Bitcoin Derivatives Firm ErisX Adds Cash-Settled Contracts After Physically Settled Futures Fall Flat

Cryptocurrency derivatives platform ErisX launched cash-settled bounded futures on Tuesday, after seeing little interest from the market for its physically settled futures. 

ErisX CEO Thomas Chippas said the company had released physically settled futures thinking traders would be interested in trading spot bitcoin with the protection of a futures exchange and a futures clearinghouse. Cash-settled contracts don’t require the delivery of bitcoin like physically settled contracts, allowing investors who can’t touch bitcoin to still profit from it.

Physically settled futures won’t become more popular until the exchange can offer physically traded futures on margin, Chippas said. ErisX is working with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to allow the exchange to offer margin in the future.

In the meantime, the exchange is launching cash-settled bounded futures, which provide upper and lower bounds on gains and losses, protecting investors from large price movements 

Cash-settled futures have been trading in the U.S. since 2017, when CME and Cboe launched their own products, though Cboe discontinued its bitcoin futures in 2019.

Last month, ErisX got CFTC approval to offer additional trading services.