Yeliz Akmaca 
Today, March 13th, around 27,000 Bitcoin options contracts are expiring with a total notional value of roughly $1.9 billion. This amount is below the usual size, so no significant impact on spot markets is expected.
Throughout the week, crypto prices have largely remained flat, with a slight increase on Friday. Total market capitalization has risen by $150 billion since Monday, though trading volumes and volatility remain subdued.
Bitcoin Options and Market Dynamics
This week’s Bitcoin options have a put/call ratio of around 0.97, meaning longs and shorts are closely matched. According to Coinglass, the “max pain” level is around $69,000. Many options expiring today are close to profitable levels, meaning investors could realize gains from their contracts.
Open interest (OI) on Deribit is highest at the $60,000 strike, with approximately $1.7 billion in bearish bets. Total Bitcoin options OI across all exchanges has climbed to $45.5 billion this March.
Greeks Live observed the market recovery, noting that Bitcoin has remained above the $70,000 psychological level and is “now poised to challenge $75,000.” Additionally, the flat forward implied volatility curve beyond March shows no significant premium for longer-dated options, suggesting balanced risk pricing.
On the Ethereum side, around 185,000 contracts are expiring, with a total value of $382 million, max pain at $2,000, and a put/call ratio of 1.2. Total ETH options OI across exchanges is around $7.9 billion. This brings the total notional value of crypto options expiring today to $2.3 billion.
Spot Markets and Altcoins
Spot markets also recorded gains, with total capitalization reaching $2.5 trillion, marking a weekly high.
Bitcoin tested the $72,000 level in early trading but faced resistance and pulled back. Ether rose about 4%, surpassing $2,100.
Altcoins mostly showed positive performance, with notable gains for Solana, Hyperliquid, Avalanche, and Sui. Pi Network (PI) jumped 33% to $0.29 following its Kraken listing.
The Bitcoin and Ethereum options expiring today represent a total notional value of $2.3 billion. Max pain levels are near current prices, highlighting potential price pressure in the options market. Spot market movements remain limited, but psychological levels should be monitored.
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