CFTC Opens 60-Day Comment Period for New Crypto Trading Rules
On October 5, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) opened a 60-day public comment period for its proposed Regulation CTX, aiming to shape U.S. crypto rules. The advance notice covers retail commodity transactions in digital assets under the Commodity Exchange Act. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig emphasized that the rules target firms allowing retail customers to trade crypto on a margined, leveraged, or financed basis.
Regulation CTX introduces frameworks for crypto asset transactions, dubbed CTXs. Exchanges already registered as designated contract markets could offer CTXs under tailored rules, while others could register as a designated contract market or CAM (crypto asset market). The proposed rules also contemplate a proof-of-reserves duty for exchanges holding customer property in omnibus accounts and delivery to a non-custodial wallet within 28 days as satisfying the actual delivery exception.
Chairman Selig clarified that the CFTC already holds anti-fraud and anti-manipulation authority over spot exchanges, but only Congress can mandate registration for all platforms. He expressed disappointment over Congress's failure to pass the Clarity Act, a crypto market structure bill, leading the CFTC to rely on existing authority to create a uniform national regulatory framework.
The CFTC seeks public input on preventing abusive practices, industry best practices, and codifying the crypto asset market category. The comment period runs 60 days from the Federal Register publication date, with no confirmed closing date yet. Analysts view the notice as a test of whether exchanges prefer federal regulation over state licensing, with the outcome dependent on public comments and any later rule.