U.S. commodities firms can invest in tokenized assets, use blockchain records: CFTC
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued new guidance confirming that U.S. commodities firms are permitted to invest in tokenized assets and maintain official records using blockchain technology. The regulatory clarification, released on September 24, 2026, marks a formal acknowledgment by the agency that distributed ledger technology can serve legitimate compliance and operational functions within regulated commodity markets.
The guidance comes as financial institutions and trading firms have increasingly sought regulatory clarity on integrating blockchain infrastructure into their existing operations. For years, firms operating under CFTC oversight faced uncertainty about whether tokenized versions of traditional assets and blockchain-based recordkeeping would satisfy existing legal and compliance requirements. The new statement directly addresses those concerns, providing a clearer operational framework for market participants.
The development is expected to accelerate institutional adoption of tokenized assets within the commodities sector, potentially opening pathways for broader use of blockchain-based settlement, collateral management, and audit trails. Industry observers note that formal regulatory endorsement from a major U.S. financial regulator could encourage other agencies to issue similar guidance, further legitimizing the role of blockchain technology in traditional finance.
Market participants and legal professionals will be closely monitoring whether the CFTC follows this guidance with more detailed rulemaking, and whether agencies such as the SEC issue complementary clarifications covering securities-related tokenized instruments.
Source: CoinDesk
