Market
Crypto Markets Eye $1.6 Billion Options Expiration: What’s Next?

Crypto markets will witness $1.61 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options contracts expire today. The massive expiration could cause a short-term price impact, particularly after Bitcoin briefly broke below $60,000.
With Bitcoin options valued at $1.10 billion and Ethereum at $510.08 million, traders are bracing for potential volatility.
Why Bitcoin and Ethereum Could See Volatility Today
There is a significant increase in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) contracts due for expiry today compared to last week. Data on Deribit shows 18,271 Bitcoin options contracts will expire with a put-to-call ratio of 0.90 and a maximum pain point of $62,000.

Regarding Ethereum, 212,175 contracts are due for expiry today, with a put-to-call ratio of 0.40 and a maximum pain point of $2,450.
Read more: An Introduction to Crypto Options Trading.

For Bitcoin, the expiring options suggest a generally bullish sentiment after it briefly slipped below $60,000. With a maximum pain point of $62,000, the pioneer crypto, now trading for $60,612 per share, stands well below its strike price. On the other hand, Ethereum is trading for $2,407, which is also below its maximum pain price of $2,450.
The maximum pain point is a crucial metric that often guides market behavior. It shows where the expiry will cause the greatest financial loss to all option holders that have entered into a contract at that strike rate at expiration.
“Keep an eye on the ratios and max pain levels. They might tell us where the market is leaning,” analysts at Crypto Town Hall suggested.
Bitcoin, Ethereum Trade Below Max Pain Price
As Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options near expiration both assets are expected to approach their respective strike prices. This is a result of the Max Pain theory, which predicts that options prices will converge around the strike prices where the largest number of contracts — both calls and puts — expire worthless.
Large institutions, often referred to as smart money, typically sell these options. They have an incentive to push the price toward the “max pain” level by trading in the spot or futures markets. This strategy causes option buyers, who are their counterparties, to lose the most value.
Heading into the expiry, both Bitcoin and Ethereum could gravitate toward these max pain points. The pressure on prices, however, will fade after the options expire, with Deribit expected to settle contracts at 08:00 UTC on Friday.
Currently, buyers of put options on BTC and ETH seem poised to benefit. With the current market underperforming, option sellers will likely push prices upward to reduce their losses. An in-the-money put means the current asset price is below the strike price, enabling holders to sell at a better rate than the market offers.
Read more: 9 Best Crypto Options Trading Platforms.
Analysts at Greeks.live advise traders to stay alert, as this market shift could open up new trading opportunities. Recent sector weakness could create favorable conditions for strategic moves.
The analysts also note that the recent market lull led to Bitcoin showing flat implied volatility (IV). This is ideal for building some medium — to long-term calls at a low level. Further, block call trading (large buy or sell orders that often indicate what an institution is doing to its portfolio) has been progressively more active this week.
“With crypto continuing to weaken the key $60,000 level now hotly contested, and ETH near the long-term support line of $2,300, a market change could be just around the corner. The first two weeks of the fourth quarter of this year were poor; the options market is also more depressed. The current options position has fallen to a new low since 2023. But a sluggish market also breeds new trading opportunities,” the analysts noted.
Options expirations often cause short-term price fluctuations, creating market uncertainty. However, markets usually stabilize soon after as traders adapt to the new price environment. With today’s high-volume expiration, traders and investors can expect a similar outcome, potentially influencing future crypto market trends.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Hedera (HBAR) Bears Dominate, HBAR Eyes Key $0.15 Level

Hedera (HBAR) is under pressure, down roughly 13.5% over the past seven days, with its market cap holding at around $7 billion. Recent technical signals point to growing bearish momentum, with both trend and momentum indicators leaning heavily negative.
The price has been hovering near a critical support zone, raising the risk of a breakdown below $0.15 for the first time in months. Unless bulls regain control soon, HBAR could face further losses before any meaningful recovery attempt.
HBAR BBTrend Has Been Turning Heavily Down Since Yesterday
Hedera’s BBTrend indicator has dropped sharply to -10.1, falling from 2.59 just a day ago. This rapid decline signals a strong shift in momentum and suggests that HBAR is experiencing an aggressive downside move.
Such a steep drop often reflects a sudden increase in selling pressure, which can quickly change the asset’s short-term outlook.
The BBTrend, or Bollinger Band Trend, measures the strength and direction of a trend using the position of price relative to the Bollinger Bands. Positive values generally indicate bullish momentum, while negative values point to bearish momentum.

The further the value is from zero, the stronger the trend. HBAR’s BBTrend is now at -10.1, signaling strong bearish momentum.
This suggests that the price is trending lower and doing so with increasing strength, which could lead to further downside unless buyers step in to slow the momentum.
Hedera Ichimoku Cloud Paints a Bearish Picture
Hedera’s Ichimoku Cloud chart reflects a strong bearish structure, with the price action positioned well below both the blue conversion line (Tenkan-sen) and the red baseline (Kijun-sen).
This setup indicates that short-term momentum is clearly aligned with the longer-term downtrend.
The price has consistently failed to break above these dynamic resistance levels, signaling continued seller dominance.

The future cloud is also red and trending downward, suggesting that bearish pressure is expected to persist in the near term.
The span between the Senkou Span A and B lines remains wide, reinforcing the strength of the downtrend. For any potential reversal to gain credibility, HBAR would first need to challenge and break above the Tenkan-sen and Kijun-sen, and eventually push into or above the cloud.
Until then, the current Ichimoku configuration supports a continuation of the bearish outlook.
Can Hedera Fall Below $0.15 Soon?
Hedera price has been hovering around the $0.16 level and is approaching a key support at $0.156.
If this support fails to hold, it could open the door for further downside, potentially pushing HBAR below the $0.15 mark for the first time since November 2024.

However, if HBAR manages to reverse its current trajectory and regain bullish momentum, the first target to watch is the resistance at $0.179.
A breakout above that level could lead to a stronger rally toward $0.20 and, if momentum continues, even reach $0.215. In a more extended bullish scenario, HBAR could climb to $0.25, signaling a full recovery and trend reversal.
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Coinbase Tries to Resume Lawsuit Against the FDIC

Coinbase asked a DC District Court if it could resume its old lawsuit against the FDIC. Coinbase sued this regulator over Operation Choke Point 2.0 and claimed that it’s still refusing to release relevant information.
Based on the information available so far, it’s difficult to draw definitive conclusions. The FDIC maintains that it responded to its opponents’ questions truthfully, though it has shown delays in the past.
Coinbase vs the FDIC
Coinbase, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, has been in a few fights with the FDIC. The firm has been pursuing the FDIC over Operation Choke Point 2.0 for months now, and has achieved impressive results. Despite this, however, Coinbase is asking the DC District Court to resume its litigation against the regulator:
“We’re asking the Court to resume our lawsuit because the FDIC has unfortunately stopped sharing information. While we would have loved to resolve this outside of the legal system – and we do appreciate the increased cooperation we’ve seen from the new FDIC leadership – we still have a ways to go,” claimed Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer.
The FDIC has an important role in US financial regulation, primarily dealing with banks. This gave it a starring role in Operation Choke Point 2.0, hampering banks’ ability to deal with crypto businesses. However, it recently started a pro-crypto turn, releasing tranches of incriminating documents and revoking several of its anti-crypto statutes.
Grewal said that he “appreciated the increased cooperation” from the FDIC but that the cooperation stopped weeks ago. According to Coinbase’s filing, the FDIC hasn’t sent any new information since late February and claimed in early March that the exchange’s subsequent requests were “unreasonable and beyond the scope of discovery.”
On one hand, the FDIC has previously been slow to make relevant disclosures in the Coinbase lawsuit. On the other hand, Operation Choke Point 2.0 sparked significant tension within the industry, and a determined group is now aiming to significantly weaken the regulatory bodies involved.
Until the legal battle continues, it’ll be difficult to make any definitive statements. The FDIC will likely have two weeks to respond to Coinbase’s request.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
BlackRock’s Larry Fink Thinks Crypto Could Harm The Dollar

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, claimed in a recent letter that Bitcoin and crypto could damage the dollar’s international standing. If investors treat Bitcoin as an inflation hedge to the dollar, it could precipitate serious trouble.
However, he was also adamant that the industry offers a lot of advantages, particularly through tokenization.
Larry Fink Sees Opportunity in Crypto
BlackRock is the leading Bitcoin ETF issuer in the US, and its CEO Larry Fink has long been bullish on Bitcoin. However, as Fink described in his most recent Annual Chairman’s Letter to investors, crypto’s best interest doesn’t always align with TradFi or the dollar.
“The US has benefited from the dollar serving as the world’s reserve currency for decades. But that’s not guaranteed to last forever. By 2030, mandatory government spending and debt service will consume all federal revenue, creating a permanent deficit. If the US doesn’t get its debt under control… America risks losing that position to digital assets like Bitcoin,” he said.
To be clear, Fink insisted that he supports crypto and listed some practical problems that he believes it can solve. He expressed a particular interest in asset tokenization, claiming that a digital-native infrastructure would improve and democratize the TradFi ecosystem.
Despite these advantages, Fink recognizes the danger that crypto can present to the US economy if not properly managed. He addressed the longstanding practice of using crypto to hedge against inflation, a wise practice for many assets.
However, if a wide swath of investors think Bitcoin is more stable than the dollar, it would threaten USD’s status as the world reserve currency. A scenario like that would be very dangerous to all of TradFi, and Fink has a particular interest in protecting BlackRock. Such an event would doubtlessly impact crypto as well.
“Decentralized finance is an extraordinary innovation. It makes markets faster, cheaper, and more transparent. Yet that same innovation could undermine America’s economic advantage if investors begin seeing Bitcoin as a safer bet than the dollar,” Fink added.
He didn’t offer too many specific solutions to this growing problem, but Fink isn’t the only person concerned with the issue. President Trump recently suggested that stablecoins could promote dollar dominance worldwide. Even if the dollar is seen as unstable, its adoption within a rapidly growing global industry like stablecoins could help reinforce its strength and relevance.
Of course, there are also drawbacks to Trump’s plan. Larry Fink acknowledged a possible threat from crypto, but continues to espouse its utility. Its benefits are too good to ignore.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
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