Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Also known as
- CFTC
Latest
Trump nominates four SEC and CFTC picks, including CLARITY Act negotiators
The Trump administration sent four nominations to the Senate on 12 November: Kristin N. Johnson and Steven Levine for the SEC, and Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland for the CFTC. Anonick and Rowland both worked on the CLARITY Act, which stalled in the Senate in September. Republican leaders reportedly want the nominees through committee by 20 November for a year-end confirmation package, while analysts warn the legislation could be delayed by up to two years under a Democratic-led Congress.
CFTC sues Louisiana to block order banning 31 prediction markets
The CFTC has sued Louisiana to block a state judge's order that bans 31 prediction markets, including Kalshi and Polymarket, within the state. Louisiana's attorney general hit back by calling the CFTC chair an 'obsequious standard bearer' for prediction markets. The dispute is a clear clash between federal and state authority over these platforms.
House memo urges limits on officials' prediction market bets
A November 13 memo from House Oversight staff asks Congress to ban or tightly limit officials in all branches from trading on government and political prediction market contracts, even without inside information. The memo cites three CFTC cases, including a $1.2 million trade on Polymarket.com that the CFTC alleges used nonpublic search data. The Senate already barred senators and their staff in April, and the Department of War has barred personnel from using prediction markets for personal gain.
CFTC escalates prediction-market fight as states bring criminal charges
CFTC chair Michael Selig says state criminal charges against prediction-market executives are "really egregious", and the CFTC has sued Louisiana after a state judge ordered more than 30 CFTC-linked companies to stop operating there. Utah filed felony charges against Kalshi and its two cofounders in October, and 44 state attorneys general argue that sports contracts are not derivatives. New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to decide whether the Dodd-Frank Act blocks states from enforcing gambling laws against these contracts, and the appeals courts are split. Selig says the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction.
CFTC sues Louisiana after state court blocks CFTC-regulated exchanges
The CFTC has sued Louisiana after a state court blocked CFTC-regulated exchanges in the state. The dispute points to a clash between federal oversight of these platforms and state-level court action. The source is a brief CFTC press release title, so the ruling's details and the claims made are not clear from it.
CFTC chairman criticises states over threats to jail prediction market founders
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig has accused US states of trying to 'lock up' prediction market founders. He argues that disputes over whether event contracts are gambling should not expose executives to jail time.
Trump names first Democratic picks for SEC and CFTC in bipartisan slate
Trump has proposed a bipartisan slate of two Republicans and two Democrats for the SEC and CFTC, the first Democratic picks he has made for either agency. The nominees would refill commissions that have driven crypto policy since the Clarity Act's collapse. The article does not name the nominees or set out a timetable.
US government sues Arkansas to block state case against Kalshi prediction market
The Department of Justice and the CFTC filed suit on Nov. 12 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, asking a judge to block Arkansas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act case against Kalshi. The federal complaint argues Kalshi's sports event contracts are swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act, placing them under exclusive CFTC jurisdiction. It notes that courts in Arizona, Illinois and Minnesota have already issued preliminary injunctions favouring the federal side.
CFTC sues Arkansas, defending federal oversight of prediction markets
The CFTC has sued Arkansas, arguing that federal jurisdiction covers prediction markets. The filing puts a federal-state dispute over how these markets are regulated into the courts. The source is a short agency press release headline, so the claims and timeline are not yet clear.
Trump nominates four to SEC and CFTC, two Democrats and two Republicans
Donald Trump sent four nominations to the Senate on 12 November for the SEC and the CFTC, two from each party. Kristin Johnson, a Democrat and former CFTC commissioner, and Republican Steven Levine are proposed for the SEC, with Levine taking the seat held by Hester Peirce, who led the SEC's Crypto Task Force. Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland are the CFTC picks, and both have worked for the Senate Agriculture Committee; the nominees have no public crypto stance on record, and Senate Republicans reportedly aimed to clear nominees by 20 November before the lame-duck session ends.
DOJ and CFTC sue Arkansas to block state action against Kalshi
The US Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have sued Arkansas to block a state enforcement action against Kalshi. Arkansas had sued Kalshi on 4 November, alleging that it operates an illegal gambling platform in the state.
White House sends crypto-relevant nominees to fill SEC and CFTC seats
The White House has sent crypto-relevant picks to fill seats at the SEC and CFTC. Ji Kim of the Crypto Council for Innovation said the bipartisan lineup could develop durable rules that safeguard markets and support innovation.
Trump nominates Hester Peirce successor among SEC and CFTC picks
The White House has named nominees to fill vacancies at the SEC and the CFTC, including a successor to Hester Peirce. The picks also include a former CFTC commissioner and two people who worked on the CLARITY Act.
Trump names CFTC and SEC nominees for first time in a year
Donald Trump has named two potential commissioners each to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the first such nominations in about a year. The moves matter for crypto because both agencies shape how digital assets are regulated in the US.
Bitwise's Matt Hougan says a younger incoming Congress may matter more to crypto than party control
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says the younger intake of lawmakers matters more for crypto than which party holds power. Incoming senators are on average 14 years younger than those leaving, and the number under 50 rose from eight to 15, while Stand With Crypto counts 51 pro-crypto senators, down from 52. House Democrats reportedly want a market structure bill expanding SEC oversight and reducing CFTC authority, building on Maxine Waters' amendment to the CLARITY Act.
SEC backs CFTC in legal fight over stock perpetual futures approvals
The SEC has sided with the CFTC in a legal dispute over stock perpetual futures from Kalshi, Coinbase and Bitnomial. With both regulators now defending the approvals, the products look safer, though one judge has signalled doubts about them.