Avalon Labs (AVL) revolutionizes Bitcoin finance with BTC-backed stablecoin lending, CeDeFi & DeFi solutions. Borrow, stake & earn with BTC-based assets.

 (BTC)’s financial ecosystem, known as 

, has experienced significant growth over the past few years, with a number of sidechains, rollup platforms and cross-chain applications helping users leverage their BTC funds for 

 (DeFi) operations. One of the newer BTCFi solutions on the market is Avalon Labs, a multi-chain platform focused on Bitcoin-backed 

Avalon lets users borrow stablecoins by providing collateral in BTC or BTC-related assets, such as Bitcoin-pegged tokens and 

 of Bitcoin. Users can access funds at fixed repayment rates, ensuring stability in the otherwise volatile crypto finance world. This stability, in turn, drives the more active use of Bitcoin-backed assets in the 

Importantly, Avalon Labs has secured access to billions of dollars in accessible stablecoin funds from centralized finance (CeFi) institutions, helping it act as a key bridge between the worlds of traditional and crypto finance.

 (AVL) is a decentralized BTCFi lending platform that lets users borrow stablecoins by supplying collateral in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency or in BTC-related crypto assets.

 The platform also provides opportunities to earn yield by supplying crypto funds to several liquidity pools. The platform's flagship asset is the USDa stablecoin, backed by Bitcoin.

Avalon also offers other lending opportunities via two primary modes: CeDeFi and DeFi. The CeDeFi offering allows users to access funds in the 

 (USDT) stablecoin, while the DeFi component is made up of three lending and borrowing pools — based on BTC and BTC's liquid staking derivatives, 

Avalon Labs has implemented a series of risk mitigation measures in order to protect its users and ecosystem. Measures focusing on the lending mechanism include the requirement for overcollateralization of all loans, and a rigorous liquidation procedure activated when the 

 (LTV) ratio drops below sustainable levels. Platform-wide risk mitigation measures include regular internal and external security audits, and AI-driven 

Avalon Labs operates on multiple blockchain platforms, including 

, with plans to expand to more decentralized networks in the future.

The project conducted its seed round fundraising in March 2024, and actively entered the BTCFi niche in November 2024 with the launch of its USDa stablecoin. As of the time of writing in early February 2025, the platform is preparing for the launch of its native token, AVL.

USDa is Avalon’s Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, designed to help BTC holders put their funds to active use in the DeFi ecosystem. By providing Bitcoin-based collateral, borrowers can mint USDa, which is freely exchangeable with the USDT stablecoin at a 1:1 ratio. As such, USDa is indirectly pegged to the U.S. dollar via a fixed-rate USDT conversion mechanism.

By locking their collateral and requesting USDa, users create so-called collateralized debt positions (CDPs) — an overcollateralized crypto debt instrument first popularized in the DeFi industry by 

Besides the stable, USD-pegged rate, USDa boasts several other benefits. First, borrowers can access fixed-rate interest repayments for their debts, enjoying certainty in planning their payments to the platform. Secondly, early finalization of debt doesn’t carry a financial penalty. Importantly, USDa can be put to use across different chains, thanks to its utilization of the 

CeDeFi Lending is a major component of Avalon Labs' focus on Bitcoin-backed loans. The project claims to have secured access to billions of dollars in USDT and 

 (USDC) funds at traditional finance institutions. This allows Avalon users to borrow funds in these popular stablecoins at fixed rates of 8 –10%. As of late January 2025, Avalon's CeDeFi lending component allows you to borrow USDT by providing collateral in Ignition FBTC (FBTC), a Bitcoin-pegged omnichain cryptocurrency. Other collateral and borrowing assets (e.g., USDC loans) might also be introduced in the future.

Avalon Labs’ DeFi lending component is represented by three main types of liquidity pools, against which users can lend and borrow assets. The BTC LSD Pools are made up of BTC and BTC-based liquid tokens, with each liquid token isolated to its own independently operating pool. There are also RWA Lending Pools, which consist of RWA tokens and stablecoins. The third type is the General Pool, containing mainstream assets like BTC, ETH, popular stablecoins and more.

The platform separates each asset, such as each liquid token or RWA, into its own isolated pool. Pool isolation helps structure risk mitigation measures carefully tailored to each asset.

For the first few months on the market, Avalon has operated without a native token. The project is currently gearing up for the introduction of its 

, AVL, to be launched sometime in Q1 2025. AVL will support not only governance but also a range of other functions. One of these is staking. By staking AVL, users will be issued sAVL, an asset that will be used directly for governance processes. sAVL holders will participate in votes to decide the rules and future direction of the platform. Staking will also let them accrue crypto rewards in AVL tokens.

Additionally, AVL will provide access to exclusive features, perks and fee rebates on its platform.

The AVL token will be issued with a total supply of 1 billion. Planned supply allocation shares are as follows:

 platform. Bybit Pre-Market Spot is an over-the-counter (OTC) trading platform that allows you to acquire promising new cryptocurrencies before listings on Bybit's main Spot trading market, letting you access these assets at potentially discounted rates.

The AVL listing on Pre-Market Spot lets you speculate on the new token's potential. Naturally, before investing in any asset (whether it's offered via Pre-Market Spot or other trading environments), you’re encouraged to 

 on the project's background, operational details and future potential.

The sphere of financial solutions for the Bitcoin blockchain is quickly gathering pace, with several projects in the cryptocurrency market aiming to help Bitcoin holders put their funds to active use. Avalon Labs is a key initiative within this niche of the cryptocurrency industry, offering a much-needed service — stablecoin issuance backed by the security of Bitcoin. 

Early indicators suggest that this project has significant potential within the Bitcoin ecosystem, as well as within the wider crypto ecosystem. Of particular importance is the project team's claimed access to billions of dollars in USDT and USDC funds at traditional institutional finance providers. A thorough risk management framework — supported by regular audits, AI-driven monitoring, and sound debt collateralization and liquidation mechanisms — also provides further assurances to the user community.

The benefits offered by Avalon Labs are clear-cut, but more details on access to the billions of dollars at traditional finance providers would certainly contribute to user trust in the platform, something that's always helpful for any young web3 startup. Currently, however, the main focus is on the platform's imminent native token launch. AVL's token generation event (TGE) will be a significant evolutionary step in the life of this promising BTCFi project.

Intermediate

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Avalon Labs (AVL): Driving Bitcoin’s Financial Evolution

Helium Mobile is revolutionizing telecom with three new plans, including the Zero Plan.

Daily Top Performer — Ampleforth (FORTH)

The S&P 500 rose 0.72% on Tuesday, but futures fell on Wednesday after Alphabet’s weak earnings while investors await more earnings reports. Gold hit a record $2,845.14 as U.S.-China tariffs fueled safe-haven demand. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 4.35%, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 2.52% and 6.25%, in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today’s top performer is FORTH, which surged nearly 49.1% following the announcement of Ampleforth’s Evergreen Cycle, a decentralized solution for resilient DeFi treasuries.

Ampleforth (FORTH), founded in 2018, is a stablecoin that adjusts its supply daily through “rebasing” to maintain price stability, ensuring holders keep their proportional ownership. Ampleforth 

 AMPL and SPOT as decentralized alternatives for DeFi treasuries, reducing reliance on centralized stablecoins. AMPL’s elastic supply and SPOT’s low volatility offer DAOs a resilient treasury strategy through the "Evergreen Cycle"—buying AMPL in bullish markets and rotating into SPOT during downturns. This system enhances liquidity, mitigates market cycle risks, and enables DAOs to act as decentralized “micro central banks,” reinforcing long-term stability in DeFi.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

Helium Mobile is revolutionizing telecom with 

, including the Zero Plan, which offers free mobile service (3GB data, 300 texts, 100 minutes) while rewarding users with Cloud Points for sharing anonymized data. These points can be redeemed for gift cards and experiences. Other plans include the Air Plan ($15/month) for 10GB and the Infinity Plan ($30/month) for unlimited data. Helium Mobile combines community-powered networking with the nation’s largest 5G coverage, making mobile service more affordable, flexible, and rewarding. The plans are currently invite-only, with a waitlist available.

Yesterday, BTC Spot ETFs recorded $91.7M in total inflows, with $72.2M from non-GBTC and $19.5M from GBTC.

, a decentralized social network platform, is hinting at a potential airdrop for users. To increase chances of receiving the airdrop, users should sign up on the platform, create a Town, deposit ETH, and join other Towns to earn points. Towns raised $25.5M in funding and operates on the Caldera network. Tipping others and daily engagement may boost rewards.

Beginner

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Helium Mobile Introduces Free Plan and Rewards for Staying Connected

Haedal unlocks liquidity for staked SUI by converting it into haSUI tokens, enabling users to earn rewards while freely participating in DeFi activities.

vWhat if you could earn staking rewards and keep your crypto liquid? Haedal, a pioneering 

 blockchain, turns this possibility into reality. Haedal eliminates the trade-off between 

 and accessing liquidity by transforming staked SUI tokens into haSUI — a yield-bearing asset usable across 

 (DeFi). This article explores how Haedal simplifies staking, enhances capital efficiency and unlocks superior returns while fueling the growth of the Sui ecosystem.

Haedal is a liquid staking protocol on the Sui blockchain that allows users to stake SUI tokens, mint haSUI (a yield-bearing 

) and earn additional rewards through DeFi integrations. It simplifies participation in staking while maintaining liquidity for decentralized finance activities.

Haedal was created by a group of anonymous blockchain enthusiasts and experts who recognized the need for a more efficient and secure way to stake SUI tokens on the Sui blockchain. Their vision for Haedal was born from the desire to improve the DeFi ecosystem by offering a simple, one-click liquid staking solution. This approach allows users to earn rewards while still keeping their assets flexible and liquid.

Haedal bridges the gap between staking and decentralized finance, making it easier for users to participate in various DeFi activities without sacrificing security or efficiency. By doing so, Haedal boosts user engagement within the Sui ecosystem and also helps strengthen and expand the broader DeFi ecosystem, paving the way for greater blockchain adoption.

Haedal seeks to address the major issue of lack of liquidity in traditional staking models, whereby users must lock their assets for fixed periods. This restricts their ability to use those funds for other investments or DeFi activities, such as 

 or governance participation, reducing flexibility and deterring engagement. 

Another barrier is the complexity of staking management. Selecting validators, monitoring performance and handling technical processes can overwhelm newcomers — and even experienced users. This steep learning curve limits broader adoption and discourages participation in ecosystem growth. 

Also, many staking systems suffer from inefficiency and security risks. Outdated practices or centralized control can expose users to asset loss and/or downtime, while fragmented platforms make participation cumbersome. These vulnerabilities erode trust and hinder the scalability of decentralized networks. 

 technology to tackle liquidity constraints, simplify user experience and enhance security, aiming to create a more accessible and efficient ecosystem for staking and DeFi integration.

Haedal deploys the following advanced mechanisms to make staking SUI tokens more flexible and user-friendly. 

haSUI is a versatile token that unlocks liquidity for users who stake their SUI tokens through Haedal. When users stake SUI, they receive haSUI at a 1:1 ratio, acting as a dynamic “receipt” for their staked assets. Unlike 

, in which funds are locked and unusable, haSUI retains liquidity, allowing users to trade, lend or use it as collateral in DeFi apps while their original SUI continues earning staking rewards. 

Over time, haSUI’s value grows as it accumulates rewards from validators securing the Sui blockchain. This dual functionality bridges the gap between passive income and active participation in DeFi, letting users maximize their crypto holdings without compromise. 

Haedal streamlines staking by automating the entire process. Users deposit SUI tokens into the protocol, which then delegates them to trusted, high-performing validators on the Sui network. This eliminates the need for users to research validators or manage technical details manually. The system continuously monitors validator performance, reallocating stakes to optimize returns and minimize risks. 

Unlike more rigid staking models, Haedal’s protocol imposes no lockup periods, so users can unstake at any time by swapping their haSUI back to SUI. This flexibility, combined with automated efficiency, makes staking accessible to everyone, from newcomers to institutions, while ensuring their contributions actively support Sui’s network security. 

The Random Vault adds an element of chance to traditional staking, creating a fun and community-driven experience. Users deposit SUI into the vault for one week, during which their funds are delegated to validators. At the end of the week, all staking rewards generated by the vault are pooled and distributed to five randomly selected participants. This gamified approach injects some excitement while also diversifying risk by spreading stakes across multiple validators automatically. 

Participants enjoy a hands-off experience, requiring no active management, while gaining exposure to potential bonus rewards. The Random Vault democratizes staking, offering both seasoned users and casual participants a fresh way to engage with the Haedal ecosystem. 

The Haedal Market Maker (HMM) ensures seamless trading and liquidity for haSUI tokens, addressing common challenges in DeFi: price volatility and accessibility. HMM operates by providing deep liquidity pools for haSUI trading pairs, which stabilizes prices and minimizes slippage during trades. This means users can buy or sell haSUI quickly and at fair market rates, even during periods of high demand. 

HMM maintains a tight peg between haSUI and SUI and enforces trust and usability, making the token practical for everyday DeFi activities, such as swapping, lending and/or collateralizing loans. This infrastructure not only benefits individual users, but also strengthens the broader Sui ecosystem, encouraging adoption and enabling institutions to participate confidently in the decentralized finance realm. 

Haedal has achieved significant milestones, including launching its liquid staking protocol, growing its 

Looking ahead, the project aims to expand its product offerings, improve scalability and strengthen its role in the Sui ecosystem. 

Haedal redefines staking on Sui by merging liquidity, simplicity and innovation. By transforming staked SUI into yield-bearing haSUI tokens, it unlocks DeFi opportunities without sacrificing rewards or security. Features such as automated staking, gamified vaults and robust liquidity solutions empower users to maximize earnings while supporting network growth. 

With a clear road map and a community-driven ethos, Haedal is positioning itself as a catalyst for accessible, efficient decentralized finance, bridging traditional asset holding with the dynamic potential of blockchain.

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Haedal: Unlock Superior Returns With Sui Liquid Staking

Loopy is a Sui-based meme coin inspired by a beaver with a distinctive pink hue that’s featured in the Pororo the Little Penguin cartoon. Learn more here.

If you want a comprehensive crypto portfolio, it pays to check out 

. Though these coins might not be worth as much as major cryptos, their potentially drastic price swings can result in big profits for investors. One intriguing 

 meme coin to check out is Loopy, a cartoon-themed coin (inspired by a popular television show) that’s had an interesting growth pattern of late. To see if Loopy is the right investment for you, we’ll take a look at its tokenomics and pricing trends. 

 is a meme coin based on the Sui blockchain. It's inspired by a beaver with a distinctive pink hue that’s featured in the 

 cartoon. Much like the character herself, the Loopy coin hopes to showcase the values of friendship, hope and harmony.

On a technological level, Loopy works similarly to other meme coins. Loopy uses the Sui blockchain as the foundation for its system. This delegated 

 network is known for its scalability and speed. Loopy takes advantage of Sui's features by using its standardized 

 and token creation protocols. Since Loopy doesn't have to run its own blockchain, it can focus more on the marketing side of operating a cryptocurrency.

In order to increase its token's market capitalization, Loopy has heavily integrated itself into social media. Loopy runs both a Telegram channel and a 

 where it interacts with its audience. These sites post memes about gentlehearted Loopy, encouraging users to share their own. 

In addition to marketing the Loopy coin, these social media sites also help to operate the entire Loopy community by tracking member participation and using these metrics to determine eligibility for 

Loopy's token, with the symbol LOOPY on most exchanges, is a traditional meme coin that has no utility outside of entertainment. Its sole purpose is to appeal to fans of gentlehearted Loopy in 

 The Loopy coin does have a somewhat higher supply than many other tokens, with a 

. Half of the tokens were distributed to community members in an 

, while the other half were used for token liquidity. The majority of these tokens are circulating now, so the coin's current circulating supply is close to its total supply of 1 trillion tokens.

Loopy was released back in October 2024, so it's already been the subject of a few newsworthy events. The coin was initially selling for around $0.000012, but a decline in trading volume led to a sudden price drop, to around $0.0000035 in early November 2024. Fortunately, fans of the beaver with the distinctive pink hue rallied behind it, and it surged to an impressive all-time high (ATH) of $0.000013 by mid-November. 

When the Loopy token’s price increased by over 763% in just 24 hours, it began receiving a lot of attention. The coin's market cap reached $17 million, and it was briefly one of the top Sui meme coins. Since its heyday, the Loopy token has had some struggles. Starting in January 2025, coin prices dropped to as low as $0.00000004 as its market cap plummeted. 

However, these unusually low prices have been just as noteworthy as the coin's ATH. Loopy fans who were getting priced out of owning the token have been expressing interest in it once again, due to its more affordable prices. The trading volume of Loopy might look a little low now, but it's no longer in free fall, as it was in early January 2025. Some market analysts even suggest that LOOPY’s price may reach 

LOOPY tokens have a high current circulating supply, but not all exchanges support this token yet. It's primarily available through smaller, decentralized exchanges. However, if you prefer a more convenient experience, check out the 

. This service provides access to DEX offerings, while maintaining the same great service that all Bybit users can count on. Purchasing LOOPY through Bybit is as simple as checking the current price, entering the number of LOOPY you want to buy and confirming your purchase. 

LOOPY's market cap and 24-hour trading volume have certainly declined from the coin’s heyday, but it still holds some promise for investors. The low current price means that it's possible to buy a lot of LOOPY without spending much money. This can result in big profits if the coin experiences even minor price increases. Furthermore, most pricing analyses suggest that LOOPY's market cap could recover in the future.

However, don't forget that this sort of investment can be risky. Some meme coins generally fail to return to their ATHs after brief enthusiasm during their launches. Loopy's team hasn't been promoting their coin as much lately, so whether or not LOOPY can recover will rely mostly on the coin's fanbase. While investing a bit of extra money you have in LOOPY could be fun, it’s not recommended that you invest money you can’t afford to lose. Meme coins are always volatile, and it’s essential to use some caution and 

 any time you invest in tokens such as LOOPY.

While LOOPY tokens might not have the highest 24-hour trading volume anymore, this meme coin is still backed by a dedicated community. Its ability to appeal to 

fans with positivity and humor has helped it stand out from other Sui meme coins. Loopy is a great example of how a simple yet fun concept can end up appealing to thousands of investors.

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Loopy (LOOPY): The Most Adorable Meme Coin on Sui

Options

The straddle is a terrific options trading strategy for traders of all levels. We take a look at their key characteristics, tips to help you profit and more.

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 strategies is that you can be undecided about going bullish or bearish on your latest crypto options trade and still profit. This is thanks to the potential rise in implied volatility (IV) that comes from an impending catalyst that may cause a larger-than-expected move in the price of the coin or token. Interested in learning about such options strategies that let you play both sides? 

Enter the straddle strategy — a neutral options scheme that lets traders leverage on upcoming volatility and earn a tidy profit, regardless of whether the overall price goes up or down. From the setting up of a straddle options strategy to referencing an example of executing the straddle strategy in the crypto market, here’s all you need to know when it comes to unraveling the secrets of making a profit with long and short straddles in the crypto options market.

There are two types of straddle strategies for crypto options traders to choose from:

To initiate a long straddle, you buy a call option and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date. For the strategy to make money at expiration, the price of the underlying asset must deviate from the strikes (in either direction) by an amount greater than the total premium you’ve paid.

For a short straddle, the opposite applies. Here, you sell a put and call with the same strike price and expiration date. To profit at expiration with this approach, the underlying asset must not deviate from the strikes by more than the total amount of premium collected.

Before even diving into executing straddles, it’s crucial to first understand what drives the premiums of options contracts besides 

 (IV) effectively represents the amount of uncertainty or risk in the market for a particular asset. Implied volatility is derived from option prices themselves by measuring the expected market price movements in an options contract. It indicates how much a trader believes an asset will move over the life of the option, which helps them to decide whether buying or writing an options contract is optimal when executing a straddle options strategy. 

Traders expecting more price movement in the near term should execute a long straddle strategy, since they expect the price of the option to appreciate closer to the catalyst. Conversely, options traders expecting less volatility in price should write a short straddle strategy, as they expect contract prices to be less volatile closer to expiration.

Whether it’s a long or short position, three things apply when setting up a straddle:

Let's see how a long straddle strategy can be used to profit from growing volatility across various coins and tokens.

Let’s take a hypothetical scenario: In two weeks' time, a major blockchain upgrade is taking place on Ethereum’s network, and all the major social media websites are talking about it. You predict it could result in a major price move for ETH, but you’re unsure in which direction. Taking all of this into account, a long straddle options strategy might help you profit.

This example uses at-the-money (ATM) strikes (equal to the underlying security's price). 

, out-of-the-money (OTM) strikes can be implemented to give the trade a bullish or bearish bias. The combined cost of this strategy is a net debit of 0.0714 ETH, which adds up to about $114.24. This also acts as the maximum potential loss for this long straddle options strategy.

For this trade to be profitable, ETH’s price must be above $1,714.24 (call strike + total premium paid) or below $1,485.76 (put strike − total premium) at expiration.

The payoff diagram below features an example of stock prices and illustrates the long straddle's risk profile at expiration. You'll notice the maximum loss occurs when the asset expires equal to the long strikes.

Thanks to the neutral nature of long straddle strategies, options traders have the potential to profit on both the upside and downside as long as ETH’s price moves more than accounted for with the option contract’s IV.

Let's see how a short straddle strategy can be used for coins and tokens to profit from volatility that’s expected to fall over time.

Using Ether as an example again, let’s see how we can benefit from a short straddle and from writing the same call and put contracts. 

In this case, if you don’t expect ETH to move much in terms of price, and expect the volatility to fizzle out over time, then it makes sense to write call and put contracts to open a short straddle options strategy. This effectively lets you take advantage of the high volatility of the options contracts and write the contracts at a high premium, while expecting the price of ETH to remain flat in spite of the major blockchain network upgrade.

The combined premium credit to be received from this strategy is a net of 0.0714 ETH, which adds up to about $114.24. This also acts as the maximum potential gain for this short straddle options strategy.

For this trade to be profitable at the date of expiration, ETH’s price must stay within $1,714.24 (call strike + total premium paid) and $1,485.76 (put strike − total premium).

Unlike the long straddle, which has limited risk (premium paid), the short straddle has limited profit potential (premium received) and significant risk.

The payoff diagram below depicts a short straddle achieving maximum profit when both strikes expire ATM. There’s unlimited loss potential on the upside, and significant loss potential on the downside.

 share many similarities. They’re both price-neutral and structured to benefit from changes in IV. However, while a straddle uses ATM strikes, a 

For a long strangle, you purchase an OTM put option and an OTM call option on the same underlying asset, with the same expiration date.

Like the long straddle, a long strangle benefits when volatility increases. The key difference between the two is that by using OTM strikes, you need a larger move in the underlying asset for the strangle to turn a profit. The payoff is that, all things equal, two OTM options should cost less than two ATM options.

Like the long straddle, a long strangle is low-risk (total premium), with unlimited profit potential on the upside and considerable potential gains on the downside.

The payoff diagram below shows the trade is unprofitable in a wider range than the straddle, becoming profitable when the underlying asset price moves beyond either strike by more than the total premium cost.

A short strangle, pictured below, is a mirror image of the long strangle strategy. While you collect a lower amount of premium by selling OTM options, the range where the trade is in profit is wider than when selling a straddle.

Because the long straddle is a low-risk strategy, it's appropriate for investors of all levels of experience. In contrast, the short straddle is better suited to experienced traders with a high tolerance for risk. This is because of the risk of unlimited loss that may occur when the price of the underlying asset veers too much in either direction, such that the options premiums received are unable to compensate for the price volatility.

The best time to employ a straddle is when you expect volatility to rise and the underlying asset to record a “sufficiently large” movement (by more than the amount of premium received).

Options traders often use the straddle to coincide with potential market-moving events, such as economic data releases and regulatory hearings, or simply when their technical analysis forecasts an impending breakout.

Both long and short straddles have two possible breakeven points at expiration — when the market settles in either direction, equal to the amount of premium either paid or received.

A long BTC straddle centered at the $20,000 strike price, with a combined premium cost of $1,000, will break even at either $19,000 or $21,000 on the expiration date. At both levels, the trade neither makes nor loses money (strike price − settlement price +/− premium paid).

A short straddle centered at the $20,000 strike price generating $1,000 in premium also breaks even at $19,000 or $21,000 (strike price − settlement price +/− premium received).

The sweet spot for a short straddle is when the options expire with the underlying price equal to the strikes. Using the above example, the sweet spot is $20,000 at expiration. Because both options are ATM, they expire worthless and you get to keep the entire premium.

As mentioned earlier, the straddle is designed to profit from both bullish and bearish markets. However, you can modify the strategy if your market view changes during the trading process. Here, we look at two ways you can switch the strategy from price-neutral (horizontal) to directional (diagonal).

Removing the long call converts the straddle into a bearish 

 Although the risk remains limited (put premium +/− the cost of closing the call), the trade now has a bearish bias and doesn't profit if the underlying asset moves above the long call's breakeven price.

Selling the long put flips the straddle to a bullish 

. Similar to removing the put option, the trade's risk is limited (call premium +/− the cost of closing the put), but no longer profits if the market moves below the closed long put's breakeven point.

Here are three strategies to increase the likelihood of a long straddle turning profitable:

One of the straddle's key advantages is its minimal margin requirement. Because the most it can lose is the cost of entry, there’s no need for further margin once you’ve paid the initial net debit.

In contrast, the margin requirement for a short strangle is considerably higher. That being said, Bybit traders with a minimum account balance of 1,000 USDC can choose to activate 

Portfolio Margin mode uses a risk-based approach similar to 

(SPAN) to determine the overall risk level of a crypto portfolio. Using this method, long and short exposures are netted against each other, thus reducing margin requirements for hedged portfolios. For this reason, an existing long or short position may reduce the margin requirement for a short straddle applied to the same underlying asset.

As we’ve explained, options premiums lose value (erode) over time. However, time decay isn't constant, and changes while the contract is active. The measure for gauging how much a premium will lose each day is 

Theta measures a premium's sensitivity to time. Because theta always reflects the amount by which an option will decline, it's always denoted as a negative number. For instance, all things being equal, a 

 valued at $100.00 with a theta of −0.5 will be worth $99.50 the following day, whereas if the option had a theta of −0.9 it would be worth $99.10 the following day.

The theta curve below demonstrates that time decay is not linear. Since there’s less time for the option to realize or increase in value, the rate of erosion accelerates as the expiration date approaches.

Is the Straddle Options Strategy Worth Trying?

Based on the cases and examples presented above, running straddle options strategies can help traders take advantage of volatile markets. However, there are pros and cons to consider before executing the strategy. On the plus side, the straddle strategy helps traders profit if they grasp the concept of implied volatility without forcing them to pick a side, since the strategy is price-neutral. This may be useful in situations where the trader anticipates a large movement in price direction, but is unsure of which way it will go.

Conversely, it can be difficult to gauge how profitable a straddle options strategy will be since the asset must move significantly for it to be profitable for traders executing a long straddle. Additionally, for those writing a short straddle options strategy, there’s always a risk of unlimited losses if the asset’s price moves more than expected in either direction. 

All in all, we believe straddle strategies are certainly worth attempting, since they’re a tool that both experienced and beginning options traders can employ. This recommendation is based on the assumption that traders fully grasp options Greeks, and the effects of implied volatility.

Ultimately, long strangles and straddles are excellent, risk-averse strategies that you can use to profit from changes in implied volatility. As both methods are easy to apply, they can be used by less experienced traders looking for big returns. 

Short strangles and straddles, on the other hand, are appropriate for more experienced traders, or those with a higher tolerance for risk who can mitigate it.

If you're still unsure whether straddles or strangles are right for you, take a look at 

 free educational tools to discover more about the benefits of 

Straddle Options Strategy: How to Consistently Make Profits

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards