Coinbase's Deribit Launches Linear Options for BTC and ETH with USDC Settlement.

Coinbase's Deribit has introduced linear options contracts for BTC and ETH, priced and settled in USDC, effective August 19. This launch was driven by strong institutional and retail demand. Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers said the introduction of linear options marks a significant milestone in their mission to offer institutional-grade products.

Deribit, the world's premier digital assets derivatives exchange, has announced the launch of new linear options contracts for BTC and ETH, priced and settled in USDC, effective August 19. This move is driven by strong institutional and retail demand and marks a significant milestone in Deribit's mission to offer institutional-grade products tailored to the evolving needs of its clients.

The introduction of linear options for BTC and ETH follows just over a year after the successful integration of similar options for altcoins like SOL and XRP, also settled in USDC. The new options come with new USDC-settled BTC and ETH dated futures, alongside existing USDC-settled perpetual futures. This expansion is part of Deribit's strategy to provide more flexible and accessible derivatives products.

Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers commented on the news, stating that the introduction of linear options for BTC and ETH marks a significant milestone in their mission to offer institutional-grade products. By settling in USDC, Deribit is providing greater flexibility, capital efficiency, and a familiar fiat-equivalent structure that appeals to both institutional and retail participants [1].

Linear options are financial derivatives whose payouts move in direct proportion to the price of the underlying asset. As the asset's price rises or falls, the value of the option adjusts accordingly, offering traders a predictable and transparent exposure to market movements. These instruments are commonly utilized for purposes such as hedging, speculative positioning, and yield enhancement, making them a valuable addition to a comprehensive trading strategy.

The introduction of linear options will have no impact on Deribit's existing inverse BTC and ETH options (priced and settled in BTC, ETH), which will continue to operate as usual. The new linear options are fully integrated into the platform's risk engine and will offset inverse options for margin purposes, providing greater capital efficiency for traders managing both product types. They also come in smaller minimum order sizes (0.01 BTC and 0.1 ETH only) than the existing inverse options to provide better accessibility.

For additional information, visit: https://insights.deribit.com/education/usdc-settled-btc-eth-options-launch/ [1].

References:
[1] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250815ny52452/deribit-introduces-linear-options-for-btc-and-eth