Crypto Options Unplugged

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...

Bitcoin trades in a tight 100K- 110K range as the summer lull persists, but Middle East tensions spark hedging demand. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell(FRNT) unpack the market’s resilience, supported by a Goldilocks macro backdrop of low inflation and steady ETF inflows. Ethereum’s high volatility premium holds as realized moves justify it. Imran speaks to special guest Charli...

Crypto markets trade in tight ranges with volatility trending lower, as Trump-Elon tensions spark brief risk-off moves before a Goldilocks jobs report lifts Bitcoin back towards 110K. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT) analyze the calm market, with option flows signaling a quiet summer but potential action in September. David is joined by Ben Cowen (Founder of Into The C...

In this week's episode, Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell discuss the recent consolidation in crypto markets and whether this is just a healthy correction or something more concerning given the macro backdrop. Imran summarizes what has been going on in options markets and the compression in both realized and implied volatility. The special guest this week is Tony Saliba, Founder...

Bitcoin hits a new all-time high but pauses as EU tariff threats and bond market jitters dampen the mood, while policymakers signal towards yield curve control-type measures to boost liquidity. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight), Dave (FRNT), and guest Pedro Birmann (CEO, Quadra) dive into Bitcoin’s resilience, muted volatility offering trading opportunities, and Ethereum’s high-volatility surge....

US-China trade tensions ease, sparking a surge in risk assets and pushing Bitcoin to all-time highs, while Ethereum steals the show with a 50% rally and soaring volatility. Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and Dave Brickell(FRNT) unpack the market’s sharp turnaround in recent weeks, from Trump’s tariff pivot to fiscal policy shifts fueling liquidity. With bond yields signaling debt concerns but...

The final Episode of Crypto Options Unplugged is here! In this episode, Imran and David are joined by Jake Ostrovosis from Wintermute for a deep dive into the current crypto landscape. They discuss the broader investing environment across crypto and equities, the market outlook, and Jake shares his go-to crypto options trade in today’s conditions. #JakeOstrovosis #OptionsUnplugged

🎙️ Episode 15 of Crypto Options Unplugged: The Perpetual Edition is live! In this episode, Imran and David are joined by George Zarya from BeQuant for a deep dive into the world of institutional crypto trading. The conversation covers prime brokerage, basis trades, directional leverage, Delta 1 strategies, and much more. Enjoy the discussion! #GeorgeZarya #OptionsUnplugged

🎙️ Episode 15 of Crypto Options Unplugged: The Perpetual Edition. In this episode of Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran and David sit down with Nikhil Talwar of Laser Digital and Vadim Khramov of Edge Capital for a deep dive into the shifting landscape of crypto markets. They discuss insights from DeFi funds, whether a new DeFi summer is on the horizon, and analyze crypto volatility. Enjoy! #NikhilTa...

🎙️ Episode 14 – Crypto Options Unplugged: The Perpetual Edition is here. In this episode of Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran and David are joined by Alessandro Balata from Fasanara Capital, Conor Gilmore from Avantgarde Finance, and Timothy Wong from Avelacom. Together, they explore what it takes to run a successful crypto fund, how the role and mindset of crypto traders have evolved over the past...