ATLANTA & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services, today announced the first block trade of BakktTM Bitcoin (USD) Monthly Options (BTM) submitted to ICE Futures U.S.
“Based on our benchmark physically delivered bitcoin futures, these options contracts offer our customers a capital-efficient new tool for trading and for managing volatility, price risk and income generation,” said Trabue Bland, President of ICE Futures U.S.
Bakkt Bitcoin Options settle into the underlying Bakkt Bitcoin (USD) Monthly Futures contract two days prior to expiry. Price discovery for the contract occurs completely within a federally regulated market and has no exposure to unregulated bitcoin spot markets. The first trade was executed between Galaxy Digital Trading and XBTO.
“We believe the development of the institutional market infrastructure leads to deeper liquidity in digital assets,” said Josh Lim, Head of Trading Strategy at Galaxy Digital Trading. “The advent of centrally-cleared bitcoin options on a regulated U.S. exchange is a major milestone for this market.”
Paul Eisma, Head of Trading, XBTO said, “By launching bitcoin options at a major board of trade, ICE and Bakkt are providing invaluable instruments that professional investors and commercial hedgers need in order to properly manage risk in a rapidly maturing asset class. XBTO supports the evolving growth in non-linear institutional trading products coming to digital asset markets.”
A block trade is a privately negotiated trade with a certain minimum size threshold, which is submitted to the Exchange and cleared through ICE Clear US.
About Intercontinental Exchange
Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company formed in the year 2000 to modernize markets. ICE serves customers by operating the exchanges, clearing houses and information services they rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global financial and commodity markets. A leader in market data, ICE Data Services serves the information and connectivity needs across virtually all asset classes. As the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, the company is the premier venue for raising capital in the world, driving economic growth and transforming markets.
Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at http://www.intercontinentalexchange.com/terms-of-use. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading “Key Information Documents (KIDS).”
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the SEC on February 7, 2019.
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