John Palmer, the president of crypto clearing house CBOE Digital, anticipates a significant influx of institutional investment into Bitcoin as soon as the SEC greenlights the first-ever spot ETF. 

In a Bloomberg TV interview, Palmer highlighted that such approval would open doors for pension funds and funds based on registered investment advisers (RIAs) to engage in Bitcoin assets through a spot ETF, a move currently restricted with standard Bitcoin tokens.

This development comes as Bitcoin’s value surged past $45,000 for the first time in almost two years, just ahead of the SEC’s Jan. 10 deadline to make a decision on approving a spot ETF for Bitcoin. Notably, key financial entities like BlackRock and Fidelity have recently amended their filings in anticipation of this deadline.

Palmer also touched upon the expansion of Bitcoin derivative products, predicting that institutional investors will increasingly utilize these derivatives for risk management, especially with the potential introduction of a spot ETF. Strategically, Palmer’s CBOE Digital is poised to introduce margined futures for Bitcoin and Ether on Jan. 11, offering clients the flexibility to trade futures without needing full collateral upfront.