Anchorage Digital applies for CFTC swap dealer registration, planning to expand its cryptocurrency options business

Institutional-level cryptocurrency platform Anchorage Digital has submitted a swap dealer registration application to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to expand its institutional cryptocurrency options business. The application was submitted through Anchorage Digital Swap Dealer, LLC to the National Futures Association (NFA) and is currently awaiting NFA's review. The company's CEO and co-founder Nathan McCauley did not provide a timeline for the completion of the review, only stating that further progress will be announced at the appropriate time.

McCauley stated that if the application is approved, Anchorage Digital Swap Dealer plans to offer European-style options for Bitcoin and Ethereum, with a maximum term of one year, and will subsequently launch more products as it meets its own approval processes and regulatory requirements. Once the registration is complete, institutional clients will be able to trade digital asset derivatives with CFTC-registered counterparties while also utilizing Anchorage Digital's existing custody and other services.

Anchorage Digital noted that the growth of its existing options business primarily comes from publicly traded companies holding Bitcoin and Ethereum on their balance sheets, with asset management firms and funds using options to manage exposure also contributing. Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A. became the first federally licensed digital asset bank in 2021, regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; this swap dealer entity will adhere to CFTC requirements regarding capital, risk management, and margin, applying the same framework used for interest rate, credit, and foreign exchange market banks under the Dodd-Frank Act. In March of this year, Anchorage Digital added collateral management features to the Atlas platform, and in December of last year, it acquired the wealth management division of Securitize.