Share this article

Crypto Options Giant Deribit Launches Bitcoin Volatility Index

The exchange is planning to roll out futures tied to the index soon. It's not a "fear gauge" but an "action gauge."

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:34 p.m. Published Mar 31, 2021, 12:29 p.m.
jwp-player-placeholder

Panama-based Deribit, the world's largest crypto options exchange by trading volume and open interest, has launched a bitcoin volatility index called DVOL to help traders assess the market's mood.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

"DVOL uses the implied volatility smile of the relevant expiries to output one number that gives a gauge of the 30-day annualized implied volatility," the exchange said Wednesday in an announcement.

Implied volatility refers to investors' expectations for price turbulence over a specific time period.

In traditional markets, implied volatility usually picks up during bear markets and subsides during bull runs. A volatility index on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index of large U.S. stocks is popularly known as the "fear gauge."

Deribit refers to its bitcoin volatility index as an "action gauge."

Also read: Ether-Bitcoin Implied Volatility Spread Points to a Macro-Driven Market

"Market participants need to be able to better understand as well as manage volatility," Deribit CEO John Jansen said. "As the bitcoin options market has matured, the time is now to launch DVOL, enabling further market growth and hopefully soon welcoming a new suite of volatility traders on Deribit."

The exchange plans to roll out futures tied to the bitcoin volatility index soon. That would allow traders to effectively bet on their views regarding near-term market volatility.

More For You

Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture

Pudgy Title Image

Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.

What to know:

Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.

More For You

Bitcoin, ether extend declines as leverage unwind accelerates: Crypto Markets Today

Digitally altered photo of a dollar bill (Ryan Quintal/Unsplash, Modified by CoinDesk)

Crypto markets fell further overnight as bitcoin and ether extended losses, metals tumbled and liquidation pressure hit leveraged traders across derivatives markets.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin and ether extended declines as the crypto market compounded Thursday's selloff.
  • Silver and gold also fell, adding to broader market weakness alongside a firmer dollar.
  • Crypto liquidations hit $1.8 billion, while bitcoin dominance slipped as traders rotated into riskier altcoins.