OCC notice suggests impending launch for spot Bitcoin ETF options trading

Following the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) clearing the way for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, or ETF, options, the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) said it was preparing the launch of the investment vehicles.

In a Nov. 18 notice, the OCC said it was preparing for the “clearance, settlement, and risk management” of spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs after the CFTC issued a staff advisory. According to ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, the notice suggested it was “a matter of when not if” US exchanges would list the crypto investment vehicles.

Options Clearing Corporation notification on spot Bitcoin ETFs. Source: OCC

Alison Hennessy, head of exchange-traded product listings at Nasdaq, said on Nov. 18 that the exchange intended to list and trade spot BTC ETF options “as early as tomorrow.” She pointed to options for asset manager BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, one of the funds with the largest ETF inflows in 2024.

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The potential launch of such investment vehicles would likely represent a significant institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies. The US Securities and Exchange Commission already approved spot Bitcoin ETFs in January, with spot Ether ETFs following in May.

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This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.