Aggregate open interest of ether options hits all-time high

Quick Take

  • Open interest of ether options has been spiking over the past month, reaching a new all-time high. 
  • The spike is happening as Ether has recovered 15% over the past week.

Open interest of ether options has hit a fresh all-time high.

Per The Block's data dashboard, August 12 saw open interest hit $8.11 billion—a figure that's nearly three times higher than where it stood a month ago. 

The surge in open interest of ether options appears to be tied to the emergence of new, more complex strategies, among traders positioning themselves ahead of Ethereum's transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, according to hedge fund LedgerPrime. That transition is expected to finalize next month. 

In a Telegram message to counter-parties, LedgerPrime wrote: "The Long Call Butterfly, which has been the most traded structure for ETH over the last month, has moved this week to the second position, with the Bull Call Spread taking the lead at a volume of 160K."

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Meanwhile, open interest of bitcoin options has been slumping for months, currently sitting around $5.5 billion. 

Ether itself is up over 16% on the week amid a broad rally in cryptocurrencies. Open interest of ether futures is also on the rise, approaching levels not seen since early April and topping $9.15 billion. 


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Kollen Post is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things policy and geopolitics from Washington, DC. That includes legislation and regulation, securities law and money laundering, cyber warfare, corruption, CBDCs, and blockchain’s role in the developing world. He speaks Russian and Arabic. You can send him leads at [email protected].