New futures contracts await regulatory approval, starting May 3, 2021.
According to Cointelegraph, a cryptocurrency media outlet on the 30th (local time), the Chicago Merchandise Exchange (CME) announced plans to launch a derivative new product that allows traders to speculate on a representative digital currency, Bitcoin (BTC).
Futures products are currently pending regulatory approval and are scheduled to be released on May 3rd. CME will proceed with micro bitcoin futures contracts in 0.1 BTC increments.
On the 30th, CME announced that it will provide market participants with additional tools to avoid the risk of Bitcoin price. CME’s current Bitcoin contract unit is ‘5 BTC’.
“The introduction of micro-bitcoin futures directly responds to the demand for small contracts from a wide range of clients, allowing participants to transact regulated bitcoin futures transparently and efficiently through CME,” said Tim McCourt, CME’s Global Stock Indices and Alternative Investment Products Director. “It will give you a wider range of choices and more precision in how you have it.”
CME launched its first Bitcoin futures contract in December 2017. In addition, rival Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) introduced derivatives contracts for the first time in the same month, but since then, it has all the bitcoin futures products as well.
CME has been showing a steady rise in cryptocurrency derivatives trading since its first bitcoin futures contract began three years ago. In addition, the average daily trading volume of CME Bitcoin futures in January soared 57%. Interest seems to have accelerated as the bull market of Bitcoin continues and a large influx of new investors.
Meanwhile, some are concerned that the broad cryptocurrency derivatives market is heating up. According to CoinMarketCap, a cryptocurrency exchange, the amount of cryptocurrency derivatives transactions in December 2020 was over $1.3 trillion, accounting for 55% of the total market.