Ethereum options open interest edged lower on Monday, while trading volume concentrated heavily on a $1,775 put contract on Bybit, signaling short-term defensive positioning. According to Coinglass data as of 9:50 a.m. KST on July 14, total Ethereum options open interest stood at $4.26734 billion, a 0.03% decrease from the previous day's $4.26872 billion. Options trading volume reached approximately $870.65 million.
Call options dominate OI, puts gain in volume
Open interest composition showed calls at 58.68% and puts at 41.32%, reflecting a clear bullish bias in medium-term positioning. However, 24-hour trading volume was more balanced, with calls at 51.80% and puts at 48.20%. The narrower volume gap suggests that defensive put buying is also entering the market alongside call activity, likely as a hedge against short-term downside.
The largest open interest contracts were the $3,200 call (Dec. 25, Deribit), followed by the $2,200 call (Dec. 25, Deribit) and the $3,500 call (Dec. 25, Deribit). In contrast, the top contracts by 24-hour trading volume were the $1,775 put (July 14, Bybit), the $1,750 put (July 14, Bybit), and the $1,800 call (July 14, Bybit).
Options as hedging tools
Options are derivatives that allow investors to make leveraged bets on underlying asset price movements or hedge existing positions. A call option gives the holder the right to buy the asset at a predetermined price, while a put option gives the right to sell. Open interest represents the total number of outstanding option contracts, reflecting cumulative position size. Changes in the call-put ratio and the divergence between open interest and volume trends help distinguish medium-term positioning from short-term tactical flows. An increase in open interest signals fresh positions, suggesting longer-term views, while a rise in put volume relative to call volume can indicate defensive trades or volatility hedging.