CME goes live with 'micro' bitcoin and ether options

Investors with a smaller wallet can now find micro-sized bitcoin and ether futures options on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

The new product, launched on Monday, features contracts with a tenth of one bitcoin (BTC) or one ether (ETH)

The company said on its website that these offerings will allow “market participants to efficiently hedge market-moving events with greater precision and flexibility.”

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The options settle into liquid micro bitcoin and micro ether futures instead of physical crypto. They have lower dollar premiums related to smaller contract sizes, the company said.

Investors can take a long or shorter-term strategy approach, with both monthly and weekly options available.

CME had announced the new product earlier this month. More details about it are available on this FAQ page.

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Catarina is a reporter for The Block based in New York City. Before joining the team, she covered local news at Patch.com and at the New York Daily News. She started her career in Lisbon, Portugal, where she worked for publications such as Público and Sábado. She graduated from NYU with a MA in Journalism. Feel free to email any comments or tips to [email protected] or to reach out on Twitter (@catarinalsm).