The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has officially adopted Nasdaq’s Market Surveillance platform to boost its oversight of derivatives and digital asset markets. The move replaces the agency’s decades-old system and marks a major step in modernization under Acting Chair Caroline Pham. She emphasized that as financial markets evolve, it is vital for regulators to stay ahead with tools that can detect fraud, manipulation, and abuse in real time.

Nasdaq’s surveillance system, already trusted by over 50 exchanges and 20 global regulators, brings automated alerts, cross-market analytics, and advanced monitoring across multiple asset classes. The technology offers real-time analysis with access to comprehensive order book data, giving the CFTC stronger tools to protect both traditional and crypto markets. Its flexible design also allows rapid scaling during periods of heightened trading activity.

The adoption comes as the CFTC expands its role in digital assets. Just last week, the agency launched a new phase of its “Crypto Sprint” initiative, inviting public input on regulations for leveraged and margined retail crypto trading.

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