Crypto Options Unplugged

Deribit Exchange

Join Imran Lakha and David Brickell on 'Crypto Options Unplugged,' your weekly-go-to crypto podcast. Expect in-depth analyses valuable insights, expert opinions, and entertaining discussions on the crypto market's hottest topics. Don’t miss out - tune in, subscribe, and stay plugged into the pulse of the crypto world!

  1. Sep 30

    AI Is Booming — So Why Isn’t Crypto? #128

    This week on Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran Lakha and David Brickell are joined by Santiago Roel Santos, founder of Inversion, for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, crypto and where the biggest investment opportunities could emerge from the next wave of technological disruption.Santiago argues that we are still extremely early in the AI adoption cycle. Rather than focusing purely on frontier models, he sees persistent demand for compute, memory and energy as AI agents spread through businesses and everyday life — potentially turning previously cyclical industries into structural beneficiaries of the AI buildout.The discussion then turns to crypto, where Santiago takes a much more selective view. He questions whether many crypto networks generate enough economic value to justify their valuations and argues that Ethereum's usage and network effects don't necessarily translate into sufficient value capture for ETH itself.They also explore the intersection of AI and crypto: whether autonomous agents genuinely need blockchain rails, where stablecoins offer a real advantage, and whether the biggest winners from tokenisation could actually be stablecoin issuers, DeFi applications and established financial institutions rather than the underlying Layer 1 tokens.Finally, the conversation expands into robotics, healthcare and the economic consequences of AI-driven productivity. Santiago discusses why he is heavily exposed to AI infrastructure, healthcare, robotics and defence, while considering how governments may eventually have to respond to widespread labour displacement. Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

    AI Is Booming — So Why Isn’t Crypto? #128
  2. Sep 25

    The Fed Hiked — But Bitcoin Isn’t Breaking Down #127

    In this week’s Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran Lakha and David Brickell unpack the market reaction to the Fed’s latest rate hike, the bigger forces driving global markets, and Bitcoin’s breakout through the key $80–85k area.The Fed may have delivered another hike, but Dave argues monetary policy is increasingly becoming a sideshow compared with the much larger story of fiscal dominance. Persistent government deficits, resilient economic activity and shifting inflation dynamics are creating a backdrop where risk assets have continued to absorb supposedly bearish news remarkably well. Bitcoin briefly pushed towards $87k before pulling back into the $83–84k region, breaking through an area that had previously kept the market firmly in a bearish technical regime. The question now is whether the move marks a genuine change in trend or another rally that ultimately fades.Interestingly, the options market remains far less enthusiastic than spot. Bitcoin skew has moved from persistent put premium back towards neutral rather than aggressively pricing upside, while ETH has seen longer-dated call selling and profit-taking. Imran argues that this lack of confirmation may actually leave the market under-positioned if the rally continues. Looking ahead, Dave sees the ingredients for a potentially powerful Q4 rally across equities and Bitcoin, although month- and quarter-end flows could create some near-term weakness first. With strong ETF demand and investors still debating whether the bear market is really over, the setup remains finely balanced. For more information on our new matching engine: https://insights.deribit.com/exchange-updates/deribits-new-matching-engine-from-milliseconds-to-microseconds/ Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

    The Fed Hiked — But Bitcoin Isn’t Breaking Down #127
  3. Sep 9

    Bitcoin Just Flipped From “Sell the Rally” to “Buy the Dip” #126

    In this week’s Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran Lakha and David Brickell are joined by Mark Sischka, Global Head of OTC Trading at Blockchain.com, to discuss the evolution of institutional crypto trading and whether Bitcoin’s recent breakout signals the beginning of a new market regime.Mark shares what he is seeing across the OTC market as traditional finance increasingly moves on-chain. The discussion covers the growth of 24/7 markets, stablecoins and tokenised assets, alongside the increasing sophistication of institutional execution. They also explore how crypto options strategies are evolving beyond systematic covered-call selling, with investors becoming more selective about yield generation, downside protection and portfolio management.The conversation then turns to Bitcoin’s explosive move higher. Mark describes it as one of the biggest short squeezes Bitcoin has seen and argues that the market mentality may have shifted from selling rallies to buying dips. With BTC testing the $80–85k resistance zone, upside calls being bought and longer-dated skew moving away from persistent put premium, the options market is beginning to reflect greater confidence in the recovery.Finally, they examine what could come next. Treasury buybacks, the upcoming Fed decision, inflation data, bond-market stress and potential dollar weakness could all determine whether Bitcoin immediately extends the rally or first retraces towards the $70–72k region. They also discuss whether capital could rotate from AI equities back into crypto, and why the next altcoin cycle may increasingly favour established, liquid projects rather than lifting every token indiscriminately. Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

    Bitcoin Just Flipped From “Sell the Rally” to “Buy the Dip” #126

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About

Join Imran Lakha and David Brickell on 'Crypto Options Unplugged,' your weekly-go-to crypto podcast. Expect in-depth analyses valuable insights, expert opinions, and entertaining discussions on the crypto market's hottest topics. Don’t miss out - tune in, subscribe, and stay plugged into the pulse of the crypto world!

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