Bakkt is a digital asset exchange created by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The exchange is designed to allow for institutional investors to trade digital assets.
The launch of Bakkt has been delayed several times, but is now set to launch on December 12, 2018. The exchange will allow for trading of Bitcoin futures contracts.
The Bitcoin futures contracts will be physically-settled, meaning that actual Bitcoin will be delivered to the investor at the expiration of the contract. This is different from cash-settled futures contracts, which settle in cash based on the price of Bitcoin at the expiration of the contract.
Bakkt is owned by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which also owns the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). However, Bakkt does not have any direct ownership of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
It is also important to do research on your own and understand the technology behind cryptocurrency trading before engaging in any investments or trades. Investing in cryptocurrency carries a high level of risk and is not suitable for all investors.
The launch of Bakkt is seen as a positive development by many in the cryptocurrency community, as it could lead to more mainstream adoption of Bitcoin. However, there are some concerns about the potential impact of Bakkt on the Bitcoin price.
Some people believe that Bakkt could cause the price of Bitcoin to drop, as it will allow investors to short Bitcoin. However, others believe that Bakkt could actually help to increase the price of Bitcoin, as it will provide more institutional investment and legitimacy to the cryptocurrency.
Only time will tell what impact Bakkt will have on the price of Bitcoin. In the meantime, we will have to wait and see how this new exchange fares when it launches later this year.