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BlackRock seeks to launch options on Ethereum ETFs. What does this mean for the market?

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Nasdaq and BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, are planning to start trading options on the spot Ethereum ETF.

According to a filing posted on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website, representatives of Nasdaq and BlackRock asked the regulator to allow trading options on the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), the only Ethereum-based ETF listed on the Nasdaq exchange.

The published document proposes changing the rules for listing and trading options on the iShares Ethereum Trust. The exchange offers to expand the list of ETFs suitable for trading on the exchange in accordance with options by including the Trust.

Trust’s ETH becomes subject to the Ethereum proof-of-stake validation or is used to earn additional ETH or generate income or other earnings.

Comments on the Nasdaq and BlackRock proposal are accepted within 21 business days. Meanwhile, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart believes that the final decision on this application will not be made before April 2025.

The expert explained that BlackRock needs approval from the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Options Clearing Corporation to trade options on the spot Ethereum (ETH) ETF.

At the same time, Nasdaq is still waiting for approval to trade options on spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs. In July, the SEC said it needed more time to decide on this class of products.

How does spot Ethereum ETF options trading work?

Options are contracts that allow the option buyer to buy or sell the underlying asset at a specified time and price.

Retail investors use options for speculation and short-term transactions, as options have a high potential return, and the possible loss is limited: having bought an option, you cannot lose more than the amount of the option premium. At the same time, options allow them to earn money for growth and the fall of assets.

BlackRock‘s options offering will provide investors with an additional and relatively inexpensive investment vehicle for purchasing ETH on the spot and a hedging tool to meet their investment needs.

In other words, the new product will give those who want to engage with digital assets another way. Since the cost of interacting with them is relatively low, options will surely be in demand.

Ethereum spot ETFs receive approval

Since the January approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF, many financial institutions, including financial giants BlackRock and Fidelity, have been seeking approval to create cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds. Their goal was to allow investors to trade Ethereum in the form of fund shares without having to deal with the cryptocurrency directly.

On May 23, the SEC approved the launch of a spot Ethereum ETF in the U.S. BlackRock, 21Shares, Bitwise, Fidelity Investments, Franklin Templeton, VanEck, and Invesco Galaxy received the regulator’s approval.

The ETH-ETF products began trading on July 23. In the first 15 minutes, the sector saw $112 million in trading volume.

Amid the crypto market collapse on Aug. 6, total inflows into ETH ETFs amounted to $98.3 million — the second result since the products were approved, according to SoSoValue.

BlackRock seeks to launch options on Ethereum ETFs. What does this mean for the market? - 1
Source: SoSoValue

BlackRock options strategies

BlackRock introduced two new ETFs that use options strategies in the spring. The new funds use a covered call strategy on U.S. stocks. 

The first, the iShares S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF (IVVW), focuses on large-cap stocks. The fund tracks the performance of an index that reflects a strategy of owning 500 large-cap U.S. stocks while writing (selling) one-month call options for income.

The second, the iShares Russell 2000 BuyWrite ETF (IWMW), is a small-cap ETF. The fund tracks the performance of an index that reflects a strategy of owning 2,000 small-cap U.S. stocks while writing (selling) one-month call options for income.

With the launch of the new products, investors began to receive monthly income from the option premiums earned under their strategies and potential price appreciation on the stocks they track — up to a specific limit.

Should BlackRock approve the new product?

BlackRock has virtually zero history of rejecting ETFs, and the giant has more than $9 trillion in assets under management. Therefore, the company’s desire to launch a new crypto-based tool will most likely end in success, which will attract clients and their capital to the industry.





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Bitcoin

Options on Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange-Traded Funds Marks Milestone, Despite Position Limits

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Park explained on X that the exercisable risk, representing the total value of option contracts exercised or converted to actual shares, equates to less than 0.5% of IBIT’s outstanding shares. Meanwhile, the industry standard is closer to 7%, which would represent a comparative figure of 7%. To show how small the 0.5% figure is, bitcoin CME futures contracts are allowed to trade 2,000 contracts, which is the equivalent of 175,000 for IBIT.



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Bitcoin

Crypto product record major inflow up to $2.2 billion

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CoinShares, a digital asset manager, reported that last week crypto products saw a major inflow from institutional investors of up to $2.2 billion.

The latest U.S. Election, on Nov. 5, still stimulated the weekly cryptocurrency inflow up to $2.2 billion. The number increased 15% from the previous week by about $1.98 billion.

According to CoinShares’s release, on Nov. 18, digital asset inflows recorded $33.5 billion year-to-date and hit a new peak of under-asset management (AUM) up to $138 billion.

Bitcoin (BTC) saw the largest inflow based on assets last week of around $1.48 billion or equal to 67%. Followed by Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) with inflows $646 million and $23.9 million respectively.

The Beam Chain network upgrade proposal by Justin Drake has increased Ethereum’s inflow from $157 million. Only multi-asset and Binance Coin (BNB) record a week’s outflow.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) recorded the highest surge in crypto product from last week’s inflow up to 63% or up to $2.1 billion. While the rest of the funding recorded an outflow ranging from $8 million to $153 million, including Grayscale and Fidelity.

Crypto product driving factor: U.S. Election

James Butterfill, CoinShares head of research, says a combination of looser monetary policy and a Republican winning a majority of the Congress and Presidency appears to be a driving factor of these inflows.

Donald Trump winning the White House’s second term still brings a positive rally for the cryptocurrency industry, as well as the crypto product. Buterfill has mentioned that Trump’s presidency would bring crypto-friendly regulations and fiscal policy.

Earlier, Trump picked several names for secretary on his cabinet who identified as pro-crypto personalities including Elon Musk, Tom Emmer, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Bitcoin Act, who were proposed by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, and the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve also boosts the crypto investor’s confidence. He also mentioned this favorable outlook may bring the best potential of Bitcoin in the future.

“The next four years may witness an unprecedented level of institutional support, increased government interest, and broader public adoption, setting the stage for Bitcoin to further solidify its place in the global financial landscape,” Buterfill mentioned in the other report.



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Abu Dhabi

BlackRock receives Abu Dhabi commercial license after Saudi approval

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BlackRock has received a license to operate in Abu Dhabi, further expanding its business into the Middle Eastern region after gaining approval from Saudi Arabia just last month.

According to a Bloomberg report published on Nov. 18, the investment management company plans to apply to get regulatory approval to set up business in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, at the heart of UAE’s capital.

BlackRock’s Abu Dhabi office will primarily work with sovereign wealth funds, wealth managers and investment vehicles based in the region.

This latest development comes a month after BlackRock secured approval from Saudi Arabia to open up a headquarters in Riyadh. The asset manager has continued to branch out its business reach into the Middle East after announcing it would get up to $5 billion from the Public Investment Fund to invest in the Middle East and build a team rooted in Riyadh.

Additionally, BlackRock has partnered with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan to bankroll the build-out of data warehouses and energy infrastructure within the region.

In a statement, Head of the Middle East for BlackRock, Charles Hatami, stated several reasons why the firm chose to operate in Abu Dhabi. Considering Abu Dhabi’s status as a hot spot for capital markets, he said that the region’s proactive government policies and commitment to sustainability make it an ideal location.

“Abu Dhabi has rapidly transformed into a global financial center,” said Hatami, adding that the firm plans to focus on private markets, specifically AI infrastructure, in Abu Dhabi.

BlackRock Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink explained that having the investment firm operate in both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh was a logical move, as both regions are competing head-to-head with Dubai to become the Middle Eastern business hub.

Both regions are famous for holding over $1 trillion of sovereign wealth, representing some of the biggest capital in the world.



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