2024-01389. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq ISE LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1, To List and Trade Options on iShares Bitcoin Trust

January 19, 2024.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”),^[1] and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on January 9, 2024, Nasdaq ISE, LLC (“ISE” or “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II, below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. On January 11, 2024, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposal, which supersedes the original filing in its entirety. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

The Exchange proposes to amend Options 4, Section 3, Criteria for Underlying Securities. This Amendment No. 1 supersedes the original filing in its entirety.

The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's website at https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/​rulebook/​ise/​rules, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose

The Exchange proposes to amend Options 4, Section 3, Criteria for Underlying Securities, to allow the Exchange to list and trade options on iShares Bitcoin Trust (the “Trust”) ^[3] as a Unit deemed appropriate for options trading on the Exchange.

Currently, Options 4, Section 3(h) provides that securities deemed appropriate for options trading shall include shares or other securities (“Exchange-Traded Fund Shares” or “ETFs”) that are traded on a national securities exchange and are defined as an “NMS” stock under Rule 600 of Regulation NMS, and that meet certain criteria specified in Options 4, Section 3(h), including that they:

(i) represent interests in registered investment companies (or series thereof) organized as open-end management investment companies, unit investment trusts or similar entities that hold portfolios of securities and/or financial instruments, including, but not limited to, stock index futures contracts, options on futures, options on securities and indices, equity caps, collars and floors, swap agreements, forward contracts, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements (the “Financial Instruments”), and money market instruments, including, but not limited to, U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements (the “Money Market Instruments”) comprising or otherwise based on or representing investments in broad-based indexes or portfolios of securities and/or Financial Instruments and Money Market Instruments (or that hold securities in one or more other registered investment companies that themselves hold such portfolios of securities and/or Financial Instruments and Money Market Instruments) or

(ii) represent interests in a trust or similar entity that holds a specified non-U.S. currency or currencies deposited with the trust when aggregated in some specified minimum number may be surrendered to the trust or similar entity by the beneficial owner to receive the specified non-U.S. currency or currencies and pays the beneficial owner interest and other distributions on the deposited non-U.S. currency or currencies, if any, declared and paid by the trust (“Currency Trust Shares”) or

(iii) represent commodity pool interests principally engaged, directly or indirectly, in holding and/or managing portfolios or baskets of securities, commodity futures contracts, options on commodity futures contracts, swaps, forward contracts and/or options on physical commodities and/or non-U.S. currency (“Commodity Pool ETFs”) or

(iv) represent interests in the SPDR® Gold Trust, the iShares COMEX Gold Trust, the iShares Silver Trust, or the ETFS Gold Trust or

(v) represents an interest in a registered investment company (“Investment Company”) organized as an open-end management company or similar entity, that invests in a portfolio of securities selected by the Investment Company's investment adviser consistent with the Investment Company's investment objectives and policies, which is issued in a specified aggregate minimum number in return for a deposit of a specified portfolio of securities and/or a cash amount with a value equal to the next determined net asset value (“NAV”), and when aggregated in the same specified minimum number, may be redeemed at a holder's request, which holder will be paid a specified portfolio of securities and/or cash with a value equal to the next determined NAV (“Managed Fund Share”).

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, Options 4, Section 3(h)(1) and (2) must be met to list options on ETFs.^[4]

Proposal

The Exchange proposes to expand the list of ETFs that are appropriate for options trading on the Exchange in Options 3, Section 4(h)(iv) to include the Trust.^[5]

Description of the Trust ^[6]

The Shares are issued by the Trust, a Delaware statutory trust. The Trust operates pursuant to a trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Sponsor, BlackRock Fund Advisors (the “Trustee”) as the trustee of the Trust and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Delaware trustee (the “Delaware Trustee”). The Trust issues Shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist only of bitcoin, held by a custodian on behalf of the Trust except under limited circumstances when transferred through the Trust's prime broker temporarily (described below), and cash. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Bitcoin Custodian”) is the custodian for the Trust's bitcoin holdings, and maintains a custody account for the Trust (“Custody Account”); Coinbase, Inc. (the “Prime Execution Agent”), an affiliate of the Bitcoin Custodian, is the prime broker for the Trust and maintains a trading account for the Trust (“Trading Account”); and Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian for the Trust's cash holdings (the “Cash Custodian” and together with the Bitcoin Custodian, the “Custodians”) and the administrator of the Trust (the “Trust Administrator”). Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee may delegate all or a portion of its duties to any agent, and has delegated the bulk of the day-to-day responsibilities to the Trust Administrator and certain other administrative and record-keeping functions to its affiliates and other agents. The Trust is not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

The investment objective of the Trust is to reflect generally the performance of the price of bitcoin. The Trust seeks to reflect such performance before payment of the Trust's expenses and liabilities. The Shares are intended to constitute a simple means of making an investment similar to an investment in bitcoin through the public securities market rather than by acquiring, holding and trading bitcoin directly on a peer-to-peer or other basis or via a digital asset exchange. The Shares have been designed to remove the obstacles represented by the complexities and operational burdens involved in a direct investment in bitcoin, while at the same time having an intrinsic value that reflects, at any given time, the investment exposure to the bitcoin owned by the Trust at such time, less the Trust's expenses and liabilities. Although the Shares are not the exact equivalent of a direct investment in bitcoin, they provide investors with an alternative method of achieving investment exposure to bitcoin through the public securities market, which may be more familiar to them.

Custody of the Trust's Bitcoin

An investment in the Shares is backed by bitcoin held by the Bitcoin Custodian on behalf of the Trust. All of the Trust's bitcoin will be held in the Custody Account, other than the Trust's bitcoin which is temporarily maintained in the Trading Account under limited circumstances, i.e., in connection with creation and redemption Basket ^[7] activity or sales of bitcoin deducted from the Trust's holdings in payment of Trust expenses or the Sponsor's fee (or, in extraordinary circumstances, upon liquidation of the Trust). The Custody Account includes all of the Trust's bitcoin held at the Bitcoin Custodian, but does not include the Trust's bitcoin temporarily maintained at the Prime Execution Agent in the Trading Account from time to time. The Bitcoin Custodian will keep all of the private keys associated with the Trust's bitcoin held in the Custody Account in “cold storage”.^[8] The hardware, software, systems, and procedures of the Bitcoin Custodian may not be available or cost-effective for many investors to access directly.

The Exchange believes that offering options on the Trust will benefit investors by providing them with an additional, relatively lower cost investing tool to gain exposure to spot Bitcoin as well as a hedging vehicle to meet their investment needs in connection with Bitcoin products and positions. Similar to other commodity ETFs in which options may be listed on ISE ( e.g., SPDR® Gold Trust, the iShares COMEX Gold Trust, the iShares Silver Trust, or the ETFS Gold Trust),^[9] the proposed ETF is a trust that essentially offers the same objectives and benefits to investors.

Options on the Trust will trade in the same manner as options on other ETFs on the Exchange. Exchange Rules that currently apply to the listing and trading of all options on ETFs on the Exchange, including, for example, Rules that govern listing criteria, expirations, exercise prices, minimum increments, position and exercise limits, margin requirements, customer accounts and trading halt procedures, will apply to the listing and trading of options on the Trust on the Exchange. Today, these rules apply to options on the various commodities ETFs deemed appropriate for options trading on the Exchange pursuant to Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv).

The Exchange's initial listing standards for ETFs on which options may be listed and traded on the Exchange will apply to the Trust. The initial listing standard as set forth in Options 4, Section 3(a) provides that:

Underlying securities with respect to which put or call options contracts are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange must meet the following criteria: (1) the security must be registered and be an “NMS stock” as defined in Rule 600 of Regulation NMS under the Exchange Act; and (2) the security shall be characterized by a substantial number of outstanding shares that are widely held and actively traded.

Pursuant to ISE Options 4, Section 3, ETFs on which options may be listed and traded must satisfy the listing standards set forth in Options 4, Section 3(h). Specifically, the Trust must meet either:

(1) the criteria and guidelines for underlying securities set forth in Options 4, Section 3(h), or

(2) it must be available for creation or redemption each business day from or through the issuing trust, investment company, commodity pool or other entity in cash or in kind at a price related to net asset value, and the issuer is obligated to issue Exchange-Traded Fund Shares in a specified aggregate number even if some or all of the investment assets and/or cash required to be deposited have not been received by the issuer, subject to the condition that the person obligated to deposit the investment assets has undertaken to deliver them as soon as possible and such undertaking is secured by the delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash or cash equivalents satisfactory to the issuer of the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares, all as described in the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares' prospectus, or the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares must be based on international or global indexes, or portfolios that include non-U.S. securities, and meet other criteria.

Options on the Trust will also be subject to the Exchange's continued listing standards for options on ETFs set forth in Options 4, Section 4(g). Specifically, options approved for trading pursuant to Options 4, Section 3(h) will not be deemed to meet the requirements for continued approval, and the Exchange shall not open for trading any additional series of option contracts of the class covering such ETFs if the ETFs are delisted from trading as provided in subparagraph (b)(5) of Options 4, Section 4 ^[10] or the ETFs are halted or suspended from trading on their primary market.^[11] In addition, the Exchange shall consider the suspension of opening transactions in any series of options of the class covering ETFs in any of the following circumstances:

(1) in the case of options covering Exchange-Traded Fund Shares approved pursuant to Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(i), in accordance with the terms of subparagraphs (b)(1), (2), (3) and (4) of Options 4, Section 4; ^[12]

(2) in the case of options covering Fund Shares approved pursuant to Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(ii),^[13] following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading in the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares on a national securities exchange and are defined as an “NMS stock” under Rule 600 of Regulation NMS [sic], there were fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial holders of such Exchange-Traded Fund Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days;

(3) the value of the index or portfolio of securities or non-U.S. currency, portfolio of commodities including commodity futures contracts, options on commodity futures contracts, swaps, forward contracts, options on physical commodities and/or Financial Instruments and Money Market Instruments, on which the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares are based is no longer calculated or available; or

(4) such other event occurs or condition exists that in the opinion of the Exchange makes further dealing in such options on the Exchange inadvisable.

Options on the Trust would be physically settled contracts with American-style exercise.^[14] Consistent with current Options 4, Section 5, which governs the opening of options series on a specific underlying security (including ETFs), the Exchange will open at least one expiration month for options on the Trust and may also list series of options on the Trust for trading on a weekly ^[15] or quarterly ^[16] basis. The Exchange may also list long-term equity option series (“LEAPS”) ^[17] that expire from twelve to thirty-nine [sic] from the time they are listed.

Pursuant to Options 4, Section 5(d), which governs strike prices of series of options on ETFs, the interval between strike prices of series of options on ETFs approved for options trading pursuant to Section 3(h) of Options 4 shall be fixed at a price per share which is reasonably close to the price per share at which the underlying security is traded in the primary market at or about the same time such series of options is first open for trading on the Exchange, or at such intervals as may have been established on another options exchange prior to the initiation of trading on the Exchange. With respect to the Short Term Options Series or Weekly Program, during the month prior to expiration of an option class that is selected for the Short Term Option Series Program, the strike price intervals for the related non-Short Term Option (“Related non-Short Term Option”) shall be the same as the strike price intervals for the Short Term Option.^[18] Specifically, the Exchange may open for trading Short Term Option Series at strike price intervals of (i) $0.50 or greater where the strike price is less than $100, and $1 or greater where the strike price is between $100 and $150 for all option classes that participate in the Short Term Options Series Program; (ii) $0.50 for option classes that trade in one dollar increments and are in the Short Term Option Series Program; or (iii) $2.50 or greater where the strike price is above $150.^[19] Additionally, the Exchange may list series of options pursuant to the $1 Strike Price Interval Program,^[20] the $0.50 Strike Program,^[21] the $2.50 Strike Price Program,^[22] and the $5 Strike Program.^[23] Options 3, Section 3 governs the minimum increment for bids and offers for both equity and index options. Pursuant to Options 3, Section 3, where the price of a series of options for the Trust is less than $3.00 the minimum increment will be $0.05, and where the price is $3.00 or higher, the minimum increment will be $0.10 ^[24] consistent with the minimum increments for options on other ETFs listed on the Exchange. Any and all new series of Trust options that the Exchange lists will be consistent and comply with the expirations, strike prices, and minimum increments set forth in Options 4, Section 5 and Options 3, Section 3, as applicable.

Position and exercise limits for options on ETFs, including options on the Trust, are determined pursuant to Options 9, Sections 13 and 15, respectively. Position and exercise limits for ETFs options vary according to the number of outstanding shares and the trading volumes of the underlying ETF over the past six months, where the largest in capitalization and the most frequently traded ETFs have an option position and exercise limit of 250,000 contracts (with adjustments for splits, re-capitalizations, etc.) on the same side of the market; and smaller capitalization ETFs have position and exercise limits of 200,000, 75,000, 50,000 or 25,000 contracts (with adjustments for splits, re-capitalizations, etc.) on the same side of the market. Further, Options 6C, Section 3, which governs margin requirements applicable to the trading of all options on the Exchange including options on ETFs, will also apply to the trading of the Trust options.

The Exchange represents that the same surveillance procedures applicable to all other options on other ETFs currently listed and traded on the Exchange will apply to options on the Trust. Also, the Exchange represents that it has the necessary systems capacity to support the new option series. The Exchange believes that its existing surveillance and reporting safeguards are designed to deter and detect possible manipulative behavior which might potentially arise from listing and trading options on ETFs, including the proposed Trust options.

The Exchange has also analyzed its capacity and represents that it believes the Exchange and the Options Price Reporting Authority or “OPRA” have the necessary systems capacity to handle the additional traffic associated with the listing of new series that may result from the introduction of options on the Trust up to the number of expirations currently permissible under the Exchange Rules. Because the proposal is limited to one class, the Exchange believes any additional traffic that may be generated from the introduction of the Trust options will be manageable.

Finally, the Exchange proposes a technical amendment to Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv) to amend the name “ETFS Gold Trust” to “Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Trust.” In 2018 this ETF was renamed.^[25] At this time, the Exchange proposes to amend the name of the ETF to reflect its current name. The Exchange also proposes to correct two citations in Options 4, Section 4(g). The Exchange proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(1) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(i)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(i)” The Exchange also proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(2) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(ii)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(ii).”

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act,^[26] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,^[27] in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. Additionally, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with the Section (6)(b)(5) ^[28] requirement that the rules of an exchange not be designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.

In particular, the Exchange believes that the proposal to list and trade options on the Trust will remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and, in general, protect investors because offering options on the Trust will provide investors with a greater opportunity to realize the benefits of utilizing options on an ETF based on spot bitcoin, including cost efficiencies and increased hedging strategies. The Exchange believes that offering options on a competitively priced ETF based on spot bitcoin will benefit investors by providing them with an additional, relatively lower cost risk management tool allowing them to manage, more easily, their positions, and associated risks, in their portfolios in connection with exposure to spot bitcoin. Today, the Exchange lists options on other commodity ETFs structured as a trust, which essentially offer the same objectives and benefits to investors, and for which the Exchange has not identified any issues with the continued listing and trading of options on those ETFs.

The Exchange also believes the proposal to permit options on the Trust will remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, because options on the Trust will comply with current Exchange Rules. Options on the Trust must satisfy the initial listing standards and continued listing standards currently in the Exchange Rules, applicable to options on all ETFs, including options on other commodity ETFs already deemed appropriate for options trading on the Exchange pursuant to Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv). Further, Exchange Rules that currently govern the listing and trading of options on ETFs, including permissible expirations, strike prices, minimum increments, position and exercise limits, and margin requirements, will govern the listing and trading of options on the Trust. The Exchange represents that it has the necessary systems capacity to support options on the Trust. The Exchange believes that its existing surveillance and reporting safeguards are designed to deter and detect possible manipulative behavior which might arise from listing and trading options on ETFs, including the Trust options.

Finally, the Commission has previously approved the listing and trading of options on other commodity ETFs structured as a trust, such as SPDR® Gold Trust,^[29] the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ^[30] the iShares Silver Trust,^[31] the ETFS Gold Trust,^[32] and the ETFS Silver Trust.^[33]

Further, the Exchange's proposal to amend the name “ETFS Gold Trust” to “Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Trust” in Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv) is consistent with the Act and the protection of investors as this amendment reflects the current name of this product. Also, the Exchange's proposal to correct two citations in Options 4, Section 4(g) ^[34] are consistent with the Act as these amendments are intended to update incorrect citations.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on intramarket competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act as options on the Trust will be subject to initial listing standards and continued listing standards the same as other options on ETFs listed on the Exchange. Further, options on the Trust will be subject to Exchange Rules that currently govern the listing and trading of options on ETFs, including permissible expirations, strike prices, minimum increments, position and exercise limits, and margin requirements. Options on the Trust will be equally available to all market participants who wish to trade such options. Also, and as stated above, the Exchange already lists options on other commodity ETFs structured as a trust.

The Exchange does not believe that the proposal to list and trade options on the Trust will impose any burden on intermarket competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. To the extent that permitting options on the Trust to trade on the Exchange may make the Exchange a more attractive marketplace to market participants, such market participants are free to elect to become market participants on the Exchange. Additionally, other options exchanges are free to amend their listing rules, as applicable, to permit them to list and trade options on the Trust. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change may relieve any burden on, or otherwise promote, competition as it is designed to increase competition for order flow on the Exchange in a manner that is beneficial to investors by providing them with a lower-cost option to hedge their investment portfolios. The Exchange notes that it operates in a highly competitive market in which market participants can readily direct order flow to competing venues that offer similar products. Ultimately, the Exchange believes that offering options on the Trust for trading on the Exchange will promote competition by providing investors with an additional, relatively low-cost means to hedge their portfolios and meet their investment needs in connection with spot bitcoin prices and bitcoin related products and positions.

Finally, the Exchange's proposal to amend the name “ETFS Gold Trust” to “Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Trust” in Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv) does not impose an undue burden on competition as this amendment reflects the current name of this product. Also, the Exchange's proposal to correct two citations in Options 4, Section 4(g) ^[35] does not impose an undue burden on competition as these amendments are intended to update incorrect citations.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

No written comments were either solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the Exchange consents, the Commission will:

A. by order approve or disapprove such proposed rule change, or

B. institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

Electronic Comments

• Use the Commission's internet comment form ( https://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml); or

• Send an email to [e-mail]. Please include file number SR–ISE–2024–03 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549–1090.

All submissions should refer to file number SR–ISE–2024–03. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's internet website ( https://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for website viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. Do not include personal identifiable information in submissions; you should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. We may redact in part or withhold entirely from publication submitted material that is obscene or subject to copyright protection. All submissions should refer to file number SR–ISE–2024–03 and should be submitted on or before February 15, 2024.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[36]

Sherry R. Haywood,

Assistant Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b–4.

3.  The Commission recently approved a rule change to list and trade shares of the Trust pursuant to Rule 5711(d) of The Nasdaq Stock Exchange LLC (“Commodity-Based Trust Shares”). See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 99306 (January 10, 2024) (SR–NASDAQ–2023–016) (not yet published) (hereinafter “SR–NASDAQ–2023–016”). The Exchange represents it would not list options on the Trust unless it satisfied all applicable criteria in Options 4, Section 3.

4.  Options 4, Section 3(h)(1) and (2) state that the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares either (i) meet the criteria and guidelines set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) described herein; or (ii) the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares are available for creation or redemption each business day from or through the issuing trust, investment company, commodity pool or other entity in cash or in kind at a price related to net asset value, and the issuer is obligated to issue Exchange-Traded Fund Shares in a specified aggregate number even if some or all of the investment assets and/or cash required to be deposited have not been received by the issuer, subject to the condition that the person obligated to deposit the investment assets has undertaken to deliver them as soon as possible and such undertaking is secured by the delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash or cash equivalents satisfactory to the issuer of the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares, all as described in the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares' prospectus. Also, the Exchange-Traded Fund Shares based on international or global indexes, or portfolios that include non-U.S. securities, shall meet the criteria in Options 4, Section 3(h)(2)(A)–(F).

5.  Specifically, the Exchange proposes to amend Options 3, Section 4(h)(iv) to include the name of the Trust to enable options to be listed on the Trust on the Exchange.

6.   See SR–NASDAQ–2023–016 for a complete description of the Trust.

7.  The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in blocks of 40,000 or integral multiples thereof. A block of 40,000 Shares is called a “Basket.” These transactions take place in exchange for bitcoin.

8.  The term “cold storage” refers to a safeguarding method by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust's bitcoins are generated and stored in an offline manner, subject to layers of procedures designed to enhance security. Private keys are generated by the Bitcoin Custodian in offline computers that are not connected to the internet so that they are more resistant to being hacked.

9.   See ISE Options 4, Section 3(h)(iv).

10.  Options 4, Section 4(b)(5) provides, if an underlying security is approved for options listing and trading under the provisions of Options 4, Section 3(c), the trading volume of the Original Security (as therein defined) prior to but not after the commencement of trading in the Restructure Security (as therein defined), including `when-issued' trading, may be taken into account in determining whether the trading volume requirement of (3) of this paragraph (b) is satisfied.

11.   See Options 4, Section 4(g).

12.  Options 4, Section 4(b)(5)(1) through (4) provides, if: (1) there are fewer than 6,300,000 shares of the underlying security held by persons other than those who are required to report their security holdings under Section 16(a) of the Act, (2) there are fewer than 1,600 holders of the underlying security, (3) the trading volume (in all markets in which the underlying security is traded) has been less than 1,800,000 shares in the preceding twelve (12) months, or (4) the underlying security ceases to be an `NMS stock' as defined in Rule 600 of Regulation NMS under the Exchange Act. Options 4, Section 3(h)(i) refers to Financial Instruments and Money Market Instruments. In addition, the Exchange proposes to amend the citation to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(i)” herein to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(i).”

13.  Options 4, Section 3(h)(ii) refers to Currency Trust Shares. In addition, the Exchange proposes to amend the citation to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(ii)” herein to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(ii).”

14.   See Options 4, Section 2, Rights and Obligations of Holders and Writers, which provides that the rights and obligations of holders and writers shall be as set forth in the Rules of the Clearing Corporation. See also OCC Rules, Chapter VIII, which governs exercise and assignment, and Chapter IX, which governs the discharge of delivery and payment obligations arising out of the exercise of physically settled stock option contracts. OCC Rules can be located at: https://www.theocc.com/​getmedia/​9d3854cd-b782-450f-bcf7-33169b0576ce/​occ_​rules.pdf.

15.   See Supplementary .03 to Options 4, Section 5.

16.   See Supplementary .04 to Options 4, Section 5.

17.   See Options 4, Section 8.

18.   See Supplementary Material .03(e) to Options 4, Section 5.

19.   Id.

20.   See Supplementary Material .01 to Options 4, Section 5.

21.   See Supplementary Material .05 to Options 4, Section 5.

22.   See Supplementary Material .02 to Options 4, Section 5.

23.   See Supplementary Material .06 to Options 4, Section 5.

24.  Options that are eligible to participate in the Penny Interval Program have a minimum increment of $0.01 below $3.00 and $0.50 above $3.00. See Supplementary Material .01 to Options 3, Section 3.

25.  Effective October 1, 2018 ETFS Gold Trust was renamed Aberdeen Standard Gold ETF Trust. https://www.sec.gov/​Archives/​edgar/​data/​1450923/​000138713118005292/​ex10-2.htm.

26.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b).

27.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

28.  15 U.S.C. 78(f)(b)(5).

29.   See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 57897 (May 30, 2008), 73 FR 32061 (June 5, 2008) (SR–Amex–2008–15; SR–CBOE–2005–11; SR–ISE–2008–12; SR–NYSEArca–2008–52; and SR–Phlx–2008–17) (Order Granting Approval of a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified, and Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified, Relating to Listing and Trading Options on the SPDR Gold Trust).

30.   See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59055 (December 4, 2008), 73 FR 75148 (December 10, 2008) (SR–Amex–2008–68; SR–BSE–2008–51; SR–CBOE–2008–72; SR–ISE–2008–58; SR–NYSEArca–2008–66; and SR–Phlx–2008–58) (Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Changes Relating to the Listing and Trading Options on Shares of the iShares COMEX Gold Trust and the iShares Silver Trust).

31.   Id.

32.   See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61483 (February 3, 2010), 75 FR 6753 (February 10, 2010) (SR–CBOE–2010–007; SR–ISE–2009–106; SR–NYSEAmex–2009–86; and SR–NYSEArca–2009–110) (Order Granting Approval of Proposed Rule Changes and Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of a Proposed Rule Change Relating to Listing and Trading Options on the ETFS Gold Trust and the ETFS Silver Trust).

33.   Id.

34.  The Exchange proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(1) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(i)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(i)” The Exchange also proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(2) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(ii)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(ii).”

35.  The Exchange proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(1) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(i)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(i)” The Exchange also proposes to update a citation in Options 4, Section 4(g)(2) from “Options 4, Section 3(h)(A)(ii)” to “Options 4, Section 3(h)(ii).”

36.  17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).