CFTC Chairman Says Equity Perpetual Futures Can Begin Trading on Registered Exchanges

Perpetual futures contracts on individual equity securities can begin trading for the first time on certain CFTC-registered exchanges, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig said in a statement released November 3, 2026.

According to the CFTC, the contracts, which Selig called "Equity Perps," may trade on designated contract markets that are also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as notice-registered national securities exchanges to trade security futures products.

In his statement, Selig described the expansion as "a significant step" toward allowing U.S. market participants, consistent with applicable law, to use perpetual futures, which he said have emerged as widely sought tools for risk management and price discovery. He said bringing such products into regulated markets lets American investors and traders access them under the CFTC's regulatory framework rather than turning to offshore, and often unregulated, venues.

Selig said the products build on the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 and a memorandum of understanding between the CFTC and the SEC. He said regulatory uncertainty had previously left products such as security futures and equity perpetual futures in what SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins described as a regulatory "no man's land" because of a lack of harmonization between the agencies. According to Selig, the two agencies are committed to providing regulatory clarity and a clear path to market for such products.

Source: Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/720