Greeks.live Says $2.62 Billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Expire on May 15

According to Deribit data, options contracts worth about $2.6 billion across Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana settled on May 15, with the expiry coinciding with broad market liquidations.

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Summary

A large crypto options expiry on May 15 involved contracts worth roughly $2.6 billion and coincided with widespread market liquidations. Existing coverage from Greeks.live said 25,000 Bitcoin options and 274,000 Ethereum options were set to expire with a combined notional value of $2.62 billion, alongside Bitcoin max pain at $80,000, Ethereum max pain at $2,300, and implied volatility near 35% for Bitcoin and 50% for Ethereum. New input adds that, according to Deribit data, the May 15 settlement also included XRP and Solana options and that the expiry was associated with broader liquidation activity across the market.

Terms & Concepts
  • Max pain: A pricing theory that identifies the strike level where the largest number of options would expire worthless, often watched as a potential short-term market magnet.
  • Implied volatility: A measure derived from options prices that reflects the market’s expected level of future price movement.
  • Options expiry: The scheduled date when an options contract ends and is either exercised, settled, or becomes worthless.