The largest cryptocurrency, which has surged more than sixfold this year, climbed to a record high (over $6400) after the announcement.

The CME contract will settle in cash and use a daily price from the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate, which is supported by digital exchanges Bitstamp, GDAX, itBit and Kraken.

The creation of bitcoin futures should make it easier to create an exchange-traded fund based on the digital asset. Yet so far that's been a much harder task. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March rejected a bitcoin ETF proposed by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss — the co-creators of the Gemini exchange — saying necessary surveillance-sharing agreements were too difficult given that "significant markets for bitcoin are unregulated," according to the agency.