Summary
- The U.S. SEC granted accelerated approval for Nasdaq to list Bitcoin price-based index options.
- The Bitcoin index options are designed as cash-settled contracts and do not carry early-assignment risk.
- Final approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is still required before the products can be listed and traded.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Nasdaq’s listing of options tied to a Bitcoin price index.
An order posted on the SEC’s website on May 22 shows the product received accelerated approval. The move gives U.S. stock-market traders another way to gain exposure to crypto beyond existing options on spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.
The new Bitcoin index options are structured as cash-settled contracts. They can be exercised only at expiration, unlike existing ETF options that can be exercised at any time after moving into profit. That eliminates early-assignment risk. The underlying benchmark is the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index, which updates every 200 milliseconds using data from global cryptocurrency exchanges.
The Nasdaq listing is notable because it brings Bitcoin options into the broader stock market and significantly expands access for the public. Still, final approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is required before the contracts can be listed and traded.
David Barrett, head of U.S. options at Nasdaq, called the approval an important step toward expanding regulated and transparent access to digital-asset derivatives.
Doohyun Hwang
cow5361@bloomingbit.ioKEEP CALM AND HODL🍀
