Nasdaq Prepares to Launch Spot Bitcoin ETF Options After Regulatory Nod

The Options Clearing Corporation said Monday it was preparing for the clearance and settlement of spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund options following an advisory from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday. Options for spot Bitcoin ETFs could soon be available on US exchanges, the OCC said in a note. Alison Hennessy, head of exchange-traded product listings at Nasdaq, said in a Bloomberg interview that the exchange plans to list and trade spot Bitcoin ETF options as early as Tuesday. She said BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) is one of the investment vehicles expected to debut, noting its ETF inflows in 2024. ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said the OCC's notice signals an imminent launch of crypto-focused investment products in US markets. The potential rollout follows the US Securities and Exchange Commission's earlier approvals for spot Bitcoin ETFs in January and spot Ether ETFs in May.