MIAX Restores Monday and Wednesday Options for BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust

MIAX, the U.S. options exchange group, announced that it will list short‑term Monday and Wednesday expiries for options on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) starting August 18, 2026. The move follows the fund’s removal from MIAX’s third‑quarter roster earlier this year.

New Tier 2 Eligibility Rules

MIAX’s updated “Pearl” rule creates two tiers for qualifying ETFs:

• Tier 1: Requires more than $50 billion in assets under management (AUM) and over 10 million monthly options sides. It permits Tuesday and Thursday short‑term expiries.
• Tier 2: Lowers the thresholds to more than $25 billion in AUM and over 5 million monthly options sides. It is limited to Monday and Wednesday expiries and still requires a minimum position limit of 250,000 contracts and participation in the Penny Interval Program.

IBIT’s Qualification

IBIT reported approximately $43.23 billion in net assets as of June 30, placing it below the former $50 billion gate but above the new $25 billion threshold. The fund’s position limit was increased to 1 million contracts in May 2026, satisfying the contract‑size requirement.

Restored Expiration Dates

Under the Tier 2 framework, MIAX will list IBIT expirations on August 19, 24, 26 and 31. Tier 2 allows a maximum of two Monday and two Wednesday expiries beyond the current week, and the contracts are P.M.–settled. The change became effective immediately upon filing on August 13, 2026, with the SEC retaining the authority to suspend the rule within 60 days.

Implications for Traders

The reinstated expiries provide additional short‑term trading opportunities for market participants, though the impact on overall options volume or Bitcoin price volatility remains uncertain.