A new bitcoin (BTC) “fear gauge” began trading last week. The T3i BitVol Index from T3 Index, a financial indexing firm, measures the 30-day implied volatility of bitcoin.
The index offers cryptocurrency investors the ability to “trade volatility as a distinct asset class,” said Simon Ho, CEO of T3 Index.
The BitVol index has settled around an annualized 100% after reaching a high near 170% on January 15, which preceded a roughly 20% price correction in bitcoin.
Elevated volatility could be a signal of investor fear or uncertainty, while low levels of volatility signal investor complacency.
The first options trade off the BitVol Index was initiated on March 10, consisting of a March expiry 1-by-2 call spread that was bought for zero cost, Bloomberg reported.
The BitVol Index uses strike prices from tradable bitcoin options across various exchanges, a similar methodology applied by the Chicago Board of Trades (CBOE) VIX Index, which investors use to track volatility in the stock market.
Other cryptocurrency volatility indices are widely tracked, such as the BitMEX Daily Historical Bitcoin Volatility Index (.BVOL24H).
Chart shows the BitVol Index, a measure of bitcoin volatility, elevated around 100%.
Source: T3 Index