Can't profit from choppy markets? With crypto structured products like Bybit Shark Fin, you can earn extra yields while still protecting your principal capital.

With current crypto markets in a slump, retail and institutional investors are seeking ways to maximize their holdings while taking advantage of volatility. Trading volumes for crypto derivatives are on the rise, and the use of futures, options and perpetual swaps to hedge against 

This article examines crypto structured products and why they’re becoming popular with retail and institutional investors.

Traditionally, structured products have provided retail investors with easy access to derivatives that would have otherwise been out of their reach and helped them achieve their risk-return objectives. 

Investment banks typically offer structured products to their wealth-management clients for customized returns in financial markets. They can also be sold to the retail mass market.

A structured product often looks like a traditional security with a payment profile, similar to a bond or certificate of deposit, but with cash flows linked to the performance of other underlying assets. Banks use them as a way to manage the volatility of assets they own.

Crypto structured products have been launching since the first quarter of 2021. Various structured products are hoping to capitalize on the increasing awareness and opportunities to sustain yield in a highly volatile crypto environment.

What Makes Crypto Structured Products Worth Trying?

Crypto structured products have the distinct advantage of allowing investors to earn profits at rates higher than those of other products, while  simultaneously protecting their capital. Unlike other financial products, your initial capital is guaranteed no matter the market's direction. All you may lose is your potential gains.

With crypto structured products, HODLers and investors can access previously out-of-reach assets and hedge their positions while profiting in bullish and bearish markets. It’s worth noting that the underlying mix of assets can be tailored to suit any investor's particular needs, risk profile and expectations.

Pros and Cons of Crypto Structured Products

Crypto structured products offer a prepackaged collection of crypto derivatives in a format more accessible to newbies. However, there's a cap on what you can earn. To help you decide if it's the right investment product for you, here are the advantages of crypto structured products as well as their drawbacks.

Given increasing awareness of the benefits of crypto structured products amid a crypto winter, crypto structured products are becoming increasingly popular. Weighing the pros and cons before investing is extremely important. Of the launched products, Bybit’s Shark Fin Structured Product stands out with unique features.

The Bybit Shark Fin structured product ensures that your capital is protected. Your initial investment isn’t at risk, no matter what happens in the cryptocurrency markets. The final return is linked to the underlying asset.

You pay no fees to invest in Bybit Shark Fin. A minimum investment of 100 USDT or 100 USDC is all it takes to access these yielding investments. There is no upper limit to the amount that you can invest, though this is capped when the subscription amount is reached.

With short-term investment periods, you won’t have long to wait until you reap rewards. You have three short-term periods to choose from: 7, 14 and 21 days. Bybit releases weekly product plans.

Bybit investors can choose from one of two Bybit products — Bullish Shark Fin and Bearish Shark Fin. With a Bullish Shark Fin product, the higher the underlying settlement amount within the limits of the predetermined prices, the higher the yield. If you have a Bearish Shark Fin product, you’ll earn a higher yield at the lowest settlement price within the range.

When you buy a Bullish Shark Fin product, you'll have preset parameters that include price range, APR range and subscription period (7, 14 or 21 days). At the end of the subscription period, you'll earn the maximum yield if the underlying asset price is within the preset price range. Note that the higher the settlement price is within the preset price range, the higher the final yield.

You’ll still profit if the settlement price of the underlying asset equals or exceeds the preset price range at the end of the subscription period. In that case, the enhanced APR is used to calculate the yield. This will be lower than when the asset's price remains within range. 

Suppose the ultimate price of the underlying assets falls below the preset price range. Then the yield is determined using the guaranteed minimum APR, resulting in a lower gain than that obtainable in the two earlier scenarios.

Trader A buys a Bullish Shark Fin product. The product parameters are as follows:

On the settlement day, the price of BTC is $47,000 and the calculation of interest is based on the following formula:

For the Bearish Shark Fin product, you'll earn a higher yield when the final price of the underlying assets falls within the preset range. But unlike the Bullish Shark Fin product, the lower the settlement price while remaining within range, the higher the final yield.

When the price of your asset is below the preset range on settlement day, your yield will be calculated based on the enhanced yield, which is lower than when the price falls within the range.

Finally, if the price exceeds the present price band, the guaranteed minimum APR will be used, generating the lowest yield.

Trader B buys a Bearish Shark Fin product. The product parameters are as follows:

On the settlement day, the price of BTC is $45,000, and the calculation of interest is based on the following formula:

Crypto structured products consist of derivatives, securities and interest-bearing assets. They are structured to help small investors attain specific risk-return benefits using bespoke solutions.

With Bybit Shark Fin Solutions, individual investors also gain easy access to typically complicated derivatives, combined into an easily manageable instrument. Crypto structured products allow you to earn yield regardless of the market’s moves, complete with principal protection.

Ultimately, Bybit's Shark Fin is unique because it offers investors a high yield in turbulent markets. Here's a handy infographic that summarizes all you need to know about our Shark Fin product.

Curious about the full details of Bybit's Shark Fin product? After 

 offerings for more ways on how you can grow your crypto holdings.

Intermediate

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Crypto Structured Products: Maximizing Yields During Choppy Markets

Market sentiments involve the view or an opinion expressed about the condition of a market. Let's understand the fundamentals and trade responsibly.

Market sentiment is an evaluation of the attitude and emotions of traders regarding a particular asset or investment. Whereas technical and 

 takes a structured approach to understand price behavior, sentiment analysis aims to understand how individual perspectives impact the market price. Perspectives do not necessarily reflect measurable metrics but instead convey the shared feeling of a group.

Performing market sentiment analysis requires researching social channels, industry news, transaction alerts, and reading sentiment indicators to gauge current or forthcoming market movements. Unlike in conventional stock or Forex markets with significant institutional involvement, cryptocurrency market sentiment analysis grants more insight due to the social nature of the industry. After all, a single tweet or road map update has been known to send a coin 

We’ll show you how to measure market sentiment with major indicators and use it as part of your trading strategy. Just as with fundamental and technical analysis, it cannot be overlooked. 

The term “sentiment” in the finance context is a view or an opinion expressed about the condition of a market. Crypto market sentiment describes the general emotional opinions and attitudes of investors toward the asset. It conveys the crowd psychology of those involved in the trading and development of the cryptocurrency as reflected through social and trading metrics.

Essentially, crypto market sentiment analysis is a psychological evaluation of factors that influence the price movement of cryptocurrency.

The way investors feel about a cryptocurrency can have tangible effects on the market cycles and price of a cryptocurrency. If enough traders act on these ideas, thoughts, and feelings that they share (whether or not they are based on real-world information), it can have serious consequences. A prime example of this is how Elon Musk’s tweets have impacted the price of Bitcoin (a bullish sentiment).

There are several notable statistics to use for analyzing cryptocurrency market sentiment. Funding rates, sentiment indices, social media and community analytics, and whale monitoring all unlock vital information regarding the trajectory and movements of cryptocurrency assets.

Here’s a breakdown of the main factors every sentiment analysis should include.

The funding rate of a cryptocurrency is a trackable metric that often aligns with market sentiment. Funding rates reflect the periodic payments disbursed to traders based on the price differences that arise between cryptocurrency perpetual contracts and the spot price of currencies or tokens. 

When funding rates are positive, this often indicates that the market is bullish and long traders will be paying short traders. Conversely, negative funding typically shows that short traders will be paying long traders in a bearish market.

The funding difference occurs due to traders borrowing USD in a bullish market to buy Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. Consequently, when traders are successfully shorting the market, funding rates for cryptocurrency exceed those of Fiat currencies. There are many tools available to track funding rates on futures exchanges. 

Be sure to check your preferred crypto-derivatives exchange or consult any of the following sources on funding rate data.

Sentiment indices help you assess the current state of cryptocurrency markets by using a numerical indicator. A sentiment index aims to show whether investors will behave fearfully or greedily and can be influenced by volatility, market momentum, investor responses to surveys, Google Trends, junk bond demand, and more.

Generally, a fearful market is considered a good opportunity to buy if you know how to pick the right asset, while a greedy market indicates that it is a good time to sell.

Social media may present mixed statistics, but the activity on Twitter, Discord Channels, Telegram, and Reddit is important when assessing crypto market sentiment. An active and engaged social community will have a significant number of followers and meaningful social interaction across platforms. 

Another popular method to gauge cryptocurrency market interest is Google Trends. 

 shows search activity for a specific keyword phrase, and you can see whether searches about a specific cryptocurrency are trending upward or downward. 

In general, look for any hype following the crypto asset and how investors feel regarding current developments and road map progress. A hype usually attracts more market participants and naturally indicating a bullish sentiment is coming. But in the end, comparing activity across various channels can reveal widespread support motivating present or upcoming market movements. Still, the best way to formulate objective trading strategies requires technical analysis.

A cryptocurrency whale is an investor who holds and carries out large value transactions across various blockchains. Whale monitoring refers to keeping an eye on big players in the crypto space. Whale watchers identify the trades of major market participants and then trade accordingly.

Blockchain explorers are available to help you analyze the exchange of cryptocurrency across various markets. However, analyzing on-chain metrics concerning supply and demand takes specialized insight.

Here are several popular resources for tracking crypto whale trading activity, eliminating much of the technical knowledge needed to isolate its impact: 

Market sentiment analysis is a core component of accurately assessing the growth or decline of a cryptocurrency coin or token. While investors can consult many resources to gain market insight, here are the main must-have indicators for every cryptocurrency market sentiment analysis. 

 aims to forecast future prices in the short term by looking at previous prices and trade volumes of a certain cryptocurrency. Analysts believe that trading patterns follow identifiable trends and that these trends usually repeat themselves. Examples include moving averages, Bollinger bands, and Elliot Wave patterns.

Analysts from this school of thought seek to determine the intrinsic value of a cryptocurrency. Their approach is to decide whether the asset is overvalued or undervalued. This includes studying metrics like the team behind a project, the application of the technology, how widely it is being adopted, case studies using that technology or cryptocurrency, and blockchain and financial metrics.

 provides a global market sentiment indicator. The sentiment index has a numerical value that ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 being a state of extreme fear and 100 being a state of extreme greed. It aims to show whether investors are behaving fearfully or greedily. The rating is influenced as described in the section above entitled “Understanding Sentiment Indices.”

 similarly gauge the prevailing attitude toward cryptocurrency in cryptocurrency markets and is calculated using six indicators. These include volatility, market momentum, social media, surveys, Bitcoin dominance, and Google Trends. 

Another popular, reliable Bitcoin sentiment indicator that focuses on social media metrics is the Bull & Bear Index (BBI) developed by 

 that quantifies crowd psychology. The BBI correlates data from Bitcoin Forum, Reddit, Twitter, and the market movement of the digital assets, analyzing 93 sentiments by using artificial intelligence to evaluate topics and conversations. Zero indicates an extreme bear market, while 1 is extremely bullish.

 (TVL) is an accurate representation of the health of 

 and its markets. TVL factors in the total current supply, the maximum supply, and the current cryptocurrency value. Traders use the TVL ratio to assess whether an asset is overvalued or undervalued. 

To calculate the TVL ratio, multiply the current supply in circulation by the current trading price. Divide the resulting product by the 

 value, and you have your TVL ratio. When the TVL ratio falls below 1, it typically indicates an undervalued DeFi asset.

Like a constantly changing scoreboard, Altcoin gainers and losers are the top-performing or crashing coins across various time periods. Instead of charting gains and losses across various cryptocurrencies manually, investors can use numerous available cryptocurrency investment trackers.

Here are some of the best altcoin gainers and losers trackers to aid your crypto investment strategies:

Crypto market sentiment can be an incredibly useful tool to add to your arsenal. However, the indefinite nature of aggregating public opinions, attitudes, moods, and outlooks means that there is no one correct model for measuring market sentiment. When you combine sentiment analysis with technical and fundamental analysis, a clearer picture of price action emerges.

Cryptocurrency market sentiment analysis empowers the proactive investor with broad market insight applicable to each and every trade. As with any financial investment, the more information you have, the better chance you have of understanding the market. That translates to better chances for you to plotting successful trading strategies. After all, markets based on supply and demand are heavily influenced by psychology. Following barometers for market sentiment keeps you plugged in and ready to place informed trades.

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Why Is It Important to Understand Crypto Market Sentiment?

Hedging is an essential strategy to manage the risk of trading in a volatile market. Learn Bybit explores ways of hedging in the crypto world.

It’s no secret that crypto trading can be a risky investment. Market downturns are inevitable. As a trader, you need to find ways to protect your investment from risk, and this is where crypto hedging strategies come in. Hedging encompasses opening positions in opposing market directions to reduce the risks and impacts of market swings.

But what is a hedging strategy? What are cryptocurrency risks? How to apply risk hedging strategies to crypto? Is hedging 100% risk-free? If these questions seem perplexing, you’ve come to the right place. This article will explore everything you need to know about hedging. In addition, we’ll show you four crypto hedging strategies you can easily apply.

In fact, the introduction of crypto hedging has

, a hedge is an investment that is made to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset. Hedging strategies enable traders to use more than one concurrent bet in opposite directions to minimize the risk of drastic losses.

Hedging has long been a financial market strategy as a form of risk management technique for crypto traders. It allows you to maintain a stable value for your investments (without making a considerable return) in undesirable market conditions.

While hedging crypto protects your assets from adverse market changes, it also limits the potential gains you get from your crypto investment. However, for risk-averse crypto traders, this is a better option than losing all their assets due to an adverse price fluctuation in the cryptocurrency market.

Much like the forex market, the cryptocurrency market possesses similar forms of risks: volatility risks, regulatory risks, transactional risks, and leverage risks.

Cryptocurrency risks (just like most financial instruments) generally emanate from the volatile nature of these currencies. Trading in crypto is mainly speculative. Therefore, you must understand these risks before you start trading.

Since cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, sharp and sudden price movements often occur as market sentiments change. It is common for the value of cryptocurrencies to quickly swing, by hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a time.

 increased by more than 800% in 24 hours and the price dropped by more than 500% the next day.

Neither governments nor central banks regulate cryptocurrencies. While governments and financial institutions are starting to take note, there’s still uncertainty about issues such as whether to classify them as a commodity or a virtual currency.

The lack of regulations limits the protection of sellers and buyers, leaving investors to rely on developments, individuals, and personal experience when making investment decisions.

Errors in communications and delay in transacting the traders’ orders may result in huge losses for crypto traders. Therefore, it is vital to choose an exchange that can handle a large volume of 

 (TPS). For instance, Bybit is leading the crypto industry by processing up to 100,000 TPS/ It also provides methods of recourse for crypto traders.

With low margin deposits and collateral, traders can enjoy a high degree of leverage. Traders need to be cautious about using aggressive leverage that can increase losses during unfavorable conditions.

Now that we have covered the downside risks of cryptocurrency, let’s dive into hedging cryptocurrency risks.

If you are overly worried about the risk to your position, closing it entirely or reducing its size is a safer option. But hedging can be a helpful strategy if you want to maintain your crypto holding and create a neutral exposure. Here are some of the principles you should bear in mind before applying hedging strategies:

You can deploy crypto hedging strategies in a variety of ways. Here are the four most popular methods.

Short selling means taking a position to sell an asset when the trader believes that an investment will fall in value. You as a trader can look forward to making a profit by buying back at a lower price — or profiting from the difference. Short selling in cryptocurrencies protects against long exposure.

 allows investors to hedge against the downside risk of a long position in the same security, or a related one.

Shorting typically adds complexity to crypto. Therefore, be careful with this tactic, whether you are shorting crypto for hedging or speculation. You can short cryptocurrencies in different ways, including:

The potential for loss is infinite when short selling. You can long for a cryptocurrency that may swing to the price of $0, resulting in a complete loss. So in order to avoid disastrous losses, a trader will set a stop-loss limit at his initial investment.

In finance, the term futures refer to an agreement to sell or buy an asset on a specific future date at a certain price. As it has a secondary market of its own, the futures can be sold before the agreed upon date. This increases liquidity of investors and business owners. Futures contracts are part of a large category trading instruments known as 

Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Options,

Cryptocurrency futures operate under a similar concept. Due to the volatility of cryptocurrencies, most traders buy when the prices are low and sell when the prices are high. However, such selling and buying can cause investors to miss potential profits.

Cryptocurrency futures allow you to leave your position open, thus maximizing the profits to be gained from your crypto investments. Today, CME provides several Bitcoin futures with different expiration dates, for example in its 

. All contracts are settled in U.S. dollars at the date of expiration.

 hedge your investments or lock your profits in a volatile market such as cryptocurrency. They are ideal for investors who want to hedge their exposure in the crypto market for a reasonable period.

The risks of hedging through futures include leverage risks, as discussed above. However, leverage risks remain one of the popular options for crypto hedging.

Perpetual swaps are derivatives that allow you to buy or sell the value of an underlying asset without setting an expiration date for the position you take (you can choose when to take or exit a position at any time).

Perpetual swaps offer you more buying power than you would have when spot trading. Thus, they place you in a better position to take advantage of price fluctuations. Perpetual swaps operate under a funding rate mechanism in which you pay a fee or rebate to continue holding your position.

Before using perpetual swaps as a hedging strategy, you need to determine your collateral’s funding rate mechanism and potential returns. You also need to understand the leverage the exchange you choose allows (derivatives can allow up to 100x leverage).

This strategy has quickly gained notoriety in the crypto market. It enables traders to leverage on positions without an expiration date. The key difference is that a perpetual swap is traded close to the index price of the underlying asset.

The perpetual swap also charges funding rates. This incentivizes traders to buy perpetual swaps when the index price is bullish. The funding rates are usually designed to ensure price stability.

Since they do not rely on an expiration date, perpetual contracts quickly took off on BitMEX. They are soon to be adopted by major crypto exchanges, including Bybit and Binance.

Perpetual swaps as a hedging strategy have its advantag

However, due to the fluctuations in the funding rate, a perpetual swap can make the hedging cost unpredictable. The losses from high leverage rates could be greater as well.

Options are another type of derivative in crypto. They allow investors the right — but not the obligation — to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price, or before a certain date. You can use options as a way to hedge cryptocurrency by limiting downward losses in a declining market.

Put options increase in value when the underlying asset declines below the exercise price of the option, while call options will decrease. This results in a significant level of leveraged hedge protection at a relatively lower cost.

You can also use options for speculation on the direction of a cryptocurrency. Options come as call options or put options. A call option gives you the right to buy a stock, while a put option allows you the right to sell a stock.

Advantages of hedging cryptocurrency risks with options include:

The major downside to using options is the expiration date. Long-term options can be pricey, while a short-term option may result in options expiring before they can provide you with the desired hedging protection.

Hedging is not 100% risk-free. While investors use hedging to protect themselves from fluctuations in the market, hedging also comes with its risks. It does not guarantee the success of your investment. Neither does it ensure that your investments mitigate the risks.

When choosing a crypto hedging strategy, the best approach is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of hedging a particular crypto asset. You should also determine whether the benefits of the hedging strategy you choose outweigh the expense that comes with the hedge.

In some cases, hedging can be counterproductive, especially when the market remains neutral (you still have to pay the hedging costs).

Cryptocurrencies are indeed volatile financial instruments that come with certain risks for investors. Crypto traders should be aware of financial strategies, such as hedging, that minimize potential loss and protect their position, regardless of the market conditions.

Hedging protects you from huge losses that could be experienced in the highly volatile cryptocurrency market. Another reason why hedging crypto is essential is that it protects your profits in the event of a crash or price correction.

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4 Hedging Strategies for Cryptocurrency Risks

Master these tips to walk away with lucrative prizes from crypto trading competitions. Learn, trade, and win at ease. 

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