Crypto Market Outlook for the Americas: Bitcoin's Calm Before the Storm

By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise) A market maker's advice is to bet on price movement rather than direction. Bitcoin, currently at $85,419.84, has been stagnant, caught between continued ETF inflows and long-term holders selling, prompting low volatility. The Deribit DVOL index, measuring expected BTC price turbulence over 30 days, has dropped below an annualized 40%, its lowest in almost two years. "Compared to equities, the volatility of Tesla and Coinbase is around 50% higher, highlighting the current calm in crypto," said Jimmy Yang, co-founder of Orbit Markets. "Historically, volatility tends to rebound from this point. Given the unclear direction, going long on volatility via swaps is a way to prepare for a return of movement." Volatility swaps allow investors to trade the future realized volatility of an asset. Another option is volatility futures, which some traders have already started using. Perpetual contracts linked to Volmex Finance's bitcoin and ether implied volatility indices debuted on gTrade last week, with trading volume approaching $1 million. In other news, President Trump has called for a 1% interest rate and the resignation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, though the Fed is unlikely to cut rates unless the labor market weakens. Kazakhstan plans to establish a crypto reserve, while Bhutan aims to develop crypto-backed tourism. Lido has implemented a two-way governance structure, allowing staked ether holders to delay or block proposals from LDO token holders. Nasdaq E-mini futures have reached new highs, suggesting a return of the 'U.S. exceptionalism narrative.' The dollar index remains stagnant. Key events to watch include token events, conferences, and the CoinDesk Policy & Regulation conference on September 10.