Cboe Digital has announced plans to offer margin futures trading for bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) starting January 11, 2024. The initiative, which features a platform integrating spot and futures trading, has garnered backing from a slew of fintech and crypto firms. Cboe says the service introduction aims to enhance capital efficiency in the digital asset space.

Cboe Digital Sets January 2024 Date for Bitcoin and Ether Margin Trading Futures

Cboe Digital, a subsidiary of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe), is planning to launch margin futures products associated with BTC and ETH. The announcement on Monday details that the contracts will allow traders to post less collateral upfront compared to traditional futures, aiming to improve liquidity and market participation.

Scheduled to commence operations next January, the platform is prepared to deliver these services under the compliance umbrella of U.S. financial regulations. Cboe Digital’s upcoming service will feature the support of crypto firms such as B2C2, Blockfills, and Cumberland DRW, who view derivatives as essential for market stability and risk management.

“Cboe Digital’s offer in providing secure access to regulated futures markets is key to maturing this nascent asset class and enabling broader institutional participation,” Chris Zuehlke, the Global Head of Cumberland DRW stated on Monday.

The consensus among Cboe Digital’s partners is that regulated margin futures for bitcoin and ether could incentivize broader institutional engagement by offering a familiar trading mechanism. The service expansion to include bitcoin and ether margin futures aims to complement Cboe Digital’s existing suite of crypto asset products, which currently spans BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC, and USDC.

In anticipation of the launch, Cboe Digital plans to publish daily margin requirements and provide standardized risk parameter files for transparency. The news follows increased institutional demand in recent times and CME Group outpacing Binance in terms of bitcoin futures open interest last week.

“Futures have long served as valuable hedging instruments in the traditional financial markets, and we couldn’t be more excited to extend access to this tool further into the digital assets markets and offer margined trading for our customers,” Cboe Digital’s President John Palmer said in a statement.

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