Why cant IB allow shorting of BTC futures with a margin requirement of 500-1000%?

[southall]

At what point was bitcoin in a bear market?

You said that was petterfy's prediction.

 

[ajacobson]

The question kind of answers itself. If enough people don't support it - it's not a "wait and see". It's an I don't want it and given his public pronouncements he doesn't want it. Pretty easy to climb on board if it succeeds at some later date.

I would also hate to have to defend a lawsuit over trading it given his public stand.

 

[Macca1]

Sounds like it's going to be retail supporting BTC futures on the long side well instos unload. Seems just as risky letting retail go long. If liquidity drys up then it's going to get very ugly.

 

[Overnight]

Well guys, guess what! Sunday evening ET is your first taste of bitcoin futures, on Cboe! Have fun! Hodl? For teh win?

 

[lovethetrade]

Why outright block it instead of putting in giant requirements? I mean, in theory, the Straits of Hormuz could be bombed and oil would open at $300. But you can still short oil futures

It's because there's a massive bias to the upside. Shorting cryptocurrencies is risky most of the time.

 

[SoesWasBetter]

I find it interesting, that Peterffy does an interview with CNBC. In one comment he says he will not allow shorting because if Bitcoin spikes, there might be no reasonable place to buy in their customers. In the next sentence, he says Bitcoin is going to near zero in 4 years.

cmon, selective reporting doesn't become you. fake news!

he also said, it could easily go to 100,000 FIRST

he realizes its a manipulated squeeze in the fashion of the most heinous penny stocks.

so do I

 

[Visaria]

i wanna join with the longs and squeeeeeeeeze those shorts!

 

[Timetwister]

Why outright block it instead of putting in giant requirements? I mean, in theory, the Straits of Hormuz could be bombed and oil would open at $300. But you can still short oil futures

Will it be possible to go long, though? I wonder when will futures options be offered.

 

[Pekelo]

not allow shorting because if Bitcoin spikes, there might be no reasonable place to buy in their customers. In the next sentence, he says Bitcoin is going to near zero in 4 years.

No contradiction. In those 4 years plenty of customers could blow their accounts by trying to short it. What if the ATH comes in 2 years from now? Then the late comers blowing their accounts because they are trying to catch a falling knife?

 

[Pekelo]

At what point was bitcoin in a bear market?

At least 3 times from memory:

1. 30 to 2
2. 140 to 76
3. 1K to 150

If you move your cursor slowly, you can see the historical price changes:

https://www.coindesk.com/price/ (set time frame to All)

Note: These prices are end of day, so it shows 22 in #1 and 230 in #2 cases, but I tend to recall the actual low/high.