The futures are an alternative to a largely unregulated spot market underpinned by cryptocurrency exchanges that have been plagued by cybersecurity and fraud issues. The futures launch has so far received a mixed reception from big US banks and brokerages. Goldman Sachs Group Inc on Thursday said it is planning to clear bitcoin futures for certain clients. Analysts, however, warn that much of how the futures market will react is a mystery, given that bitcoin is unlike any other asset. The risk of market participants manipulating the underlying spot market to their benefit in the futures market is another big concern.

Source: Bangkok Post December 10, 2017 07:30 UTC