CFTC Gives Crypto Prediction Platform Polymarket Greenlight To Launch In the U.S.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has cleared the path for Polymarket, a crypto-powered prediction platform, to operate legally in the United States. The approval came through a no-action letter issued by the regulator’s Division of Market Oversight and Division of Clearing and Risk.

CFTC Letter and Polymarket Acquisition of QCX Enables Legal Path for U.S. Return

The CFTC no-action letter means the regulator will not pursue enforcement against event contracts traded on QCX LLC, a designated contract market, and QC Clearing LLC, its affiliated clearinghouse. Also, the letter specifies that enforcement will not apply to failures in swap data reporting or recordkeeping for binary options and variable payout contracts cleared through QC Clearing. These exemptions mirror treatment given to other registered exchanges and clearinghouses.

Both entities were acquired by Polymarket as part of its strategy to reenter the U.S. market after earlier regulatory setbacks. This move gives Polymarket a compliant structure to operate under CFTC oversight.

By securing QCX and QC Clearing, Polymarket gained direct access to these allowances. It provided the platform with the legal framework needed to bring its platform back to American users. This aligns with a recent CFTC framework, which was aimed at providing clarity to bring back offshore crypto exchanges to the U.S.

CFTC staff confirmed the exemptions followed a formal request by QCX and QC Clearing, now under Polymarket’s ownership. The deal effectively ties the platform’s future to the operational infrastructure of a registered exchange and clearinghouse.

Regulatory Shift Opens Door for Polymarket’s Entry into U.S. Prediction Markets

Before this approval, Polymarket had been fined by the CFTC in 2022 for selling unregistered event contracts to U.S. customers. Since then, it has been making efforts to re-build trust with regulators by following a compliant path.

Another growing area in the crypto market is called event contracts. Here, a user can bet on occurrences like an election or economic data. The sector’s rise has also drawn institutional interest, including millions invested by Donald Trump Jr.’s VC firm. In addition to the investment, Trump Jr. was also named as a member of Polymarket’s board of advisors.

The approval shows how regulatory adaptation is shaping crypto-related markets now and in the future. Instead of shutting down innovation, the CFTC lets compliant structures exist while they still remain under its oversight.

This perspective was recently emphasized by CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham. She referenced the Crypto Sprint initiative of the agency, as well as the Project Crypto by the SEC. Her statements suggest that the Polymarket clearance fits within the current administration’s positive stance about blockchain and crypto-related projects.

In an address at the Blockchain Leaders Summit in Tokyo, she said that America has reclaimed its leading status in the field of digital assets. Hence, Pham urged developers to create, invest and employ from the United States.

CFTC Approval Establishes PredictIt as a Major Player In the U.S. Prediction Markets

In a related development, the CFTC has also granted complete approval to PredictIt, a political prediction platform. Following the approval, the platform has become a designated contractual market. According to a Financial Times report, this authorization allows PredictIt to expand its betting offerings under regulatory oversight.
That makes it one of the three legally recognized operators in the U.S. market along with Kalshi and Polymarket. Three CFTC-cleared market makers emphasize the regulatory acceptance of prediction markets. It also proves that this market is on the path towards mainstream adoption finance world.