Ok, perhaps skyrocket is a little bit bold, but these products will definitely drive up the price of Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market as a whole.
Make no mistake, even in the depths of the current crypto-winter (aka bear market), there have been more and more Bitcoin transactions taking place – which means more people are actively using the technology.
As these main financial products come online in 2019, it will open a floodgate of people who haven’t yet been exposed to crypto – people who don’t want to mess with private keys and wallets, but would love the chance to one-click buy some BTC and ETH in their financial accounts. When you increase the number of people that have access, and want, a limited thing like BTC, the price will go up.
Here are the financial products set to launch in 2019 – not by small, start-ups, but major financial players on wall-street.
- VanEck ETF (exchange traded fund) physically holding the bitcoin that is being traded. Planning to launch in February 2019
- Fidelity is launching Fidelity Digital Assets which will provide trading and custodial services for many of the major cryptocurrencies. They are hoping to offer the service in early 2019.
- Nasdaq is launching bitcoin futures in the first half of 2019
- Citigroup announced they will be offering Bitcoin digital asset receipts
- Morgan Stanley will offer bitcoin swap trading
- ErisX will have spot and futures contracts for several cryptocurrencies in Q2 2019
In addition, the Bakkt platform (owned by the Interncontinental Exchange Group company that also owns the New York Stock Exchange) is full steam ahead for launch anyday. It’s currently held-up as it awaits the approval from the CFTC that is currently affected by the government shutdown.
Things are shaping up for the bear to turn into a bull in 2019.