Binance.US to File CFTC License Bid in August, Eyes Kalshi-Style Markets

Binance.US plans to file for a Designated Contract Market (DCM) license with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in August, CEO Steve Gregory said, a move that would let the exchange launch its own regulated prediction-market venue and compete directly with Kalshi and Polymarket.

Gregory disclosed the timeline at the Rare Evo blockchain conference. As of the day of his remarks, the CFTC’s public records showed no pending DCM application from Binance.US, meaning the filing itself has not yet been submitted.

What a DCM license would unlock

A DCM designation is the same regulatory status that underpins existing event-contract platforms in the U.S. It permits an operator to list futures or options contracts tied to “any underlying commodity, index or instrument” — the legal basis Kalshi and Polymarket’s U.S. arm have used to offer election, economic and sports-outcome contracts to American users.

To qualify, an applicant must satisfy 23 core principles set by the CFTC, covering areas such as system safeguards, trade record-keeping, and management of conflicts of interest. Meeting those standards typically requires months of compliance build-out before a license is granted, so Binance.US’s prediction-market product — if approved — would not launch immediately after the August filing.

A crowded, fast-growing niche

Prediction markets have become one of the more visible growth areas in U.S. retail trading, with Kalshi and Polymarket both scaling volumes on political, macro and sports contracts. A CFTC-licensed Binance.US entry would put a major crypto-native exchange brand directly into that competitive set, potentially routing its existing user base toward event contracts rather than only spot and derivatives trading.

For Binance.US, the filing also marks a further step in rebuilding its U.S. regulatory footprint. The company’s move comes more than a year after the Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed its lawsuit against Binance, its U.S. entity and former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, which had alleged misuse of customer funds among other claims.

Why it matters for traders

Until the DCM application is actually submitted and reviewed, Binance.US users have no new product to trade — the August date is a filing target, not a launch date. Traders watching the prediction-market space should track whether the CFTC lists a pending Binance.US application after August, since regulatory processing timelines will determine when, or if, the exchange can go live with contracts that compete on liquidity and fee structure against incumbents like Kalshi and Polymarket.

Read more: XRP Rises 2.28% to $1.0879 as OSL Hong Kong Opens Retail Spot Trading

Sources

• theblock.co
• cointelegraph.com