Analysis | Why Crypto and Wall Street Are Longing for Spot Bitcoin ETFs

Important part:

1. What’s the difference between Bitcoin futures and spot Bitcoin? Futures are contracts to buy or sell an asset at a specified price at a later date. They are widely used in many markets, like oil, by investors who want to speculate on price movements without having to own or take possession of the underlying asset directly. As the price of Bitcoin swings up or down according to direct trading, Bitcoin futures track the cryptocurrency’s spot price indirectly on exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. In the spot Bitcoin market, by contrast, users buy and sell the actual digital currency via exchanges.