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Dec 2017 Bitcoin futures launch in the US
In December 2017, the Cboe and then the CME began trading Bitcoin futures, the first regulated US derivatives on Bitcoin.
- Date
- Dec 10, 2017
- Venues
- Cboe, CME
- Price then
- ≈ $20,000
What happened
Cboe launched its Bitcoin futures on December 10, 2017, and the CME followed a week later. For many institutions this was the first regulated way to take a position on Bitcoin.
The price peaked close to $20,000 in the same week, and then began a long decline that lasted through 2018. Many observers argue the launch of futures made it easy to bet against Bitcoin as well as for it.
Why it mattered
Futures marked the first formal step from the fringe to Wall Street. See Bitcoin in 2017.
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