Coinbase is gearing up to launch crypto perpetual futures as the CFTC reconsiders its previous stance toward the high-risk financial products.
Perpetual futures for crypto, also called perpetual swaps or perps, are gaining momentum in the United States amid concerns over risk to retail traders.
Head of consumer products of Coinbase, Max Branzburg announced on June 13 that the exchange was planning to launch perps that are compliant with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for US customers. While BitMEX first launched crypto perps back in 2016, US customers and exchanges haven’t had access to them.
One of the main reasons US financial watchdogs have taken action against exchanges offering perps is the high-risk nature of the contracts.