Leading Derivatives Exchange CME Group Launches Micro Bitcoin and Ether Options

CME Group, one of the world’s largest derivatives marketplaces, has launched micro-sized bitcoin and ether options. “The launch of these micro-sized options builds on the significant growth and liquidity we have seen in our micro bitcoin and micro ether futures,” said a CME executive.

CME Now Offers Micro Bitcoin, Ether Options

CME Group announced Monday that it is now offering options on micro bitcoin and micro ether futures. CME’s Micro Bitcoin futures (MBT) is 1/10 the size of one bitcoin (BTC) and Micro Ether futures (MET) is similarly sized at 1/10 of one ether (ETH).

Tim McCourt, CME Group’s global head of equity and FX products, commented:

The launch of these micro-sized options builds on the significant growth and liquidity we have seen in our micro bitcoin and micro ether futures.

“Sized at one-tenth of their respective underlying tokens in size, these contracts will offer a wide range of market participants — from institutions to sophisticated, active, individual traders — greater flexibility and precision to manage their exposure to the top two cryptocurrencies by market capitalization,” he detailed.

Galaxy Digital Holdings’ managing director and global co-head of trading, Robert Bogucki, said his company “is excited to act as a liquidity provider for these options and other CME Group cryptocurrency products.” The executive described:

The smaller contract sizes will give investors and traders greater flexibility in managing their exposure to the two biggest cryptocurrencies in the world, opening the market up to new participants.

CME launched bitcoin futures in October 2017, followed by bitcoin options in November 2019. The platform launched ether futures in February 2021. The group then launched micro bitcoin futures in May last year and micro ether futures in December.