Crypto short seller Mark Dow gloats over Cboe Bitcoin futures move

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) said this week it doesn’t intend to list any additional Bitcoin futures contracts going forward.

The news cheered up trader Mark Dow no end.

And he wasn’t done there.

The former International Monetary Fund (IMF) economist made headlines when he shorted the Bitcoin price from its December 2017 peak of nearly $20,000 down to its trough (below $3,500) a year later.

In a statement dated 14th March, the Cboe said: “CFE is not adding a Cboe Bitcoin (USD) (“XBT”) futures contract for trading in March 2019. CFE is assessing its approach with respect to how it plans to continue to offer digital asset derivatives for trading. While it considers its next steps, CFE does not currently intend to list additional XBT futures contracts for trading.”

It was the first exchange to introduce Bitcoin futures in the market, a move that was warmly welcomed by crypto enthusiasts as the value of Bitcoin soared towards $20,000 after the listing. Cboe’s rival, the CME Group, also introduced a similar product soon afterwards.