CME Group to launch regulated Bitcoin volatility futures

CME to launch CFTC‑regulated Bitcoin Volatility futures in June, giving institutions an onshore way to trade implied BTC volatility.

CME Group plans to launch Bitcoin Volatility futures on June 1, pending regulatory review, giving investors a compliant way to trade expected Bitcoin volatility rather than price direction, according to a company release published Tuesday.

The Chicago-based derivatives marketplace said the contracts will settle to the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index, a 30-day measure of expected Bitcoin volatility derived from CME options markets.

CME describes the new contracts as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-regulated futures aimed specifically at Bitcoin volatility, extending the existing US regulatory framework that already covers CME’s Bitcoin and Ether derivatives.

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