Nasdaq ISE Proposes Raising IBIT Options Position Limit to 1 Million Contracts

According to the Federal Register and multiple analysts, Nasdaq ISE has proposed increasing the position limit for BlackRock's Bitcoin spot ETF IBIT options from 250,000 contracts to 1 million contracts. Previously, this limit was raised from 25,000 contracts in July 2025. Analysts believe the proposal signals three major developments: **Surging Demand:** ISE stated that demand for IBIT options has continued to grow in 2025, and the current limit has restricted large institutional operations. **Bitcoin Joins 'Elite-Class' Assets:** The 1 million contract position limit is only applied to globally systemic ETFs like EEM and FXI, indicating that Bitcoin is being recognized as a macro core asset. **Unlocking Billions in Hedging Capacity:** The existing 25,000 contract limit only supports approximately $125 million in hedging positions, which is far from sufficient to meet the needs of sovereign funds or pension institutions. If the proposal is approved, it will enable them to access hedging capabilities exceeding $1 billion.