Yeliz Akmaca 
Today, on the year’s final trading day, a massive batch of crypto options is expiring. Approximately 263,000 Bitcoin options and 1.25 million Ethereum options, totaling around $27 billion in notional value, are set to expire.
Bitcoin Options and Max Pain
Bitcoin options have a put/call ratio of 0.37, indicating that many long positions (calls) will expire. According to Coinglass, the max pain level is around $96,000, meaning most contracts could expire worthless. Deribit data shows $2.2 billion in open interest at the $100,000 strike price.
Year-end options expiries are dominated by rollover trades, making options data unreliable as a signal in recent days. For example, 30% of today’s block trades were puts, but this does not indicate bearish sentiment—many deep out-of-the-money and in-the-money puts traded, which should not be interpreted as institutional positioning.
Ethereum Options: Cautious Positioning
Ethereum put/call ratio stands at 0.45, with max pain at $3,100. Total ETH options open interest is around $11 billion and has been declining since August. According to Deribit analysts, Ethereum options positioning reflects caution, not panic.
Spot markets remain largely flat. Bitcoin briefly tested $89,000 but failed to hold momentum, retreating to $88,850. Ether remains below $3,000, and most altcoins are trading in the red.
Impact of Large Options Expiry
Crypto derivatives provider Greeks Live notes that institutions often roll over positions early during large expiries to reduce pin-prick risk. Leftover positions discarded by institutions provide exceptional value, with highly favorable prices. Post-expiry, markets may see increased volatility.
During large-volume expiries, institutions’ early rollovers reduce pin-prick risk. Picking up these leftover positions can create significant opportunities for investors. With notable negative slippage observed over the past two days, smart trading strategies can secure better quotes.
You can also freely share your thoughts and comments about the topic in the comment section. Additionally, don’t forget to follow us on our Telegram, YouTube, and Twitter channels for the latest news and updates.