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【CFTC proposes a federal regulatory framework for retail crypto leveraged trading, with plans to establish a new “Crypto Asset Market” category】

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) launched a rulemaking process on Monday, planning to establish a unified federal regulatory framework for crypto asset leveraged and margin spot trading aimed at retail customers.CFTC is considering establishing a new “CTX” registration category through Regulation CAM and Regulation Crypto Asset Market(Crypto Asset Market). Eligible crypto trading platforms could offer leveraged and margin spot trading to retail users under CFTC oversight and would be subject to unified federal regulatory standards. This framework would provide crypto exchanges that currently operate under state licenses with another compliance pathway. However,CFTC expressly stated that, without authorization from Congress, regulators cannot compel all crypto asset trading to move to CFTC-registered platforms.CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said the move is an important step toward keeping the United States the “crypto capital of the world,” adding that U.S. investors need clearer rules, regulatory certainty, and consumer protection. Overall,CFTC is attempting to use its existing authority to establish a federal framework for retail crypto leveraged trading first, rather than wait for Congress to pass comprehensive market-structure legislation. If ultimately implemented, U.S. crypto exchanges could receive a nationwide regulatory pathway for retail leveraged spot trading for the first time, but CFTC mandatory jurisdiction over the crypto spot market as a whole would still depend on congressional legislation.