Episode 79: Crypto Grinds Up – Fed Cut Looms, Will Bitcoin Break Out?

Crypto markets grind higher on low volatility as last week’s inflation data reinforced expectations for a Fed rate cut this week.

Hosts Imran Lakha (Options Insight) and David Brickell (FRNT), joined by Usman Naeem (Global Head of Derivatives Sales and Trading at Coinbase), discuss whether this cut will spark crypto’s next leg up, given equities’ new highs and Bitcoin’s consolidation post-record levels. They discuss Coinbase’s recent acquisition of Deribit and what it means for the future of crypto options, institutional hedging driving put skew, and the maturing crypto market with digital asset treasuries (DATs) and DeFi growth. A Goldilocks macro backdrop—falling yields, strong liquidity, and no over-leverage—suggests a potential crypto melt-up in year-end.

The following topics is covered:

00:00 – Introduction 00:40 – Special Guest: Usman Naeem, Global Head of Derivatives Sales & Trading At Coinbase 04:25 – Usman’s Journey Into Crypto & Coinbase 10:07 – Innovation & the Evolving Crypto Market 11:58 – Coinbase, Deribit & the Institutional Market Focus 17:07 – Institutional Growth in Crypto: Why Are Hedge Funds Late? 20:15 – Tokenization of Real-World Assets & Opportunities in Crypto 21:33 – 0DTE Options: Use Cases & Market Potential 23:27 – Crypto Market Update with David & FOMC Preview 27:59 – Crypto Sentiment & $7.5T in Money Market Funds 30:04 – Post-FOMC: Rally or Sell-Off? + VIX Insights 32:35 – Bitcoin & ETH Volatility Across the 4-Year Cycle 36:32 – Key Takeaways

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Disclaimer: The content presented on Crypto Options Unplugged is not intended as investment advice. Always conduct your own research.