The London Stock Exchange has partnered with Global Futures and Options to launch the UK’s first regulated trading in bitcoin futures and options.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Global Futures and Options (GFO-X) trading platform have announced in a joint statement that bitcoin futures and options will be serviced through LCH Digital AssetClear, a new segregated clearing service developed by the UK-based digital asset derivatives trading platform. GFO-X and approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FSA).
Initially, the ability to trade futures and options on bitcoin will be available in the UK. Then, through the Paris-based clearing arm of the LSE, DigitalAssetClear services for digital assets will become available in EU countries. It is expected that in the Eurozone the new service will be launched in the fourth quarter of this year after receiving approval from the EU regulators.
“Bitcoin futures and options are a fast-growing asset class that is attracting interest from institutional market participants looking for safe access to capital investment in a regulated environment they are familiar with,” Frank Soussan, head of LCH DigitalAssetClear, commented on the upcoming start of trading.
Earlier, the analytical company Glassnode reported that open interest of traders in options for bitcoin exceeded $10.3 billion.
