Blockchain.com has launched cryptocurrency options trading, allowing eligible customers to bet on price movements in seven digital assets with premiums starting at $5 plus fees.
The contracts expire within seven days and require traders to pay the full cost upfront, meaning losses are limited to the premium and applicable charges. However, customers cannot sell, alter or close their positions before they expire, even if the market moves sharply against them.
The service became available on Tuesday, 20 October. It allows users to speculate on the direction of cryptocurrency prices without buying the underlying assets, borrowing money or facing a margin call.
Options are financial contracts that give traders the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price, known as the strike price, by a specified date. They can be used to seek profits from price movements or to protect existing holdings from losses.
Blockchain.com’s offering covers bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), solana (SOL), hyperliquid (HYPE), avalanche (AVAX), XRP and tron (TRX).
Customers select a target price, expiry date and amount to spend from within their Blockchain.com trading account. The platform then creates the relevant call or put option automatically. Calls are shown as “Above”, while puts are labelled “Below”.
A payout is made when the settlement price moves beyond the selected strike price in the trader’s favour. The greater the favourable movement, the larger the return can be.
All purchases are funded in advance with the stablecoin USDC. The arrangement sets the maximum possible loss at the original premium and any applicable fees, rather than exposing customers to additional losses through borrowed funds.
The main restriction is that positions remain open until settlement. Traders cannot take profits early or reduce their exposure, so a profitable position can still be affected by a reversal before its expiry date.
A purchase fee is charged when the option is bought. A separate settlement fee applies only when the gross payout is greater than the premium paid.
Taro Ugen, Blockchain.com’s vice-president of consumer, explained the company’s approach to the new service.
The options are not currently available in several major markets, including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Blockchain.com filed applications with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on 13 October seeking approval to offer regulated derivatives and prediction markets in the United States.
The company launched perpetual futures through Hyperliquid in April. Its latest product gives customers access to short-term cryptocurrency derivatives from $5, but with no opportunity to exit before the contract reaches its settlement date.
