Heath Tarbert: Ethereum futures will appear in 2020

Heath Tarbert, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), believes that Ethereum futures will be launched as early as next year.

During his speech at Georgetown University, Tarbert expressed the view that air futures will appear within 6-12 months, however, the launch of such products does not mean an immediate growth in the cryptocurrency industry.

"The volume to which it'll trade, no idea, that's where the markets decide, but my guess is now that we've provided at least … a little bit more clarity on [ether's eligibility for futures contracts], my guess is market participants will consider that," 

he said.

At the same time, it is not yet known which companies will be interested in offering ether futures. Tarbert said that at the moment the Commission has not received applications for the launch of such a product.

"My guess is that it will come soon but I don't know where they're coming from," he said.

The process of launching ether futures will be similar to launching bitcoin futures. In this case, an asset may transfer from the category of securities to the category of goods and vice versa.

The CFTC chairman also noted that the Commission may recognize goods and other cryptocurrencies. 

"Now in the past most people have not been self-certifying, they've been coming to us particularly if they're creating an entirely new exchange and DCO [derivatives clearing organization] so it'll depend I think in large part on who wants to have it on their trading platform. Is it one of our existing exchanges that's been working with the CFTC for years or is it an entirely new platform that wants to specialize in it?" 

said Tarbert.

Recall that recently Tarbert called Ethereum a commodity, not a security. In addition, a previously unnamed CFTC spokesman said the Commission could support live futures. 

SOURCE