Bitcoin futures coming this year, date not set yet: CME

CME Group Inc, the world’s biggest futures exchange, said on Monday (US time) it is still planning on launching a futures contract for Bitcoin this year, but that a notice on its website stating the contract would begin trading on December 11 was posted in error.

As Bitcoin passed above the $8,000 level for the first time on Monday, cryptocurrency-related websites were abuzz with news of the CME notice that said the CME Bitcoin Futures contract would become effective on December 10, a Sunday, for trading on December 11, pending regulatory review.

But the notice was later removed from CME’s website and Laurie Bischel, a spokeswoman for the exchange operator, said the original posting “was due to an error with the website,” without giving further details.

CME is vying with rival Cboe Global Markets Inc to launch the first Bitcoin-related financial product on a traditional, regulated exchange.

Bitcoin is notoriously volatile and has risen in price by almost 50 percent in just the last few days, prompting multiple warnings of a bubble.

To help rein in some of that volatility, CME will not allow the trading of Bitcoin futures at prices 20 percent above or below the settlement price from the previous day, according to the exchange’s website.

As of Monday, CME had not yet filed with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch Bitcoin futures, a spokeswoman for the company said.

Cboe also said it has yet to file for a Bitcoin futures contract with the CFTC.