BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) Options Trading Goes Live on Nasdaq

The development provides Wall Street investors with leveraged exposure to the world's largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

BlackRock’s iShares spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) options are now available for trading on Nasdaq. This development will provide Wall Street investors with leveraged exposure to the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

Nasdaq’s listing of IBIT options was confirmed by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) in an update regarding the new listing. Last month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved 11 Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock’s IBIT, for options trading. On November 18, the OCC released a memo to its participants, confirming its readiness for the clearance and settlement of the product, starting with IBIT.

Nasdaq’s head of ETP listings, Allison Hennessey, also informed Bloomberg’s ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, of the exchange’s plans to list and trade IBIT options on November 19. Hours after the announcement, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF options began trading on Nasdaq, giving investors the right to trade IBIT shares at a specified price.

The move is expected to have a significant impact on Bitcoin, boosting the asset’s institutional adoption and price outlook. According to Joe Consorti, head of growth at Theya, the Bitcoin ETF options mark a key development in the derivatives markets.

Consorti highlighted that financial derivatives for traditional assets, like equities, usually exceed the size of the underlying market capitalization by 10-20x. However, in a video shared on X today, Consorti noted that the Bitcoin derivatives market has not seen much success like its spot counterpart.

He pointed out that the Bitcoin derivatives market is currently less than 1% of the $1.8 trillion BTC spot market cap. Consorti added that most Bitcoin derivatives trading happens offshore on platforms like Deribit. However, due to regulatory issues, U.S. investors are unable to use this platform.

With IBIT options going live on Nasdaq, Consorti said the move could integrate Bitcoin into the global capital market, enhancing market maturity and unlocking vast liquidity.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen massive adoption since their debut in January 2024. According to data from Farside Investors, the ETF market has seen an inflow of $27.71 billion as of today, with BlackRock’s IBIT attracting a positive capital flow of $29.36 billion alone.