CFTC seeks input as CME targets Oct. 5 compute futures

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is preparing to request public input on futures tied to artificial intelligence computing capacity, according to an Aug. 17 Bloomberg report. Summary CFTC plans public input on compute futures after completing White House regulatory review, Bloomberg reported. CME targets October 5 for two contracts priced through Silicon Data’s daily GPU rental benchmarks. Both CME and ICE say their planned compute products remain subject to regulatory review processes. Compute futures could help AI developers and cloud providers hedge changing graphics processor rental costs. The agency reportedly sent a draft request to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Once that review ends, the CFTC could open a public comment period lasting 30 or 60 days. No request had appeared on the CFTC’s public comment pages or in the Federal Register by Aug. 18. The exact questions, comment deadline and effect on pending contracts therefore remain unconfirmed. The regulatory process comes as CME Group reportedly targets Oct. 5 for two compute futures contracts using Silicon Data benchmarks. The planned launch remains subject to regulatory review. CF...