CFTC Rejects CME’s Legal Challenge to Perpetual Futures Policy
Current overview (not historical)
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has dismissed CME Group’s attempt to contest the regulator’s new policy on perpetual futures contracts. In a brief, the CFTC argued that CME lacks the legal standing to challenge the policy, noting that CME has failed to plausibly allege an actual or imminent increase in competition. The regulator also criticized CME’s contradictory position—asserting that perpetual contracts are not futures while simultaneously seeking futures treatment for them. The CFTC emphasized that to proceed, CME must demonstrate a tangible threat to competition. As of now, CME has not provided such evidence, leaving the CFTC’s policy in place and the legal challenge unresolved. This decision underscores the regulator’s stance that perpetual contracts fall under futures regulation and that challengers must meet a high evidentiary threshold to contest its rules.
Written with AI from the reporting · updated 10/19/2026
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- 1Unclassified fact stationOct 19, 00:00recorded Oct 20, 00:57single sourcerevised
CFTC rebuffs CME legal stance in perpetual futures fight
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- Subject：
- cftc
- Action：
- filed brief arguing CME lacks legal standing
- Object：
- CME Group's legal challenge to new perpetual futures policy
- Occurred (fact side)：
- Oct 19, 00:00
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 20, 00:47
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 20, 00:57
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- CoinDeskRelated fact: single sourceSource report revisedCFTC rejects CME's legal challenge to U.S. perpetual futures policy
Report first recorded Oct 20, 00:57
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a court brief arguing that CME Group has not demonstrated it is being harmed by new perpetual futures policies, meaning it lacks legal standing to challenge the regulator. The CFTC, responding to President Trump's crypto agenda, opened the door for U.S. perpetual futures in May and regulates them on a case-by-case basis as futures, while CME insists the contracts are swaps subject to different rules.
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