CME Group to Expand Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Lineup

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group) announced the addition to the list of tradable standard and micro options on Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts with expiries on every business day, Monday through Friday.

The expansion of the lineup will take effect on May 22, subject to regulatory approvals.

The new contracts will complement the existing monthly and quarterly expiries available for all futures-based options.

Earlier, instruments with Monday, Wednesday, and Friday expiries were added to the listing.

‘The new variants will provide greater precision and versatility in managing short-term price risk for Bitcoin and Ethereum’, said Giovanni Vitzioso, Global Head of Crypto Products at CME Group.

According to Paul Eisman, head of options trading at XBTO, institutional market makers will for the first time be able to provide full liquidity to market participants of all sizes. The latter will have the opportunity to hedge risks spanning every weekday.

In the first quarter of 2023, the average daily trading volume of Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and options on CME Group reached a record $3 billion.

Earlier CME Group announced the launch of event contracts on futures for the first cryptocurrency.

Earlier CME Group announced the listing of euro-denominated Ethereum futures.