Catenaa, Friday, August 29, 2025- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued new guidance Thursday clarifying that Americans can legally access foreign crypto exchanges through a clear registration path.
The staff advisory, focused on foreign boards of trade, or FBOTs, aims to reduce uncertainty that arose under past enforcement-heavy approaches.
Acting Chair Caroline Pham said the move reaffirms the CFTC’s commitment to giving US traders access to global markets, adding that firms forced offshore by prior crackdowns now have a route back.
The advisory states that an FBOT registered with the CFTC does not need to also register as a designated contract market, the stricter classification previously used in several high-profile cases.
The update follows years of aggressive enforcement, including charges against Binance in 2023, that critics said stifled crypto trading in the United States.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the agency has signaled a friendlier stance toward digital assets, launching a “crypto sprint” earlier this month to address spot trading oversight.
The clarification is expected to provide relief to global exchanges serving American customers while marking another step in the administration’s broader effort to normalize crypto regulation.
