Blockchain.com has applied for two U.S. licenses that could allow it to offer prediction markets and crypto derivatives to American customers, CNBC reported Friday. The applications cover a designated contract market license and registration as a futures commission merchant, both under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Currently, Blockchain.com provides access to prediction markets through Polymarket and offers perpetual futures through Hyperliquid, but only to non-U.S. customers. If the CFTC approves the applications, the company could extend those services to U.S. users. CEO and co-founder Peter Smith said users should be able to manage digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events without jumping between different apps.
The licensing push follows a September agreement with the New York Stock Exchange to give Blockchain.com users access to tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through the exchange's planned digital trading platform.
Blockchain.com is also preparing for a potential public listing. The company confidentially filed for an IPO in May, and Bloomberg reported last week that it was seeking to raise roughly $500 million at a valuation between $4 billion and $6 billion, targeting a listing before the end of 2026. The company has pursued public listing ambitions for years, including discussions with banks in April 2022 after raising funding at a $14 billion valuation.
