Blockchain.com Files for CFTC Licenses Ahead of $500M IPO

The licensing push reframes Blockchain.com from a wallet and brokerage into a regulated derivatives venue, a pivot that matters because it puts the firm on the same US regulatory footing as the venues already contesting prediction markets and crypto futures. The CFTC track is the slower, more expensive route, so the timing alongside an IPO suggests the licenses are being positioned as a valuation story rather than a near-term revenue driver. Whether the applications clear while the offering is in market is the open question.