Crypto Options Unplugged

The New Year kicks off and Imran goes solo with guest Amar Patel (ex-Lehman/Nomura equity derivatives trader turned independent crypto trader based in Dubai). Amar shares his journey — from buying the 2017 top, reading The Bitcoin Standard in 2019, to piling into BTC at the March 2020 COVID crash lows (~$3.5K average) and never adding more fiat since. Discussion covers the shift from TradFi mean-r...

In this Christmas episode, Imran and David reflect on a frustrating 2025 for Bitcoin - despite gold/silver moves, ETF inflows and increasingly bullish macro and policy tailwinds. The duo blame persistent whales selling and reflexive “4-year cycle top” concerns for capping the upside. The liquidity outlook is set to brighten in 2026 with the FED’s new T-bill purchases and SLR tweaks for banks to bu...

Bitcoin chops sideways into the final FOMC of 2025 — 25 bps cut is priced to perfection, but the real game is the guidance: will Powell hint at aggressive 2026 cuts and, crucially, confirm front-end liquidity ops (“not-QE QE”) to ease funding stress? Imran & David debate the Bank of Japan headache (hiking into stagflation while forced to buy bonds = yen likely the escape valve) and why dollar-...

Bitcoin dropped after Bank of Japan hints at a December rate hike — markets flash back to August’s carry-trade scare and crypto dumps harder than stocks. Imran Lakha (Options Insight) & David Brickell (FRNT) push back: the real “carry unwind” fear (Japanese investors repatriating $4T in foreign assets) is overblown — domestic institutions move slowly and Japan’s stagflation mess actually makes...

Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) are joined by guest James Van Straten (CoinDesk) this week as Bitcoin bounces off the low-$80Ks after a brutal 35% correction. James explains why the pain felt worse than previous dips this cycle: short-term holders fully underwater, OG whales finally distributing, treasury-company euphoria popped, and the Oct-10 liquidation cascade wip...

Bitcoin tests $90K as ETF outflows, whale selling and tighter funding markets weigh heavy. Imran & David break down the macro backdrop: Fed speakers turn hawkish, Dec rate-cut odds drop below 50%, equities wobble, liquidity still tight despite government-shutdown end. Hosts expect short-term pain (possible dip to high-$80Ks) but see relief soon from TGA spend-down and potential Fed “not-QE” fr...

Host Dave Brickell (FRNT Financial) welcomes post-trade expert Quintin Archer (Panda Logic) with Imran away this week. Quintin explains how clearing houses in traditional finance manage risk and settle trades safely. He shares how firms like LCH are now bringing that same trust and efficiency to crypto with cash-settled Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and options. The future? Blending TradFi and DeFi...

Money is broken—but Bitcoin can fix it. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell (FRNT) welcome Joe Bryan, creator of viral video "What's the Problem?" From index trader to Bitcoin evangelist, Joe explains how fiat's "big red button" enables endless money printing, eroding purchasing power and incentivizing short-termism, corruption, inequality, health cris...

Crypto markets rebound into the range as US-China trade deal hopes rise and stocks hit ATHs ahead of tech earnings. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell (FRNT), with guest Alexander Hagen (ACE Digital Bitcoin Treasury CEO), discuss FOMC’s potential QT end fueling further upside. Alex shares his TradFi-to-crypto journey, building a Bitcoin treasury via options, emphasizing simplici...

Crypto markets fail to recover with equities despite dialed-back trade war rhetoric. Long-term holders are selling, while demand from digital asset treasuries and ETFs wanes. Put skew and volatility remain elevated, signaling caution ahead of CPI data. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell (FRNT) break the down cross-currents: funding market pressures forcing Fed QT to end, persist...

Crypto markets tumble as Trump reignites trade tensions with China, causing nearly $20B in liquidations of leveraged positions. Volatility spikes and put skew explodes, especially in Ethereum, with altcoins facing massive drops. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave (FRNT), joined by Friedrich Herzog (Matrixport), discuss if it's time to buy the dip. Friedrich shares his journey from tr...

Crypto markets surge with gold as Bitcoin hits a new high near 126K, driven by a US government shutdown and tariff-funded stimulus talks fueling the debasement trade. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), with guest Oleksandr Proskurin (Arkis), note low volatility, with funding rates and call skew stable, indicating institutional-driven spot buying, not speculative futures...

Crypto markets dipped into the September options expiry but rebounded strongly after flushing out weaker longs, with ranges holding firm. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), with special guest Greg Magadini (Amberdata), discuss persistent bearish sentiment despite a supportive macro backdrop—sticky 2.9% inflation, 3.8% GDP growth, and no major recession fears. Bitcoin’s...

Crypto markets seesaw after the Fed’s 25-basis-point rate cut, signaling more easing ahead. Ethereum drops 6%, triggering liquidations at 2021 levels, testing key supports, while put protection spikes and funding rates turn negative, hinting at a potential short squeeze. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) analyze the flush-out of leveraged longs, with guest Sam Price (Cr...

Crypto markets grind higher on low volatility as last week’s inflation data reinforced expectations for a Fed rate cut this week. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), joined by Usman Naeem (Global Head of Derivatives Sales and Trading at Coinbase), discuss whether this cut will spark crypto’s next leg up, given equities’ new highs and Bitcoin’s consolidation post-record l...

Crypto markets lag behind soaring equities and gold as weak U.S. jobs data (22K print, June revised to -13K) fully prices in a September Fed rate cut. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), joined by Mark Hiriart (ZeroCap), discuss suppressed crypto volatility (Bitcoin vol in low 30s) amid a narrow range, with persistent put skew driven by institutional hedging demand. Infl...

Bitcoin touches near $107K over the weekend, with institutional buying slowing as focus shifts to Ethereum’s relative strength. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) analyze the market’s rejection of new highs after Jackson Hole, with put skew rising due to protection buying. Despite fragile global bond yields, higher odds of a September Fed rate cut, and long-term bullish...

Crypto markets pull back from highs ahead of Jackson Hole, with put skew rising amid protection buying on risks that Powell pushes back on rate cuts. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) analyze Bitcoin’s choppy range, quick dip recoveries after disappointing jobs data, and Ethereum’s surge toward all-time highs. They discuss the institutional treasury adoption and a suppo...

Crypto markets stay choppy over summer, with disappointing jobs data sparking dips that get quickly bought as rate markets eye a September Fed cut. Ethereum surges toward all-time highs, fueled by the Genius Act’s stablecoin boost and massive ETF inflows. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) analyze Bitcoin’s quick recovery, Ethereum’s dominance breakout, and the supply-de...

Crypto markets consolidate as Bitcoin hovers around 117K-120K, with Ethereum stealing the spotlight after a 30% rally driven by the Genius Act’s stablecoin clarity. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), joined by Dan Blackmore (Glassnode), explore on-chain insights revealing steady institutional buying along with profit-taking by long-term holders. Bitcoin’s structural hea...

Crypto markets ignite as the Genius Act passes, boosting stablecoin adoption and fueling a 30% Ethereum surge in a week, with inflows overwhelming sellers and volatility soaring. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) dive into the long-awaited alt season, with Bitcoin dominance dropping to 60% and Ethereum leading the charge. The Genius Act’s regulatory clarity for stableco...

Bitcoin hits new all-time highs at 120K, but volatility remains subdued as institutional treasury adoption drives steady accumulation. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) welcome a Women in Crypto panel featuring Barnali Biswal(Hilbert Group), Chantal (Deribit), and Lucy Balicki (Laser Digital). They discuss Bitcoin treasury strategies, with Hilbert Group focusing on acti...

Bitcoin struggles to break out, stuck in a range as volatility hits holiday lows, with tariff uncertainties creating headwinds but institutional dip-buying supporting prices. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), joined by James Van Straten (CoinDesk), analyze Bitcoin’s resilience above 100K, driven by treasury adoption and steady demand. Despite profit-taking, the macro b...

Equity markets hit new all-time highs, but Bitcoin remains range-bound between 100K and 110K, with volatility suppressed by heavy call-overwriting from institutional accumulators. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) discuss the fading geopolitical tensions, a supportive Goldilocks macro environment, and Fed speakers’ dovish shift towards more rate cuts. Despite a $300B li...

Crypto markets surge as geopolitical tensions ease, stablecoin regulations advance, and Fed speakers hint at July rate cuts, pushing Bitcoin toward new highs. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell(FRNT), joined by Nate Cox and Conrad Carvalho (Two Prime), explore Bitcoin’s consolidation, low volatility, and Ethereum’s persistent high-vol premium. From Two Prime’s yield strategies f...