The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved a rule change that allows Nasdaq’s International Securities Exchange to list and trade options on the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), BlackRock’s widely-traded exchange-traded fund.
Its decision marks another step in expanding the range of derivative products linked to Bitcoin, providing investors with additional tools for managing exposure to the world’s largest crypto.
BlackRock had been seeking approval for such a listing since at least March of this year following the regulator’s approval for multiple Bitcoin-linked ETFs in the U.S.
The SEC’s approval follows several amendments submitted by Nasdaq ISE, which sought to address concerns over market manipulation and excessive risk-taking in the fledgling crypto options market.
It follows several requests to amend rule changes to allow for the listing of options tied to…
