Best Crypto Options Trading Platforms December 2023
Bybit
4
OKX
4.5
| Exchange | Assets | Fees | Minimum Order Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bybit | BTC, ETH, and | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset valueTaker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value | BTC: 0.01ETH: 0.01 |
| Bit.com | BTC, ETH, BCH and more | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.02% of the underlying asset valueTaker Fees: Starting at 0.05% of the underlying asset valueDelivery Fees: 0.015% for all options except those with daily expiration dates | 0.01 BTC for USD-margined options0.1 BTC, 1 ETH or 1 BCH for token-margined options |
| Deribit | BTC and ETH | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset valueTaker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value | BTC options: 0.1 BTCETH options: 1 ETH |
| OKX | BTC and ETH | Maker fees: Starting at 0.02% of the underlying asset valueTaker fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value Options exercise fee: 0.02% (daily options excluded) | BTC options: 0.01 BTCETH options: 0.1 ETH |
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1. Bybit
| Exchange | Assets | Fees | Minimum Order Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bybit | BTC and ETH | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value Taker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value | BTC: 0.01 ETH: 0.01 |
Trading Crypto Options On Bybit
Bybit lets you trade options on crypto as well as buying tokens. You can trade BTC and ETH, with trades being settled in USDC, a popular stablecoin. The ability to trade the top two cryptos with up to 100x leverage makes Bybit one of the most popular cryptocurrency options trading platforms. Fees are reasonable, starting at just 0.03% for the maker and the taker.
Max Leverage
Up to 100x.
Bybit Fees
You’ll encounter three types of fees when trading options with Bybit; the trading fee, delivery fee, and liquidation fee. The trading fee starts at 0.03% for both parties of the trade. The delivery fee of 0.015% is only charged when you exercise an option. If your options go underwater and you experience a liquidation, you’ll pay a 0.2% fee to Bybit.
Note that the fee for a Bybit options contact can never go above 12.5% of the price.
Types Of Options Available On Bybit
Bybit offers options based on the two main crypto assets:
- BTC
- ETH
How Does Settlement Work?
Options trades on Bybit are settled in USDC, one of the most popular stablecoins in circulation.
2. Deribit
| Assets Supported | Fees | Minimum Order Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deribit | BTC, ETH | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value Taker Fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value | BTC options: 0.1 BTC, ETH options: 1 ETH |
Deribit is the largest Bitcoin derivatives exchange currently out there. It’s a top pick for advanced traders with deep liquidity across its markets and a host of advanced trading tools.
Pros
- Most well-known crypto derivatives exchange
- Insurance fund for increased security
- Deep liquidity for traders
Cons
- Not available to US traders
- Accounts can only be funded using BTC
- Complex platform may be confusing to beginners
Trading Crypto Options On Deribit
Deribit is a crypto trading platform that supports Bitcoin options trading as well as options trading for ETH. Each options contract has a predetermined date and strike price that can be picked out of a basket of available options on the platform.
Options contracts are settled in the cryptocurrency of the underlying asset and are exercised automatically at the expiration date.
| Maker Fees | Taker Fees | |
|---|---|---|
| BTC Options | 0.03% of the underlying asset price or 0.0003 BTC per options contract | 0.03% of the underlying asset price or 0.0003 BTC per options contract |
| ETH Options | 0.03% of the underlying asset price or 0.0003 ETH per options contract | 0.03% of the underlying asset price or 0.0003 ETH per options contract |
Note: Option fees are limited to 12.5%.
Deribit Fees
Deribit uses a unique maker/taker fee structure where traders who add liquidity to the order book (known as makers) pay smaller fees than those who take liquidity with their trades (takers).
Available Options On Deribit
Call and put options are available for:
- BTC
- ETH
Deribit Strike Prices
Deribit provides a predetermined set of strike prices for different assets. For Bitcoin, strike prices are either in increments of $1,000 or $250. And for Ethereum, increments are in $25 or $50.
Max Leverage
Up to 100x.
How Does Deribit Settlement Work?
Deribit options are all settled in the cryptocurrency of the underlying asset (settled in BTC for Bitcoin options and ETH for Ethereum options). Options are exercised automatically at expiration if they are profitable, with the buyer’s account credited and the seller’s account debited for the transaction.
3. Bit.com
| Assets Supported | Fees | Minimum Order Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit.com | BTC, ETH, BCH and more | Maker Fees: Starting at 0.02% of the underlying asset value Taker Fees: Starting at 0.05% of the underlying asset value Delivery Fees: 0.015% for all options except those with daily expiration dates | 0.01 BTC for USD-margined options 0.1 BTC, 1 ETH or 1 BCH for Coin-margined options |
Bit.com is a cryptocurrency exchange that primarily focuses on trading options and futures. The exchange features low fees, several supported options assets, and a variety of strike prices and expiration dates for their options. Bit.com also stands out from other crypto options trading apps with its availability of both Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin options trading.
Pros
- Low maker and taker fees
- Automatically settles profitable options and credits your account
- Supports more assets than most options platforms
Cons
- Platform charges delivery fees in addition to trading fees
- Platform charges delivery fees in addition to trading fees
Trading Crypto Options On Bit.com
Bit.com separates its options trades into USD-M markets (settled in USD) and Coin-M markets (settled in the underlying coin).
The fees for the platform are low and can be even lower depending on trade volume. At expiry, profitable options will be executed automatically, and the profit will be credited to your account.
The platform also offers 10x leverage to options traders who want to increase the size of their positions using margin.
Bit.com Fees
Bit.com charges maker/taker fees depending on whether a trade is adding liquidity to an exchange (subject to maker fees) or taking liquidity away (subject to taker fees).
The platform has a tiered structure for fees that depends on 30-day trading volume.
The platform also charges a delivery fee of 0.015% for all options except daily options.
Note: Option fees are capped at 12.5% of the option value.
Types Of Options Available On Bit.com
The options on crypto offered by the Bit.com platform are separated into coin-margined and USD-margined options. USD-margined options are settled in USD, while coin-margined options are settled in the coin of the underlying option asset.
The supported assets for each category are below.
Coin-Margined:
- BTC
- ETH
- BCH
- XRP
- ADA
- FIL
- TON
USD-Margined:
- BTC
- ETH
Bit.com Strike Prices
The Bit.com platform lists a set of predetermined strike prices and expiration dates that users can pick from. For BTC options, the strike prices are in increments of $1,000, while for ETH options, the strike prices are in $50 increments.
Bit.com Expiration Times
Traders can choose from the following expiration dates:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Quarterly
Once an option expires, if it’s “in the money” (profitable), the platform will exercise it automatically and credit the option buyer with the realized option value.
Max Leverage
Up to 10x.
How Does Settlement Work?
Traders can choose between settlements in USD or settlements in the underlying coin.
4. OKX
| Assets Supported | Fees | Minimum Order Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKX | BTC, ETH | Maker fees: Starting at 0.02% of the underlying asset value Taker fees: Starting at 0.03% of the underlying asset value Options exercise fee: 0.02% (daily options excluded) | BTC options: 0.01 BTC ETH options: 0.1 ETH |
Trading Crypto Options On OKX
OKX is a crypto trading platform that supports BTC and ETH options with a wide range of expiration windows and strike prices. The platform features low fees starting at 0.02% for makers and 0.03% for takers and going even lower depending on trading volume.
OKX settles all options trades in the cryptocurrency of the underlying option asset.
OKX offers a wide variety of crypto trading types, including perpetual futures and, of course, cryptocurrency options. USA residents can’t trade on the exchange, however. But OKX does offer a demo account (accessible worldwide), so you can test your strategy with crypto options paper trading.
OKX Fees
- The OKX platform charges maker and taker fees for traders who add liquidity to the exchange and those who take liquidity, respectively. Maker fees start at 0.02%, and taker fees start at 0.03%. These fees go down depending on monthly trading volume, total assets held, and how much OKB coin you have.
Note: Option fees on OKX are capped at 12.5%.
Types Of Options Available On OKX
Call and put options are available for:
- BTC
- ETH
OKX Strike Prices
The OKX platform provides strike prices in the following increments:
- For BTC: Increments of $100
- For ETH: Increments of $10
OKX Expiration Times
The OKX exchange maintains options with the following expiration dates:
- Daily
- Bi-daily
- Weekly
- Bi-weekly
- Tri-weekly
- Monthly
- Bi-monthly
- Quarterly
- Bi-quarterly
Max Leverage
Up to 100x.
How Does Settlement Work?
Options are settled in the coin of the option’s underlying asset. BTC options are settled in BTC, and ETH options in ETH.
Want even more data to help you make trading decisions? Check out our guide on the top crypto research tools.
What Are Crypto Options?
Crypto options are contracts that allow you to either buy or sell crypto on some future date for a price that’s agreed upon ahead of time. Options allow traders to make money on price movements, insure against losses, take leveraged positions, and more.
Like traditional options, crypto options unlock advanced trading strategies and greatly increase the ways you can potentially earn with crypto trading. At their core, crypto options are “derivatives” of cryptocurrency assets — meaning they derive their value from the underlying cryptocurrency.
Options are an agreement to either buy or sell a cryptocurrency, such as BTC or ETH, at some point in the future for a certain price. Each option has a price, known as a “premium,” that is normally a fraction of the price of the underlying asset.
Options can either be bought or sold, depending on what side of the trade you want to take. The buyer of the option has to pay the seller a premium for their purchase and gets to choose whether or not they want to exercise the option, while the seller is required to accommodate the buyer if they choose to exercise the option.
“Both futures and options can be used to speculate or hedge crypto, but options provide traders with more flexibility for structuring unique trade setups,” says our expert, Ryan Grace, head of digital assets at tastytrade, which runs the financial network tastylive.com.
How Does Crypto Option Trading Work?
Crypto options are either “calls” or “puts.” Each option has an expiration date and price that the underlying asset can be traded at on the expiration date.
Buying a “call” option gives you the opportunity to buy a crypto like Bitcoin at a certain date in the future for an agreed-upon price. The date in the future is known as the “expiration date,” and the agreed-upon price is known as the “strike price.”
When the expiration date arrives, if the strike price of the call option is lower than what Bitcoin is trading for, you can exercise the option and make money by turning around and immediately selling Bitcoin for a profit.
Buying “put” options works the opposite way — they give you the opportunity to sell an asset like Bitcoin at a given price. If you have a put option and when the expiration date comes, Bitcoin is trading at less than the put option’s strike price, you can make money by purchasing Bitcoin on the open market for a lower price and selling it through your put option for a higher price.
Buying a call or put options contract gives you the right to buy or sell an underlying asset. For most option trades, however, underlying assets such as BTC or ETH rarely change hands. Since the value of the option contract itself is equal to the difference between the strike price and the market price of the underlying asset (such as BTC), most traders will just sell their option position to collect their upside.
For example, if you buy a BTC call option for $1,000 (the option premium) with a strike price of $20,000 and BTC is trading for $25,000 at the expiration date, your call option will have a price (value) of $5,000. You can then use a crypto options selling platform and net a profit of $4,000. This makes trading the options themselves the preferred method due to cost efficiencies when compared with trading the underlying asset.
The above examples are the benefits you receive when buying a call or put option. When selling a call or put, you will receive an option premium from the buyer, which is your immediate upside, but you are obligated to follow through on your option contract. This means you must allow the option buyer to buy the asset from you if it’s a call option or purchase the asset from them yourself if it’s a put option.
It’s important to note that crypto options are different from crypto futures. Buying an option gives you the right but not the obligation to buy or sell the underlying asset, while futures require you to buy or sell the asset once you engage in the contract.
Are Crypto Options Risky?
Crypto’s volatility makes it risker than many asset classes, and crypto options trading can be risker than simpler crypto spot trades.
When you buy a put or a call option, there’s a risk that you may lose the entire options premium (the amount you paid to buy the option). By contrast, with spot trading, the asset price would need to fall to zero to see the same 100% loss on investment.
Crypto Options Trading Vs. Traditional Options Trading
Crypto options work much like traditional options for trading stocks. There are some notable differences, however.
| Price Volatility | Risk | Trading Open | Exchanges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Options | Lower | Lower | Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time | Usually focus just on traditional options |
| Crypto Options | High | Higher | 24/7 | Usually focus just on crypto options |
Why Trade Crypto Options?
There are a variety of reasons to trade crypto options. These range from opportunistic speculation to risk management.
Traders find options attractive because they can:
- Price Speculation: Trading options is generally used to make leveraged bets on the price of an asset like BTC or ETH. For example, if you buy a BTC call option for $1,000, the option will appreciate in step with the appreciation of Bitcoin. So if BTC appreciates $5,000, your option value will also go up by $5,000. This represents leveraged price exposure. Beware of leveraged trading, however, as it can just as easily turn against you if the price of the underlying asset goes in the opposite direction.
- Earn Passive Premiums: Selling options gives you an upfront premium that you can receive immediately. There are strategies such as selling covered calls that allow you to earn from premiums regardless of what direction the market moves in.
- Hedging: If you are holding a basket of crypto assets and banking on them appreciating in the long run, it may be worth buying some put options as a hedge just in case the markets don’t go your way. Put options have been described as a form of portfolio insurance.
- Earn Through Volatility: Each option has an “implied volatility” factor which is calculated using an option pricing model that takes into account its strike price, expiration date, and price premium. When volatility is high, options are expensive and when volatility is low, options are cheap. The implied volatility of an option can be used to value the option. If you believe that the implied volatility is low or cheap relative to the actual volatility of the underlying asset, you can buy the option and make the bet that volatility will increase.
Styles And Types Of Options
While all crypto options are contracts for trading crypto in the future, there are specific options for the right to buy crypto in the future — known as “call” options — and others for the right to sell crypto in the future — known as “put” options.
In addition, there are two types of calls and puts — European and American. European options require that the crypto be traded on the exact day the contract expires. In contrast, American options allow trading at any point leading up to and during the day of the contract expiration.
- Calls: Give you the ability to buy a cryptocurrency at some future date for a predetermined price.
- Puts: Give you the ability to sell a cryptocurrency at some future date for a predetermined price.
- European: Can only be exercised on the option’s expiration date.
- American: Can be exercised any time before and/or on the option’s expiration date.
Below is a table describing what rights each type of options contract gives:
| Call Option | Put Option | |
|---|---|---|
| European | You have the right to buy a cryptocurrency on an exact date. | You have the right to sell a cryptocurrency on an exact date. |
| American | You have the right to buy a cryptocurrency on any day leading up to and during an exact date. | You have the right to sell a cryptocurrency on any day leading up to and during an exact date. |
How Expiration Works
Since crypto options are agreements to potentially trade assets in the future, there must also be a date associated with these contracts for when these trades would take place. This date is called the contract “expiry” date. In European options, if the option is exercised, it must be exactly on the date of the contract expiry. In American options, contracts may be exercised before the expiry date.
For example: If you buy a European call option to buy Bitcoin at $20,000 with an expiry date on November 20th, you are allowed to purchase Bitcoin at a price of $20,000 on November 20th, regardless of what the price of Bitcoin is that day.
How Strike Prices Work
Options give the owner the right to trade crypto at a certain price at some point in the future. This price is known as the “strike price.” Call options allow you to purchase crypto at a certain strike price in the future, while put options allow you to sell crypto for a certain strike price in the future.
For example: If you buy a call option for Bitcoin with a strike price of $30,000 and an expiration date of December 25th, you are allowed to purchase Bitcoin for $30,000 — regardless of what the actual price of Bitcoin is on December 25th. Inversely, if you purchase a put option with a strike price of $30,000, you can sell Bitcoin for that price regardless of what Bitcoin is actually trading for.
Examples Of Buying And Selling Calls
When you buy a call, you are buying the right, but not the obligation, to purchase an asset like Bitcoin for some price in the future. You pay a premium for this, so you start out at a loss but can make money if the price of Bitcoin at the expiration date is above the strike price + the option premium paid.
When you sell a call, you collect a premium upfront, meaning you start out profitable, but you are obligated to sell the asset, such as Bitcoin, on the expiry date if the buyer of the option decides to exercise it.
For example: If you sell a call option for Bitcoin on a crypto option selling platform with a strike price of $20,000, you earn a premium, but you are obligated to sell Bitcoin to the option buyer for $20,000. If the price of Bitcoin rises during the option’s lifetime, you will get a bad deal since you have an obligation to sell Bitcoin for a price that’s lower than what you could get if you sold it to the open market.
Examples Of Buying And Selling Puts
When you buy a put, you are buying the right, but not the obligation, to sell an asset like Bitcoin for a predetermined price at some point in the future. You pay a premium here also, so you start out at a loss, and you make money if the market goes down in price.
When you sell a put, you collect a premium upfront, but you are obligated to buy the asset from the option holder if they decide to exercise the option.
For example: If you sell a put option for Bitcoin with a strike price of $20,000, you will earn a premium on it, but you are obligated to purchase Bitcoin from the option buyer for $20,000 regardless of how much Bitcoin trades for on the open market. If the price of Bitcoin falls significantly, this will be a bad deal for you since you are contractually obligated to buy Bitcoin for a higher price than what it’s trading for — resulting in a loss for you.
How Do You Make Money Trading Crypto Options?
Making money in trading crypto options is all dependent on being correct about where the crypto market will move in the future. Crypto options have an associated cost to them known as a “premium” that must be paid in order to purchase them. As a buyer, money is made when the option is traded (or exercised) for more than the option premium you paid. As a seller, money is made when the option expires out of the money or is closed for a lower price than initially sold for, before expiration.
Let’s look at some examples.
A Profitable Example
Let’s say you sell a Bitcoin put option with a strike price of $30,000 and an expiry date of August 21st. To start out, you collect a premium on this option, so you make some money immediately.
On August 21st, the price of Bitcoin has gone up to $34,000. The person who purchased the put option from you will not want to exercise it and sell their Bitcoin to you for $30,000 since they can sell it on the open market for $34,000.
In this case, the option will expire unused, and you will get to keep your collected premium without having to do any more trading, so you have profited from selling a put option.
A Losing Example
Let’s say you purchase a call option for Bitcoin with a strike price of $40,000 and an expiration date of October 9th. You start out at a loss since you pay a premium for the option.
On October 9th, the price of Bitcoin is down to $28,000. Your call option is worthless because it gives you the opportunity to buy Bitcoin at $40,000. That is not useful since you can buy Bitcoin for much cheaper now.
In this scenario, you do not exercise the option, and you lose money since you had to pay the option premium.
Tips For Choosing A Crypto Exchange For Trading Options
When evaluating crypto options trading platforms, there are several important factors to weigh. You might be tempted to focus on fees and pick an exchange with the lowest fees, but this may not always be an optimal strategy. You should also consider:
- Options Offered: Not all crypto options exchanges support the same crypto assets. While most support BTC and ETH, only few support other tokens.
- Fees: Every trade on a crypto exchange has associated costs. Some exchanges only charge transaction fees, while others charge option exercise fees, liquidation fees, and more.
- KYC Requirements: Know-Your-Customer, or crypto KYC, is a process of identity verification that many exchanges are required to use by law. Most crypto options trading platforms will only allow you to trade options after you’ve provided them with documents to verify your identity.
- Payment Options: Some exchanges only support deposits in crypto, while others support deposits in fiat currency. Due to conversion and gas fees, it may be beneficial to consider what payment you will be using before picking an exchange.
- Software Integration: If you want to use an API to make trades, there are exchanges with varying support for automation. Consider this if you’re a more advanced trader.
- Customer Support: When dealing with a lot of money, you want to be sure that your selected exchange has your back. Some exchanges are known for having great customer service, while others are notorious for the opposite.
Crypto Options Terminology
- In The Money (ITM): Options are profitable when they are “in the money.” For a call, this means that the strike price of the option is below the underlying asset’s price — meaning you can make money by buying the asset for the strike price. For a put, this is when the strike price of the option is above the underlying asset’s price — meaning you can make money by selling the asset for the strike price.
- At The Money (ATM): Whenever the strike price of an option — call or put — is the same as the open-market trading value of the underlying asset, the option is considered “at the money.”
- Out Of The Money (OTM): “Out of the money” is the opposite of “in the money,” meaning it’s when an option is not a good deal to exercise. This is when the strike price is higher than the underlying asset price for a call option and when it’s lower than the underlying asset price for a put option.
- USD-Denominated Options: Crypto options can be settled either in the cryptocurrency of the underlying asset (for example, BTC or ETH) or in some USD or stablecoin denomination. Many platforms offer USD-denominated options by default.
- Covered Call: When selling a call option, the call is considered “covered” if you own the underlying asset. Selling covered calls can be a good strategy to earn option premiums without a lot of risk.
- Uncovered Call: You can sell a call option without having to actually own the underlying asset. This is a dangerous strategy since, if the buyer exercises the call option, you are obligated to purchase the asset at whatever price it is trading and sell it to them for the predetermined strike price.
- Option Margin: This is the asset that you must hold in your account in order to sell an option. For example, if you want to sell a BTC call option, the underlying BTC that you promise to sell to the buyer if the option is exercised is known as the option margin.
- Unified Margin: Many platforms will provide margin trading options that allow you to leverage your positions across all assets rather than just levering up on a single asset. This is known as unified margin.
- Portfolio Margin: In order to determine the margin required to sell an option, platforms may look at your portfolio margin, which is simply the risk profile of all your portfolio assets taken together. The lower this risk profile, the less margin is usually required.
The Greeks
- Theta: Options are normally worth less as more time passes. Theta measures how much the price of the option is estimated to change given a 1 day passage of time, all else equal.
- Delta: Delta is a measure of how much the price of an option is estimated to change given a change in the price of the underlying asset, all else equal.
- Gamma: Gamma measures how much the delta of an option will change given a change in the price of the underlying asset. This measures the rate of change of delta, all else equal.
- Vega: Vega measures how much the price of the option is expected to change given a 1% change in volatility, all else equal.
To Sum It Up
Trading options allows you to buy or sell an underlying asset for an agreed-upon price at some future point. This can be done to speculate on the future price or to hedge existing holdings. Crypto options exchanges give you the ability to trade with precision and make larger trades than you’d be able to make with simple spot trading.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Coinbase does not currently support crypto options trading due to regulatory concerns.
Whenever you’re trading options, it’s important to keep in mind the volatility of the market, your strike price, and the time to expiry. These factors together can create a profitable trading strategy.
Is crypto options profitable in all situations? No, and it’s possible to lose your entire options premium (100% loss), so it’s helpful to test your strategies before you go live. OKX offers demo trading so you can practice crypto options paper trading — or test a strategy without any financial risk.
Most exchanges that offer options also offer trading apps. For example, crypto options trading apps like Bybit give you access to crypto options trading on your phone or tablet.
Our picks for the top crypto options platforms are:
- Deribit
- FTX
- Bit.com
- OKX
OKX offers a way to test your crypto options trading strategy with demo trading, so you can experiment before putting real money at risk.
Crypto options are taxed based on capital gains, just like holding regular crypto is. If you profit from options trading, you will be subject to capital gains tax.
Yes. Depending on your current exposure, you can buy or sell options to hedge your existing holdings.
Yes. Most exchanges provide leverage options, with some even providing up to 100x leverage. Remember, though, the more margin you use, the smaller of a market move it will take to wipe you out.
