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 brought an unexpected drop as realized volatility fell to the lowest levels of the month. Perpetual swap open interest remained stable, indicating these markets weren't heavily used for hedging against expired options, likely contributing to the muted volatility. 

While most expired open interest in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) hasn't been reinvested, the balance of calls and puts remains consistent. Notably, ETH options are pricing in higher implied volatility as compared to BTC, particularly for shorter expirations, leading to a flat term structure for ETH, while BTC is offering cheaper options exposure.

In the perpetual markets, low volatility and minimal spot movements have led funding rates for nearly all tokens to mirror broader market sentiment throughout the holiday season. On the options side, BTC's term structure is noticeably lower and steeper than ETH's, with realized volatility now dipping below implied volatility levels, highlighting an intriguing shift in market dynamics.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Open Interest Solid Amid Year-End Options Expiration

Although open interest for both BTC and ETH perpetual swaps hasn’t returned to early December 2024 highs, it remained robust throughout the significant end-of-year options expiration event. This suggests that these markets weren’t heavily utilized to 

 of the expiring options contracts, likely contributing to the lack of volatility observed during this period. Instead, trading volumes have dipped noticeably during the winter holiday season, coinciding with a collapse in realized volatility back to December 2024’s lowest levels.

BTC Option Curve Remains Steep During Call-Put Parity

The expiration of December's end-of-year options didn’t trigger the anticipated surge in volatility; instead, realized volatility has plummeted to the lower end of its recent range. The implied volatility term structure remains steep compared to both its recent behavior and ETH's, with longer-dated implied volatility around 57%, and 1-week at-the-money options trading about five points lower. Much of the expired open interest hasn’t yet been rolled into new positions, maintaining a neutral balance between puts and calls. Consequently, BTC's options market positioning is relatively neutral, lacking the leverage it had at the start of December 2024.

Huge ETH Option Expiring Doesn’t Cause Volatility

A late December spike in realized volatility didn’t carry into the new year, with ETH’s spot price currently exhibiting volatility below that of short-tenor implied volatility. Interestingly, the implied volatility term structure has undergone a steepening and re-flattening over the past week, contrasting with BTC’s slightly steeper profile. This suggests that ETH’s options market is anticipating higher short-term volatility in spot price movements. 

Despite the significant expiration of options open interest at the end of December 2024, which didn’t lead to a rollover into later expirations, call options continue to dominate the market and have increased at the start of 2025.

Advanced

block-scholes-x-bybit-report.jpeg

Bybit X Block Scholes Crypto Derivatives Analytics Report (Jan 2, 2025): BTC Options Continue to See Call-Put Parity, With Lower Short-Term Volatility Expected

Dive into FLock, a decentralized platform that revolutionizes the way AI models are developed, trained and deployed.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform countless industries, but its development often raises questions about privacy, control and inclusivity. 

 is a unique decentralized platform that democratizes AI training, fine-tuning and inferencing. With its blockchain-powered infrastructure, FLock ensures transparency, security and community-driven decision-making, paving the way for AI models that align with established societal values. 

In this article, we’ll explore how FLock decentralizes AI training, its key features and its potential impact on developers, communities and users.

 platform that revolutionizes the way AI models are developed, trained and deployed. By leveraging blockchain technology and a novel approach called 

, FLock addresses critical issues in AI development, such as centralized control, lack of transparency and privacy concerns.

At its core, FLock’s mission is to democratize AI by enabling communities to participate directly in the creation and refinement of AI models. Through federated learning, FLock trains AI models across multiple decentralized devices or servers. This method ensures that data remains local, eliminating the need for raw data exchange while still enabling robust model training. By decentralizing the training process, FLock not only protects individual privacy, but also fosters a more inclusive ecosystem in which diverse contributors can collaborate.

What sets FLock apart is its integration of 

. This ensures that all contributions — whether data, compute power or feedback — are transparently recorded and fairly rewarded. Blockchain tech’s immutable ledger enhances trust among participants and safeguards the process against manipulation. Additionally, the platform’s on-chain incentive mechanisms encourage participation from a wide range of contributors, ensuring that rewards are distributed equitably.

Ultimately, FLock empowers communities to develop bespoke AI models tailored to their specific needs. By decentralizing the process and prioritizing transparency and collaboration, FLock breaks the monopoly of large corporations, creating an AI ecosystem that aligns with public ethics and societal values.

, an Oxford alumnus with a robust background in AI and blockchain technology. Sun, who serves as FLock's CEO, has an impressive career trajectory, having worked as the Director of AI for the Royal Bank of Canada and as an AI Research Fellow at Imperial College London. His vision for FLock stems from a deep understanding of both the technical and ethical challenges of AI development.

The founding team also includes other Oxford alumni, boasting over a decade of combined experience in AI research and the cryptocurrency industry. This team brings a collective blend of academic excellence and practical expertise that positions FLock to lead the decentralized AI movement.

FLock has successfully raised $11 million in funding across two rounds, reflecting strong investor confidence in its vision. In May 2024, FLock secured a $6 million seed round co-led by Lightspeed Faction and Tagus Capital, with additional backing from Digital Currency Group (DCG), Volt Capital, OKX Ventures and Inception Capital.

Later, in December 2024, FLock announced a $3 million successful funding round led by DCG and joined by prominent names like Animoca Brands, Fenbushi Capital, GnosisVC and GSR. These investments are being channelled into enhancing the platform’s testnet and federated learning client, accelerating FLock’s mission of enabling secure, collaborative AI development.

With this funding and over 1,500 nodes contributing from platforms like Numerai and Kaggle, FLock is rapidly scaling its impact on decentralized AI training.

FLock AI revolutionizes AI development through its decentralized training framework. This approach allows participants to contribute to AI model training without ever sharing their personal data. Instead, models are trained locally across devices using federated learning, which ensures that data remains with its owners while still enhancing the accuracy of the model overall. 

FLock’s reward system is designed to incentivize active participation. Contributors who provide data, computational power and/or feedback are compensated with FLOCK tokens, ensuring a fair distribution of rewards. 

FLock empowers its community through a robust governance framework. Decisions regarding AI model development, deployment and ethical considerations are driven by the community, ensuring alignment with established societal values. Through blockchain-based voting mechanisms, contributors can influence the direction of AI projects, fostering transparency and public accountability. 

FLock’s modular architecture allows contributors to participate in specific aspects of AI model development. Whether providing raw data or computational power or even refining algorithms, the platform enables a collaborative and scalable development process. 

At the core of FLock’s philosophy is its commitment to privacy and security. By leveraging blockchain technology, the platform ensures that no single entity controls the AI development process. Data remains local and protected by cryptographic measures, while the immutability of blockchain guarantees transparency in every transaction and model update. 

 begins with a blockchain and an AI layer.

The blockchain layer underpins FLock’s incentivization and security mechanisms.

The AI layer facilitates model training, refinement and deployment, leveraging both centralized and federated approaches.

Let’s have a look at the supply and demand for the FLOCK token.

FLock adopts a 1:2 ratio model between team/investors (33.3%) and community (66.7%), prioritizing community-driven growth and ecosystem expansion. The majority of tokens are allocated to incentivize user participation and long-term ecosystem success.

FLock aims to improve the future of AI development by decentralizing the training process and ensuring transparency, privacy and inclusivity. By leveraging blockchain and federated learning, FLock empowers communities to contribute to AI creation without compromising on privacy. Its innovative reward system and community-driven governance foster a fair and collaborative ecosystem. 

With significant backing and a growing network of contributors, FLock is positioning itself as a leader in decentralized AI, offering a more ethical and secure alternative to traditional AI development models. As it continues to scale, FLock is set to transform the way AI models are built and deployed.

 — and earn a share of a 10 million FLOCK prize pool. For more details, visit 

Intermediate

flock.png

FLock AI: Decentralized AI Training

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in Network3 for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade.

Task 1: Register for a Network3 Account and Connect Your Bybit Wallet 

: Navigate to the campaign page and click on the 

task. Click on the task, and Galxe will ask to redirect you to the Network3 register page.

: Register for a Network3 account using your email address. You may indicate a 

Task 2: Download the Network3 App and Run a Node for One Hour

 and choose your operating system to download the Network3 app.

 or powerbutton, depending upon which operating system you’re using. For ease of reference, we’ve used macOS and iOS as examples below.

: Keep running the node until the timer reaches 

Beginner

network3 tutorial.png

How to Complete Network3 Tasks for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade

Bybit launched the Bybit Merch Creative Challenge for university students worldwide, offering a $50,000 USDT prize pool.

The S&P 500 dropped 0.22% on Thursday, its fifth straight decline, with investors eyeing Friday’s economic updates. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was up by 2.03%, with Bitcoin and Ether rising by 2.79% and 2.70%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is XRP, which surged 1.9% following a rise in price driven by increased open interest and positive market sentiment.

Ripple (XRP), launched in August 2012, is a blockchain technology company focused on improving international payments with its cryptocurrency, XRP. XRP price surged due to increased open interest, a major XRP transfer, and market sentiment linked to Trump's inauguration. Bullish momentum is supported by high short liquidations, with key resistance levels to watch for further price movement.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

 for university students worldwide, offering a $50,000 USDT prize pool. Participants can design exclusive Bybit merchandise, with submissions open until Jan. 15, 2025. Winners will be announced on Feb. 1, 2025, across four prize categories.

Yesterday, Bitcoin Spot ETFs recorded a total inflow of $84.8M, driven by $107.9M from non-GBTC funds, partially offset by a $23.1M outflow from GBTC.

, offering an airdrop for participants who complete tasks like swapping and bridging using the Mango wallet. Points earned through tasks determine airdrop rewards. Join via the Mango wallet and follow steps on the testnet dashboard.

2.png

Bybit Launches $50,000 Merch Design Challenge for University Students Worldwide

Bybit Learn

DeFi

Explainers

Altcoins

Fluid is a decentralized financial protocol that focuses on lending and liquidity. Learn more about how this works in this article.

EN_2409-T35020_Learn_Read_to_Earn_728x90.png

Skinny_Banner-1600x400.webp

 provides all sorts of exciting opportunities for users. By getting rid of middlemen and institutional policies, DeFi creates a more accessible, flexible space for people to explore the world of finance. Fluid is a new DeFi protocol that hopes to provide these perks and more to its customers. Can Fluid's user friendly interface and highly capital efficient crypto trading system distinguish it from all the other startups in the 

 space? Keep reading for a deep dive into Fluid's design and its FLUID cryptocurrency’s potential. 

 is a decentralized financial protocol that focuses on lending and liquidity. This system also includes a 

 mechanisms and other exciting features. Fluid prides itself on being one of the most flexible, secure and advanced DeFi lending protocols around.

 in 2019. Originally studying to be accountants, the brothers dropped out of college, winning the ETHIndia hackathon. They specialize in creating "middleware" that connects users with the exciting features of 

, the Jain brothers were able to expand their ecosystem until it became the fourth-largest DeFi system by 

. A somewhat new addition to the Instadapp ecosystem, Fluid was released in late 2023. It was inspired by the Jains’ experience building on other systems, such as 

, and is meant to be their own custom version of these DeFi protocols.

Fluid hopes to combine the best of multiple DeFi protocols into a single system. It ambitiously aspires to become the most advanced, secure, flexible and capital efficient option in the 

 space. When designing the system, Fluid's creators focused on optimizing 

 (AMM) liquidity, reducing gas trading fees and providing accurate risk assessment. They hope that combining so many excellent features into one system will help them maintain their competitive edge in the DeFi space. 

While Fluid does provide a lot of cutting-edge features, it also aims to maintain the accessibility for which the Instadapp ecosystem is known. Fluid’s system aims to provide a user-friendly interface that traders can grasp in a few clicks. Like Instadapp's other products, Fluid prioritizes user satisfaction and intends to offer services that multiple DeFi traders have asked for.

The Fluid protocol runs on a complex blend of 

 and software. It uses traditional coding methods to handle many of its user interfaces, while tools from 

 and other blockchains help to manage the back-end functions. Key mechanics that Fluid uses to keep its system working smoothly include the following.

Fluid contains a broad range of different services for users to try. Following are the main features available through the Fluid website and app. 

 found in other DeFi systems. They consist of pairs of tokens, such as ETH and USDT. Each vault offers both a supply rate and a borrow rate, so users can join a vault to either lend or borrow money. Each vault uses enhanced capital efficiency and innovative liquidation mechanisms to streamline token transfer without impacting market prices. 

With Fluid, users can temporarily lend their tokens to others. The system supports a variety of tokens, and allows yields of up to 1.5 times your initial investment. Fluid's lending system is set up to ensure that lenders continue to earn staking rewards, delegation power and voting power associated with their tokens, even while they're locked in a lending contract. Traders start by connecting their wallets, and can begin lending almost instantly.

Fluid's borrowing protocol requires users to place a small amount of tokens as smart collateral in exchange for temporarily borrowing funds. Its fairly high collateral ratio lets people borrow up to 95% against their initial collateral. Additionally, it boasts low liquidation penalties of just 0.1%, so users don't have to worry about losing all of their smart collateral the moment that market trends shift.

Since its deployment in late 2023, Fluid has grown to become the third-largest DEX on Ethereum by volume. So far, advancement for Fluid has focused on expanding its pools to provide more lending and crypto trading options for users, and upgrading its vaults to support more assets. However, Fluid has big plans for the future. 

Like other protocols on Instadapp, Fluid is an entirely community-run project. 

 show that most members of Instadapp's governing body are thinking about long-term growth for Fluid. Users hope to rebrand Fluid as a standalone project, with its own definitive token. They also hope to add further protocols to support market orders, such as 

, interest rate swaps and forex trading. 

FLUID is the native token of the entire Instadapp system. Initially called INST, this token was 

 in order to highlight its pivotal role in running the Fluid DeFi protocol. As a utility and 

, FLUID is responsible for everything from managing governance body votes to paying fees. Just as with INST, FLUID has a total token supply of 100 million. However, the rebranding of INST did involve slightly adjusting its distribution schedule. The new distribution for the FLUID token will be as follows:

Since its release in 2021, prices for the FLUID token have primarily ranged from $0.05–$2. However, the announcement of the token rebrand propelled its value to $9 in early December 2024, and people expect its price will continue to rise as news about Fluid’s DEX is released.CoinCodex 

 that FLUID’s price will more than double to reach $22 within a month. However, once the initial excitement begins to fade, its price may drop slightly. CoinCodex suggests that the FLUID token’s price will return to a more stable price of around $13 by the summer of 2025. 

Looking to trade the FLUID token? Bybit now offers the FLUID/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

To celebrate this listing, Bybit is holding 

 where you can earn a share of the 70,000 FLUID prize pool.

FLUID is certainly an intriguing option that combines the reliability of a long-term token with the excitement of a new launch. While its price might not stay high forever, it’s unlikely to drop drastically any time soon. This means there’s a strong potential for making money from FLUID. 

For most investors, the challenge of working with FLUID will be to time their purchases. Though you may lose money if you purchase at the peak of the Fluid DEX hype, buying at any other time could result in either short- or long-term profit. If you want to avoid the dangers of market volatility, you need to 

 and remember to keep your portfolio diverse. 

Fluid’s DeFi protocol provides valuable services to investors looking for an easy way to borrow, lend and/or trade crypto. While Fluid's parent company, Instadapp, has been around for a while, the Fluid project is just getting started. In the few months since its launch, Fluid has rapidly increased its services and attracted users from around the Web. As its system continues to evolve, users can expect more exciting news ahead.

Fluid (FLUID): Utilizing Debt and Collateral as Liquidity

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards