CFTC Chairman Mike Selig announced imminent policies for crypto perpetual futures in the U.S., building on Project Crypto launched in January with the SEC. Speaking at the Milken Institute event on March 3 alongside SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, Selig aims to repatriate offshore liquidity amid broader digital asset initiatives.
At the Milken Institute’s Future of Finance conference in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026—following the January launch of Project Crypto by the CFTC and SEC—Chairman Mike Selig stated his agency is "working towards getting professional futures, true professional futures here in the U.S. within the next month or so." He added, "We expect to announce that very soon."
Selig explained that crypto perpetual futures, non-expiring contracts often with leverage, have thrived offshore due to past U.S. regulatory hurdles. "The prior administration drove a lot of these firms and the liquidity offshore," he noted, targeting recapture from platforms in Asia, Europe, and the Bahamas.
Alongside Atkins, Selig highlighted Project Crypto's unified push, including "innovation exceptions" for crypto experimentation and upcoming DeFi regulation guidance. Selig also detailed forthcoming rules for prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi: "We're going to be setting very clear standards," with comprehensive rulemaking ahead. Despite state gambling regulator disputes, he affirmed parallel federal-state oversight.
Atkins called for legislative backing: "We really do need statutory certainty." This follows a 2024 Supreme Court ruling curbing agency power, with the Senate's Digital Asset Market Clarity Act stalled amid negotiations and midterm elections.
