- Anchorage Digital has applied to register as a swap dealer with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
- If approved, the company plans to offer European-style Bitcoin and Ether options with maturities of up to one year.
- The move aims to provide institutional investors with regulated access to crypto derivatives alongside existing custody services.
Anchorage Seeks Swap Dealer Status
Institutional crypto firm Anchorage Digital has submitted an application to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to become a Swap Dealer as part of its strategy to grow its crypto options offering.
The application has been submitted to the National Futures Association through its Anchorage Digital Swap Dealer LLC entity.
Anchorage Digital has submitted its application for swap dealer registration to support our continued growth as a leader in the options space, scaling past the $8B CFTC’s threshold for US based clients.
Anchorage Digital Swap Dealer, LLC has submitted its application to the National Futures Association (NFA) for swap dealer registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), aiming to offer institutions a regulated framework for trading digital asset derivatives, the same federal derivatives framework that governs the largest dealers in traditional markets.
Read why we registered and what it means for clients: https://t.co/0TVrvAzfwd
— Anchorage Digital ⚓️ (@Anchorage) November 5, 2026
“We currently do not have any timelines around when we expect to receive approval but will provide additional updates,” said Anchorage Digital CEO and Co-founder Nathan McCauley.
The company plans to offer European style options on Bitcoin and Ether with up to one year maturities. Future products will be offered at the company’s discretion.
Options Offer More Choices For Institutional Clients
Crypto options are contracts which give investors the right, but not obligation to buy/sell an asset at a specific price. They are often used by professionals to hedge risk.
Anchorage stated the majority of growth in their options offering has come from publicly traded companies who hold bitcoin and ether on their balance sheet. Asset managers and funds have also used them to help manage exposure.
On completion of this application, institutional clients will be able to trade derivatives on digital assets with a CFTC registered counterparty whilst using Anchorage’s existing custody services. It will make it easier for traditional finance institutions to get exposure to crypto derivatives.
Growing Anchorage’s Regulated Offerings
Over the last few years Anchorage Digital has been building out its institutional offerings. In 2021 Anchorage Digital Bank became the first federally chartered digital asset bank in the US and operates under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
This new Swap Dealer entity must comply with CFTC regulations around capital, risk management and margin. Similar to traditional financial institutions, they will need to comply with regulations around interest rates, credit and foreign exchange markets under the Dodd-Frank Act.
In March Anchorage Digital enhanced its Atlas platform with collateral management capabilities such as real time monitoring and automatic margining on loans, derivatives and other institutional products.
In December the company also purchased Securitize’s wealth management arm to provide additional services to registered investment advisors.
This latest application highlights Anchorage’s efforts to create a broader regulated crypto offering as demand for digital asset derivatives increases amongst institutions.
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