The United States has taken a major step forward in bitcoin regulation. For the first time ever, Americans will be able to trade spot bitcoin on federally regulated exchanges. This means bitcoin trading will now happen under clear government rules and supervision, making it safer and more accessible.

For many years, most bitcoin trading happened on offshore or lightly regulated platforms. This could create uncertainty and risks for everyday investors. Now, with this new approval, the U.S. is bringing bitcoin trading onshore and into the traditional financial system.

Acting CFTC Chairman Caroline D. Pham announced the approval, calling it a “historic milestone.” She said:

According to Pham, recent failures of offshore exchanges proved that Americans need safer, more reliable places to trade digital assets. This move also supports the Trump Administration’s goal to make America the “crypto capital of the world.”

Pham said the government is working to modernize digital asset regulation and strengthen the U.S. position in global digital asset markets. She said the government is “using our decades-long existing authority to work smarter and faster to protect Americans who deserve safe U.S. markets now, not offshore exchanges that lack basic safeguards.”

This will be the first time CFTC-approved exchanges, also known as Designated Contract Markets (DCMs), can offer spot, futures, perpetuals, and options for bitcoin all in one place.

Americans will now be able to trade spot bitcoin on exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), Cboe, and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).

The first exchange to offer regulated spot digital assets trading will be Bitnomial, a Chicago-based trading platform already overseen by the CFTC. Bitnomial plans to launch spot trading in the week of December 8, 2025.

Bitnomial CEO Luke Hoersten said the decision will improve efficiency for traders.

“Leveraged spot crypto trading is now available under the same regulatory framework as U.S. perpetuals, futures, and options,” he said. He also explained that the new system allows traders to manage risk more easily by using one account instead of multiple platforms.

A key part of the new rules is that retail and institutional traders will be treated equally. There will be no special treatment or unfair advantages for large firms. All orders will be processed in the same way, ensuring fairness and transparency.

Supporters believe this move could reshape the bitcoin market in the United States. For years, offshore exchanges dominated trading because the U.S. lacked a federally regulated option.

This caused problems, especially when large platforms collapsed, leaving investors with heavy losses. There have also been fears of market manipulation from unsupervised exchanges.

Pham pointed to these failures as a reason for change. She said, “Recent events on offshore exchanges have shown us how essential it is for Americans to have more choice and access to safe, regulated U.S. markets”.

By offering federally supervised trading, the U.S. hopes more users and companies will keep business within the country rather than going overseas.