While traders spent this week watching bitcoin gyrate above $80,000 amid key U.S. inflation data, a decision from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission got far less attention.
The (SEC) approved the listing of binary options tied to key performance indicators (KPIs) of 23 U.S. publicly traded companies. The metrics include trading volume at crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN), customer count and revenue at Robinhood Markets (HOOD), and bitcoin production at mining firm MARA Holdings (MARA).
“For crypto, this creates a new way to trade crypto-linked company performance beyond betting directly on BTC’s price,” Eleanor Terrett, the host of Crypto America, said on X. “The SEC approved this specific securities-options structure, while leaving room for differently structured contracts to fall under CFTC jurisdiction.”
A binary option is the simplest options contract, allowing traders to bet on a simple yes-or-no question, such as whether Coinbase’s trading volume will exceed a set number by a specific date.