When it rains, it pours.
That will be the transformational effect if institutional money finally comes on board the crypto train.
They are still poking around the edges and sniffing it to see if it is something they really want to get into.
Don’t forget that many of these institutions are beholden by a rigid set of regulations that they must adhere to and joining the wild west of crypto is for some, a step too far.
There is no doubt in my mind that the industry of money is barreling towards a digitized and decentralized version of it and many of these institutions don’t want to be left behind.
It’s bad enough they didn’t participate in the meteoric rise of Bitcoin (BTC) from almost zero to above $60,000 almost as if a portfolio manager missed a 10-year bull market.
But inroads are being made nonetheless and one of the preeminent investment banks, Goldman Sachs, took a giant leap forward toward the possible wide adoption of bitcoin among institutional investors, such as hedge and pension funds.
A step that will comfort some big investors, many of whom are still on the fence to invest in cryptocurrencies and in particular in bitcoin, the first digital currency in terms of market share.
Goldman Sachs (GS) executed its first over-the-counter (OTC) crypto options trade.
The firm traded a bitcoin-linked instrument called a non-deliverable bitcoin option (NDO), which is a derivative tied to bitcoin’s price that pays out in cash.
Options are used by crypto investors to hedge risks or boost yields, and over-the-counter transactions are larger trades negotiated privately.
This transaction gets GS closer to the crypto industry with regards to having skin in the game.
At the very least, they recognize there is something there and a major revenue opportunity if they do this the right way.
This marks the first OTC crypto transaction by a major bank in the U.S., and as GS continues expanding its cryptocurrency offerings, demonstrating the continued maturation and adoption of digital assets by banking institutions.
Is Bitcoin legit?
This move is an important step in the development of the crypto market for large investors because OTCs mean that Goldman Sachs will act as a principal in the transaction.
Goldman Sachs' involvement also sends a signal to mainstream investors that cryptocurrency-related assets have matured.
We are pleased to continue to strengthen our relationship with Goldman and expect the transaction to open the door for other banks considering OTC as a conduit for trading digital assets.
The concern that offering financial services related to cryptocurrencies might increase that burden of regulation is substantial.
But the change is also a cultural switch.
Legacy banks cringe that there is still too much uncertainty surrounding the regulation of the crypto industry.
However, there have been notable changes in recent months.
Famous investors like Ray Dalio and Bill Gross have thrown their support behind cryptocurrencies, a sign that the lines are moving at hedge funds, which bodes well for bitcoin.
GS is also offering exchange-listed options and futures trading in bitcoin and ethereum.
This is the first step of a bigger pivot to crypto as GS and other banks plan to build businesses out of it.
It is yet to be determined whether they push aggressively into it, but my hunch is that they move incrementally reflecting the extreme uncertainty of the rules of the road.
Intent is one thing, and it is true that development will take time to materialize, but a development of digital currencies doesn’t take place in one day.
Either way, this is another victory in the long-term prospects of Bitcoin and crypto.
