BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF regains key weekly options expiries after rule overhaul

MIAX, the U.S. options alternate group, restored Monday and Wednesday short-term expiries for options on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF after dropping IBIT from its third-quarter roster.

A MIAX listing alert stated the alternate group would start itemizing IBIT below a brand new, lower-threshold Tier 2 framework on Aug. 18, 2026. It named IBIT expirations for Aug. 19, 24, 26 and 31, confirming that the fund returned throughout Q3 as an alternative of ready for the following quarterly eligibility evaluate.

IBIT was a part of MIAX’s initial January 2026 roster and remained eligible in the second quarter. It then disappeared from the Q3 list published July 1.

The listed MIAX and SEC notices don’t determine which outdated check prompted the removing. BlackRock’s historical fund data suggest about $43.23 billion of IBIT web property on June 30, beneath the previous $50 billion gate however above the brand new $25 billion threshold. AUM could due to this fact have been a constraint, however MIAX has not revealed an IBIT-specific June options-volume rely or stated that AUM was the only real failed situation.

How IBIT expirations work below the brand new tier

The MIAX Pearl rule notice splits qualifying ETFs into two tiers. Tier 1 retains the outdated exams of greater than $50 billion in AUM and greater than 10 million month-to-month options sides, and provides Tuesday and Thursday short-term expiries. Tier 2 cuts these gates to greater than $25 billion and greater than 5 million sides, however is proscribed to Monday and Wednesday expiries.

Both tiers nonetheless require a place restrict of a minimum of 250,000 contracts and participation within the Penny Interval Program. IBIT’s precise place and train restrict was raised to 1 million contracts in May 2026.

The growth doesn’t create IBIT expiries on each enterprise day. Tier 2 permits not more than two Monday and two Wednesday expirations past the present week at one time. The contracts are P.M.-settled, and MIAX doesn’t checklist a Tier 2 expiry on a date that coincides with a regular, month-to-month or quarterly expiration.

MIAX Pearl filed the change on Aug. 13, 2026. The SEC waived the standard 30-day delay and made it operative upon submitting, however retained authority to briefly droop the rule inside 60 days. The Federal Register notice units a Sept. 17, 2026, remark deadline.

For merchants monitoring IBIT expirations, the venue-specific change has already reopened further Monday and Wednesday short-term expiration dates. It doesn’t quantity to a market-wide change in IBIT options, nor does it set up how the brand new expiries will have an effect on trading volume or Bitcoin volatility.

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