Daily Crypto Insights: Macro Swings, Altcoin Unlocks & Options Alpha | by PowerTrade/PowerDEX | Jul, 2025
The week of July 28 — August 2 promises to be a rollercoaster for crypto markets. A potent mix of macroeconomic catalysts, major token unlocks, and shifting options flows is setting the stage for heightened volatility. Traders are navigating everything from a pivotal Federal Reserve meeting to large altcoin token releases — all while capitalizing on an evolving crypto options landscape that now extends well beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. The tone is technical and market-savvy, so let’s dive into the key factors likely to drive price action this week and how you can position accordingly.
Crypto doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Big-picture economic events are primed to sway risk sentiment and crypto prices in real time. Here are the main macro triggers on the radar and why they matter for digital assets:
- Tue Jul 29 — U.S. Consumer Confidence: The Conference Board’s index drops this day, taking the pulse of U.S. consumers. A strong reading could signal robust spending ahead, boosting risk appetite across markets (including crypto). Conversely, if confidence slips, it may foreshadow a risk-off tone. Traders will watch how Bitcoin and altcoins react — rising optimism tends to correlate with risk-on flows into crypto, whereas souring sentiment might spark defensive positioning.
- Wed Jul 30 — Fed Interest Rate Decision: This is the week’s marquee event. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates steady (around 4.5%), but all eyes are on Jerome Powell’s tone. Any hint that the Fed could ease later this year would be bullish for crypto, as lower rates mean more liquidity and a weaker dollar — conditions under which Bitcoin has historically thrived. On the flip side, a surprisingly hawkish Fed (talk of further tightening or staying high for longer) could jolt markets and send crypto prices skidding. Expect volatility around the Fed announcement and press conference; sharp whipsaws in BTC and ETH are common as algorithms and investors alike parse every word from Powell.
- Thu Jul 31 — GDP & Inflation Data: The latter half of the week brings a flurry of data. The U.S. Q2 GDP advance estimate lands Thursday and will reveal how resilient growth has been. A hotter-than-expected GDP print might paradoxically spook crypto traders — strong growth could embolden the Fed’s hawks, potentially dampening the prospect of rate cuts. Meanwhile, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge (Core PCE price index) is also due. If inflation is shown to be cooling further, it bolsters the case that the tightening cycle is done, a positive for risk assets. However, any stubborn inflation surprise could rattle markets. In short, Thursday’s numbers will set the narrative: either reinforcing a “soft landing” scenario (good for crypto) or stirring fears of more inflation fights ahead (bad for crypto).
- Fri Aug 1 — Global PMI & CPI Reads: To wrap up, global data will trickle in. Watch out for Eurozone CPI (July) on Friday — continued disinflation in Europe would add to the global risk-on vibe, whereas an upside surprise might hurt sentiment. Also, manufacturing PMIs from major economies (like China’s) could move commodity-sensitive coins if they surprise significantly. Notably, U.S. July jobs data (Nonfarm Payrolls) is expected on Aug 1 as well, but since that falls just outside our focus range (and after the Fed meeting), its shadow will still loom — a very weak jobs report could fuel speculation of Fed easing, while an overly strong one could do the opposite. By Friday, crypto traders will digest an entire week of macro news — whichever way these indicators break, expect intraday swings in crypto prices as algorithms instantly react and investors reposition.
Bottom line: This week’s macro slate is packed. Big economic releases can induce crypto volatility by altering the outlook for interest rates and risk appetite. Savvy traders will be glued to the economic calendar — and ready to trade the swings. We could see Bitcoin test new ranges if the Fed surprises, or altcoins rally if data shows a Goldilocks scenario (moderating inflation + decent growth). Buckle up for potential macro-driven pumps and dumps in the days ahead.
Several major altcoins will unlock tokens this week, potentially injecting fresh supply into the market. Token unlock events can be double-edged swords: they often raise short-term selling pressure as early investors or team tokens become free to trade, but sometimes the market anticipates them well in advance. Here are the key unlocks to watch and their likely market impact:
- Sui (SUI) — Unlock on Aug 1: Sui is set to release a substantial tranche of tokens on the first of the month. Roughly 44 million SUI (about 1.3% of the circulating supply) will be unlocked as part of its vesting schedule. This is a significant addition — tens of millions of new SUI potentially entering circulation valued in the mid-eight figures (USD). In past SUI unlocks, the market has braced for volatility: traders often start pricing in the dilution weeks ahead, and SUI’s price has sometimes dipped as the unlock date nears. Expect similar dynamics now. If SUI’s price has been climbing, this unlock could act as a headwind, as some holders from early allocations might take profit. On the other hand, if demand for SUI remains robust (Sui has been touted for its high-performance blockchain tech), the market could absorb the unlock without too much drama. Watch SUI’s price action around Aug 1 — a sharp sell-off could present a short-term trading opportunity (for brave dip-buyers or quick short plays), whereas a rally in spite of the unlock would signal strong underlying demand.
- Ethena (ENA) — Unlock on Aug 2: Ethena’s ENA governance token will see an unlock of around 40 million tokens on Saturday. That’s on the order of 0.6% of ENA’s supply being freed up. Compared to SUI, this unlock is smaller in percentage terms, but it’s still a notable event for a newer project. Ethena is known for its crypto-native stablecoin protocol, and these unlocked tokens are allocated to the project’s foundation. The market impact here likely depends on what the foundation does — if they hold or slowly distribute tokens for ecosystem growth, the price effect might be negligible. However, if any portion hits exchanges, it could put some downward pressure on ENA in the short run. Traders holding ENA or speculating on it will be alert; some may hedge their positions into the unlock by shorting or buying put options (if available), while others might pre-position to scoop up tokens if a sell-off occurs. Keep in mind that ENA’s prior unlocks didn’t produce massive volatility, indicating this event could be relatively orderly. Still, in a thinly traded token, even a ~$10–15 million supply influx can move the needle, so it’s on our radar.
- Ripple (XRP) — Escrow Release on Aug 1: The XRP community is no stranger to this ritual — Ripple’s escrow unlock. On the first of every month, 1 billion XRP are released from escrow, and August 1 is no exception. While this is a routine, known event (part of Ripple’s planned distribution of XRP over time), it’s significant in sheer size. One billion XRP (roughly 2% of the total supply) will technically become available. Historically, Ripple often locks a majority of it back up after distribution (to manage supply), but even the portion that may hit the market can be large. With XRP trading in the multi-dollar range recently after a legal victory-induced rally, that’s potentially billions of dollars worth of tokens. Such an overhang can create sentiment headwinds — traders know a slug of supply is coming, which can curb bullish momentum in the days around the unlock. We’ve seen XRP’s price run up strongly in July to multi-year highs (fuelled by optimism on the regulatory front), and then pull back slightly. This escrow release could contribute to short-term cautiousness. Don’t be surprised if XRP’s price sees a bit of turbulence or underperformance versus other majors early in the week as the market digests the unlock. However, any dip on the back of the escrow unlock could be fleeting if buyers step in, remembering that Ripple typically re-locks what isn’t used and that the broader uptrend (thanks to improved clarity for XRP) is still intact. For XRP traders, the key will be whether $3.00 holds as support post-unlock and whether bulls can then resume the uptrend. If XRP shrugs off the unlock with minimal damage, it’ll signal extremely strong demand in this coin right now.
In summary, token unlocks are important supply-side events that smart crypto traders monitor closely. SUI and ENA will test the market’s ability to absorb new coins, and XRP’s escrow release will test the resolve of its recent rally. It’s a week to be mindful of dilution: even if you’re not trading these specific assets, large unlocks can sometimes have spillover effects (e.g., if SUI dives, it might momentarily dampen sentiment in related ecosystems or DeFi tokens). Stay alert and manage risk — an unlock can introduce sudden volatility, but also potential entry points if you believe in a project’s long-term value.
Bitcoin & Ethereum Options: The crypto options market just had a major quarterly-style showdown, and the outcome says a lot about trader sentiment. On July 25, the largest batch of Bitcoin and Ethereum options in weeks expired, and the numbers were staggering. Nearly $15 billion in notional value across BTC and ETH options hit expiry on Friday — a volume that rivaled the late-June quarter-end event. Breaking it down, around $12B was in Bitcoin contracts and roughly $3B in Ether. These expiries are critical because they often act like a magnet for prices (“max pain” levels) and mark a reset point for market positioning.
The striking feature of this expiry was the bullish skew in positioning leading up to it. Put simply, call options (bets on price gains) outnumbered put options (bets on price declines) by a healthy margin. The overall put/call ratios were hovering under 1.0 for both majors — roughly in the 0.9 range for BTC and even lower (~0.88) for ETH. When the put/call ratio is below 1, it means open interest in call options is greater than puts, indicating traders as a whole were leaning bullish. Indeed, in Ether’s case, hundreds of thousands of call contracts were open, outweighing protective puts. This optimistic skew suggests that investors were positioned for upside or at least not heavily hedging against downside. It’s a notable shift from the more cautious stance seen earlier in the year.
As the July 25 expiry approached, both BTC and ETH prices gravitated toward key “max pain” levels (the prices at which option writers would benefit most). For Bitcoin, that zone was around the mid $110Ks, and for Ether around the high $2Ks — levels that, not coincidentally, we saw the market flirt with in the days leading up to expiry. In the end, the market navigated the expiry without drama: Bitcoin held above $110K and Ether around $3K, defying any attempt by bears to pin them lower. The absence of a breakdown suggests the large expiry was absorbed smoothly.
Why does this matter going forward? Now that this wave of options has rolled off, any post-expiry liberation could enable crypto prices to move more freely. Often after a big expiry, if bullish sentiment was dominant (as the low put/call ratios imply), we see a relief rally or continuation of trend once the “gravity” of open interest is gone. With so many traders having bet on the upside, if prices didn’t collapse at expiry, it validates their stance and can even embolden more call buying thereafter. In essence, the market passed a key test: a huge expiry with a bullish tilt did not knock prices down. That’s a green light for bulls to possibly press their advantage.
For traders, the takeaway is that sentiment is optimistic among options players. Implied volatility had been relatively low leading into the event (around 30% for BTC), showing no one was bracing for a big crash. Now, with one hurdle cleared, attention turns to the next round of positioning. Expect August options flows to pick up quickly — and given the macro and altcoin events this week, don’t be surprised if traders continue favoring calls to ride any bullish momentum. Keep an eye on put/call ratios as a barometer: if they remain skewed toward calls, it means the market is still looking up. A sudden rise in put buying, on the other hand, would signal traders seeking insurance — something that might happen if any of those macro risks or unlock events spook the market. As of now, though, the bias is bullish, and the big expiry’s outcome supports that.
Bitcoin and Ether may dominate the derivatives market, but 2025 has increasingly become the year of altcoin options. Platforms like PowerTrade have rolled out options for a host of top altcoins, and traders are flocking to these markets to express views on their favorite coins. Lately, we’ve seen particularly notable activity in XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), and Solana (SOL) options — three very different alt assets, each with its own narrative, yet all attracting significant options volume. Let’s break down the action:
- XRP Options — Volatility Playground: XRP’s legal saga (and partial victory against the SEC) catapulted its price to multi-year highs this month, making it a magnet for speculators. Options on XRP have surged in popularity accordingly. In fact, in recent sessions XRP options volume on PowerTrade soared into the millions of dollars notional per day. Traders have been using short-dated XRP options to bet on dramatic swings. When XRP rocketed above $3.50, bullish call buyers piled in, anticipating even bigger moves. We even saw an aggressive call sweep — essentially someone buying up a huge chunk of XRP call contracts at once — indicating strong conviction that XRP had more room to fly. At the same time, as XRP retraced from its highs (down to around $3 after that initial euphoria), other traders seized the chance to buy cheap calls on the dip or hedge via puts. The net result is a vibrant two-way flow in XRP options: a balance of bulls and bears positioning for the next chapter. This kind of liquidity and interest in XRP’s options is a new development — a year ago, such size in XRP options simply wasn’t available. Now it’s one of the most traded altcoin options, enabling traders to play the news-driven volatility (from court decisions to Ripple news) with defined risk. Expect XRP’s options activity to remain elevated as long as its price keeps swinging wildly; it’s become the poster-child of altcoin volatility plays.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) Options — Chasing the Meme Momentum: Beloved meme-coin DOGE isn’t just for Redditors and Elon’s tweets anymore — serious traders are also in on the action via options. PowerTrade’s listing of DOGE options opened a new arena for speculating on (or hedging) DOGE’s notorious price swings. Lately, DOGE’s price has been hovering in the mid-teens (around $0.15 give or take), and whenever it stirs, options traders are quick to respond. We’ve observed a pattern of upside call buying in Dogecoin, especially on short maturities. For example, when DOGE dipped to ~$0.13 in a broader altcoin pullback, opportunistic players snapped up call options at strikes like $0.15, $0.18, and even $0.20, aiming for a quick rebound. This “calls for the bounce” strategy in DOGE is common — its fans are always looking for the next pump, and options let them leverage that cheaply. On the other side, some more cautious holders of DOGE have begun to use put options as insurance after rallies, which is a savvy development in this market. Overall, DOGE options flow has leaned bullish (no surprise, given the coin’s cult-like optimism), with calls significantly outpacing puts on most days. The appeal here is clear: options allow one to bet on another viral surge or protect against a sudden crash, without needing to risk as much capital as holding spot DOGE. As meme coin mania ebbs and flows, having a liquid options market means traders can express short-term views on DOGE’s wild moves more efficiently. It’s yet another sign that crypto markets are maturing — even the memes are getting sophisticated hedging tools.
- Solana (SOL) Options — Hedging and Speculation on a Top Alt: Solana’s SOL token has had a remarkable run this year, reclaiming the $100s and recently testing the $200 level after a long bear market slump. With SOL back in the big leagues, its options market has come alive. On PowerTrade, SOL options have seen rising open interest as both believers and skeptics take positions. Notably, unlike XRP and DOGE which skewed bullish in flows, SOL’s options activity has shown a more balanced or even slightly defensive tone at times. Why? After such a strong rally — SOL nearly doubled from its spring levels — some large holders moved to hedge their gains. We saw significant put buying in SOL around strikes in the $100–$120 range (back when SOL was ~$120), effectively protecting against a deep pullback. Fast forward to late July: SOL’s price did pull back modestly (dipping under $190 briefly from just above $200), and those puts likely proved useful. At the same time, plenty of traders remain bullish on Solana’s long-term prospects (rapid network growth, high NFT and DeFi activity, etc.), so call buying hasn’t disappeared by any means. On strong up days, SOL call options at strikes slightly above the market (say $200, $220) get snapped up quickly, indicating traders positioning for breakouts to new highs. The presence of both healthy call and put demand suggests SOL’s options market is maturing — it’s not just a one-way casino bet, but a functional market where hedgers and speculators meet. This improved liquidity means tighter spreads and better pricing for everyone. If Solana continues to be a top-5 volume coin, expect its options to keep gaining traction. For traders, SOL options are now a viable way to play one of crypto’s most prominent assets: whether you want to bet on its next leg up or buffer your portfolio against a downturn, the tools are at your disposal.
Stepping back, the surge in XRP, DOGE, SOL and other altcoin options flow underscores a broader trend: altcoins are becoming more liquid and relevant in the derivatives arena. Bitcoin and Ethereum will always command the lion’s share, but we’re seeing the gap shrink as interest diversifies. This is great news for crypto market depth and maturity. It means traders can rotate — if a particular altcoin is hot (say a big announcement or hype cycle), one can trade its options with sufficient liquidity instead of being limited to the majors. It also means better risk management opportunities across a portfolio of coins, which leads us to an important point…
Two years ago, if you wanted to hedge or speculate on most altcoins, you were out of luck — the infrastructure simply wasn’t there. Fast forward to mid-2025, and the landscape has changed dramatically. Altcoin options liquidity is growing for several reasons:
- Exchange Innovation: Platforms like PowerTrade have expanded offerings to include a wide range of altcoin options, from large caps like SOL and XRP to even niche coins. They’ve provided user-friendly interfaces and attracted market makers to provide quotes. This has lowered barriers to entry for traders and encouraged more volume, which in turn brings tighter bid-ask spreads and even more participants. It’s a virtuous cycle: more liquidity begets more liquidity. As a result, options markets that barely existed before — say for a coin like XRP — are now handling multi-million dollar volumes. Traders are seizing the chance to diversify their strategies beyond BTC and ETH.
- Market Maturity & Participants: Crypto funds and professional traders have grown more sophisticated. They’re no longer satisfied with just spot or futures; they want to employ options strategies on the full spectrum of their holdings. With many altcoins now in the top 20 having substantial market caps and investor interest, there’s a natural demand to hedge those positions or amplify bets on them using options. For example, an institution holding a large bag of SOL can sell covered calls to earn yield or buy puts for insurance. As these players enter the fray, they contribute significant volume and depth to alt options order books. Moreover, the post-2024 bull cycle brought in fresh capital (including institutional) that is more comfortable using derivatives. Many of these big players express their views quietly via options (instead of blasting spot markets), which boosts liquidity behind the scenes.
- High Altcoin Volatility = Opportunity: Let’s face it — altcoins can swing far more wildly than Bitcoin. A 5% daily move in BTC might be a 15% move in an alt. Such volatility is a playground for options traders. The more volatile the asset, the more valuable options can be (both for hedging and speculation). In 2025 we’ve seen outsized moves: regulatory wins pumping XRP 2–3x, meme mania doubling DOGE, DeFi revivals boosting tokens, etc. Traders are realizing they can harness these moves better with options. Going long volatility via calls or straddles lets you profit from those big swings without needing to predict direction perfectly. Conversely, selling options (for the advanced traders) lets you earn from the high implied vol by betting against extreme moves. The point is, as altcoins make headlines with their spikes and crashes, the draw of having an options market to play those is strong. That draws in more traders, which further deepens liquidity.
- Risk Management & Hedging Needs: As the crypto market matures, even individual investors are thinking in terms of risk-adjusted returns. Options are unparalleled tools for risk management. If you hold a volatile altcoin that has run up 100% in a month, maybe you don’t want to sell and trigger taxes or miss potential upside — but you sure might want some protection in case it tanks. Enter put options: by buying a put, you cap your downside for a modest premium. This behavior is becoming more common, especially after painful lessons from past cycles. Likewise, miners or treasuries holding large amounts of, say, an altcoin, might use options to lock in a price floor. The increase in such hedging activity naturally boosts liquidity. It also has a reinforcing effect: when others see that they can hedge an altcoin (because an options market exists and is reasonably liquid), they are more likely to invest in that altcoin in the first place, knowing they have a safety valve. Thus, the existence of options markets can actually increase confidence and participation in the underlying spot markets.
So, how do options enable better volatility plays? In short, they offer flexibility and strategic possibilities that straight buying or selling can’t match. With an option, you can profit from a price move without owning the asset outright. You can also profit from just the magnitude of movement (volatility) regardless of direction. For instance, if you expect a big announcement for an altcoin that could either moon or crash it, you might buy a straddle (a call and put together) to profit from any large move either way. If you’re bullish but only to a point, you can do a bull call spread to limit your upside exposure but pay less premium. If you think an asset will stay range-bound, you might even sell options to earn income. The beauty is defined risk: when you buy an option, the most you can lose is the premium paid. This is crucial in crypto’s volatile environment — it’s like installing a volatility seatbelt. Contrast that with using leverage on a futures trade, where a 20% wrong-way move can wipe you out. Options give traders more forgiveness if used properly.
And for hedgers, options are invaluable. Consider those SUI and ENA token unlocks we discussed: if you hold those tokens and fear a drop, buying put options (where available) ahead of the unlock can cushion the blow of a price decline. If the drop doesn’t happen and the unlock is a non-event, you lose only the premium, essentially like buying insurance. Many smart altcoin investors are doing exactly this nowadays around big events — be it unlocks, mainnet launches, or earnings reports for crypto companies. This trend directly contributes to why alt options volumes are up.
Lastly, the growth of altcoin options reflects crypto’s broader derivatives evolution. We’re witnessing the market move from a purely speculative phase to a more nuanced phase where managing volatility is as important as chasing direction. Options are the premier instruments for volatility trading. They let you bet on volatility increasing or decreasing. For example, if you think current calm will give way to a storm, you buy options now (cheap) to sell when volatility spikes (expensive). Such strategies are common in traditional markets and are now finding footing in crypto. All of this is now possible in altcoins thanks to improving liquidity.
In summary, altcoin options liquidity is expanding because the market demanded it and the infrastructure arrived. Traders now have the means to turn wild price swings into opportunities with a level of precision and risk control we couldn’t dream of in prior crypto cycles. Whether you’re aiming to amplify gains on the next big rally or hedge your portfolio against downturns, the burgeoning alt options market offers a toolset to do so effectively. This week’s action — from XRP’s bustling options trade to SOL’s hedging flows — is proof that the crypto options arena is flourishing well beyond just Bitcoin. It’s an exciting development that empowers all of us to trade smarter.
The convergence of macro swings, token unlocks, and vibrant options markets makes for an exciting — and potentially profitable — week ahead. Crypto is entering a phase where knowledge and timing are everything. Those who understand the narratives and use the right tools can capitalize on big moves while managing their risks. We’ve outlined how events like a Fed meeting or a token unlock can swing markets, and how options strategies let you ride those swings or protect against them. Now it’s up to you to act on these insights.
Don’t just watch from the sidelines. This is the perfect time to leverage a cutting-edge platform like PowerTrade, where you can put these ideas into practice. Whether you’re bullish on your favorite altcoin and want to buy calls, or you’re looking to hedge a position into a major event, PowerTrade offers an intuitive, powerful way to trade crypto options across BTC, ETH, and a growing list of altcoins. The markets are moving — are you ready to make the most of it?
Call to Action: Seize the opportunities this volatile week presents and trade like a pro on PowerTrade. It’s time to transform market insights into profitable strategies. Join PowerDEX today to access deep liquidity and advanced options tools for Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, DOGE, SOL and more. Ready to get started? and dive into the world of crypto options with an edge. Embrace the volatility, hone your strategy, and let the market’s swings work for you. Happy trading!