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Crypto Options Stay Bearish on Ether-Bitcoin Ratio as Trump Fails to Mention BTC in Inaugural Speech

Options continue to show a bias for BTC relative to ETH despite Trump bypassing any mention of strategic bitcoin reserve in his inaugural speech on Monday.

Updated Jan 21, 2025, 8:12 a.m. Published Jan 21, 2025, 4:09 a.m.
Donald Trump inaugurated as 47th president on Monday (BarBus/Pixabay)

What to know:

  • BTC calls are pricier than ETH calls a day after Trump bypassed any mention of crypto or strategic BTC reserve in his inaugural speech.
  • The pricing indicates expectations for a continued downtrend in the ether-bitcoin ratio.

Deribit-listed options show a persistent bullish outlook for bitcoin relative to ether, following President Donald Trump's omission of any crypto mention in his inaugural speech on Monday.

As of noon Hong Kong Time, BTC call options, which offer a bullish exposure in the leading cryptocurrency, traded pricier than ETH calls across time frames, according to risk reversals tracked by Amberdata. Risk reversal measures the difference between implied volatility for calls relative to puts, with positive values signaling a bullish sentiment.

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BTC risk reversals or 25RR. (Amberdata, Deribit)
BTC risk reversals or 25RR. (Amberdata, Deribit)

BTC's risk reversals show short-term and near-term calls trading at a four to five volatility points premium to puts. Meanwhile, ETH calls trade at a relatively lesser volatility premium to puts.

ETH risk reversals. (Amberdata, Deribit)
ETH risk reversals. (Amberdata, Deribit)

In other words, the ether-bitcoin ratio is seen extending the downtrend. The ratio hit a three-year low of 0.03 early this week.

The bias favoring BTC is particularly striking given that Trump did not mention the strategic bitcoin reserve on Monday, despite prior rumors suggesting he would.

At the same time, a report showing GOP congressional priorities didn't include mentions of bitcoin or crypto.

Traders on the decentralized betting platform Polymarket now see a 38% chance of Trump announcing a strategic BTC reserve in his first 100 days of presidency. That's down from nearly 50% a day ago.

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Higit pang Para sa Iyo

Bitcoin holds near $68,000 as volatility cools, WLFI jumps ahead of Mar-a-Lago forum

Bitcoin rangebound (Asa E K/Unsplash)

Bitcoin trades in a tight range as derivatives stabilize and altcoins show pockets of strength ahead of key macro cues and a high-profile crypto event.

Ano ang dapat malaman:

  • Bitcoin is up 0.9% on Wednesday to around $68,000, holding between $65,100 and $72,000 since Feb. 6 as volatility and funding rates cool.
  • Open interest sits at $15.5 billion, funding rates are flat to slightly negative, and options skew has eased, signaling a more balanced market.
  • The Trump-backed WLFI token has surged nearly 19% in 24 hours ahead of a Mar-a-Lago crypto forum, while MORPHO extends its weekly rally.