BITCOIN FUTURES NOW BEING TRADED IN CHICAGO - Bitcoin Going Full Mainstream

Bitcoin has taken a step toward legitimacy with the launch of a product on a Chicago exchange that allows investors to take bets on its price in the future. The new contract on the Chicago Board Options Exchange came as the digital currency jumped another 10%, sparking fresh warnings of a speculative bubble after last week’s 40% climb in price. Bitcoin was trading at $16,200 – up 10% on the day – while the new futures contract trading in Chicago showed that traders were expecting the cryptocurrency to be trading at even higher prices in January. The futures contract trading on the CBOE allows traders to take bets – or to protect themselves – on the price of bitcoin next month. It started trading just before midnight (in London) on Sunday at $15,460, hit a high of $18,700 and then dropped back to $17,800. Such was the price volatility when the contract launched that trading had to be halted twice through so-called circuit breakers and the CBOE had to admit that its website was creaking because of the heavy traffic although its trading platform kept working. Bitcoin broke above the $12,000 mark Wednesday morning Asia-time, as the cryptocurrency continued its march higher. The digital currency quickly leaped further. As of 12:19 p.m., ET, bitcoin traded about 8.5 percent higher near $12,684, according to industry site CoinDesk. Earlier in the day, bitcoin hit a record high of $12,810.22. The bitcoin offshoot, bitcoin cash, traded slightly lower near $1,507, while digital currency ethereum also traded slightly lower near $441, according to CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin began 2017 at less than $1,000 per token, but it has been on an absolute tear in recent months: It crossed $5,000 in October and touched above $11,000 for the first time less than two months later, according to CoinDesk data. BIT RISKY? How to buy Bitcoin, is it safe to buy the cryptocurrency and what are Iota and Ethereum? The controversial digital currency Bitcoin seems to be soaring to ever greater heights, making headlines around the world First the Nordea Bank AB chief executive called it a “joke” and an “ absurd” construction. Then Danish banks said they wouldn’t touch cash from bitcoin speculation. Now, one of Scandinavia’s biggest investors is airing its skepticism. ATP, Denmark’s largest pension fund with about $120 billion in assets under management, says it’s steering clear of bitcoin despite signs the cryptocurrency is gaining a foothold in the derivatives market. Bitcoin "sell bitcoin" "buy bitcoin" trade trading "trade bitcoin" cryptocurrency "accept bitcoin" ethereum mining "bitcoin mining" price "bitcoin price" "bitcoin rise" top bubble usd euro gbp currency cash wealth value business gold silver bullion "sell gold" "buy gold" "cash 4 gold" valuation "bitcoin bubble" 2018 "bull market" "stock market" banking savings investment invest "gold coin" "silver coin" trend trends "virtual currency" tech technology "bitcoin atm" alt coins altcoins ripple jsnip4 jim rogers uk usa blockchain block chain “One can of course sit down and read about the technical design, but bitcoin and the role it’s supposed to play is something we basically don’t feel comfortable with,” ATP Chief Investment Officer Kasper Ahrndt Lorenzen said in an interview in Copenhagen. “I think one just needs to be humble as an investor,” he said. “When one doesn’t feel comfortable about something, one needs to be a bit humble and not go into it.” “If we were to treat bitcoin as a cryptocurrency, we just don’t think it’s there yet,” he said. “If we were to invest in a cryptocurrency, our mind set is such that we need to have a currency hedge. And we would do that based on established risk premiums. Bitcoin doesn’t have an established risk premium.” But there’s a growing community of bitcoin converts and they’ve lately driven its price to dizzying heights. It surpassed $12,000 on Wednesday, as investors hope the use of futures contracts will help it gain legitimacy. Cboe Global Markets Inc. has said it will start trading bitcoin futures on Dec. 10, while CME Group Inc.’s contracts are set to debut on Dec. 18. Nasdaq Inc. is planning to offer futures in 2018, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cantor Fitzgerald LP’s Cantor Exchange is creating a bitcoin derivative, and startup LedgerX already offers options. It’s also possible to invest in bitcoin via exchange-traded notes in Scandinavia. BIT RISKY? How to buy Bitcoin, is it safe to buy the cryptocurrency and what are Iota and Ethereum? The controversial digital currency Bitcoin seems to be soaring to ever greater heights, making headlines around the world