Bitnomial launches first regulated Aptos futures in U.S.

U.S. derivatives exchange Bitnomial is launching the first regulated Aptos futures product in the United States, according to an announcement on Wednesday. 

The move opens the door towards increased institutional and retail trading activity for APT token derivatives, which are currently accessible as perps and other products on offshore exchanges like Bitget and Binance Futures. 

“The new contract provides institutional and retail traders with a regulated venue for APT price discovery and risk management,” Bitnomial said in a statement. 

Further, Bitnomial President Michael Dunn noted that a regulated futures market is often seen as “a prerequisite for spot crypto ETF approval under the SEC’s generic listing standards," meaning Bitnomial’s new market could open the door to exchange-traded Aptos funds. 

Indeed, while the Securities and Exchange Commission has loosened crypto ETF listings, the most widely adopted assets — Bitcoin and Ethereum — have robust futures markets, which often feature as a part of the “surveillance-sharing agreement” needed for SEC approval. 

CME, the largest U.S. derivatives exchange, offers futures trading for BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP, as well as benchmark trading data for a host of other digital assets, including APT. 

Founded in 2014, the Chicago-based Bitnomial offers the first and only fully crypto-native, U.S.-regulated spot and derivatives exchange and clearinghouse focused on digital assets. It is often the first U.S. exchange to offer many crypto products, like the first regulated XRP futures and first physical Solana futures, among other offerings. 

The new Bitnomial APT futures contracts have monthly expirations and settle in dollars or APT, “depending on position direction.” Traders can post crypto or USD as margin through Bitnomial Clearinghouse. In the coming weeks, retail traders will be able to access the market through Botanical, Bitnomial’s retail trading platform.

Bitnomial said it plans to launch APT perps and options in the future.

“Bitnomial’s CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse provide the institutional framework that sophisticated market participants need to gain exposure to Aptos while meeting their compliance and risk management requirements,” Aptos Labs Chief Business Officer Solomon Tesfaye said.