The first bitcoin future (0#XBT:) trades are set to kick off at 6pm EST on CBOE Global Markets Inc's CBOE Futures Exchange. The futures are an alternative to a largely unregulated spot market underpinned by cryptocurrency exchanges that have been plagued by cybersecurity and fraud issues. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc and other large US banks will not immediately clear bitcoin trades for clients, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The futures trading may help dampen some of the sharp moves, analysts said. The risk that investors might manipulate the underlying spot market to benefit in the futures market is another big concern.

Source: Bangkok Post December 10, 2017 18:00 UTC