The trading volume of ether options on major cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges has surged to an all-time high of $17.9 billion in January. This milestone was achieved with five days remaining in the month, indicating a robust and active market for ether options. The data comes from The Block’s Data Dashboard, highlighting the growing interest in Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency.
According to options data sourced from GreeksLive, a substantial number of ether options, approximately 932,000 ETH, expired on multiple centralized derivatives exchanges at 3:00 a.m. ET on a recent Friday. This expiration event underscores the ether options market’s substantial activity and traders’ engagement in speculative strategies.
Bullish sentiment in the Ether options market
Ether options open interest leading up to the recent expiration exhibited a put-call ratio of 0.31, as reported by GreeksLive. This data aligns with findings from The Block Data Dashboard, indicating that the put-call ratio for ether options on Deribit had dropped to 0.3 before the options expiry. A put-call ratio below 0.7 is typically interpreted as a sign of bullish sentiment in the market. It suggests that there are more calls (options to buy) than puts (options to sell), indicating an overall optimistic outlook.
Derivatives traders eye mid-February
Among the options with the largest cohort of open interest by volume, those for the Feb. 16 expiry at a strike price of $2,350 stand out. This open interest concentration could be seen as a bullish indicator, with derivatives traders anticipating that the price of ether will surpass this level by mid-February. It reflects confidence in the cryptocurrency’s potential for price appreciation.
Ether price movement
As of the latest data available, the price of ether experienced an almost 2% increase in the past 24 hours, reaching a trading value of $2,259 at the time of writing.
In conclusion, the surge in ether options trading volume to an all-time high in January demonstrates the growing interest and participation in Ethereum’s cryptocurrency. The bullish sentiment reflected in the put-call ratios and the concentration of open interest in specific options contracts indicate traders’ optimism about ether’s future price movements. As the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, the options market remains a key area to watch for insights into investor sentiment and expectations.