GCEX has launched options on Bitcoin and Ethereum for eligible professional and institutional clients, marking the firm’s expansion into regulated derivatives on digital assets. The service, provided through GC Exchange Limited and authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, enables hedge funds, asset managers, family offices and other qualifying firms to access calls and puts via the GCEX OTC desk, effective 22 October 2026.
- Digital assets covered: Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH)
- Option style: European-style, fiat-settled with monthly expiries
- Liquidity source: Tier 1 providers; pricing sourced directly from GCEX OTC desk
- Reporting: Positions, expiries, valuations and settlements tracked on XplorPortal alongside spot and FX activity
- Counterparty risk: GCEX hedges every trade with liquidity providers and does not take the other side of client positions
Clients can use the options to hedge existing digital asset exposure, sell covered options against held assets, or take directional positions. The OTC desk model allows institutional clients to access derivatives without onboarding to a separate exchange, consolidating their activity with an existing regulated counterparty.
Our institutional clients have been asking for a regulated way to hedge and manage their digital asset exposure without onboarding to an exchange. Options booked through our OTC desk give them that, with the same regulated counterparty, onboarding and reporting they already use for digital asset spot and FX.
– Lars Holst, Founder and CEO, GCEX
GCEX operates through separately authorised entities across multiple jurisdictions. GC Exchange Limited holds FCA authorisation; GC Exchange A/S is regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under MiCA; and GC Exchange FZE holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider licence from Dubai’s VARA. The group provides institutional clients with access to CFDs on digital assets and FX, alongside spot trading, conversion services, and technology solutions through its XplorDigital suite.
Lars Holst, Founder and CEO at GCEX. Source: LinkedIn
