SEC Allows Options Trading on BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF

Market Update - September 27th, 2024

Takeaways

  1. The SEC has approved Nasdaq's request to list and trade options on BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF: The decision introduces new hedging tools for investors but comes with a 25,000 contract limit which has been criticized by the exchange as “conservative.”

  2. Crypto investment products saw a second consecutive week of inflows, totaling $321 million, after the Fed's decision to cut rates: Bitcoin investment products led the pack with $284 million in inflows last week.

  3. More than 40 Republican lawmakers called on SEC chair Gary Gensler to withdraw the crypto custody rule (SAB 121): They argue the rule increases consumer risk and stifles innovation.

  4. Caroline Ellison, ex-CEO of Alameda Research, was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the FTX fraud case: Despite her cooperation with law enforcement in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the judge ruled that Ellison must still serve time.

  5. On Monday, OpenAI’s official news account on X was compromised, with hackers using it to promote a fake "OPENAI" token: The fraudulent post claimed the token would grant access to future beta programs and directed victims to a spoof website.

  6. PayPal to accept crypto payments: Payments giant PayPal announced Wednesday it would allow business accounts to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies.



SEC Allows Options Trading on BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF on Nasdaq's ISE
The SEC has approved a rule change permitting the listing and trading of options on the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, on Nasdaq’s International Securities Exchange (ISE).

BlackRock had been pushing for this approval since March, following the launch of several bitcoin-linked ETFs in the US. Earlier proposals faced concerns around market manipulation. Regulators also expressed concerns around introducing more crypto derivatives products to the market, due to their nascency. To address these concerns, the SEC approved an amendment that limits positions on IBIT options to just 25,000 contracts. The limit has been described as "extremely conservative" by Nasdaq.

The regulator also concluded that the exchange’s surveillance systems would be an adequate deterrent for market manipulation. Currently, BlackRock’s IBIT spot bitcoin ETF is the largest in the world, with more than $17 billion in assets under management.


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