Nasdaq Gets SEC Greenlight for Bitcoin Options
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given Nasdaq approval to list options tied directly to a Bitcoin price index, marking an important step in expanding regulated access to digital asset derivatives.
The contracts will trade on Nasdaq PHLX under the ticker QBTC and track the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index, which updates valuations from major spot venues every 200 milliseconds.
This move widens the menu for institutional and retail traders in the United States, who until now have relied mainly on Bitcoin futures options at CME Group and options tied to spot funds like the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.
The approval is part of a broader push by SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to bring crypto activity into the regulated U.S. financial system, as he has warned that failing to address new technology only forces it offshore.