PANews reported on November 19 that according to The Block, the U.S. Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced that it is ready to clear options transactions related to spot Bitcoin ETFs. IBIT options are expected to be officially launched on November 19 (Tuesday), becoming the first option trading product linked to spot Bitcoin ETFs.
The OCC said it will be responsible for clearing and risk management, and these options will be listed on exchanges regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and will not fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In January this year, the SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs, and BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was approved in September to become the first spot ETF to launch options.
At present, the cumulative trading volume of spot Bitcoin ETFs has exceeded US$500 billion, of which IBIT accounts for about two-thirds of the market share. Market analysts expect that Bitcoin ETF options will be more speculative due to the participation of retail traders, while institutional investors may use them more for risk hedging.
