Unichain, Uniswap’s L2 network, now handles over 76% of Uniswap v4 volume, driven by UNI incentives and its new Rollup-Boost feature. 

The S&P 500 jumped 3.26% as US-China tariff easing lifted market sentiment. Investors now await CPI and retail data for signs of inflation trends under the new trade regime. Gold fell near $3,208 as easing US-China trade tensions reduced safe-haven demand. With CPI data ahead, further downside is likely. Technicals suggest bearish momentum, with key support at $3,202. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, fell 1.97%, with Bitcoin and Ether down 2.53% and 0.95%, in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is RUNE, which surged by 4.4% following the completion of Halborn's security audit for Rujira Network's omnichain DeFi layer on THORChain.

THORChain (RUNE), created in 2018, is a decentralized protocol enabling native asset swaps across blockchains without wrapping. Built on Cosmos SDK and Tendermint, it uses Proof-of-Stake and Byzantine Fault Tolerance for secure cross-chain transactions. Halborn has 

 a smart contract security audit for Rujira Network, which is building an omnichain DeFi app layer on THORChain. Rujira enables seamless access to DeFi apps using native assets across connected chains.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

Unichain, Uniswap’s L2 network, now handles over 76% of Uniswap v4 volume, driven by UNI incentives and its new Rollup-Boost feature. This upgrade enhances MEV handling, cuts failed transaction gas costs, and sets the stage for Flashblocks—an upcoming 200ms block time system. Despite v4’s growth, Uniswap v3 still leads in total volume. The aim of Unichain is to solve Ethereum mainnet and L2 liquidity fragmentation while improving speed and decentralization.

Yesterday, BTC spot ETFs saw total outflows of $64.2 million, with $32.9 million from GBTC and $31.3 million from all other ETFs combined.

Multipli’s Season 1 has ended with 359.2M ORBs distributed (50% of supply). 

, allocating 30% of ORBs. Users can continue earning by keeping funds on mainnet or testnet—no action required. New users can join via testnet (free) or deposit stablecoins on BSC/Ethereum.

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Unichain leads Uniswap v4 activity with rollup-boost upgrade and upcoming flashblocks feature

Ethereum surged 29% this week, breaking a 10-week downtrend and catching short sellers off guard with $400M liquidated. 

The S&P 500 extended its rally with a nine-day winning streak, its longest since 2004, as optimism over potential trade deals and upcoming Fed and earnings updates lifted sentiment. Gold rose to $3,245 on trade uncertainty and Fed rate cut hopes. CoinDesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, fell 1.50% in the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin and Ether dropped 0.10% and 0.51%, respectively. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is AI16Z, which surged 7.0% after Bonsai's smart media protocol integrated with Eliza to empower agent-driven social content creation.

elizaOS (AI16Z), launched in October 2024, formerly ai16z, is a Solana-based DApp that uses a DAO and an AI agent, "Marc AIndreessen," to manage community-driven investments in tech and crypto projects. 

, lets developers create agent-driven social media scripts and templates using ElizaOS plugins. The Bonsai Client, its first implementation, enables easy deployment of these smart media agents on platforms like Lens. Builders can explore these tools and compete for prizes in the Lens Spring Hackathon.

Ethereum surged 29% this week, breaking a 10-week downtrend and catching short sellers off guard with $400M liquidated. Despite muted ETF flows and neutral derivatives sentiment, ETH’s dominance remains unshaken—boasting $64B in TVL, dwarfing Solana, BNB Chain, and Tron combined. With fresh momentum from the recent pectra upgrades and Trump distancing from rival altcoins, all eyes are now on a potential push toward $2,700. 

BTC spot ETFs saw $920.9M in net inflows this week, driven by $1.09B into non-GBTC funds despite $171.5M outflows from GBTC. Since inception, total net inflows stand at $41.1B.

 are now live and claimable as a small bonus for users farming the upcoming Aster (AST) airdrop. By depositing BNB to mint asBNB, users can start earning points toward both the main airdrop and future ecosystem rewards. Optional perp trading can boost points further, but simply holding asBNB is enough to qualify.

Ethereum outperforms with a 20% rally as fresh capital flows in and undervaluation signals flash

Our monthly report delves into insights from options volatility to inspire your next crypto move.

: April 2025 saw BTC's implied volatility surge above 75% due to tariff chaos, but it collapsed to 35% within a week, indicating a surprising short-term drop in volatility expectations despite ongoing macro uncertainty.

: BTC's return above $100K was met with muted enthusiasm in the derivatives market, suggesting that 

traders no longer view this level as a significant psychological barrier, and the rally isn’t likely to be sustained.

: ETH significantly outperformed BTC with a 23% rally, leading to increased demand for short-dated calls and a positive shift in the options market, highlighting renewed bullish sentiment.

: Historical trends suggest a potential summer lull in volatility in store for BTC, raising questions about whether this pattern will repeat in 2025 amidst ongoing macroeconomic challenges.

Bitcoin’s volatility plunges in late April

April 2025 witnessed significant volatility in the cryptocurrency market, particularly influenced by US trade policies. As President Trump announced steep reciprocal tariffs, the crypto landscape experienced sharp fluctuations. Bitcoin (BTC) initially demonstrated resilience, despite widespread sell-offs in equities and the US dollar, only to succumb to a decline from $88K to $75K by early April. This period was characterized by a dramatic rise in implied volatility that peaked above 75% as traders sought protection through short-dated puts. However, as the tariffs faced moderation, implied volatility plummeted to 35% by mid-April, marking the lowest level since early March.

Interestingly, while short-tenor volatility collapsed, 

the back end of BTC's term structure remained elevated, signaling that market participants expect heightened volatility in the mid-term

. Amidst this backdrop, realized volatility fell below the five-year seasonal average, paralleling similar trends in previous years and suggesting a 

. The historical pattern contrasts that BTC often experiences a rebound in volatility heading into May, raising questions about whether this trend will persist.

Subdued derivative response suggests Bitcoin rally might not endure

The market's reaction to BTC's resurgence above the $100K threshold was notably subdued compared to previous instances. While BTC rallied 20% following the initial tariff sell-off, the derivatives market displayed a muted response. The 25-delta put/call skew, a measure of market sentiment, indicated only a slight bias toward out-of-the-money calls, contrasting sharply with sentiment previously when BTC first breached the $100K mark in December 2024. This lack of exuberance suggests that traders no longer view $100K as a significant inflection point, raising concerns about the sustainability of the rally. 

Meanwhile, funding rates and implied volatility — though still bullish — didn’t reach the extremes observed in earlier months, indicating more cautious market sentiment. The relationship between BTC's spot price and implied volatility suggests that although traders are optimistic, they’re waiting for BTC to approach previous all-time highs before adjusting their volatility expectations.

Ethereum's option data points to further rally

In stark contrast to BTC, Ethereum (ETH) displayed remarkable resilience and outperformed major cryptocurrencies, gaining 23% overnight following favorable trade news. This rally catalyzed a surge in demand for short-dated calls, pushing front-end volatility expectations significantly higher. The response from the derivatives market was robust, inverting the term structure and indicating renewed bullish sentiment toward ETH, even as it’s trading well below its all-time high.

The ETH options market exhibited a shift from neutral to slightly negative skew, to a 10% bias favoring out-of-the-money calls, reflecting the market's confidence in ETH's potential to regain lost ground. Despite overall macroeconomic uncertainty, the demand for ETH options suggests that traders are optimistic about Ether’s future price movements.

In conclusion, April 2025 highlighted the complex interplay between macroeconomic factors and cryptocurrency market dynamics. While BTC faced challenges in eliciting strong responses from derivatives markets upon recrossing the $100K threshold, ETH's performance indicated a divergence in market sentiment. As traders navigate the evolving landscape, the potential for seasonal volatility patterns and the influence of macroeconomic developments will remain critical factors in shaping future market expectations.

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Bybit X Block Scholes options volatility report (April 2025): Data suggests Bitcoin rally might not endure, but Ether sees further upside

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events; the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume; and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

After mostly trading sideways at the end of April 2025, a US-UK trade deal sparked a crypto rally. BTC surged past $100K for the first time since February, but it’s ETH's performance that captured the derivatives market's attention. 

A 23% increase in ETH's spot price led to an inverted term structure and a spike in front-end volatility. The put/call skew for ETH shifted from a bearish bias to a nearly 10% skew toward OTM calls. Other sentiment indicators, such as perp funding rates and futures yield, also supported the rally. In contrast, while BTC's funding rates and skew have increased, its implied volatility remains low at 40%, over 30 points below ETH's 7-day implied volatility.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

ETH’s record performance since 2021 was propelled by positive term structure

ETH has significantly outperformed BTC and the top 10 cryptocurrencies, marking its largest single-day gain since May 2021. The options market has reflected this enthusiasm, with implied volatility for short tenors rising sharply and inverting ETH’s term structure, thus contrasting with BTC's muted, positively sloped structure. The 7-day tenor for ETH is now trading at a 33-point premium over that for BTC. 

While puts dominate BTC's open interest, ETH is seeing the opposite trend. On May 8, 2025, options volumes surged over $120M, more than double the typical monthly volume, with $60M more in calls than puts. ETH now boasts a positive futures curve and funding rates, as well as a strong skew toward OTM calls.

ETH sees exceptionally bullish put/call skew

ETH's substantial outperformance in the current crypto rally has led to bullish sentiment in its derivatives markets. Funding rates have surged, futures yields are strongly positive and the put/call skew has shifted significantly toward OTM calls, now close to 10%. This starkly contrasts with early April, when the skew was 20% toward OTM puts. Although ETH has underperformed (relative to BTC and other "ETH killers"), it has rebounded in this rally, with the ETH/BTC ratio rising after spending most of the year declining.

Open interest for Bitcoin options increased, with implied volatility remaining suppressed

The announcement of the new US administration's first trade deal, nearly 30 days into Trump's 90-day tariff pause, jolted crypto markets, pushing BTC back up above $100K. Surprisingly, implied volatility has remained suppressed, failing to invert BTC's term structure, with front-end volatility trading at around an 18-month low of 35-40%. On May 8, 2025, options volumes surged, with call volume reaching $189M, reversing last week's trend of higher put volumes. Meanwhile, open interest rose steadily to exceed $300M, the highest level this month, but remains significantly larger for puts than for calls despite the price increase.

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Bybit X Block Scholes crypto derivatives analytics report (May 9, 2025): Ether’s put/call skew turns remarkably more bullish than Bitcoin’s

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The yen carry trade has been a fundamental strategy in global foreign exchange (FX) markets, rooted in Japan's long-standing, ultra-loose monetary policies.

Intro to Yen Carry Trade

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Historical Context of the Yen Carry Trade

The yen carry trade has been a fundamental strategy in global foreign exchange (FX) markets, rooted in Japan's long-standing, ultra-loose monetary policies. Since the late 1990s, the BoJ has maintained a zero or negative interest rate environment, aiming to combat deflation and stimulate economic growth. This approach has made the JPY an attractive funding currency for investors seeking to borrow at low costs and invest in higher-yielding assets.

Historically, the effectiveness of the yen carry trade has been closely tied to global economic conditions. The carry trade boom from 2004 to 2007 exemplified this dynamic, as investors capitalized on the significant interest rate differentials between the JPY and other currencies. During this period, the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes created favorable conditions for carry trades, leading to massive capital flows into higher-yielding currencies. 

However, the 2008 global financial crisis marked a turning point. The sudden collapse of overall risk appetite triggered rapid unwinding of carry trades, resulting in a sharp appreciation of the yen. This event underscored the inherent risks of carry trades, particularly in times of financial stress, and highlighted the vulnerability of positions reliant on stable currency conditions.

The historical performance of the yen carry trade has been cyclical, heavily influenced by global monetary policies and risk sentiment. For instance, the introduction of Abenomics in 2012 revitalized the carry trade environment through aggressive monetary easing and negative interest rates. However, global uncertainties and periodic risk aversion kept investors cautious. As we analyze the current landscape, understanding these historical foundations is crucial, as they provide insights, moving forward, into the potential challenges and opportunities for the yen carry trade.

Entering 2025, the landscape for the yen carry trade is undergoing significant transformation. Several macroeconomic factors are reshaping the environment, primarily driven by changes within Japan's economy. Rising inflation, wage growth and speculation regarding shifts in the BoJ's monetary policy are critical developments that investors must navigate.

For years, Japan grappled with deflation and stagnant wage growth. However, post-pandemic recovery has catalyzed a shift, with inflation consistently breaching the BoJ's long-standing 2% target. This inflationary pressure results from various factors, including global supply chain disruptions, rising commodity prices and labor shortages that lead to wage increases. As wages begin to rise, the potential for sustained inflation creates a feedback loop that could support higher consumption and further inflationary pressures.

In light of these economic changes, speculation around potential BoJ policy adjustments is increasing. While the BoJ has historically maintained ultra-loose policies, growing inflationary pressures may prompt the central bank to consider interest rate hikes. The implications of such policy shifts could be profound, affecting not only domestic markets but also global FX dynamics. 

As Japan's economic landscape evolves, the traditional role of the yen as a funding currency is under scrutiny. While the JPY may retain its status in the near term, shifts in monetary policy and economic fundamentals could reshape its appeal for the carry trade.

Moreover, other high-yielding currencies are emerging as attractive alternatives to the yen. The Mexican peso (MXN), South African rand (ZAR) and Turkish lira (TRY) offer compelling carry trade opportunities, bolstered by favorable interest rate differentials. However, these currencies come with their own unique risks. For instance, the MXN is sensitive to U.S. economic cycles, while the ZAR is highly correlated with global commodity prices and domestic political stability. As a result, traders must adopt dynamic 

 strategies and diversify their currency exposure in order to navigate this increasingly complex environment.

The outlook for the yen carry trade in 2025 hinges on several critical factors that will shape the future of this strategy. While the yen may continue to serve as a preferred funding currency in the near term, structural shifts in Japan's economic fundamentals and potential BoJ policy adjustments could gradually diminish its dominance.

Key considerations for investors include the likelihood of BoJ rate hikes and the tapering of yield curve control (YCC) measures. If inflation persists and wage growth continues, the BoJ may be compelled to normalize its policies, which could lead to higher Japanese government bond (JGB) yields and have an impact on global bond markets. Such changes would narrow interest rate differentials, affecting the profitability of the yen-funded carry trade.

Additionally, global macroeconomic conditions play a crucial role in determining the viability of carry trades. Diverging monetary policies among major central banks, such as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, will influence interest rate differentials and investor sentiment. As these central banks adjust their policies in response to economic conditions, the relative attractiveness of the yen as a funding currency may diminish, leading traders to explore alternative options.

Emerging alternatives, such as the CHF and EUR, are gaining relevance in the carry trade landscape. These currencies may offer lower risk profiles and stable funding conditions, especially if their respective central banks maintain accommodative stances while the BoJ tightens its own. The potential for diversification in funding strategies is critical, as it allows traders to mitigate risks associated with reliance on a single currency.

Ultimately, the key to navigating the evolving carry trade landscape in 2025 lies in adaptability. Traders must remain vigilant in monitoring macroeconomic indicators, geopolitical developments and shifts in global risk sentiment. Dynamic risk management strategies, coupled with diversification across multiple high-yielding currencies, will be essential for sustained success.

Bybit FX Insight Report: What to Look for in the Yen Carry Trade for 2025

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