SEC Clears Nasdaq for Bitcoin Index Options
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given Nasdaq approval to list options tied directly to the Bitcoin price index, marking a significant step forward for institutional and retail traders in the United States.
The contracts will trade on Nasdaq PHLX under the ticker QBTC and track the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index, which pulls valuations from major spot venues every 200 milliseconds. These are not spot Bitcoin ETFs, but rather cash-settled, European-style options that allow traders to settle gains and losses in dollars.
The approval widens the menu for traders, who until now had mainly relied on Bitcoin futures options at CME Group or options tied to spot funds such as the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. The decision is seen by analysts as part of a broader push by SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to bring crypto activity into the regulated U.S. financial system.
The contracts still need clearance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission before they can reach the market, which means trading cannot begin right away. Despite this hurdle, Nasdaq's head of U.S. options, David Barrett, called the decision an important step in expanding regulated and transparent access to digital asset derivatives.