NYSE Owner to Offer Futures Paying Out in Bitcoin Next Month By Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Intercontinental Exchange Inc., the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, won an approval that clears the way for its Bakkt unit to allow investors to buy derivatives that pay out with Bitcoins for the first time.

The New York State Department of Financial Services on Friday granted a charter to Bakkt Trust Co. to hold custody of customers’ tokens. The futures had already gotten a green light from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission under a self-certification process. The first contracts will be offered Sept. 23.

“We believe that the availability of a benchmark that can be referenced globally will create confidence in the true price of ,” Kelly Loeffler, Bakkt’s chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview. “It’s an important step in creating more trust.”

Despite its status of the world’s most valuable…