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 use the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index as the underlying benchmark.
- The Nasdaq listing expands public access to bitcoin options, though final CFTC approval is still required before trading can begin.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Nasdaq's listing of bitcoin price-based index options.
An SEC order posted on May 22 shows the product received accelerated approval. The decision gives U.S. stock-market traders a new way to gain exposure to crypto beyond existing options tied to spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds.
The new bitcoin index options are structured as cash-settled contracts. They can be exercised only on the expiration date, unlike ETF options that can be exercised at any time after moving into profit. That means they do not carry early-assignment risk. The underlying benchmark is the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index, which updates every 200 milliseconds using data from global crypto exchanges.
The Nasdaq listing is notable because it brings bitcoin options into the broader stock market and significantly widens public access. Actual listing and trading, however, still require final approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
David Barrett, head of U.S. options at Nasdaq, called the move an important step in expanding regulated and transparent access to digital-asset derivatives.
