[Midnight News Briefing] BlackRock IBIT Bitcoin Options OI, Deribit First Surpass Others

BlackRock IBIT Bitcoin Options Open Interest Surpasses Deribit for the First Time

The open interest of options on BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT has(surpassed)the scale of Deribit’s Bitcoin options market for the first time.

Analysts point out that long-term bullish bets are expanding in the regulated US market, and the institutionalization process of Bitcoin is accelerating.

According to Odaily, the open interest of options on BlackRock IBIT recorded $27.61 billion on Friday, exceeding Deribit’s Bitcoin options market at $26.9 billion.

Based on Volmex data, IBIT bullish options investors view a short-term target price for Bitcoin at $109,709. This is about 41% higher than the approximately $77,400 at the time.

In comparison, the main betting range in the Deribit market is around $106,000. Additionally, the average duration of IBIT options is about two months longer than Deribit’s, which is interpreted as reflecting longer investment horizons and stronger bullish expectations among investors in the US regulated market.

Previously, the US spot Bitcoin ETF market has become a key channel for institutional capital inflows. CoinDesk reports that this expansion of the IBIT options market indicates that Bitcoin investment demand has surpassed spot ETFs and is expanding into derivatives.

Attention to next week’s Federal Reserve FOMC meeting, Powell’s press conference, PCE and GDP data releases

Next week, the market will focus on the Federal Open Market Committee(FOMC) interest rate decision, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference, and the release of US growth, inflation, and employment indicators.

According to panewslab.com, investors are closely watching recent tensions between the US and Iran, as well as statements by President Trump, with some assessments suggesting that risk appetite may be shaken. Gold prices could also experience significant volatility due to geopolitical factors.

Key schedules include: Dallas Fed Business Activity Index, ADP employment data, Consumer Confidence Index, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, API and EIA crude oil inventories, FOMC rate decision, Powell’s press conference, initial unemployment claims, Personal Consumption Expenditures(PCE) Price Index, Q1 GDP preliminary estimate, S&P Global Manufacturing PMI, among others.

Previously, the US stock market maintained strength amid changes in Middle East tensions and policy uncertainties. However, if geopolitical tensions escalate again, combined with macroeconomic events, market volatility could increase across the entire financial sector.

US Central Command Continues Blockade of Ships Entering and Leaving Iranian Ports

The US Central Command announced via social media that the US Navy missile destroyer “Pinky” dispatched armed helicopters to intercept a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea.

The command stated that the vessel changed course upon US military instructions and returned to Iran under escort by US ships.

The US military said it will continue to fully blockade ships entering and leaving Iranian ports. Since the blockade began, 37 ships have changed course.

Previously, President Trump announced on April 13 that, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports would be blocked.

Iran protested, claiming that US measures constitute acts of war and violate the ceasefire agreement.

Source=Odaily, CCTV News

Bitcoin Options Market Shows Resistance at $80k

Analysts indicate that based on options market data, Bitcoin faces strong resistance at $80k, and a breakout above $82,000 could lead to increased volatility.

According to Odaily, cryptocurrency analyst Murphy on X platform stated that, considering options gamma exposure, open interest at various strike prices, and at-the-money implied volatility, $80k is the first effective resistance level above Bitcoin.

He explained that the $80k range is a zone with high open interest in bullish options, positive gamma, and low implied volatility. As the price approaches this zone, market makers are more likely to generate selling pressure through dynamic hedging, and lower implied volatility increases sensitivity to hedge adjustments.

Murphy estimates that this price zone has accumulated about 7,200 BTC in open interest and positive gamma, making $80k a difficult resistance level for Bitcoin to break through easily in May.

However, he added that there is a larger negative gamma zone around $82,000, with about 4,644 BTC. Entering this zone could cause the market to quickly exit the previous top suppression and enter a phase of increased volatility.

Aave-led DeFi United Has Raised Over 100k ETH

According to Odaily, on April 18, Aave launched a rescue plan called “DeFi United” in response to the rsETH incident.

Led by Aave founder Stani Kulechov, the plan accepts community donations of Ethereum(ETH) through a public fundraising approach.

Latest statistics show that DeFi United has raised over 100k ETH, worth more than $232 million, with participation from over 85k addresses.

This plan was formulated after the rsETH-related incident on April 18.

US Department of Justice Charges Soldier for Insider Trading on Polymarket

Odaily reports that the US Department of Justice has charged Gannon Ken VanDyke, a US military special forces member, with using confidential information to bet on the prediction market platform Polymarket regarding US actions against Venezuela, earning over $400k illegally.

CNN reports that after President Trump learned that the soldier bet on Nicolás Maduro’s ouster, his attitude seemed to soften. Trump likened it to a baseball player betting on his own team winning, saying, “It’s like betting on your own team to win. If they lose, that’s a problem, but I’ll be paying attention to this.”

After Trump’s reaction, some confidants publicly discussed the possibility of pardoning the soldier. Observers note that this case could intensify legal and political debates in the US over the use of confidential information in prediction market trading.

The US Department of Justice(DOJ) announced that Evan Tangeman, a 22-year-old California man involved in a criminal organization that stole about $263 million in cryptocurrency through social engineering and burglary, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

Odaily reports that Tangeman admitted to helping the organization launder at least $3.5 million. Prosecutors confirmed he destroyed evidence after co-defendants were arrested.

Investigators say the organization used the proceeds to pay millions of dollars for nightclub expenses and bought luxury items like Lamborghini and Rolex.

The US District Attorney in Washington, D.C., characterized this case as organized crime driven by greed. This sentencing comes amid statistics showing that in Q1 2026, the total losses from crypto fraud and hacking reached $482 million.

Balancer Attacker Converts 21k ETH to 617.43 BTC in Nearly 3 Days

The Balancer attacker converted 21k ETH into 617.43 BTC over nearly three days. The total value is approximately $48.72 million, and the attacker still holds 1,000 ETH, with potential for further selling.

On the 26th, PANews cited on-chain monitoring firm Onchain Lens reporting this news. The attacker also holds the remaining 1,000 ETH, valued at about $2.32 million at current market prices.

This on-chain information tracking hacker funds could exert pressure on market sentiment.

Litecoin MWEB Zero-Day Vulnerability Exploited, 13 Blocks Reorganized to Recover

Litecoin network announced that a zero-day vulnerability in MWEB (MimbleWimble Extension Block) was exploited, leading to invalid transactions being approved, but the network rolled back by reorganizing 13 blocks.

Sources say that un-updated nodes could validate invalid transactions as normal, and attackers might exploit this to withdraw funds and launch DoS attacks on mining pools.

Litecoin explained that only invalid transactions were rolled back, and valid transactions were unaffected. They also stated that the vulnerability has now been fully fixed, and the network is operating normally.

This action was a response to the exploitation of the MWEB-related vulnerability.

Claiming Strategy’s Daily Trading Volume Surpasses Google

Bitcoin supporter Pete Rizzo claimed on X platform on the 26th that Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin holding company Strategy’s daily trading volume has surpassed Google. He said that Strategy’s common stock MSTR is now the 16th most traded stock in the US stock market, and STRC is buying in the billions of dollars weekly.

Sources say Rizzo based this prediction on the trend, forecasting Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings could reach 1 million BTC. However, this is only a market participant opinion, and the specific purchase scale and timing remain to be confirmed.

Previously, Strategy has continuously bought Bitcoin through capital market financing such as stocks and convertible bonds. The increased capital inflow related to Strategy can be seen as a factor boosting Bitcoin demand expectations.