MPEx
An exchange where stocks, bonds, options and other types of securities are traded.
The exchange is offered and operated by Mircea Popescu of Romania. Facts and some history about this controversial person are collected on bitcointalk forum thread. The site includes a very broad disclaimer of liability as well as the instruction (in red color) to "Read this whole thing first so you don't end up wasting bitcoins".
Securities
Options
The exchange offers options contracts under the American style where the buyer can execute the option at any time before the option expiry. Options may be executed at any time before the last Friday of the expiration month (up until midnight GMT of the Thursday evening that occurs before the last Friday of that option contract's month).
CALL and PUT options are priced in bitcoin and all funds for buying and selling options on this exchange occur in bitcoins. Additionally, the funds for executing options occurs only with bitcoins as well. For example, the quote for buying a call option will show a purchase price first computed in dollars but then the payment amount will be a conversion to BTCs based on the market exchange rate at the time of the quotation.
The option contract size is for one bitcoin (1.0 BTC). For example, buying a quantity of 100 CALL @5.0 contracts gives the buyer the option to purchase 100 BTC at $5.00 USD before the option expiry.
All positions are covered -- there are no "naked" short positions. For example, the seller of a 100 CALL @5.0 requires payment of 100 BTC plus the option premium to be sent to the exchange.
Quotations provided are either the best available from existing market positions offered (when size is shown under the "open" column) or are provided by the exchange's own market-making system and are good for order size of up to 1,000 contracts. Requests for quotation of larger sizes are available by contacting the exchange directly (via e-mail).
Futures
Commodity contracts settled in bitcoins are traded at MPEx.
At the launch of the futures exchange, the list of commodities futures includes: Eurodollar (CME), Nasdaq 100 (CME), Nikkei 225 (CME), S&P 500 (CME), WTI (NYMEX), Natural Gas (NYMEX), Heating Oil (NYMEX), Corn (CBOT), Soybeans (CBOT), Wheat (CBOT), Cocoa (ICE), Live Cattle (CME), Gold (COMEX), Silver (COMEX), Copper (COMEX), and Platinum (NYMEX).
Stocks
Traded at MPEx are shares of various equity issues, including shares of MPEx itself.
Funds
Various funds are offered for trade. Individual investment fund entities are managed by the fund's owner but are traded through MPEx.
Bonds
Bond issues are traded.
Account Security
Trading transactions and withdrawal requests require the message be signed using GPG.
History
The exchange first operated in 2011 as MPOe (Options Exchange). In February, 2012 the exchange began offering equity positions[1], [2]. A third party operated a fund on GLBSE that held equity in the exchange as well[3].
On April 11, 2012 MPOe was rebranded as MPEx after the beta for MPEx had concluded[4].
On December 10, 2012 the exchange began offering bitcoin-settled futures contracts[5].
See Also
- Bitcoin-otc Option Orders
- MPEx Comparison versus competitor GLBSE (Romanian)
- CoinBr - MPEx brokerage that allows trading on MPEx without fee for creating new account
External Links
- MPEx website
- Using MPOE- A beginner's guide
- @MPEx1 Twitter account
- IRC Web #bitcoin-assets Discussion of securities and other asset investments.