Interactive Brokers Expands Its Crypto Futures Lineup, Adding Nano Bitcoin and Ether Futures via Coinbase Derivatives
Interactive Brokers has taken another step in deepening its exposure to digital assets, announcing the launch of nano-sized Bitcoin and Ether futures through a partnership with Coinbase Derivatives, the CFTC-regulated futures exchange owned by Coinbase. The new products are now live on the IBKR trading platform, giving eligible clients access to smaller, more capital-efficient crypto futures contracts within a regulated environment. Trading is available nearly 24/7, reflecting the nonstop nature of crypto markets, with only a brief pause on Fridays between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time for scheduled maintenance. Smaller Contracts, Broader Access The nano futures are designed to significantly lower the barrier to entry for traders. Each Nano Bitcoin contract represents just 0.01 BTC, while Nano Ether futures represent 0.10 ETH. This structure allows traders to size positions more precisely and manage risk without the higher margin requirements typically associated with standard futures contracts. In addition to monthly expirations, the contracts also include perpetual-style structures, which are designed to closely track the spot price of the underlying asset. This reduces the need for frequent rollovers and appeals to traders seeking longer-dated exposure. Interactive Brokers CEO Milan Galik described the launch as a response to rising demand for flexible crypto derivatives. “By offering nano-sized Bitcoin and Ether futures on a regulated exchange, we are expanding access to these products with smaller contract sizes and lower margin requirements,” Galik said. According to the firm, the combination of perpetual-style design and nano sizing is intended to attract a wider range of market participants, from active retail traders to institutions testing crypto exposure at smaller scales. Coinbase Partnership Strengthens Regulated Crypto Push Coinbase Institutional also emphasized the importance of the collaboration, framing it as part of a broader effort to expand regulated crypto derivatives in the U.S. market. “These nano sized contracts are designed to lower the barrier to entry and give more investors the ability to engage with digital assets in a secure and regulated environment,” said Greg Tusar, co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional. The rollout fits into Interactive Brokers’ wider strategy of integrating crypto-related products into its multi-asset platform, which already provides access to more than 170 global markets from a single account. Earlier this year, the brokerage enabled stablecoin funding, allowing clients to deposit USDC and other regulated stablecoins. Taken together, the addition of stablecoin infrastructure and nano-sized, perpetual-style crypto futures signals a clear shift for IBKR. Long known for equities, options, and traditional futures, the broker is positioning itself as a more comprehensive gateway for regulated digital asset exposure—while remaining mindful that product availability will depend on regional regulatory rules.
Tether Made a Strategic Investment in LayerZero Labs to Strengthen Cross-Chain Interoperability for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
Flush with record profits from the world’s most widely used stablecoin, Tether is steadily turning its balance sheet into a vehicle for long-term bets across infrastructure, commodities, and emerging technologies, signaling a shift from pure issuer to global capital allocator.” Tether’s latest strategic investment in LayerZero Labs is the clearest illustration yet of how the stablecoin issuer is recycling cash flows from USDT into the rails that underpin the broader digital asset economy. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, adds another layer to a portfolio that now spans roughly 140 investments across sectors as diverse as agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence, financial services, and sports. The move comes as Tether continues to report outsized profitability driven by USDT’s dominant position in global crypto markets. Rather than allowing those profits to sit idle, the company has increasingly funneled capital into businesses and infrastructure it believes will shape how value moves, settles, and is stored in the coming years. Key Takeaways Backing the Plumbing of Cross-Chain Finance LayerZero Labs sits firmly in that infrastructure category. The firm develops interoperability technology that allows assets and messages to move between blockchains without relying on fragmented liquidity pools or wrapped tokens. That technology has already been put to work in USDt0, the omnichain version of Tether’s stablecoin. Built using LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token standard and deployed by Everdawn Labs, USDt0 is designed to function as a single asset across multiple networks, even on chains where native USDT issuance does not exist. Each token maintains a one-to-one backing with USDT, while transfers between chains are handled through LayerZero’s messaging framework. Since its launch at the start of 2025, USDt0 has facilitated more than $70 billion in cross-chain value transfers, a figure Tether has pointed to as evidence that interoperability is no longer an experimental concept but live financial infrastructure operating at scale. “LayerZero has built interoperability technology that allows digital assets to be transferred in real-time across any transport layer and distributed ledger, enabling a fundamental utility within the financial industry,” said Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s CEO. For Tether, the investment is less about speculative exposure and more about reinforcing systems that make USDT more useful in more places. As decentralized finance, exchanges, and institutional platforms spread across dozens of blockchains, the ability to move a dollar-denominated asset seamlessly between them has become a competitive necessity. A Portfolio Built Beyond Crypto Headlines The LayerZero deal is one piece of a much broader strategy. Through its dedicated investment arm, Tether Investments, the company has quietly assembled stakes across sectors that have little to do with day-to-day crypto trading but align with its view of stablecoins as settlement tools for real-world activity. Recent disclosures show capital flowing into agriculture and commodities, digital payments and remittances, energy projects, and even sports and entertainment ventures. One notable example is Tether’s $150 million investment in Gold.com, a direct-to-consumer precious metals marketplace that ties into the firm’s interest in tokenized and physically backed assets. Another is its strategic backing of t-0 network, a USDT-powered settlement platform aimed at licensed financial institutions. Tether Investments, which operates independently from the core issuance business and is based in El Salvador, deploys capital drawn from excess reserves and operating profits. The mandate is broad but consistent: back businesses that can scale globally and benefit from faster, cheaper, and more transparent value transfer. In that context, interoperability infrastructure like LayerZero becomes a cornerstone rather than a side bet. The same technology that allows USDt0 to move across chains can also support tokenized commodities, institutional settlement, and new payment flows that bypass traditional banking rails. Stablecoins, AI, and Autonomous Finance Beyond today’s use cases, Tether has also tied its LayerZero investment to a longer-term thesis around artificial intelligence and autonomous agents. The company believes interoperable stablecoins could become the default medium for machine-driven commerce, where software agents manage wallets, pay for services, and settle obligations without human intervention. According to Tether, LayerZero’s protocol is well suited for that future because it allows assets to move frictionlessly across networks while remaining fully onchain. Combined with Tether’s own Wallet Development Kit, the stack is positioned as infrastructure for what the company describes as “agentic finance.” Ardoino noted that such systems could enable “an emerging economy driven by autonomous agents” that require reliable digital money to orchestrate payments at massive scale. LayerZero’s leadership has framed the partnership in similar terms, pointing to USDt0’s performance as proof that the technology can handle real-world volumes. Bryan Pellegrino, CEO of LayerZero Labs, described Tether’s deeper commitment as validation that interoperability has moved from theory to production-grade utility. From Issuer to Ecosystem Builder Taken together, the LayerZero investment and Tether’s sprawling portfolio underscore how far the company has moved beyond its original role as a stablecoin issuer. USDT remains the profit engine, but those profits are increasingly being recycled into assets and infrastructure that reinforce Tether’s position at the heart of global digital settlement. With roughly 140 investments now spread across multiple industries, Tether is effectively using stablecoin revenue to buy optionality on the future of payments, trade, and digital ownership. The strategy carries risks, particularly as regulatory scrutiny of stablecoins intensifies worldwide, but it also gives Tether influence well beyond the token that made its name. As USDt0 continues to push USDT into new networks and new use cases, the line between stablecoin issuer and infrastructure investor is becoming harder to draw. For Tether, that may be precisely the point.
