CME Group plans to launch options on Ether futures
International derivatives marketplace CME Group today unveiled its plans to launch options on Ether futures on September 12, pending regulatory review.
These new contracts deliver one ether futures, sized at 50 ether per contract, and based on the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate, which serves as a once-a-day reference rate of the U.S. dollar price of Ether. These new contracts will also expand CME Group’s existing suite of Cryptocurrency options contracts, which include Bitcoin options, as well as micro-sized Bitcoin and Ether options.
“The launch of these new options contracts builds on the significant growth and deep liquidity we have seen in our existing Ether futures, which have traded more than 1.8 million contracts to date,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity and FX Products, CME Group. “As we approach the highly anticipated Ethereum Merge next month, we continue to see market participants turn to CME Group to manage ether price risk. Our new Ether options will offer a wide array of clients greater flexibility and added precision to manage their ether exposure ahead of market moving events.”
CME Group’s standard- and micro-sized Ether futures contracts have experienced tremendous growth and continue to provide consistent liquidity, volume, and open interest for clients.
July average daily volume (ADV) of Ether futures amounted to 7.9K contracts. These futures marked record Q2 ADV of 6.7K contracts and open interest (OI) of 3.5K contracts.
Micro Ether futures marked July ADV of 25.7K contracts, up more than 41% from June, and OI of 47K contracts, a 43% increase over June.