Bybit X Block Scholes Crypto Derivatives Analytics Report (Dec 24, 2024): Volatility Remains Muted Ahead of Friday’s Mega Options Expirations

Key Highlights:

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events, the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume, and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

December's end-of-year options expiration is poised to be significant, with over $525 million in options contracts set to expire this Friday (Dec 27, 2024) for BTC and ETH. However, volatility expectations remain low and have been more responsive to recent spot price movements. Realized volatility has surged as spot prices fluctuate within their recent range, yet short-term options haven’t kept pace with this increase. 

While ETH's volatility structure has inverted, BTC's hasn’t reacted similarly after the recent U.S. elections. Additionally, funding rates across cryptocurrencies have shifted into a new market phase, occasionally dipping into negative territory alongside declines in spot prices. In terms of perpetuals , funding rates have moved from neutral to intermittently negative, aligning with spot price movements. Meanwhile, among options, BTC's volatility structure has been less responsive to spot changes, whereas ETH short-term options are exhibiting significant fluctuations at elevated levels. 

Please check out the report’s highlights.