| CME, the world’s largest exchange group, will launch a futures contract for trading the digital currency bitcoin, a key step in opening the cryptocurrency to institutional investors. The Chicago-based exchange operator said it aims to have the new contract in operation by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval. Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency, which has surged more than sixfold this year and climbed to a record high after the announcement. according to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index, the price of the cryptocurrency reached an average of $6,415.28 across global exchanges today. It rose above $6,000 for the first time last week. |
