Bitcoin Options Trading Poses New Risks to the Market

Bitcoin Trading on BitcoinCode

The Bitcoin (BTC) market will have another source of risk – trading in options. The intention of derivative instruments is to hedge the risk for owners, or potential buyers. But trading option positions holds an additional risk of its own.


Bitcoin Options Exposure Expected to Grow Next Year

Options exposure is growing, as the markets already offer several tools on various types of exchanges. The mainstream Bakkt exchange has been offering Bitcoin (BTC) options since December 9, and the CME will start the product on January 13.

However, exposure is also growing on the dy/dx DeFi exchange, and other crypto-to-crypto markets. The growth of options trading may turn into a source of losses, especially given the volatile nature of BTC. OKEx also launched its options trading for BTC this December 27, linking it to one of the most active futures markets. The Deribit exchange is also a source of European-style options, and is one of the leading markets.

Options should, in general, offer strategies to offset various price move risks. There are multiple complex options strategies used for stock price moves. The risk with bitcoin comes from the much smaller market.

Over the past years, futures trading saw traders liquidated after sharp BTC moves. Options may open similar risks, as some strategies may prove unsuitable for bitcoin price moves.

As with futures, there are the possibilities to trade options positions, without buying the actual underlying asset. The inherent risk in positions trading may create more complexity, especially with fast and unexpected BTC price moves.

Riskier Options Offered by Small Startups

The other risk will stem from smaller startups offering their own options types, where trading may be even riskier. The trending of options trading on larger platforms is also rekindling the interest in bitcoin binary options, perhaps one of the riskiest bets of all.

In this case, the options are a bet on which direction the bitcoin price would take. Making the wrong bet could lead to immediate losses, and in the case of BTC, price moves often happen within hours. Options also mean no chance of holding actual bitcoin, an asset that at least cannot be confiscated or liquidated.

There is no way to predict how fair or active the options market would be. Even large exchanges are currently building up their usage.

Other predictions are more pessimistic, seeing options trading as a tool to further tame the bitcoin price.

While BTC could grow with no limits on the spot market, driven by bots and whales, options markets gather a new type of trader, interested in positions and not the long-term future of BTC.

What do you think about BTC options trading? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


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