Sonic Labs has launched a new points program to drive DeFi growth and reward users. 

The S&P 500 gained 0.11%, led by utilities, financials, and materials, as lighter inflation eased yields. Focus shifts to December's inflation report and financial earnings. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was up by 3.03%, with Bitcoin and Ether rising by 3.14%  and 3.24%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is A8, which surged 29.7% following the launch of Ancient8 SuperApp V3, an all-in-one platform for simplified Web3 management.

Ancient8 (A8), founded in 2021, is a gaming-focused Ethereum Layer 2 network using Optimism and Celestia to enable fast, affordable EVM game development with community-driven developer support. 

, a streamlined platform for managing Web3 activities. It combines staking, token swapping, liquidity management, an NFT marketplace, cross-chain asset bridging, and game discovery into a single user-friendly interface. The app simplifies processes, enhances security, and helps users maximize the potential of their digital assets, catering to both newcomers and experienced users.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

 a new points program to drive DeFi growth and reward users. The program includes three types of points: Passive Points for holding whitelisted assets, Activity Points for deploying assets as liquidity on apps, and App Points (Sonic Gems) for developers to distribute as rewards via their apps. The initiative also features an airdrop of 200 million S tokens and incorporates Rings, a yield-bearing stablecoin protocol that provides liquidity to DeFi apps. Sonic's points program offers a dynamic way for users and developers to enhance their DeFi experience while contributing to the growth of the platform.

Yesterday, the BTC Spot ETF data showed a total flow of $9.7 million, with $0.0 million from GBTC and $9.7 million from non-GBTC sources.

, offering participants a chance to receive tokens as part of the platform's decentralization journey. The airdrop rewards key contributors, including early adopters, active community members, and global partners. Registration is open until January 18, 2025, and participants can claim tokens before the Token Generation Event (TGE) in Q1 2025. Plume's mission is to build a unified onchain economy that connects real-world assets with crypto, and the airdrop is the first step toward that vision. More details and eligibility information can be found on their official website.

Beginner

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Sonic Labs Launches Innovative Points Program to Drive DeFi Growth and Reward Users

GAME by Virtuals (GAME) is a leading AI agent development framework enabling quick creation and deployment of autonomous agents for web3, gaming, and social media.

Few people will argue with the notion that 

 (AI) is the fastest-growing sector in the world of business. This also applies to the 

 industry. Within the broader AI field, however, there's one area that particularly stands out with its growth rates — the niche of 

. Self-contained, autonomous AI workers are growing increasingly popular on blockchains, with leading AI agent cryptocurrencies posting head-spinning price increases.

 (VIRTUAL) and several tokens related to the platform, including GAME by Virtuals (GAME). Leveraging the underlying Virtuals Protocol, GAME is a development framework that lets developers quickly build and deploy autonomous AI agents suitable for various transactional environments. The GAME framework allows AI agents to make complex decisions based on the information supplied, lifting the overall sophistication of such agents to an entirely new level.

Launched in October 2024, the GAME token has appreciated over 3,000% as of January 2025, entering the list of the top 10 AI agent cryptocurrencies by market cap.

 (GAME) is an AI agent development framework powered by the Virtuals Protocol. 

It lets developers quickly build modular, autonomous AI agents and deploy them to various environments, such as gaming, entertainment and social media platforms.

At the core level, GAME is supported by the Virtuals Protocol, a decentralized platform on the 

 Layer 2 chain that’s designed to power tokenized, co-owned AI agents with revenue-generating capabilities. Virtuals Protocol provides an environment for tokenizing and using AI agents for various use cases.

GAME by Virtuals supports low-code, efficient creation and management of AI agents that can easily be plugged into various web3 platforms and even interact in real time with other agents. By default, AI agents developed using the GAME framework are deployed as X (formerly Twitter) agents. In this capacity, they can serve varied purposes for crypto users and 

 (DApp) operators. This could include community building, market monitoring, news and trading signal aggregation, data collection and even API-based integration with external trading platforms.

Thanks to the framework's modular design, a GAME-based agent can include different functions that are easily plugged into and out of it. Additionally, GAME allows developers to create non–X AI agents from scratch to integrate into other environments, such as blockchain games, messaging networks like Telegram and other types of applications. In essence, the programming tool kit provided by GAME allows developers to specify sophisticated agent characteristics and autonomous behavior. For example, GAME-based autonomous agents might operate in gaming, virtual reality (VR) and virtual world applications, providing immersive experiences and carrying out complex tasks.

The development of X-based agents via GAME is a simplified process. Developers can utilize an Agent Sandbox, a test environment provided by the Virtuals Protocol, to specify the key characteristics of their AI agent on X. This is a streamlined way to quickly and efficiently launch a basic social media agent without having to create an agent token. 

After deploying the agent to X, developers can easily add or remove its functionalities to adapt the agent to their specific use cases.

For applications beyond X, developers can build an agent from scratch using the GAME framework's programming functions. In the project's terminology, this is called GAME-as-a-Service. Within this mode, the agent's decision-making rules and characteristics are specified via API calls. For those familiar with AI-based programming, GAME-as-a-Service provides a more powerful and flexible way to build AI agents, with high levels of functional sophistication, as compared to the Agent Sandbox.

To build and launch an AI agent, developers must specify three categories of attributes that define their agent’s behavior and autonomous decision-making: Agent Definition Prompts, High Level Planner (HLP) Context and Low Level Planner (HLP) Context.

— These include the agent’s goal, character card and world information. In essence, this trio of attributes determines the agent’s overall behavior, memory traits, personality, background, tweeting style and the specifics of its virtual environment.

— This high-level tool establishes the input information to provide a dynamic context for the agent's decisions.

— This is a set of instructions for the agent’s expected outputs to execute various actions and functions within its environment.

To build and deploy agents via GAME-as-a-Service, you’re expected to be familiar with technologies like JavaScript and JSON. The Virtuals platform also provides an agent-building software development kit (SDK) in Python.

The GAME by Virtuals framework’s associated crypto token is also known as GAME. As of early January 2025, the project has provided scant information regarding the token’s utility beyond its basic supply specifications. In general, AI agents launched via Virtuals Protocol are monetized using project-specific tokens. Thus, it’s expected that agents built via the GAME framework are monetized using the GAME token, and that the GAME token might also support additional use cases in the future.

For each token on the Virtuals Protocol, including GAME, there’s a corresponding liquidity pool in which each token is paired with VIRTUAL, the protocol’s native cryptocurrency. This facilitates monetization and trading opportunities for AI agents built using the framework.

The GAME token was launched on Oct 26, 2024 and features a maximum, total and circulating supply of 1 billion. Similar to VIRTUAL and other platform-specific tokens on the Virtuals Protocol, GAME has been issued on the Base blockchain.

You can buy the GAME token on Bybit’s Spot market as a trading pair (

Additionally, through Jan 23, 2025, 9AM UTC, you can take advantage of Bybit's campaign dedicated to the GAME token to grab a share of the 

. New users who complete basic identity verification can earn GAME rewards by accumulating a deposit volume of at least 500 GAME, or depositing at least 100 USDT and trading 100 USDT worth of GAME via their first trade using their Bybit account. Existing users can also qualify for rewards by trading at least 500 USDT worth of GAME on Bybit’s Spot market. The more you trade, the larger your share of the prize pool. 

As of Jan 15, 2025, the GAME token is trading at $0.1922, which is 51% lower than its ATH of $0.3918 on Jan 2, 2025, and 7,190% higher than its ATL of $0.002634 on Nov 20, 2024.

Long-term price forecasts for GAME are mostly bullish.DigitalCoinPrice 

 of $0.65 in 2027 and $0.99 in 2030, whileCoinCodex 

 at around $0.202 in 2027, and rise to $0.629 in 2030.

GAME isn't the only AI agent token on Virtuals Protocol. The protocol supports a variety of applications and use cases that focus on AI agent technology, each of which may have its own token. Excluding the main platform-wide cryptocurrency, VIRTUAL, the leading tokens within the protocol's ecosystem include 

As of Jan 14, 2025, GAME is the second-highest-ranked token in the Virtuals ecosystem by market cap, behind AIXBT, the token of the AI agent-based market intelligence solution AIXBT. However, if ranked by 

 (TVL), GAME is actually the top token on the protocol, with a current TVL of $24.85 million.

GAME by Virtuals is a convenient tool for blockchain developers to launch powerful AI agents — intelligent objects that can perform diverse functions on social media platforms, gaming environments and within a wide variety of other applications. Its framework makes it easy to create X-based agents, and for other platforms and more sophisticated needs a skilled developer has numerous functions and utilities within GAME to play with.

The crypto market also seems impressed with GAME by Virtuals, judging by the GAME token's early performance. As the AI sector, particularly its AI agent niche, continues to flourish and capture the business world's attention, the GAME framework is likely to find more use cases and eager adopters in the AI developer community.

Advanced

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GAME by Virtuals (GAME): Your Gateway to Advanced AI Agent Development

Bitcoin liquid staking is a DeFi mechanism that enables BTC holders to earn passive yields. Learn more about how it works in this article.

The rise of Bitcoin liquid staking marks a significant evolution in cryptocurrency yield generation. At the core of this innovation is Babylon, a non-custodial infrastructure that serves as the foundation for Bitcoin liquid staking protocols like Lombard and pSTAKE. By building on Babylon, these protocols enable BTC holders to earn staking rewards while maintaining liquidity, BTC holders to earn rewards while retaining their assets’ liquidity, bridging the gap between Bitcoin's store-of-value proposition and yield opportunities within 

This article explores how Bitcoin liquid staking works, examines its advantages and risks, and considers whether it’s worth trying. We also analyze the leading Bitcoin liquid staking platforms driving adoption in this rapidly growing ecosystem.

Bitcoin liquid staking is a DeFi mechanism that enables BTC holders to earn passive yields by participating in 

 (PoS) networks and receive tradable tokens that maintain their Bitcoin's liquidity and utility in the broader DeFi ecosystem.

Liquid staking protocols open new yield-bearing opportunities in the Bitcoin ecosystem. While Ethereum liquid staking generates yields through network validation rewards, Bitcoin liquid staking creates returns by securing other blockchain networks, and through 

 that expand the utility of BTC beyond its primary function as a store of value.

Bitcoin liquid staking operates through a straightforward process that bridges traditional Bitcoin holding with DeFi functionality. When users stake their Bitcoin, they interact with specialized DeFi protocols that generate yield while maintaining liquidity.

First, users deposit their Bitcoin into a liquid staking protocol, where it's securely stored using various methods, which can include multi-signature wallets or other security mechanisms depending on the platform.

Users begin by depositing their Bitcoin into their chosen liquid staking protocol, which secures deposits through various methods like 

 or other security mechanisms. In return, they receive 

 (LSTs) representing their staked BTC on a 1:1 basis.

These LSTs can be used across various DeFi applications while the underlying Bitcoin works to secure PoS networks through protocols such as 

. The staking rewards are generated through point systems, protocol incentives or network fees, depending upon the specific Bitcoin liquid staking platform used.

, users' staked Bitcoin helps secure their networks. Rewards are typically distributed daily through the protocol's native tokens, which users can claim while holding their LST positions.

The unstaking process is equally straightforward — users can redeem their LSTs for their original Bitcoin whenever they choose, subject to any applicable unbonding periods or protocol-specific conditions.

Bitcoin liquid staking offers unique opportunities for yield generation, but it comes with its own set of risks that investors should carefully evaluate.

The Bitcoin liquid staking landscape offers diverse options for BTC holders seeking yield opportunities. Following are the top platforms.

Lombard transforms Bitcoin into a yield-generating asset through its LBTC token on Ethereum, with over $1.5 billion in 

 (TVL). The protocol integrates with established DeFi platforms like Morpho, Pendle and Symbiotic, enabling LBTC holders to access lending, borrowing and 

 opportunities. A 5% fee applies to staking rewards.

Following a successful private beta that attracted $230 million from over 4,000 institutional and individual users, Lombard has entered its public beta. Lombard maintains strict security standards through regular audits and a self-custodial model, ensuring LBTC remains fully backed by Bitcoin at a 1:1 ratio.

Recently launched by the Core Foundation, LstBTC is an 

 blockchain. The protocol enables daily rewards in CORE tokens through a dual staking model, whereby users can stake both Bitcoin and CORE tokens for enhanced yields.

Since its launch in April 2024, Core has attracted over 5,500 BTC (around $500 million) in staked assets and built a comprehensive 

 ecosystem. The protocol leverages Bitcoin 

 power for security, with about 55% of miners contributing to network stability.

 integration, allowing users to earn rewards from Layer 2 activity. The protocol converts deposited BTC into stBTC tokens for DeFi applications, enabling its users to earn daily Lightning Network routing fees without managing node infrastructure.

With over 105 active channels and the capacity to process over 18,000 

 (TPS), Stroom Network is secured by established validators, such as P2P.org and Allnodes. Stroom' 

 structure and multisig system ensure decentralized governance while managing Lightning Network integrations.

Babylon is an infrastructure protocol that enables Bitcoin holders to secure PoS networks through BTC staking without requiring 

 or third-party custody. The protocol has accumulated nearly 24,000 BTC in its ecosystem since launching in 2024.

Babylon’s platform prioritizes security through its innovative timestamping protocol, and partnerships with established validators like P2P.org. Though offering more conservative yields than competitors, Babylon's self-custodial model and robust security features have attracted institutional users seeking to put their Bitcoin to work while they maintain control of their assets.

 simplifies BTC yields through Bitcoin staking on Babylon's infrastructure. With over $35M in TVL, the platform offers two core offerings: a fixed-yield earn product (similar to Bybit Earn) accessible to all users and a Bitcoin LST, called YBTC, that offers tailored Bitcoin yield solutions to institutions.

Users can earn staking rewards from Bitcoin-secured networks by staking native BTC through 

. YBTC, a yield-bearing ERC-20 token on Ethereum backed 1:1 by BTC, connects with BNB Chain, Corn, B Squared, and Bitlayer through LayerZero integration.

Institutions can use YBTC in the BTCfi ecosystem to generate additional yields from DeFi protocols focused on restaking, yield farming, and more. PSTAKE — the protocol's incentivization, governance, and staking token — trades on exchanges like Bybit and can be staked on the Base L2 chain to earn Bitcoin rewards for participating in protocol and community activities.

Bitcoin liquid staking is worth considering if you:

Before participating, investors should carefully evaluate platform security, understand the technical aspects of liquid staking and assess their 

. Additionally, smart contract vulnerabilities and LST price fluctuations present real risks that need to be considered against potential rewards.

Choose a platform that aligns with your expertise level and goals. Established protocols like pSTAKE suit experienced DeFi users, while newer participants might prefer user-friendly platforms, such as Core's LstBTC. Start with smaller amounts of assets to familiarize yourself with the mechanics before committing significant capital.

Bitcoin liquid staking represents a significant evolution in Bitcoin's utility, offering holders new ways to earn yields while participating in the broader DeFi ecosystem. While the technology and protocols are still being developed, growing market adoption and continued innovation suggest a promising future for the Bitcoin liquid staking sector.

Intermediate

bitcoin liquid staking.png

Bitcoin Liquid Staking: New Yield Opportunities for BTC Holders

BlackRock has launched the iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) on Cboe Canada, offering Canadian investors access to Bitcoin through brokerage accounts.

The S&P 500 rose 0.16% as focus shifts to inflation data and earnings reports from major banks. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 0.16%, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 1.14%  and 4.65%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is AAVE, which surged 4.3% after the announcement of Aave and GHO's expansion across networks for broader integration.

Aave (AAVE), founded in 2017, is a decentralized lending platform on Ethereum for lending, borrowing, and earning interest on 17 cryptocurrencies. It uses smart contracts, collateral for loans, and aTokens for interest, along with features like instant loans. Aave is 

 to multiple networks, with ARFCs passed for Linea, Celo, and World Liberty Finance, while Sonic, Mantle, BOB, and Rootstock are in earlier stages. GHO stablecoin is also growing, with expansions to Avalanche and Base already approved. Aave and GHO aim for widespread integration.

 the iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) on Cboe Canada, offering Canadian investors access to Bitcoin through brokerage accounts. The ETF mirrors Bitcoin's price performance by investing in the U.S. iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, which holds long-term Bitcoin assets. This launch highlights BlackRock’s focus on innovation and simplifying Bitcoin exposure by addressing operational and custody complexities. Cboe Canada, known for pioneering financial products, emphasizes its role in expanding the crypto ecosystem. IBIT and IBIT.U join seven other iShares ETFs on Cboe Canada, enabling investors to trade via standard investment channels.

Yesterday, BTC Spot ETFs experienced outflows totaling $313.6M, including $89M from GBTC and $224.6M from non-GBTC sources.

 its governance token, $ANIME, in January 2025 with a total supply of 10 billion (7.69 billion initially circulating). Community allocation is 50.5%, including 2% for Hyperliquid stakers, Kaito yappers, and Arbitrum users. Completing Azuki's points tasks might help with eligibility for the airdrop.

BlackRock Launches iShares Bitcoin ETF on Cboe Canada for Simplified Crypto Access

Options

Put options are excellent tools for hedging and speculation. They have high potential for profit and can help you tide through severe price fluctuations.

Financial markets have been abuzz with activity since the 17th century. While they’re a great place to make profit, the risk of losing money is also very real. Multiple asset classes are available for trading: Among them, options are considered a relatively low-risk investment. Traditionally, stock options are traded, but it’s hard to ignore 

, given the boom of cryptocurrency in the past few years.

While options can be tied to any asset (e.g., stocks or bonds), crypto options are specifically tied to the performance of crypto assets. As a result, a trader doesn't need to own an asset before buying or selling the option for it. With crypto options, investors of any portfolio size can participate in the crypto market and reap its benefits.

 that confer upon the trader the right (not the obligation) to

 an underlying asset at a specified price or 

 after the premium is paid. An options contract usually lasts for a specific time period, within which the option must be exercised. This contract lapses on a particular date, known as the 

Crypto options trading is a way for options holders to be part of the crypto market without necessarily owning the crypto itself. Not only are crypto options cheaper than their underlying assets, they’re also perceived to be less risky. The low level of risk involved and high leverage potential are arguably the biggest draws for retail traders.

Apart from giving traders a way to predict or speculate on the financial value or price movements of assets in the market, options are also used by institutional investors for 

, crypto options have become a popular alternative for investors looking to get a slice of the crypto pie.

Crypto put options are contracts that confer upon the option buyer the right (but not the obligation) to 

a specific amount of an underlying asset at a predetermined price within a particular time frame. The predetermined price is known as the 

“Expiration time” refers to the time frame within which the options contract is still valuable. Once the expiration time has passed, the put option loses all its value.

Various underlying assets like stocks, bonds, indexes and futures can be traded using put options, by which the seller determines how the contract is run. The options buyer is required to pay the seller a specific fee on each share in order to purchase the contract. This fee is known as the 

, and it represents one of the same underlying assets. For example, one crypto option contract on BTC would be the same as controlling 1 BTC token. You do not have to own the underlying cryptocurrency to buy or sell put options. 

A crypto put option — the opposite of a crypto call option — confers upon the user the right to sell an underlying stock at the strike price before the expiration date is reached. Several factors affect the price of a put option, including (but not limited to) the volatility of the crypto market, interest rates, time decay, and the value of the strike or specific price.

Generally, the value of a put option increases with a drop in the price of the underlying asset.

A portion of a crypto put option’s value is tied to a fall in the price of the underlying stock. This means that the value of a put option increases with a decrease in the price of the underlying asset. A put option begins to lose value with a rise in the price of the asset to which it is tied. Following this, put options are used for hedging, or predicting a downward slope in the price of specific assets.

 is one used by put options traders as a risk management strategy. The main function of a protective put is to make sure that the drop in the price of a particular asset doesn’t fall below a set level. You can decide to sell or buy a put option, and the transaction is carried out on a 

When buying a put option, the buyer predicts that the value of the asset will drop over a specified time frame before the expiration date. When selling a put option, the seller speculates that the value of the asset will rise or remain unchanged during the valid period of the contract, or before the option expires.

If the market price moves in favor of the options holder, they can decide to exercise their put by selling the underlying asset at the strike (or set) price. Fundamentally, options can be divided into two types:

American-style options allow the holder to exercise their option on or before the expiration date, while European style options only allow the holder to exercise their options on the date of expiration. If the market price remains the same or increases, the options sellers get the premium paid by the buyer.

A put option is said to be OTM (out of the money) if it has no intrinsic value at expiration. 

, it is said to be ITM (in the money) if it still has intrinsic value at expiration.

Crypto Put Options vs. Crypto Call Options

Other than put options, the other main type of option is the call option, which increases in value as the price of the asset rises. Call options are the opposite of put options, but both types give holders the chance to earn a profit much higher than their investments.

A put option benefits from a decline in market price, while a call option benefits from a rise in the market value of the asset.

Selling both a call option and put option attracts a premium. In the event that the crypto market takes an unfavorable turn, the seller bears all the risks involved.

Let’s say that Sandra, an investor, decides to buy a Bitcoin put option as a form of insurance over her position in Bitcoin. After a while, she speculates that a 

 is near, and she isn’t ready to forfeit more than 10% of her long position in Bitcoin. 

Let’s assume Bitcoin is currently trading at $30,000 per coin, and Sandra purchases a put option that will give her the right to sell it at $27,000 within the next 2 years.

If, within 6 months, a 20% (500 points) loss is recorded, Sandra will have recovered 250 points simply by being able to sell at $27,000, rather than the current market price of $24,000, which is a loss of only 10%. Even if the market crashes to $0, Sandra will still only record a loss of 10%.

Conversely, if the market doesn’t drop within this time frame, Sandra can decide to let the put expire. If she does so, she will only lose the premium fee.

Buying and Selling Puts: Strategies and Examples

This is a popular strategy used by traders. Here, the trader buys a “going long” put option in the hope that the 

market price will fall below the strike price at expiration

. The benefit of this strategy is that in the event of a drastic price reduction, the trader can get back many times their initial investment.

Stock Q trades for $30 per share, with a strike price of $30 with 4 months to expiration. The premium is $1 per share.

If, at expiration, the share price is $29, the put breaks even. If it is between $29 and $30, a net loss is recorded, as only a part of the option’s premium is recovered. 

If the stock falls to less than $29, the trader gains $100 for every share they own. The lower the price, the higher the gain recorded by the trader. If the stock rises above $30, the put is rendered valueless, and the trader loses the option premium of $100.

This is simply the opposite of the long put. Here, the trader sells a “going short” put in the hope that the asset price will 

rise above the strike price at the point of expiration

. The seller of the put earns a premium in exchange for selling the put. This premium is the highest reward that can be obtained for trading a short put. If the asset price falls below the strike price, the trader is obligated to buy it back at the strike price.

If stock A is trading at $40 per share, with a strike price of also $40 with 5 months to the expiration date. The premium is $1 per share.

If, at expiration, the share price is below $39, the put costs the trader $100 for every dollar loss. The lower the stock price, the greater the loss incurred by the trader. If the stock price rises above $40, the seller earns the full premium. If the market price falls between $39 and $40, the seller earns only a part of the premium.

This is simply an upgrade of the long put. In this case, the trader buys both the underlying asset and a put option. This is a hedging technique. The trader expects the asset price to soar, but still wants a form of insurance in case the stock price declines. If the stock price actually declines, the long put covers the loss incurred.

Stock P trades for $30 per share, with a strike price of $30 with six months to expiration and a total premium of $100. So, the trader buys 100 shares of P for a total of $3,000 and one put option for $100.

If at expiration, the share price is $29 or $30, the put breaks even, resulting in a net loss, as only a part of the premium is recovered. If the share price drops below $30, the long put covers the loss evenly. If the share price rises above $31, the net gain increases by $100 for every corresponding gain in price, although the put becomes valueless, and the trader loses the premium fee they paid.

This strategy is very popular in options trading. The 

 is typically used when the call trader or call writer speculates on an increase in the future price of an underlying asset.

The key to using this strategy is to sell higher and buy lower. Simply put, you sell a put option with a higher strike price, and then buy another option with a lower strike. However, both options must have the same expiration date. 

Although the risks involved here are minimal, they do still exist. If, at expiration, the asset price moves below the strike price, a loss will be recorded, as the two put options will be ITM.

For instance, an institutional investor guesses that the price of Bitcoin — selling at, say, $20,000 per token — will increase within a month.

The investor can sell one put option for a $3,000 premium fee, with a strike price of $25,000 expiring in one month, and buy another put option for a premium fee of $1,000, with a strike price of $22,000, set to expire in one month.

Following this example, the investor gains a net profit of $2,000. The net profit is calculated as the difference between the two premium fees paid for the two options ($3,000 − $1,000 = $2,000). 

Conversely, if the price of Bitcoin falls between the strike prices of $20,000 and $25,000 per token at the date of expiration, the institutional investor will record a loss. 

The final price has an impact on the value of the investment. Here are the different possible scenarios (capped at a $3,000 loss and a $2,000 gain.)

is applied when an investor predicts a decline in the price of an asset.

This strategy aims to reduce cost and risks, while also ensuring that the investor makes as much profit as possible.

To use this strategy, the investor first purchases a “buy put” option, after which they purchase a “sell put” option with a lesser strike price. For this to work, both options must be tied to the same underlying asset, and have the same expiration date.

For instance, stock Q is trading around $350 and is bought at a $3 premium, with a total cost of $300 (100 x $3 = $300). A trader could buy it while also selling another put option at $330 at a $1 premium, with a total cost of $100 (100 x $1 = $100). The two options should, however, be executed simultaneously.

The option is calculated in spreads. The net debit spread is $2 (the price difference between the options, $3 - $1 = $2). The highest loss that can be incurred is the premium fee of $200 (i.e., $300 − $100 = $200).

By buying a put option and selling another, the trader spends $200 instead of $300 (from buying the $350 put alone). However, the profit potential is limited to [($350 - $330) x 100] - $200 = $1,800. 

Should I Buy Puts In-the-Money (ITM) or Out-of-the-Money (OTM)?

Deciding to buy puts in-the-money (ITM) or out-of-the-money (OTM) is entirely dependent on your specific investment objectives, the level of capital at your disposal, your risk appetite and the interest rates. The price for ITM put options is higher than that of OTM put options. This is because ITM put options have a lot of intrinsic value, and confer on options traders the right to sell underlying assets at higher prices. However, the lower cost of out-of-the-money puts is due to the fact that they’re likely to be less profitable at expiration.

How Is Crypto Put Option Trading Different from Traditional Put Option Trading?

Traditional put trading requires the trader to own the underlying stock or asset to be 

 contrast, in crypto put trading, the options trader is not obligated to own the particular asset before being able to sell or buy the option.

Traditional options require the holder to have a minimum trading fund, which is usually on the high side: The higher the fund, the higher the position held. However, with crypto put trading, options holders can acquire higher leverage positions with a small amount of capital. 

Alternatives to Exercising a Crypto Put Option

A put option buyer isn’t obligated to hold a put option until it reaches expiration. As changes in the price of the underlying asset are recorded, the options premium fee will also be adjusted to reflect the reality of the current changes in price. The options buyer may decide to sell off their option in the options market. This is done in a bid either to make a profit, or minimize a loss. The outcome of this depends on the price variations recorded from the initial time of purchase.

Similarly, an option writer can perform the same action. If the asset records a higher price over the strike price, they may decide to leave it to expire. Doing so will ensure that they keep the entire premium. On the flip side, if the underlying asset fails, and its price drops lower than the strike price, the holder may decide to get out of their position by buying back the option to bypass making a loss. The profit or loss is calculated as the difference between the premium received and the premium paid to exit the position.

Crypto options are a derivative product that can be traded on Bybit. As of this writing (May 27, 2022), BTC options are available on the platform. Follow the steps below to get started.

Pick the desired expiration date, or show all the expiration dates at once, and then pick one.

Choose the type of option you want to buy (in this case, 

Review the details of the options and select the one you want to buy, either by price or action (buy or sell).

Put Options: Effectively Manage Price Risk With This Tool

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards