Bitcoin to $66,000 – Is this why CME Group is planning to launch BTC trading?

  • CME’s Bitcoin trading plan signals Wall Street’s acceptance of crypto
  • Surge in institutional investments highlights Bitcoin’s mainstream growth

As a researcher with a background in finance and experience in the cryptocurrency market, I believe that CME’s plans to introduce Bitcoin trading is a significant development for the crypto industry. This move signifies Wall Street’s growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a mainstream financial instrument, backed by institutional and regulatory support.


Bitcoin [BTC] experienced a positive day with its price peaking at an impressive $66,333 on the charts, marking a significant rise after spending several weeks fluctuating between $58,000 and $63,000. Currently, Bitcoin is showing a robust growth of 5.78% in just the past 24 hours.

According to TradingView, Bitcoin presently makes up around 56% of the entire cryptocurrency market cap.

Bitcoin to $66,000 – Is this why CME Group is planning to launch BTC trading?

CME Group turns to Bitcoin 

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), known as the world’s largest futures exchange, is considering announcing its intentions to initiate Bitcoin trading in reaction to Bitcoin’s increasing influence.

In 2024, this step is included in the company’s plan to enter the cryptocurrency market and profit from the growing interest among institutional investors on Wall Street.

Many people in the cryptocurrency community are pleased with this new development. According to Alessandro Ottaviani, Co-Host of StoreofBitcoin,

“The ‘bending the knee to Bitcoin’ process is continuing.”

How can CME benefit from this move? 

Despite the lack of clear details, CME Group’s decision to offer spot Bitcoin trading represents a significant milestone in Wall Street’s gradual embrace of cryptocurrencies. In conjunction with the SEC’s green light for Bitcoin ETFs, this move underscores the increasing regulatory approval within the industry.

It’s intriguing how CME’s latest action might simplify basis trades by merging spot Bitcoin trading with its existing Bitcoin Futures market. This strategic maneuver could improve trading efficiencies and further solidify CME’s influence within the cryptocurrency sector.

This update comes within days of Michael Saylor, former CEO of MicroStrategy, commenting,

Approximately 27 trillion dollars worth of assets are under the management of countless pension funds in the US. It is anticipated that they will all consider investing in Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s transformation from a lesser-known digital asset to a widely recognized financial tool is further highlighted by the growing institutional and regulatory backing it now receives.

Not everyone is happy!

However, it’s important to note that not everyone shares the same perspective. For example, Markus Thielen, the founder of 10x Research, holds a different opinion on this matter.

The introduction of a bitcoin spot market by the CME, a prominent derivatives marketplace, could result in some crypto exchanges losing business. This is due to the current bull market being fueled primarily by institutional investors, who typically prefer to conduct trades through regulated channels.

If this scenario held, it’s unlikely that significant institutions like Bracebridge Capital and the Wisconsin Investment Board would have invested more than $10 billion collectively into funds managed by organizations such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Ark.

The future looks bright though 

As a financial analyst, I’ve observed an intriguing development in the market: although Bitcoin (BTC) itself has dropped more than 20% from its peak of over $73,000 in March, Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have experienced remarkable growth, surpassing other ETF categories to become the fastest-growing ones.

Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, put it best when he said,

“Bitcoin is a great potential, long-term store of value.”

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2024-05-16 21:11