Leveraged Bitcoin Futures ETF to Start Trading Tuesday, Sponsor Says

Volatility Shares says its 2x leveraged bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund will be based on CME Bitcoin Futures prices.

AccessTimeIconJun 23, 2023 at 3:24 p.m. UTC
Updated Mar 8, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Volatility Shares’ 2x Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITX) will become the first leveraged crypto ETF available in the United States after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) let it go effective on Friday, an executive at the company told CoinDesk.

The regulator has not denied the application for the 2x ETF, Volatility Shares Chief Investment Officer Stuart Barton said, paving the way for its launch this upcoming Tuesday.

“It’s exciting to see digital assets in the ETF wrapper,” Barton said.

A leveraged 2x ETF allows customers to gain bitcoin exposure by only putting up half the value of the bitcoin.

A prospectus filing said the ETF would correspond with the CME Bitcoin Futures Daily Roll Index.

This comes in the wake up of bitcoin’s value steadily rising past $30,000 after multiple major traditional investment companies like BlackRock filed an application for spot bitcoin ETFs with the SEC.

While a number of futures-based ETF products already trade, the SEC has consistently blocked spot products from launching. Other leveraged bitcoin futures products have also failed to secure the necessary approvals to launch.

Edited by Nikhilesh De.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Amitoj Singh

Amitoj Singh is a CoinDesk reporter.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.