$2.1 Billion Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Expiry Today

Published by

Rizwan Ansari and Sohrab Khawas

March 20, 2026

$2.1 Billion Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Expiry Today

Today, the crypto market is going to see a slight volatility as Bitcoin and Ethereum options worth about $2.1 billion are set to expire. The market is already under pressure, so traders are watching important levels closely, Bitcoin’s “max pain” at $70,000 and Ethereum’s at $2,150, which could affect prices in the short term.

$1.7 Billion Bitcoin Options Expiry Today

A large batch of Bitcoin options worth around $1.7 billion is expiring today. According to Deribit, nearly 23,000 contracts are set to close, with a put-call ratio of 0.96, showing slightly balanced market sentiment.

The most important level right now is the “max pain” point near $70,000. This is the price where most option traders may face losses, and markets often move toward this level during expiry.

Recently, Bitcoin tried to break above $75,000 but failed to hold that level. This rejection pushed the price back near $70,547, which is now acting as a key support zone.

At the same time, a large number of bearish bets are sitting around the $60,000 level, showing that some traders are still expecting downside risk.

Adding to the pressure, spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen outflows of $253.7 million for two straight days, indicating that some investors are pulling money out in the short term.

$370 Million Ethereum Options Expiry Today

Ethereum is also part of today’s expiry event, with around $370 million worth of options contracts closing. As per the Deribit data, about 176,000 ETH contracts are expiring, with a put-call ratio of 1.04, showing slightly bearish sentiment.

The max pain level for Ethereum stands near $2,150, which could act as a magnet for price movement as expiry approaches.

How Options Expiry Will Impact the Crypto Market Today

Options expiry often brings short-term volatility as traders adjust their positions. Looking at the last week, a similar event pushed Bitcoin up by nearly 8% and Ethereum by around 10% after expiry.

However, this time the total expiry size is slightly smaller at $2.1 billion compared to last week’s $2.4 billion. This could mean lower market pressure, but price swings are still expected.

On the other hand, Polymarket predicts a 38% chance that Bitcoin could reach $65K by the end of March 2026.

For now, the market remains cautious, as traders watch closely to see if this option’s expiry will impact current Bitcoin price levels.

FAQs

What happens when Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire?

Options expiry can trigger short-term volatility as traders close or adjust positions, often pulling prices toward key “max pain” levels before stabilizing.

Will today’s options expiry cause a major crypto crash?

Not necessarily. Expiry usually causes temporary volatility, not crashes. Market direction depends on broader sentiment, liquidity, and macro factors.

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