Option Block 678: Is Donald Trump Long Bitcoin?

The Option Block

Trading Block: JPMorgan is lighting up Twitter. It's one of the bank's best ideas for 2018. A lot of div plays lighting up the tape today. Now it's a party! CME Bitcoin futures are live! Volume a little lighter in XBT now. Taleb is not a fan of Bitcoin - at least not without options. Petterrfy also hates Bitcoin - but it didn't stop him from buying ads on the futures.

Odd Block: More Jan 2019 50 "Catastrophe" puts in Tesla Motors (TSLA). Size call party in Regions Financial Corp (RF). Ratio call vertical in CSX Corporation (CSX). Rolling puts in Synchrony Financial (SYF).

Mail Block: Time to hear from you.

This week's Options Break: Finally seeing Star Wars "The Last Jedi." Did you see it? What did you think?

• 24% - Better than Force Awakens
• 24% - Worse than Force Awakens
• 39% - Not a Star Wars fan
• 13% - Better than Empire

Options Question of the Week: Now it's a party! Bitcoin futures are live on both CME Group and CBOE. But everyone's asking us the $1M question - "When will we get Bitcoin Options?" So we thought we'd ask you - When will we be able to trade options on these futures?

• Q1 2018
• Q2 2018
• Q3 2018
• Q4 2018

Listener questions and comments

• Question from LLN8 - What products would you like to see on the bitcoin/crypto front?
• Comment from TMal - Rumors that Donald Trump is long Bitcoin, hence why he hasn't opined on the big story of the year.

Around the Block/This Week in the Market

• Dec 19: Housing Starts
• Dec 20: Existing Home Sales
• Dec 21: Jobless Claims, GDP
• Dec 22: Durable Goods, Personal Income, New Home Sales, Consumer Sentiment