Has Bitcoin Peaked? BlackRock BTC Spot ETF Traders Lose Appetite for Upside

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By Omkar Godbole|Edited by Parikshit Mishra

May 29, 2025, 11:11 a.m.

IBIT activity hints at temporary BTC peak. (Kanenori/Pixabay)
  • Bitcoin has been trading sideways after reaching record highs above $110,000 last week.
  • Market sentiment is shifting as the put-call skew for BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF options has bounced to zero, indicating reduced bullish bets.
  • Traders on Deribit are showing similar caution, with short-term call options now trading at par with puts.

Bitcoin

BTC$108,795.79

has mostly traded sideways since printing record highs above $110,000 last week.

The loss of upward momentum is now accompanied by signs waning bullish sentiment among market participants trading options tied to BlackRock’s spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

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That’s evident from the one-year put-call skew, which reflects how the market prices in volatility risk for put options, offering downside protection relative to calls, representing bullish bets. Negative values represent a bullish bias while positive values suggest fears of downside.

IBIT’s one-year skew has bounced to nearly zero from the four-month low of minus 3.8 two weeks ago, according to data source Market Chameleon. In other words, IBIT options traders are no longer chasing upside via options.

Perhaps they are expecting a pullback. Similar mood is evident in Deribit-listed options where the short-term call skew has weakened, meaning calls expiring in the next two weeks are trading at par with puts, according to data source Amberdata.

Read more: Bitcoin’s $95K-$105K Range in Focus as $10B BTC Options Expiry Looms

Omkar Godbole is a Co-Managing Editor on CoinDesk’s Markets team based in Mumbai, holds a masters degree in Finance and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) member. Omkar previously worked at FXStreet, writing research on currency markets and as fundamental analyst at currency and commodities desk at Mumbai-based brokerage houses. Omkar holds small amounts of bitcoin, ether, BitTorrent, tron and dot.

Omkar Godbole

 

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