Two weeks ago, few investors would have expected Bitcoin (BTC) price to rally any higher than $20,000. In fact, most had forecast a $30,000 BTC price by mid-2022 or late 2023 at best. This means that many holders were likely caught by surprise as BTC price surged to $34,800 just 17 days after crossing the $20,000 mark. Generally, analysts expect a sharp correction to follow Bitcoin’s 150% gain since November, but currently, there are no fundamental indicators that support this point of view. Despite the recent bullish euphoria surrouning Bitcoin’s price action, the digital asset faced a significant drop as …

Crypto exchange giant Binance is set to expand its cryptocurrency trading catalog with the launch of a European-style Bitcoin (BTC) options contract. Announced on Dec. 28, the launch follows a successful testnet trial carried out back in November. The press statement also revealed that the new options contract will be priced and settled in Tether (USDT). As part of the announcement, Binance identified the growing appetite for BTC options as the reason for debuting the new product. Earlier in December, Bitcoin options crossed $1 billion for the first time with total open interest almost reaching the $6 billion mark. Commenting …

As Bitcoin (BTC) price tested the $17,580 low on Dec. 11, investors remained relatively calm despite some analysts issuing bearish estimates. Last week’s trading may have finished at the same level where it started, but the fundamentals for Bitcoin have become even stronger. Each time Bitcoin makes a new high, investors expect some form of correction. Despite failing to break through the $24,000 resistance, the price quickly bounced from its sub- $22,000 dip on Dec. 21. This event might have given sellers some hope, but looking under the hood, there is not a single sign of weakness sign. In the …

Roughly $2.3 billion worth of Bitcoin futures is set to expire on Christmas day, setting the stage for a volatile week in the cryptocurrency market. In a Monday tweet, crypto data provider Skew reported that 102,200 Bitcoin (BTC) options will expire on Friday. Options contracts allow holders to buy or sell Bitcoin at a specific price, which is known as the strike price. The Friday expiry has notable clusters around the $15,000 strike price and the $20,000 strike price, according to Skew. The expiry date of Bitcoin options contracts is widely regarded as a volatile event for the flagship cryptocurrency …

The open interest on Bitcoin (BTC) options contracts has reached a new all-time high at $6.5 billion on Dec. 17. That figure represents a three-fold increase from 90 days ago and is proof that the market has grown significantly in the past 6-months. Investors must keep in mind that even though a $6.5 billion open interest is an impressive number, it doesn't necessarily mean that professional investors are bullish or bearish. Call options provide buyers with an opportunity to leverage without running the risk of liquidation. Meanwhile, put options are an excellent way to hedge against a potential future sell-off. …

Amid an ongoing bull run of Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin options are hitting a new historical milestone. Bitcoin options are derivative contracts that grant the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell BTC at a predetermined price. According to data from Skew, Bitcoin options volumes crossed $1 billion on Dec. 16. Skew announced the news Thursday on Twitter, noting that Bitcoin options saw its “first $1 billion day.” Deribit, a major global crypto futures and options exchange, had the largest BTC options volume on the day at $879 million. The exchange has emerged as the most popular …

Today Bitcoin (BTC) price blasted through the $20,000 level and in the process, a record $7.9 billion in futures open interest was set. Although the price increased by 74% over the past two months, the total accumulated short-seller liquidations amounted to $4.3 billion, which is lower than the $4.8 billion from longs. As shown in the chart above, the futures aggregate open interest increased by 90% over the past two months. Thus, signaling that investors are increasing their positions, which in turn allows even larger players to participate. It is also worth noting that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) now …

As Bitcoin (BTC) tested a $17,580 low on Dec. 11, investors remained relatively calm despite some analysts issuing bearish estimates. The week may have finished at the same level where it started, but the fundamentals for Bitcoin have become even healthier. Whenever the Bitcoin price drops considerably, there is usually some blatantly bearish analysis popping up and while this may sway the investment decisions of retail investors, professional traders know better. They avoid the FUD and the excessive pessimism that is the result of negative price swings. In the past week, Bitcoin dominance continued its uptrend up, from 63.5% to …

On Dec. 11, a total of $540 million in Bitcoin (BTC) options open interest is set to expire. This number mimics the past month's $525 million options expiry, as monthly and quarterly options typically concentrate the most volume. Although both dates present somewhat unusual activity, this time around, bears seem in control. Data also shows that the Bitcoin bulls appear to have become too optimistic. Currently, the exchange Deribit holds 85% market share for Friday's expiry, with $189 million worth of call (buy) options stacked against $282 million put (sell) options. Even though the 1.44 put-to-call ratio is favoring the …

Most investors that follow Bitcoin will have recently heard about the growing impact Bitcoin (BTC) futures and options markets have on the Bitcoin price. The same can be said for the price swings caused by liquidations at OKEx and Huobi exchanges. Considering that derivatives markets are now playing a much bigger role in Bitcoin price fluctuations, it is becoming increasingly necessary to review some of the key metrics professional traders use to gauge activity in the markets. While reviewing futures and options contracts can be quite complicated, the average retail trader can still benefit from knowing how to properly interpret …

A month ago, one would be hard pressed to find any investor who would have expected a $32,000 Bitcoin (BTC) price for January. At the time, a 140% upside was needed from the $13,300 price on Oct. 30 and this seemed quite far fetched. Therefore, the January $32,000 BTC call (buy) options traded at Deribit for a meager $67, or 0.005 BTC in late October. Fast forward to now, and the same call option peaked at $705. That’s an almost 10x gain in less than four weeks. Keep in mind that despite the rally to $19,484, an additional 67% upside …

In the last few days, Bitcoin (BTC) price has underperformed Ether (ETH) by almost 20%. Even though BTC seems to be struggling to break the $18,800 barrier, both cryptocurrencies display the same bullishness according to derivatives markets data. Ether is entering a parabolic rally as its Eth2 network launch progresses, and this optimism is reflected in the options markets. Despite the lack of similar price action from BTC, Bitcoin traders seem unfazed, and data shows they are still wildly bullish. Futures contracts for Ether and BTC are still bullish Analyzing the basis indicator is a useful procedure as it compares …