Cboe: FLEX options volume hits 1.9 million contracts per day in Q1 2026
- —Average daily FLEX options volume was 1.9 million contracts, +35.8% year over year
- —A record was set on March 20, 2026: 4.1 million contracts in a day, about 5% of the market
- —Since 2014, volume has grown from 60,000 to 800,000 contracts per day by 2024 (26% CAGR)
- —In January 2026, short-dated FLEX expirations were launched for the bitcoin ETF IBIT
Why it matters: The growth of FLEX options and the launch of IBIT expirations give institutions a regulated tool to hedge bitcoin positions through Cboe and OCC.
Source: Crypto Briefing