International derivatives marketplace CME Group today announced that it plans to launch options on Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether futures on March 28, pending regulatory review.
The new Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether options contracts will be one-tenth of their respective underlying tokens in size and will offer a wide range of market participants – from institutions to sophisticated, active, individual traders – more ways to manage their exposure to the top two cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
These contracts will complement the existing Bitcoin options contracts, sized at five bitcoin and launched in 2020. Additionally, they will allow clients to express long- or short-term views with a choice of monthly as well as Monday, Wednesday and Friday weekly options expiries.
“We have worked closely with clients and the broader industry to establish robust and liquid cryptocurrency futures and options markets at CME Group,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity and FX Products, CME Group.
“At less than a year old, nearly 5.2 million combined Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether futures contracts have changed hands. Building on the strength and liquidity of the underlying contracts, our micro-sized options will enable traders of all sizes to efficiently hedge market-moving events with greater precision and flexibility or fine-tune their cryptocurrency market exposure.”