Nasdaq Wins SEC Approval for Bitcoin Index Options
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given its approval for Nasdaq to list options tied directly to a Bitcoin price index, marking a significant development in the expansion of 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. They are cash-settled, European-style options, meaning traders settle gains and losses in dollars and can exercise only at expiration.
This approval widens the menu for institutional and retail traders in the United States, who until now had mainly relied on Bitcoin futures options at CME Group and options tied to spot funds such as the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. David Barrett, Nasdaq's head of U.S. options, called the decision an important step in expanding regulated, transparent access to digital asset derivatives.