Share this article

CFTC Gives No-Action Leeway to Polymarket, Gemini, PredictIt, LedgerX Over Data Rules

The CFTC granted the operators of Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini and LedgerX permission to skip certain recordkeeping requirements.

Dec 11, 2025, 10:36 p.m.
Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket (CoinDesk/Jesse Hamilton)
Shayne Coplan's Polymarket is among prediction market firms getting new CFTC no-action help. (CoinDesk/Jesse Hamilton)

What to know:

  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission granted several prediction-market firms certain regulatory leeway in meeting derivatives rules, suggesting they won't get into enforcement trouble if they do business as intended.
  • The no-action letters went to Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini and LedgerX/MIAX.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued no-action letters to the operators of prediction markets platforms Polymarket, PredictIt, Gemini and LedgerX/MIAX on Thursday, announcing that the companies did not have to meet certain recordkeeping demands as long as they meet other specified requirements, and that the companies might be able to clear contracts through a third-party clearing member.

The CFTC said in a press release that the no-action letters mean the regulator will not pursue any enforcement action — a court case alleging the companies broke the law — tied to how these companies comply with "certain swap-related recordkeeping requirements and for failure to report to swap data repositories data associated with binary option transactions."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today. See all newsletters

"The no-action letters apply only in narrow circumstances and are comparable to no-action letters issued for other similarly situated designated contract markets and derivatives clearing organizations," the CFTC said.

According to the no-action letters, the issuers must: make sure that their contracts are fully collateralized at all times, only clear their contracts through their designated platform, publish all data tied to the contracts on their platforms after they are executed and otherwise conform to certain swap recording requirements.

Prediction markets are a growing sector of the crypto economy, having dramatically increased in popularity last year during the 2024 election and as Kalshi, another prediction market platform, secured judicial approval to launch elections contracts in the U.S.

Polymarket and Gemini have been working to formally launch (relaunch in Polymarket's case) prediction market operations in the U.S., with Gemini securing a CFTC approval earlier this week. Crypto exchange Coinbase is also working on launching its own in-house prediction market platform.

Read more: Most Influential: Shayne Coplan


More For You

Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture

Pudgy Title Image

Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.

What to know:

Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.

More For You

SEC clarifies rules for tokenized stocks, tightening scrutiny on synthetic equity

SEC headquarters (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

The agency says issuer approval is required for true tokenized ownership, warning that many stock tokens sold to retail investors provide only indirect or synthetic exposure.

What to know:

  • The Securities and Exchange Commission issued new guidance clarifying that tokenized stocks are subject to existing securities and derivatives rules, regardless of whether they are recorded on a blockchain.
  • The agency drew a sharp line between issuer-sponsored tokenized securities, which can represent true equity ownership, and third-party products that typically provide only synthetic exposure or custodial entitlements.
  • Regulators signaled they aim to curb the spread of synthetic equity products to retail investors while encouraging issuer-approved, fully regulated tokenization structures.