New Glassnode x Bybit research highlights structural shift toward options, with Bybit leading tracked Ether options for 143 consecutive days and tokenized gold perpetuals for 476 days
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Crypto derivatives markets are becoming more sophisticated as options take on a larger role in how traders manage and price risk, according to a new report from digital assets data provider Glassnode, produced in partnership with Bybit.
The State of Crypto Derivatives identifies a structural shift in the crypto-native Bitcoin derivatives market, with options increasing their share of notional open interest from roughly 25% to nearly 50% over the period studied. At the same time, dated futures have increasingly given way to perpetuals, reshaping how market participants gain and manage exposure.
The report draws on Glassnode’s venue-resolved derivatives and market data across the crypto-native market, individual venues and Bybit’s own derivatives book.
“Ether makes up about a third of Bybit’s Options Volume over the past 90 days, the highest Ether share of the four venues in the panel. The Ether options market has found a second venue of size,” said Frederik Theissen, Head of Research at Glassnode.
Options become a core part of crypto derivatives
Options have gained market share across four of the five market regimes examined since 2019, with their fastest growth occurring during the prolonged bear market.
The trend is significant because it suggests the growth of options is not simply a product of rising prices or speculative activity. Instead, market participants increasingly appear to be using options to manage downside, express views on volatility, and price specific market events.
Meanwhile, dated futures have increasingly given way to perpetual contracts, reinforcing the broader evolution of crypto derivatives toward instruments that offer more flexible and continuous exposure.
“Dated futures have all but left the crypto-native market: their volume sits about 97% below where it was in 2021. Leverage moved into perpetuals and risk pricing moved into options, whose volume runs more than three times higher than it did then,” added Frederik.
Bybit’s Bitcoin options share nearly triples
As the options market has expanded, Bybit has significantly increased its share of trading activity.
Glassnode’s data shows that Bybit’s share of the four-venue Bitcoin options volume pool rose from less than 10% to 28%, nearly tripling over the reporting period.
The growth has been driven by active turnover rather than simply the accumulation of open positions. Bybit’s options book turns over in days, compared with weeks for the largest book in the tracked panel.
This distinction highlights an important feature of a mature derivatives market: liquidity is not only about the amount of open interest held on a venue, but also how actively that liquidity is traded and recycled.
Bybit leads Ether options and tokenized gold
Bybit’s options activity extends beyond Bitcoin. The report finds that Bybit recorded the highest Ether options trading volume among the four tracked venues for 143 consecutive days. Glassnode confirmed the leadership using coin-denominated volumes as well as dollar values, reducing the impact of Ether price movements on the comparison.
Ether now accounts for approximately one-third of Bybit’s total options volume.
Bybit has also established a leading position in tokenized commodity derivatives. Measured in ounces, its tokenized-gold perpetual book has remained the largest among the crypto venues tracked by Glassnode for 476 consecutive days.
In gold options, Bybit accounted for 97.1% of open interest across the tracked venues.
Together, the figures point to a derivatives platform with growing depth across crypto-native assets and tokenized commodities, as traders increasingly use a broader range of instruments to manage risk and express market views.
Bybit’s options book grows more than fourfold
Bybit’s own options market has expanded substantially alongside the wider market.
According to the report, Bybit’s options book reached $2.33 billion, up from $529 million during its first month.
The growth has not been linear. Options initially represented a smaller share of Bybit’s derivatives activity during the rapid expansion of perpetual contracts, before rebuilding as demand for more sophisticated risk-management instruments increased.
The resulting U-shaped pattern broadly mirrors the wider market’s rotation back toward options.
“The derivatives market is becoming more sophisticated. Traders are increasingly using options not simply to take directional positions, but to express views on volatility, manage downside, and price specific events,” said Sean Ballard, Head of Derivatives and Institutional Business at Bybit. “The data shows this is becoming a structural part of the market, and Bybit is building the liquidity, breadth, and infrastructure needed for the next stage of growth.”
“Bybit is leading the way in market evolution by aligning options with where price discovery and volume really live. By introducing options on perpetual contracts, we are bringing an industry-first innovation to the market, and we believe this should be a game changer for the growth and development of market structure,” added Sean.
Building the next generation of derivatives markets
The findings highlight a broader evolution in crypto trading. As options become a larger part of the market, competitive differentiation will increasingly depend on liquidity, breadth of instruments, and the infrastructure required to serve both professional and individual traders.
Bybit’s growing options market reflects this convergence, with expanding activity across Bitcoin and Ether and established depth in tokenized-gold derivatives.
Methodology: The State of Crypto Derivatives is based on Glassnode’s venue-resolved derivatives and market data, current as of the settled close of August 23, 2026. Venue coverage varies by metric and reflects the venues tracked by Glassnode. The options analysis covers four crypto-native venues. The futures analysis covers the offshore venues tracked by Glassnode and excludes CME, and the tokenized-gold analysis covers the crypto venues tracked by Glassnode.
The full report is available here.
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