U.S. CFTC secures deal with National Hockey League on prediction market safeguards
The U.S. CFTC secured a memorandum of understanding with the National Hockey League to oversee prediction market betting on hockey games, following a similar deal with Major League Baseball. The agreement aims to combat insider trading, fraud, and match-fixing threats. Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have become NHL's official partners, raising regulatory concerns as the sector grows rapidly.
Key takeaways
- 1CFTC secured memorandum of understanding with NHL to oversee prediction market betting and combat insider trading, fraud, and match-fixing.
- 2NHL officially partners with Kalshi and Polymarket for prediction markets, following similar MLB agreement with the derivatives regulator.
- 3Prediction market betting has seen explosive growth; lawmakers and regulators worry bad actors threaten sports integrity and encourage cheating.
Coins in this story
Why it matters
This signals regulatory tightening around crypto prediction markets globally—India's retail investors should note that international regulatory frameworks are hardening, which could impact cross-border access to platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi. The CFTC's aggressive stance suggests prediction markets face stricter compliance costs and potential restrictions, affecting their viability as investment vehicles.
Explore how RWA is shaping crypto markets — aggregated stories, leading coins, and weekly momentum.
Explore narrativeRelated stories
MoonPay expands into tokenized assets and DeFi markets with new platform for banks
MoonPay launched MoonPay Trade, a platform connecting banks and fintechs to tokenized assets, DeFi protocols, and stablecoins across 200+ blockchains. The service, powered by acquired startup Decent.xyz, targets institutional adoption as tokenized real-world assets exceed $33 billion. Former CFTC Chair Caroline Pham leads the institutional push. This expands MoonPay's infrastructure beyond crypto payments as traditional finance embraces blockchain integration.
Peer-to-peer trading startup Variational raises $50 million for real-world perps in funding round led by Dragonfly
Variational, an onchain derivatives protocol, raised $50 million led by Dragonfly to expand perpetual futures on real-world assets like gold, oil, and copper. The Cayman Islands startup, which processed $200 billion in trading volume since 2025, aims to aggregate traditional and crypto liquidity for 100+ contracts with institutional-grade depth, positioning RWA perpetuals as DeFi's next major growth frontier.
