CFTC Grants Polymarket Approval to Relaunch in U.S. as Regulated Venue

• CFTC approval allows Polymarket to operate as a fully regulated U.S. prediction exchange.
• Intermediated access through FCMs and brokerages links the prediction market platform to traditional market infrastructure.
• Upgraded oversight and Galaxy Digital’s interest point to growing institutional focus on event markets.

Polymarket received an Amended Order of Designation from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, allowing the crypto-based prediction market to operate as a fully regulated exchange in the United States.

The approval opens the door to intermediated access through futures commission merchants and traditional brokerages. The decision marks a new route for prediction markets in the U.S., after the CFTC barred Polymarket in 2022 for operating an unregistered derivatives exchange.

CFTC Approval Puts Polymarket Under Full US Market Rules

Polymarket will be regulated under the same federal framework as other Designated Contract Markets in the United States, as amended. The platform now needs to comply with requirements of surveillance, market oversight, and clearing protocols, as well as comprehensive Part 16 reporting, which are required of federally supervised venues.

The latest order builds on the prediction market platform’s purchase of QCX LLC and QC Clearing, firms already registered with the CFTC as an exchange and a clearinghouse. The acquisition provided Polymarket with an established regulatory foundation and infrastructure, enabling a compliant return to the U.S. market.

The platform earlier shut out U.S. customers and paid a civil penalty after the CFTC discovered that previous event-based markets operated as unregistered swap trades. The new approval closes that chapter and establishes an oversight framework that comprises a self-regulatory responsibilities standard for U.S. exchanges.

Intermediated Access Links Polymarket With U.S. Brokerages

One central change in the approval involves “intermediated access.” Instead of using Polymarket’s own crypto interface, U.S. customers will reach the platform through registered futures commission merchants and familiar brokerage firms. This setup follows the basic model used by many U.S. futures and options markets.

In addition, the platform uses established custody, clearing, and reporting channels to connect prediction markets to existing institutional plumbing.

Also Read: Romania Blacklists Polymarket for Operating Unlicensed Crypto Gambling Platform

Furthermore, the company said this setup lets people trade event contracts on regulated US venues while still keeping their assets and compliance work with the brokerage firms they already use.

Founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said customers turn to the platform for “clarity where there is confusion and accountability where there is ambiguity,” adding that the new status allows the platform to operate in line with U.S. transparency standards.

Enhanced Oversight Prepares Polymarket for US Relaunch

Polymarket stated that it has installed upgraded monitoring tools, supervision rules, clearing workflows and regulatory reporting systems to meet its new obligations. The company also plans additional procedures specific to intermediated trading before its full U.S. relaunch, including extra controls for market integrity and internal compliance.

In addition, the decision arrives as interest in regulated prediction markets grows among both retail traders and established financial firms. Galaxy Digital, led by Mike Novogratz, recently confirmed it is in discussions with Polymarket and rival platform Kalshi about acting as a liquidity provider.

Further, the approval bolsters the broader case for a U.S. regulation of prediction markets that treats these as supervised trading venues rather than offshore products.

Also Read: Galaxy Digital Eyes $9B Prediction Market, Joins Forces with Polymarket and Kalshi