After the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) minutes and the digital asset summit on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, approximately $2.09 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options expire today.

The expiration may influence market conditions, with investors monitoring potential shifts.

Over $2 Billion in Options Expiry Today

According to Deribit, $1.826 billion in Bitcoin options expire today. The maximum pain point of these contracts stands at $85,000.

These options include 21,596 contracts, slightly fewer than last week’s 35,176. Despite recent volatility, the put-to-call ratio of 0.83 indicates a general bullish sentiment.

Ethereum has $264.46 million in options expiring, involving 133,447 contracts. This figure is also lower than the previous week’s 223,395 contracts. The maximum pain point for these options is $2,000, and the put-to-call ratio is 0.62.

As the options contracts near expiration at 8:00 UTC today, Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are expected to approach their respective maximum pain points. According to BeInCrypto data, BTC traded for $84,414, whereas ETH exchanged hands for $1,977.

This suggests a modest upside for Bitcoin and Ethereum towards the $85,000 and $2,000 strike prices, respectively. This surge is plausible given smart money’s Strategy in options trading, pushing prices toward the “max pain” level. Here, the highest number of contracts, both calls and puts, expire worthless.

“Will we see a volatility squeeze or a slow unwind?” Deribit posed in a post on X (Twitter).

Based on Bitcoin and Ethereum’s put-to-call ratios, both below 1, call options (purchases) have a higher prevalence than put options (sales).

Market Sentiment Ahead of Today’s Options Expiry

Analysts from crypto options trading tool Greeks.live provided insights on the current market sentiment, highlighting a divided trader community. On the one hand, some expect a price drop after the FOMC meeting, as policymakers rejected further interest rate cuts, effectively disappointing the crypto market.

On the other hand, some anticipate a temporary rise before choppy conditions. With this, the analysts note the range between $83,000 and $85,000 as the area of interest, with expected volatility around President Trump-related developments and potential MicroStrategy (now Strategy) purchases.

“Expect chop and drift lower before heading higher again on Monday, despite the current pump not being viewed as sustainable,” Greeks.live analysts observed.

Elsewhere, BeInCrypto reported that Bitget exchange CEO Gracy Chen is confident BTC will hold above the $73,000 to $78,000 range, paving the way for a potential rally to $200,000. She attaches her optimism to the US strategic Bitcoin reserve’s potential to drive institutional legitimacy and long-term price stability.

Even as Bitget’s Chen remains optimistic, traders and investors should brace for short-term volatility. Historically, options expirations tend to cause temporary price movements. However, the market usually stabilizes shortly after.

This calls for vigilance and analysis of technical indicators and market sentiment to manage potential volatility effectively.

Japanese Corporation Metaplanet has announced the appointment of Eric Trump, son of US President Donald Trump, as the inaugural member of its newly established Strategic Board of Advisors. 

The announcement made on March 21 highlights Metaplanet’s strategic intent to strengthen its influence within the global Bitcoin economy.

According to the official statement, Eric Trump’s appointment aims to leverage his vast experience in real estate, finance, brand development, and strategic business growth. Beyond his business credentials, Eric Trump has positioned himself as a key advocate for digital assets and blockchain innovation. 

He also serves as a Web3 ambassador for World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a Trump-backed decentralized finance (DeFi) project focused on advancing financial freedom through decentralized technologies.

“His business acumen, love of the Bitcoin community and global hospitality perspective will be invaluable in accelerating Metaplanet’s vision of becoming one of the world’s leading Bitcoin Treasury Companies,” said Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich.

Alongside Eric Trump, Metaplanet’s Strategic Board of Advisors will include other renowned industry leaders and financial experts. These individuals will remain committed to advancing the company’s Bitcoin mission and fostering financial innovation in the digital asset sector.

The appointment comes as Metaplanet intensifies its Bitcoin investment strategy. On March 18, the company announced the issuance of 2 billion yen ($13.4 million) in zero-coupon ordinary bonds. The proceeds will be dedicated to acquiring more Bitcoin. 

This aligns with Metaplanet’s ambitious roadmap. The company aims to amass 10,000 Bitcoins by the end of this year and 21,000 BTC by the close of 2026.

According to the latest data from Bitcoin Treasuries, Metaplanet currently holds 3,200 BTC, acquired at an average cost of $83,107 per coin. While this has resulted in a modest 1.8% profit, the firm remains vulnerable to Bitcoin price fluctuations. 

The company faced potential losses multiple times in March 2025, when Bitcoin’s price fell below its acquisition cost. In fact, last week, Bitcoin dipped as low as $76,555—its lowest price since November 2024—putting downward pressure on Metaplanet’s portfolio. Nonetheless, the market has seen a slight recovery since.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $84,414. According to BeInCrypto data, this reflected a 1.54% decline over the past 24 hours. This offers a narrow margin of safety for Metaplanet’s holdings but underlines the ongoing volatility of the cryptocurrency market.

Blockchain technology is becoming a crucial tool for law enforcement agencies to track and prevent international smuggling activities, including fentanyl.

Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous synthetic opioid. Thanks to its transparency, blockchain can track the activities of criminal organizations involved in fentanyl trafficking, from chemical suppliers in China to drug cartels in Mexico and North America.

Blockchain Becomes the “Achilles’ Heel” of Fentanyl Crimes

As we know, blockchain operates as an immutable digital ledger that records all transactions transparently and permanently. The technology helps increase trust and efficiency through transparent transactions and faster disbursement of funds for charitable activities.

This has created a significant weakness for fentanyl smuggling organizations. Such crime units often use cryptocurrency to conduct cross-border transactions quickly and anonymously.

According to Chainalysis, this transparency of blockchain allows investigators to trace transactions related to fentanyl. They track the flow from chemical suppliers in China to criminal organizations such as Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Authorities in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, USA, seized over $5.5 million in crypto linked to money laundering networks associated with Mexican drug cartels and Chinese chemical suppliers.

Chainalysis utilized its analytics tools to track the flow of funds from centralized exchange accounts and suspicious crypto addresses. They found that fentanyl traffickers use cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoins, to purchase precursor chemicals from Chinese suppliers.

These materials are then sent to organizations such as Mexican cartels for the production and distribution of fentanyl in the US. Darknet markets (DNMs) also play a crucial role in this network.

According to the 2025 Chainalysis Crypto Crime Report, Abacus Market is one of the largest darknet markets serving Western customers. It received $43.3 million in on-chain transactions in 2024, becoming the highest-earning market on the darkweb.

Some darknet markets ban fentanyl sales in their terms of service. However, many vendors bypass restrictions by selling fentanyl-laced substances or derivatives such as nitazenes.