Deribit Exchange Sees $4.3 Billion Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Expire Amid Fed Rate Cut Expectations

Deribit exchange News - Nearly $4.3 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options contracts are expiring today, potentially triggering market volatility. While smaller than last week's expiry, this event coincides with growing anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week—a development that could significantly impact cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin options dominate the expiration with a notional value of $3.42 billion, showing a put-to-call ratio of 1.31 as traders hedge against downside risks. Ethereum displays slightly less bearish sentiment, with a put-to-call ratio of 1.03 across $858 million worth of contracts. Both assets currently trade above their maximum pain prices—$113,000 for BTC and $4,553 for ETH—indicating potential price support at these levels. Deribit data reveals declining open interest compared to last week's expiry, suggesting reduced positioning ahead of the macroeconomic catalyst. The convergence of options expiration and Federal Reserve policy uncertainty creates a critical inflection point for digital asset markets this week.