Bitcoin (BTC) is preparing to leave behind a year full of rises under the influence of Donald Trump. Bitcoin broke records one after another in 2024 and exceeded $100,000 for the first time in its history.
However, while Bitcoin has been exhibiting volatile movements in recent days, the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market is approaching the last days of 2024 with the largest option maturity in history. Like every Friday, today is the expiration date for option contracts in the crypto market.
These options are of even greater importance as they fall on the last Friday of December, the last quarter of the year 2024. According to Deribit data, a total of $18 billion worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum option contracts will expire today. Accordingly, the Put/Call Ratio of BTC options is 0.69, the maximum loss point is $85,000 and the notional value is $14.38 billion.
When we look at Ethereum, ETH options have a Put/Call Ratio of 0.41, a maximum loss point of $3,000, and a notional value of $3.7 billion. Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers said: “The previously dominant bullish momentum in Bitcoin has stalled, leaving the market heavily leveraged to the upside. This increases the risk of a rapid snowball effect if a significant downside move occurs. All eyes are on this deadline because it has the potential to determine what the narrative in Bitcoin will be as we head into the new year.”
What Does the Put/Call Ratio Signal for Bitcoin and Ethereum? The put/call ratio is calculated by dividing the number of put options by the number of call options. A ratio below 1 means there are more buys than puts, indicating an uptrend. A ratio above 1 means there are more puts than calls, indicating a downtrend. A ratio close to 1 means the market is balanced or neutral.
For Bitcoin, this ratio is 0.69; for Ethereum, it is 0.41. Accordingly, these ratios theoretically indicate an upward trend for BTC and ETH. However, time will tell how these ratios will affect the price. At this point, do not make your investment decisions based on a single data or report.
*This is not investment advice.