SEC opens comments on options trading for BlackRock, Cboe spot Bitcoin ETFs

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has opened comments on proposals related to options trading on Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). One proposal would allow Nasdaq to list options on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, while the other would permit Cboe Exchange to list options on various Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs), including those from Ark Invest, VanEck, WisdomTree, Invesco, Fidelity, GlobalX, and Franklin Templeton. Options trading would provide investors with new investment strategies, potentially allowing for leveraged trading. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart suggests that the SEC could make a decision on these proposals as early as February 15 or as late as September 21. These developments have progressed faster than other rule change proposals, indicating a potential expedited process by the SEC.