Bitcoin cash, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency, took another step into the big leagues on Friday when a European derivatives trading platform launched the first regulated, USD-denominated bitcoin cash futures.
This product, which began trading on the U.K.-based Crypto Facilities on Friday at 4 p.m. local time, allows investors to bet on the future price movements of bitcoin cash, as well as hedge risk in their overall cryptocurrency portfolios.
“We are pleased to be expanding our cryptocurrency derivatives offering with the launch of Bitcoin Cash futures,” said Crypto Facilities CEO Timo Schlaefer in a statement. “BCH is a top five coin with a market capitalisation of around $10 billion and we expect our new contracts to spur the evolution of the crypto markets by bringing greater liquidity and transparency to the digital asset class.”
“This is another example of how Bitcoin Cash is proving itself to be one of the most innovative and useful cryptocurrencies in the world,” added BCH evangelist Roger Ver.
Tokyo-based trading and investment firm Profluent Japan says that it will make markets in the new bitcoin cash futures markets.
“Profluent Japan welcomes the opportunity to make markets in BCH derivatives on the Crypto Facilities platform. The institutional trading community was in great need of a proper BCH hedging mechanism at an FCA-registered exchange with a first class management team,” said Profluent Group CEO Bert Mouler. “Crypto Facilities is the first to provide such a service.”
In addition to BCH, Crypto Facilities has also launched futures products for bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, and litecoin. Earlier this year, Crypto Facilities CEO Tim Schlaefer told CCN that the platform has seen strong growth in 2018 despite the bear market. He said that volume had increased 84 percent between Q4 2017 and Q1 2018 and that he expected Q2 volume to double that of Q1.
Notably, Crypto Facilities is one of several cryptocurrency exchanges that provide pricing data used in Chicago-based derivatives exchange CME’s cryptocurrency reference rates. To date, CME has launched reference rates for bitcoin and ether, and the former has been used as the foundation for the platform’s bitcoin futures product. Consequently, the launch of BCH derivatives products on this platform could be the first step toward eventually seeing bitcoin cash futures listed on a major exchange.
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