History of the CFTC

Futures contracts for agricultural commodities have been traded in the United States for more than 150 years and have been under Federal regulation since the 1920s. When the CFTC was created in 1974 with the enactment of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act, most futures trading took place in the agricultural sector. Over the years, the futures industry has become increasingly varied and complex.

Significant dates in the history of futures regulation before the creation of the CFTC and significant dates in CFTC history from 1974 to the present are given here.