In a landmark decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2026 that New Jersey regulators cannot block Kalshi from operating its prediction market for sports events. The 2-1 decision determined that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has exclusive authority over such event contracts traded on CFTC-licensed platforms, overriding state objections.

Bank of America, Citadel Securities and Goldman Sachs have expressed support for the Options Clearing Corp.'s proposal to change the methodology for contributions to the default fund, saying the proposal would more fairly allocate risk charges and ensure stability during market stress. However, retail brokers such as Robinhood Markets and Charles Schwab have opposed the proposal, citing a potential increase in costs.

MIAX reported a 29% increase in average daily volume for derivatives trading in March, with 10.7 million contracts traded. This growth comes as the exchange plans to upgrade its options trading platform. Meanwhile, the Options Clearing Corporation also saw a 23% rise in clearing volume to 1.51 billion contracts.

Intercontinental Exchange has reported record trading volumes for March and the first quarter of 2026, driven by heightened activity in oil contracts amid the US-Iran conflict. The average daily volume in March surged 88% year over year to 19 million contracts, while first-quarter ADV reached an all-time high of 14.4 million. Energy markets, particularly oil and natural gas, were significant contributors, with Brent oil ADV up 122%. Financial derivatives also saw strong growth, with a 124% increase in ADV.

The London Metal Exchange has reported record trading volumes for Q1 2026, with average daily volume rising 25.7% year-on-year to 877,942 lots, driven by strong activity in metals and options trading. Aluminium, copper, nickel and lead all reached new quarterly highs. The exchange noted an increase in electronic trading, with LMEselect volumes peaking in January and March.

National Stock Exchange of India is set to launch exchange-traded derivatives based on Platts' oil price benchmarks in collaboration with S&P Global Energy. The move, starting with Dated Brent Crude Oil futures, aims to deepen commodity derivatives markets and attract institutional participation, offering tools for price discovery and risk management.

The Options Clearing Corp. reported a record clearing volume of 1.51 billion contracts in March, a 23% increase from a year earlier. This surge was driven by heightened volatility and increased hedging activity. Index options led the growth with a 37% increase, while exchange-traded fund options and equity options rose 32% and 12.6%, respectively.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has requested a 12% increase in its budget for fiscal 2027, to $410 million, amid a surge in prediction markets, which has led to the number of actively traded futures contracts more than doubling in the 12 months through Sept. 30, 2025. The CFTC has cited the popularity of event contracts on platforms such as Kalshi, Polymarket and Crypto.com as a reason for the increased oversight needs.

Canadian regulators have reiterated the need for compliance with federal laws governing event contracts amid growing interest in prediction markets. The Canadian Securities Administrators and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization have warned that failure to adhere to securities and derivatives legislation could result in enforcement action. "Failure to comply with applicable requirements under Canadian securities and derivatives laws may lead to enforcement action," the regulators say.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced the agenda and panelists for an April 16 roundtable on options market structure. The first panel will discuss how market structure supports or impedes liquidity providers, the second will focus on customer experience, and the third will address the growth of listed options.