Options traders are increasing their bets that Bitcoin will reach a record high by the end of the month, driven by optimism about lowering US interest rates and increased inflows into ETFs.
Bitcoin call options with a strike price of $75,000 across all maturities currently have the largest open position, that is, the number of pending contracts. This is followed by strike prices of $100,000 and $80,000, respectively, according to data compiled by Deribit, the largest cryptocurrency options exchange. Call options provide buyers with the right to purchase the underlying asset at a fixed price within a certain period of time.
“Investors are optimistic and looking forward to new all-time highs,” Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers said.
“The bullish sentiment in the BTC options market is driven by strong BTC ETF flows, expectations of US interest rate cuts, the ECB lowering interest rates, and the approval of an ETH ETF.”
Bitcoin climbed as high as $71,756 this week and was mostly little changed on Thursday after snapping a five-day winning streak. The largest cryptocurrency has fallen from a record high of $73,798 on March 14 as demand for recently approved Bitcoin ETFs showed signs of cooling. However, as expectations of a Fed rate cut fueled demand for riskier assets, inflows resumed and traders set their sights on a new high.
Call options expiring on June 28 saw the highest open position around the strike price of $75,000, while open positions of those expiring on July 26 and December 27 reached the highest level around $100,000. “All of this points to a positive outlook in the short and long term,” Strijers said. This shows that investors are confident that the price of Bitcoin will increase significantly in the coming months.
*This is not investment advice.