The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cleared Intel's proposed acquisition of McAfee for $7.68 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. While US antitrust regulators have given the green light to the transaction, regulators in Europe are still examining the acquisition.

Intel and McAfee say they are still working with the European Commission to get the same approval, though there are whispers that the acquisition is running into particular close scrutiny by European officials that could delay the transaction, at the very least. Intel is confident the deal will be approved, but the company's stated desire to incorporate security features into its chips and other hardware could pose problems. The EU appears concerned that if McAfee had privileged access to Intel's chips and how they work, McAfee's rivals could have trouble competing.

Intel was originally hoping for the transaction to close by the end of the year, or maybe Q1 2011. The company has recently changed its expectations on the deal to the first half of next year.

Intel announced its intention to buy McAfee in August 2010, after it was approved by the boards of directors at both companies. If everything goes according to plan, the acquisition will be Intel's largest in its history.