Overview
- About $23 billion in Bitcoin options, more than half of Deribit's open interest, are set to settle on Friday.
- Bitcoin is trading in the mid-$80,000s after a brief jump toward $89,430, leaving spot near a key $85,000 level.
- Thirty-day implied volatility is near 45% with skew around -5%, reflecting bearish risk pricing into early 2026.
- STS Digital estimates roughly $1.4 billion in put open interest at the $85,000 strike, which some see as a potential price magnet into expiry.
- The expiry coincides with triple‑expiration flows that can boost volume, though a late‑November $15.4 billion expiry produced muted moves amid institutional hedging.