and Ethereum spot markets on the same regulated exchanges that handle futures and derivatives.
The framework would bring investor protections, transparent risk controls, and federal oversight to a corner of the crypto market that has long operated in regulatory gray zones.
Analysts say it could also redirect trillions in global trading volume currently handled by overseas exchanges like Binance, OKX, and Bybit to U.S. platforms.
Washington Reopens — and Regulation Follows
The timing is notable.
Just as the CFTC advances its crypto strategy, Congress has reached an agreement to end the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, clearing a backlog that had left crypto rulemaking and ETF approvals stalled for weeks.
The bipartisan deal, passed in a 60–40 Senate vote, paves the way for agencies like the SEC and CFTC to resume normal operations.
That means pending measures such as the CLARITY Act and spot altcoin ETF approvals could now move forward — and the CFTC’s crypto framework may arrive as soon as next month.
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