Deribit is moving to make crypto derivatives more stable and accessible. The exchange, which recently became part of Coinbase, is preparing to roll out new trading contracts for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) that settle in USDC, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin. Starting August 19, institutional and retail traders will have access to these linear options and dated futures. This is set to give them desired price exposure without the added risk of settling in volatile digital assets. Extending Stablecoin-Based Trading Beyond Altcoins The new contracts will give Bitcoin and Ethereum traders the same USDC-settlement benefits that Deribit first introduced for select altcoins in early 2023. The exchange has tried this model before with coins like Solana (SOL), XRP, and Paxos Gold (PAXG). It also launched USDC-settled options for Polygon (MATIC), but later removed them. This shows the company is willing to change based on how the market reacts. In a recent statement, Deribit’s CEO, Luuk Strijers, says demand for stablecoin-settled products has grown sharply among both professional and individual traders. Settling and pricing trades in USDC lets traders avoid direct exposure to crypto price volatility when receiving payouts. This will also help increase the use of USDC worldwide in the crypto market. Deribit Adds USDC Options for Greater Flexibility Unlike inverse options, which settle in Bitcoin or Ethereum, linear options in USDC keep payouts directly tied to the asset’s price movement. This removes the extra step of converting to cryptocurrency. The Dubai-headquartered company says it will maintain both structures, allowing them to work together for margin calculations. This approach also helps boost capital efficiency. To boost participation, the exchange is lowering the minimum trade size for these products to 0.01 BTC and 0.1 ETH. The lower threshold is meant to let new traders join in, while still attracting big institutional players. Strijers said switching to USDC settlement gives more flexibility, saves money, and uses a system like regular money that works for all types of traders. Deribit Breaks Records and Teams Up with Coinbase for Global Growth Deribit started in 2016 and has become a well-known crypto options platform. In July, it hit a record with $185 billion in trading in one month, driven by strong activity from big institutional investors. This contributed to a total notional volume of $1.3 trillion processed in 2024. The company has been considering expanding its U.S. operations for some time . This comes as regulatory policies under President Donald Trump’s administration became clearer and less strict. The company’s interest in expanding U.S. operations aligns with Coinbase’s recent $2.9 billion acquisition, completed with a mix of cash and stock . This deal places Deribit under the wing of a Nasdaq-listed exchange, positioning the world’s largest crypto options platform for even greater global reach. The post Deribit Expands Stablecoin Options to Bitcoin and Ethereum appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
