Around $11 Billion in Bitcoin options expire on Oct. 30, raising short‑term volatility risk

Approximately $11 billion of Bitcoin options will settle on October 30, representing roughly one‑third of all open contracts on Deribit. Most of the gamma exposure is clustered between the $75,000 and $82,000 price range, and puts outnumber calls for strikes below $80,000 by more than two‑to‑one. Market participants expect heightened price swings, especially if option writers delay re‑entering positions until after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3.

The concentration of expiring contracts could amplify Bitcoin’s price moves as dealers hedge the remaining exposure, affecting short‑term traders and volatility‑linked products. If option sellers wait until after the elections to write new contracts, reduced hedging supply may increase volatility through November.

  • 1Around $11 billion in Bitcoin options are set to expire on October 30, about one‑third of all outstanding contracts on Deribit.
  • 2Approximately 70 % of the gamma from the expiring options is concentrated between $75,000 and $82,000.
  • 3For strikes under $80,000, the number of put contracts exceeds call contracts by a ratio greater than two‑to‑one.
  • 4Bitcoin’s price has been hovering near $81,100 this week, after slipping below $80,000 on Monday.
  • 5The Federal Reserve kept its policy rate in the 3.75 %–4 % range on October 28, removing immediate monetary‑policy uncertainty.
  • 6A Bloomberg Market Pulse survey gave a median year‑end Bitcoin price forecast of $90,800 if Republicans retain control of Congress, $76,450 if Democrats control both chambers, and $84,100 for a split Congress.

Sources