Options trading on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF is expected to commence today in the United States. This development comes after the options cleared the final regulatory hurdle on Monday, paving the way for more institutional interest in the leading cryptocurrency.
“This marks a monumental shift,” stated 10x Research in a newsletter on Tuesday. The introduction of these products could lead to a significant increase in trading volumes, potentially sparking sharp price surges in bitcoin.
As an example, MicroStrategy (MSTR), a company listed on the Nasdaq and boasting the largest corporate BTC treasury globally, has seen a boost in its share options due to the thriving market. The open interest in MSTR options now exceeds the company’s market capitalization, and the stock’s trading volume rivals that of companies like Apple and Microsoft, despite their much larger market values.
10x Research pointed out that a similar surge in open interest and trading volume could occur with BTC, a trend that may be further accelerated by bitcoin’s capped supply.
