Bitcoin surpassed $12,000 for the first time amid speculation that the widespread use of futures will help lead to digital currencies being viewed as a legitimate asset class for mainstream investors, Bloomberg reported. The largest cryptocurrency by market value has soared from less than $1,000 at the start of the year as optimism climbs for the distributed ledger technology known as blockchain that is at the heart of bitcoin. The digital token was selling for $12,198.57 on Wednesday, according to industry site CoinDesk. The price surge has been accompanied by a growing chorus of warnings that the speculative frenzy is an asset bubble poised to burst. Cboe Global Markets Inc. has said it will start trading bitcoin futures on Dec. 10, while CME Group Inc.’s contracts are set to debut on Dec. 18. Nasdaq Inc. is planning to offer futures in 2018, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cantor Fitzgerald LP’s Cantor Exchange is creating a bitcoin derivative, and startup LedgerX already offers options.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints