USDC-Settled Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Coming to Deribit

Deribit is rolling out USDC-settled linear options for Bitcoin and Ethereum on August 19, expanding its stablecoin derivatives suite.

What Happened?

Crypto derivatives exchange Deribit announced the launch of USDC-settled linear options for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Starting August 19, traders will have access to contracts settled in USD Coin (USDC) rather than crypto, allowing for simpler, fiat-equivalent payouts. These new products are in response to growing demand from both institutional and retail users.

BTC & ETH options, now also in USDC. 🚀
Deribit is launching USDC-settled linear options, giving traders:
• Stablecoin-based margin & settlement
• Lower minimum order sizes
• Risk offsets vs inverse options
• Leverage of reward-bearing USDC holdings

Launching on August 19th.… pic.twitter.com/IncOlyCDCz

— Deribit (@DeribitOfficial) August 15, 2025

BTC and ETH Options Get a USDC Upgrade

Deribit, now under Coinbase’s ownership, is deepening its stablecoin-focused strategy by adding USDC-settled BTC and ETH options. These linear contracts complement the platform’s existing USDC-settled perpetual and dated futures, and they mirror the structure of options seen in traditional financial markets.

• Minimum order sizes are lowered to 0.01 BTC and 0.1 ETH
• Settlement is handled entirely in USDC, reducing exposure to crypto price volatility
• Linear payout structures make pricing and risk management more intuitive
• Existing inverse-settled options will remain available and operate alongside the new contracts

By offering both formats, Deribit enables hedging, arbitrage, and cross-product strategies using its unified risk engine and cross portfolio margin system. This ensures traders can efficiently offset risks and optimize collateral usage across products.

Designed for Today’s Trader

The platform’s expansion comes roughly 18 months after its initial foray into USDC-settled options for altcoins like Solana, XRP, and Paxos Gold, though MATIC options were later discontinued. The strong uptake of those offerings pushed Deribit to extend the format to the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Traders using these new contracts can:

• Stay in stablecoins without converting to BTC or ETH
• Avoid rebalancing concerns and negative equity fluctuations
• Execute strategies like cash-secured puts with ease
• Earn monthly USDC rewards (around 4% APR) for holding USDC on Deribit

Index Pegging and Margin Impact

To streamline operations, Deribit pegged the BTC-USDC and ETH-USDC indexes to their BTC-USD and ETH-USD counterparts. This eliminates any risk from USDC-USD exchange rate fluctuations when determining delivery prices, enhancing margin transparency and hedging accuracy.

However, traders should still be aware that collateral valuations in cross margin accounts will continue to use the real-time USDC/USD exchange rate, preserving accuracy in margin requirements and account equity calculations.

Why It Matters?

This rollout not only meets growing demand for fiat-equivalent products but also broadens market accessibility. Smaller tick sizes and trade sizes reduce barriers for retail traders, while institutions benefit from greater capital efficiency and simplified settlement mechanics.

The new offerings are also live on Deribit’s testnet, giving users a risk-free way to try out the updated structure before fully committing on the main platform.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

I love seeing moves like this that give traders more control, especially when it comes to stablecoin-based contracts. Deribit is smart to not only preserve existing BTC and ETH inverse options but also add a more user-friendly, capital-efficient alternative. Whether you’re a pro hedging large positions or a smaller trader looking for better margin flexibility, this launch opens a lot of doors. Having both formats on one platform just makes sense in a maturing market.