The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published updated guidance on Thursday, September 24, 2026, allowing derivatives firms under its supervision to invest in tokenized assets. The guidance opens the door for futures market participants in the United States looking to allocate capital to digital instruments.
Permission to hold on-chain assets is paired with provisions regarding equivalent protections. The CFTC’s key requirement mandates that the tokenized form of an asset must provide the same legal and economic rights, or functional equivalence, when compared to its conventional counterpart. This equivalence provision ensures that a firm’s portfolio does not lose value simply because the instrument is recorded on a blockchain network.
DLT Recognition for Data Maintenance
The commission’s policy expansion continues into the realm of mandatory data reporting administration. The CFTC stated that it has no objection if supervised entities choose blockchain technology or DLT to create and maintain on-chain records. The implementation of decentralized infrastructure is formally permitted to fulfill the commission’s routine recordkeeping obligations.
The flexibility of the new recordkeeping system applies across all CFTC regulations requiring firms to store and maintain data. The commission imposes extra reliability requirements on firms that submit their data to public, permissionless blockchains. Entities using open networks must establish internal systems and controls ensuring they are capable of producing records, even when the underlying network experiences disruptions.
Internal Maneuvers in Response to Senate Deadlock
The easing of investment and administrative recordkeeping rules comes just as the CFTC moves rapidly to expand crypto-friendly policies. The futures regulator prepared the internal maneuver shortly after the U.S. Senate failed to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act last week.
The legislative failure in the Senate derailed the commission’s plans to secure direct oversight authority over the crypto spot market. In response to the legislative deadlock, the CFTC is now maximizing its jurisdiction in the derivatives market to embrace the wave of distributed ledger asset recording adoption.
Fiber Optic Connections Bolster Institutions
The transition of this asset class into mainstream markets is also reflected in the data exchange infrastructure layer. Hyperliquid recently secured a fiber-optic market data service facility from DoubleZero, a technical installation designed to meet the demands of professional trading participants.
The fiber cable installation highlights the trend of converging ecosystem standards. Crypto trading facility infrastructure gradually mirroring traditional exchange hardware complements the operational green light from U.S. regulatory overseers. Reported by CoinDesk.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
