CFTC Opens Comments on Rules for Leveraged Retail Crypto Trades

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission opened a 60-day public-comment period Oct. 5 for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking covering certain retail crypto transactions and crypto-asset markets. The notice addresses “Crypto Asset Transactions,” or CTXs, under Section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Commodity Exchange Act. The transactions involve retail crypto activity using margin, leverage or financing. The CFTC is also considering a registration category called a “crypto asset market,” or CAM, for exchanges offering CTXs. The potential framework could include market-surveillance requirements, customer-fund protections, safeguards against abusive practices and proof-of-reserves obligations for certain omnibus customer accounts.