21 Apr CFTC Approves Bitnomial to Offer Futures Contracts Settled in Real Bitcoin
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved Bitnomial Exchange to operate as a designated contracts market (DCM), meaning the exchange can now offer bitcoin futures and options contracts.
The approval, granted Monday, brings a new player to the still-small world of bitcoin futures in the U.S.
To date, only CME, Cboe, Bakkt, ErisX and LedgerX offer bitcoin futures and options contracts, though Cboe ended its contract in early 2019 and ErisX sees little volume on its futures. Unlike CME, Bitnomial appears to be focusing strictly on physically-settled contracts, meaning customers receive the actual bitcoin when the contract expires, rather than the fiat equivalent.
The CFTC conducted an onsite technical evaluation of the exchange’s operations before granting the approval, according to an order issued Monday.
Bitnomial said it was the “first and only startup exchange” to receive approval to offer both margined and physically delivered bitcoin futures and options…