Crypto Perpetual Futures Coming to US Markets - Could Be Next Big Thing

The US is about to get a new type of crypto trading product that could be as big as Bitcoin ETFs were earlier this year.

Perpetual futures (contracts that let traders bet on crypto prices without expiration dates) have just been approved for US markets. Until now, these products were only available on overseas platforms.

What makes this significant: • Perpetual futures are the most popular crypto trading product globally • They're simpler than traditional futures (contracts with set end dates) • Traders can hold positions as long as they want • No need to "roll over" contracts when they expire

John Palmer from Kraken exchange expects professional traders to jump in first. "The first movers are going to be the ones that are more sophisticated," he said. Regular investment advisors and big funds will likely wait and watch before participating.

This mirrors what happened with Bitcoin ETFs (funds that track Bitcoin's price). When those launched, professional traders adopted them quickly, while traditional investors took months to warm up. Bitcoin ETFs eventually attracted billions in investments.

Why traders like perpetual futures: • More flexibility than regular futures • Can use leverage (borrowing to increase position size) • Eventually may use crypto as collateral instead of dollars • No more need for risky offshore platforms

The approval could bring billions of dollars currently trading on unregulated overseas platforms back to the US, making crypto trading safer and more accessible for American investors.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/06/13/perpetual-futures-could-become-crypto-s-next-etf-moment