CME Group, the world’s largest futures exchange operator, is preparing to sue the CFTC over its approval of perpetual futures trading.
According to Terrence Duffy, CEO of CME Group, CME plans to sue the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for the approval of perpetual futures contracts in the United States.
Speaking to CNBC, the CME CEO announced plans to file a lawsuit to protest the CFTC’s decision to approve Bitcoin perpetual futures contracts.
This legal action follows the CFTC’s decision in late May to allow platforms including Kalshi and Coinbase to offer crypto perpetual futures. As is known, in early May, the CFTC approved the Bitcoin perpetual futures products of the Kalshi market forecasting platform.
CME CEO Duffy argues that perpetual futures contracts should be classified as clearing products, not standard futures contracts, under the Dodd-Frank Act.
“Under the Dodd-Frank Act, perpetual futures contracts should be classified as offset transactions. This argument will form the basis of the case.”
Duffy also warned that the introduction of perpetual futures into the US market could create new risks for individual investors.
According to Duffy, perpetual futures contracts, unlike traditional futures contracts, do not have a specific expiration date. This allows investors to keep their positions open without having to constantly renew them.
However, the fact that the leverage ratios of these products can reach up to 50:1 sparks debate between regulators and market participants, and increases risks for investors.
Finally, according to experts, if CME files this lawsuit, it could become one of the most important cryptocurrency regulatory battles of 2026.
*This does not constitute investment advice.