Key Takeaways
- • The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has allowed perpetual futures contracts linked to individual stocks, known as Equity Perps, to trade on CFTC-registered exchanges for the first time, according to the primary report.
- • CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig announced the development on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, extending US perpetual futures beyond digital assets into traditional securities.
- • The Equity Perps were deemed approved under Commission Regulation as security futures products, placing them under the Commodity Exchange Act, US federal securities laws, and the joint CFTC and SEC regulatory frameworks.
- • The approval follows the CFTC's earlier 2026 approval of the first Bitcoin perpetual futures contract on a CFTC-regulated exchange.
- • Selig said the move would let US market participants use perpetual futures for risk management and price discovery domestically and could reduce reliance on offshore venues.
Summary
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has allowed perpetual futures contracts tied to individual stocks to trade on CFTC-registered exchanges for the first time. CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig announced the development on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, saying it extends the availability of perpetual futures in the United States beyond digital assets and into traditional securities.
The contracts, known as Equity Perps, were deemed approved under Commission Regulation as security futures products. As such, they are subject to the Commodity Exchange Act, US federal securities laws, and the regulatory frameworks of both the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The decision follows the CFTC's approval earlier in 2026 of the first Bitcoin perpetual futures contract on a CFTC-regulated exchange. In his inaugural remarks, Selig directed the agency to use its existing powers to bring perpetual derivatives into US markets, subject to appropriate safeguards. He said the approval would allow US market participants to use perpetual futures for risk management and price discovery within the country's regulatory framework, and that it could reduce reliance on offshore venues.
The approval builds on the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which established a framework for the joint regulation of security futures products by the CFTC and SEC. Earlier this year, the two agencies also signed a memorandum of understanding to improve coordination. Selig said the framework addresses regulatory uncertainty that had 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."
The contracts, known as Equity Perps, were deemed approved under Commission Regulation as security futures products. As such, they are subject to the Commodity Exchange Act, US federal securities laws, and the regulatory frameworks of both the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The decision follows the CFTC's approval earlier in 2026 of the first Bitcoin perpetual futures contract on a CFTC-regulated exchange. In his inaugural remarks, Selig directed the agency to use its existing powers to bring perpetual derivatives into US markets, subject to appropriate safeguards. He said the approval would allow US market participants to use perpetual futures for risk management and price discovery within the country's regulatory framework, and that it could reduce reliance on offshore venues.
The approval builds on the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which established a framework for the joint regulation of security futures products by the CFTC and SEC. Earlier this year, the two agencies also signed a memorandum of understanding to improve coordination. Selig said the framework addresses regulatory uncertainty that had 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."
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.