Japanese company Fisco Ltd. issued the first Bitcoin denominated bonds on august 10th. The firm issued three-year bonds with a 3% coupon and a face value of 200 BTC to another firm within their group. The financial services company anticipates that bitcoin may soon become a regular financial asset.
While in the USA, the SEC rejected the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF earlier this year, the japanese government and regulatory bodies are more in favour of the digital asset. It seems that Japan may once again clear the path for further Bitcoin adoption and recognition across the globe, especially in the world of financial assets. It seems that the crypto-friendly environment in Japan leads to other governments rethink their stance towards the crypto space. The largest options exchange in the United States "CBOE" is about to launch Bitcoin futures and options for the public market. At least they plan to do so, as they also need an SEC approval which is uncertain and will take several months. CBOE chief strategy officer John Deters furthermore said that
"[They've] really come to the conclusion recently that cryptocurrencies are here to stay”.
Regulators are still unsure about cryptocurrencies but rising demand among institutional investors pressures them towards acceptance. In case the integration of Bitcoin futures onto the CBOE platform is successful we are likely to see substantial increases in demand for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Let's hope the best!
Sources / further read:
http://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-bond-moves-cryptocurrency-closer-legitimacy/
https://btcmanager.com/japans-fisco-ltd-issues-first-bitcoin-bond/
https://btcmanager.com/largest-us-options-exchange-to-launch-bitcoin-futures/