GoKawiilSan Francisco Onion Futures Company Sells Private Onion Delivery Contracts
A venture called San Francisco Onion Futures Company is selling private, transferable contracts for future delivery of yellow onions, priced between $3 and $12 per onion for delivery up to six months ahead. Payments are processed via Stripe, and buyers in San Francisco, Toronto, Seattle, and Chicago receive physical onion delivery arranged in the first week of the contract month.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The company explicitly distances itself from the legal ban on onion futures trading under U.S. law by structuring its offering as private bilateral contracts rather than exchange-traded instruments, avoiding regulation under the Onion Futures Act. This is a novel, quirky test of how far individuals can go in replicating commodity futures markets outside formal exchanges without breaking the letter of the law.
- Onion futures trading on organized exchanges has been illegal in the U.S. since 1958.
- This company sidesteps that ban by selling private, non-exchange contracts directly to buyers.
- Prices are algorithmically set daily and delivery is handled physically in select North American cities.
Source: onionfutures.com, 2026-09-19
Published there as: “San Francisco Onion Futures Company”
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