The introduction of the futures signals the start for the legitimization process for Bitcoin -- where people from the Wall Street can converge with those in the Main Street, so to speak. I am hoping that this platform will also be available to small players like us and not just for the whales who have the big resources they can play with anytime.
Some brokers might require accredited investor status, but I'm pretty sure CBOE contracts are available on platforms like Interactive Brokers. It's a far cry from the days when anyone could anonymously fund an account with $5 or $10, though. I guess we can't really act surprised with Bitcoin trading above $10,000 now.
Wall Street whales definitely have more cash to play with, but since these futures markets are cash-settled, there is little room for manipulation. They are mostly useful for hedging exposure for company operations (Square Cash comes to mind).
As this sounds really interesting and maybe also profitable, would you be interested to buy a Bitcoin Futures contract?
I'm more interested in ETF offerings, personally. I can't wait until it's easier to roll Bitcoin investments into my retirement account.
