Bitcoin call options cluster at $70,000 shows bullish skew, analyst says

"Since the recent ascent of bitcoin to a new all-time high, the highest instruments traded by volume are monthly and mid-month expiry call options with a strike price of $70,000," Bitfinex Head of Derivatives Jag Kooner told The Block.

Kooner postulates that the current put-call ratio of bitcoin options indicates traders are exhibiting a bullish bias. "The put-call ratio has stayed below 0.6 consistently for the first time in 6 months, with the 24 hour put-call ratio at an even more bullish outlook of 0.47," Kooner said.

According to The Block's Data Dashboard , the global put-call ratio for bitcoin options is now at 0.6. A put-call ratio of less than 1 implies bullish sentiment, indicating more interest in potential upside (calls). In contrast to this, a put-call ratio greater than 1 typically suggests bearish sentiment, indicating more interest in downside protection (puts). 

 

The Bitfinex head of derivatives noted the recent decrease in implied volatility in the options market, indicating lower volatility expectations among traders in the past 24 hours. As a result, the premium for options has dropped across all strike prices, making the costs to take on positions cheaper. Deribit's implied volatility index for bitcoin dropped to 72% from 77% the past 24 hours.

 

"Declining implied volatility values often cause a decline in option premiums because the expectation of a lack of volatility in the future as compared to the past allows for lower risk for options market participants," Kooners added.

 

Options are  derivative  contracts that give a trader the right but not the obligation to buy or sell the underlying asset at a predetermined price on or before a specific date. A call option gives the right to buy, and a put offers the right to sell. It is assumed that a trader who buys put options is implicitly bearish on the market, while a call buyer is bullish.