US regulator approves Bitcoin trading
Bitcoin has taken another step toward the financial mainstream, after a US regulator said it would let two traditional exchanges begin trading in Bitcoin-related financial contracts. CME Group and CBOE Global Markets exchanges will offer investors Bitcoin futures from later this month. The move sent the crypto-currency's price up, continuing its volatile week. Bitcoin hit a record above $11,400 on Wednesday, but then lost 20% of its value in the following 24 hours. The announcement from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that it will allow the futures to be traded was seen as a watershed moment for the currency. It means that investors will be able to buy and sell "future" contracts in Bitcoins - an agreement to buy the crypto-currency, for example, in three months time at a certain price. CME Group said trading would be available on its CME Globex electronic trading platform from 18 December. To guard against volatility, CME and CBOE will p...