BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Regains Key Weekly Options Expiries After Rule Overhaul
MIAX, the U.S. options exchange group, has restored Monday and Wednesday short-term expirations for options on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) after removing the fund from its third-quarter eligibility list.
According to a MIAX listing alert, the exchange will begin listing IBIT under a new, lower-threshold Tier 2 framework on Aug. 18, 2026. The alert identifies IBIT expirations for Aug. 19, 24, 26 and 31, confirming that the fund returned during the third quarter rather than waiting for the next quarterly eligibility review.
IBIT appeared on MIAX’s initial January 2026 roster and remained eligible during the second quarter. However, the ETF was absent from the Q3 list published on July 1.
Why IBIT was removed from the MIAX Q3 list
The MIAX and SEC notices do not specify which previous eligibility test led to IBIT’s removal. BlackRock’s historical fund data indicate that IBIT had approximately $43.23 billion in net assets on June 30. That figure was below the former $50 billion requirement but above the new $25 billion threshold.
Assets under management may therefore have been a limiting factor. MIAX has not published IBIT’s June options-volume data or stated that assets under management were the only failed condition.
How the new MIAX IBIT expiration tiers work
The MIAX Pearl rule notice divides qualifying exchange-traded funds into two tiers. Tier 1 retains the previous requirements of more than $50 billion in assets under management and more than 10 million monthly options sides. It also adds Tuesday and Thursday short-term expirations.
Tier 2 lowers the thresholds to more than $25 billion in assets under management and more than 5 million monthly options sides. However, this tier is limited to Monday and Wednesday expirations.
Both tiers require a position limit of at least 250,000 contracts and participation in the Penny Interval Program. IBIT’s position and exercise limit was increased to 1 million contracts in May 2026.
The rule change does not give IBIT expirations on every business day. Tier 2 permits no more than two Monday and two Wednesday expirations beyond the current week at any one time. The contracts are P.M.-settled, and MIAX will not list a Tier 2 expiration on a date that coincides with a standard, monthly or quarterly expiration.
MIAX Pearl filed the change on Aug. 13, 2026. The SEC waived the usual 30-day delay and made the change operative upon filing, while retaining the authority to suspend the rule temporarily within 60 days. The Federal Register notice establishes Sept. 17, 2026, as the deadline for public comments.
For traders monitoring IBIT options expirations, the venue-specific change has reopened additional Monday and Wednesday short-term expiration dates. It does not represent a market-wide change to IBIT options and does not establish how the new expirations will affect trading volume or Bitcoin volatility.
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