Binance.US plans to apply to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission next month for a Designated Contract Market (DCM) license to offer regulated prediction markets to U.S. customers. CEO Stephen Gregory, also known as Steve Gregory, confirmed the plan on stage at the RareEvo conference in Las Vegas on July 29, according to a post on X by journalist Eleanor Terrett. The filing marks the clearest step yet in the exchange’s push to rebuild its U.S. business after years of reduced offerings.
What a DCM License Would Allow
A DCM license is the CFTC’s core authorization for a regulated exchange to list futures, options, and event-based contracts. Winning one would let Binance.US offer prediction markets directly to U.S. customers, mirroring Binance’s own entry into prediction markets elsewhere. Gregory, who took over as Binance.US CEO in March 2026, framed the filing as one piece of a larger strategy that also includes lower trading fees and an expansion into perpetual futures.
Binance.US has not yet submitted the application, and the CFTC’s public filing list does not show one pending as of July 29. Approval, if it comes, could take several months, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed, particularly with state-level legal disputes over prediction markets still working through the courts.
The timing lines up with a broader run-up in U.S. event-contract trading, with volume on CFTC-authorized platforms topping $25 billion in 2025, up from just 131 certified contracts in 2021. The push also follows favorable CFTC signals toward these platforms, including dropping its case against Gemini.
What This Means for Traders
A DCM license would give Binance.US users a regulated, U.S.-based venue for prediction markets instead of relying on offshore platforms. It would also mark the exchange’s first expansion beyond spot trading since the SEC’s securities lawsuit against Binance.US was dismissed with prejudice in May 2025, closing out nearly two years of legal uncertainty. For traders who left during that stretch, a DCM license would be the clearest sign yet that Binance.US is rebuilding its lineup.
The Path to CFTC Approval
Gregory said Binance.US expects to file its DCM application in August 2026. From there, reviewers will weigh the exchange against the CFTC’s 23 core principles, covering system safeguards, record-keeping, and conflict-of-interest controls, a process that can take months with no guaranteed outcome.
If Binance.US clears that bar, it would compete directly with Kalshi and Polymarket, echoing Coinbase’s own push into a broader “everything exchange” model.
What this means for you: If you’re new to crypto, a prediction market is simply a way to trade on the outcome of a real-world event, like an election or an economic report, instead of buying an asset. Binance.US can’t offer that yet, since the CFTC hasn’t approved its license, so there’s nothing to sign up for or act on until that changes.
Be the first to comment