United States Capitol building representing the CLARITY Act and U.S. digital asset regulatory oversight

CFTC Begins Exploring Crypto Market Structure Rules Under Existing Authority

August 21, 2026 11

WASHINGTON, August 20, 2026 — Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig said he has directed CFTC staff to explore rules for a crypto asset market structure under the agency’s existing authorities, laying out a potential regulatory route if Congress does not advance crypto market structure legislation.

Illustration of the CFTC’s resolution of enforcement actions against Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang

CFTC Resolves FTX Actions Against Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang

August 19, 2026 13

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2026 — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has resolved its enforcement actions against former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and Alameda and FTX co-founder Gary Wang after a federal court entered supplemental consent orders setting out trading and registration restrictions and requiring their continued cooperation with the agency.

SEC headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

SEC proposes new crypto framework with $75 million offering exemption

August 19, 2026 16

WASHINGTON, August 18, 2026 — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a new regulatory framework for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets, including registration exemptions for offerings of up to $75 million and a conditional safe harbor addressing when a crypto asset would no longer be subject to an investment contract.

Illustration of coin stacks under a magnifying glass, representing regulatory scrutiny of prediction market incentive programs

CFTC Staff Flags Deficiencies in Prediction Market Incentive Program Filings

August 15, 2026 21

WASHINGTON, August 12, 2026 — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Market Oversight issued an advisory on incentive programs for prediction markets after staff observed an increase in incentive-program rule filings relating to event-contract products, including filings that were procedurally or substantively deficient.

Illustration of Yes and No event contract outcomes under a magnifying glass, representing CFTC scrutiny of Kalshi

CFTC Invokes Emergency Authority as New York Seeks to Halt Kalshi Event Contracts

August 15, 2026 22

WASHINGTON, August 11, 2026 — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission invoked its emergency authority and ordered KalshiEX LLC to continue operating its exchange under normal practices and the Commodity Exchange Act’s Core Principles, escalating a jurisdictional dispute over New York’s attempt to apply state gambling laws to the federally regulated prediction-market operator.

Illustration of Vault Representing Crypto Investment Funds

CFTC Alleges $397 Million Crypto Ponzi Scheme at Goliath Ventures

August 12, 2026 25

WASHINGTON, August 11, 2026 — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Goliath Ventures Inc. and founder and CEO Christopher Delgado, alleging the company operated a crypto Ponzi scheme that collected at least $397 million from approximately 1,611 customers while falsely claiming their assets would be deployed to liquidity pools on decentralized exchanges.

Illustration of up and down arrows representing CFTC scrutiny of American odds pricing for event contracts

CFTC Warns ‘American’ Odds May Mislead Event-Contract Traders

August 8, 2026 21

WASHINGTON, August 7, 2026 — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s market oversight and market participants divisions warned regulated entities that using “American odds” to display event-contract prices is likely to mislead market participants, raising potential concerns under federal prohibitions on manipulative and deceptive practices.