The Options Insider Radio Network

Can you buy a home without selling your Bitcoin? On this episode of The Crypto Rundown, host Mark Longo welcomes Josip Rupena, CEO of Milo, to explain the world of crypto-backed mortgages. We dive into how BTC and ETH holders can bridge the gap between digital assets and real estate without triggering taxable events or losing out on future appreciation. What's Inside this Episode: The Crypto Hot Seat: Josip Rupena breaks down the mechanics of the world's first crypto mortgage and how $100M+ in transactions are changing the lending game. Risk vs. Reward: How do these loans handle 60%+ drawdowns in Bitcoin? We discuss LTV (Loan-to-Value) ratios, margin calls, and custody options. Bitcoin Breakdown: A deep dive into the latest data from Amber Data. We analyze the recent BTC sell-off to $66k, shifting volatility, and why the long-term upside premium seems to be disappearing. Altcoin Universe: Quick hits on ETH flirting with the $2k level, the massive 30% correction in Circle (CRCL), and whether Doge or Sh

Market volatility is back as the tech sector faces a "spicy" start to the week. In today's episode, Mark Longo breaks down the massive SPX 6465/6485 0-DTE call spread that dominated the tape with over 4,300 contracts. We also dive into a brutal day for the chip sector, led by a nearly 10% sell-off in Micron (MU) and significant pullbacks in Intel (INTC) and AMD. With a shortened holiday week ahead (no trading this Friday!), we analyze where the "smart money" is positioning in SoFi, Nvidia, and Tesla. Is the retail crowd catching the falling knife in tech, or is paper selling the bounce? Highlights include: SPX: A deep dive into the top 0-DTE spread scan. MU: The aggressive turnaround after its record-breaking rally to 500. INTC: Analyzing the unusual activity in April 70 calls. NVDA & TSLA: Breaking down the massive volume at the 165 and 360 put strikes. Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com to run your own scans and stay ahead of the tape.

Is the treasury market the new "war bond" front? As conflict-driven volatility continues to grip the markets, the Option Block panel gathers to break down a Monday session defined by crushing vol, shifting correlations, and a flight to safety. Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi from Option Pit to discuss whether we've entered a "sell the rally" regime reminiscent of the 1990s. In this episode, the team dives into: The Trading Block: Why the "Grand Conciliatory Gesture" rally failed early, and why small caps are getting rotated into oblivion. The Odd Block: Unusual activity in Palantir (PLTR), a strange call play in Zoom Info (GTM), and a massive historical "home run" trade in Bilibili (BILI). The Strategy Block: How to play a 30 VIX using covered calls—should you sell at-the-money for premium or go further out-of-the-money for the eventual relief rally? Around the Block: Predictions on the "Strait of Hormuz" effect and whe

The trading week wraps up with a "blood red" screen, but high volatility means high volume on the options tape! In this episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a spicy session where it took over 577,000 contracts just to crack the Top 10. We dive deep into the massive activity across the M-Tech names and beyond, including: The Big Sell-Off: Why Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft are facing a rough slog year-to-date. The Nvidia Dominance: A look at the nearly 300,000 puts that lit up the #1 spot on our countdown. Tesla's Slide: With the 400 strike in the rearview mirror, we track the aggressive action in the 360 puts. Sweating the Premiums: Why sellers of Micron and Apple calls had to hold their breath through intraday spikes. Overnight Move Scan: A quick look at the top movers hitting the scanners at TheHotOptionsReport.com , including HWGG, RNMNS, and AGX. Don't miss the data-driven breakdown of where "Paper" was betting today and which trades went out worthless versus those that paid

The "warm turns" mid-week as the post-Iran conflict pattern continues to haunt the markets. In this episode, Mark Longo, Mark Sebastian, and Dr. Russell Rhoads break down why the VIX is finally showing its teeth and whether the 30 handle is the new normal. Inside this episode: The Volatility Review: A deep dive into the "Weekend Trade" dynamics, the spike in VVIX, and why the "bus drivers" of this market—Oil and Bonds—are screaming for attention. The Looming Specters: Analysis of the OECD's revised inflation forecasts and why the "R-word" (Recession) is starting to echo across Europe and the US. VIX Options Insight: Are the 15 puts dead? We look at the massive flow into April 20 and 19 puts, and the debut of some "psychologically relevant" strikes. Russell's Weekly Rundown: Dr. VIX explores the "most important election of our lifetime" trade and highlights a rare appearance of the April 39 calls. ETP Check-in: The shifting liquidity from UVXY to UVIX and how to manage the "ulcer index" in a backward

Volatility is back with a vengeance! In this episode of This Week in Futures Options, host Mark Longo and Carley Garner (DeCarley Trading) break down a "blood red" Thursday as equity indices struggle to hold their gains and the energy complex reaches a boiling point. From the "Queen of Crude" to the "Widow Maker," we dive deep into the massive volatility shifts hitting the CME Group markets. Is the stock market repeating last year's April pattern? Why is gold behaving like a risk asset instead of a safe haven? And what on earth is the "Oats Knows" indicator telling us about the grains? On the Dossier: Movers & Shakers: A 60/40 bias toward the dark side, led by a massive drop in Oats and Silver. Equities: Analyzing the "orderly" sell-off in the S&P and Nasdaq—and why the elevated VIX has us nervous about hidden leverage. Energy: WTI crude enters triple-digit volatility. Carley explains why "it all ends in tears" and offers a clever way to play the energy trade through the Japanese Yen. Metals:

Markets are seeing "blood red" across the board as the tech giants give up the ghost. On today's episode, Mark Longo breaks down a high-velocity day in the options pits, where over half a million contracts was the baseline just to break into the top ten. We dive deep into our Call Pump Scan of the Day, highlighting unusual bullish flow in names like WisdomTree (WT), Steve Madden (SHOO), and CalVista Pharmaceuticals (KALV). Meanwhile, the "Magnificent Seven" are facing a reckoning: from Nvidia's $7.50 slide to Meta's massive 8% drop. Key Highlights: Meta's Intriguing Fly: Is the sell-off overdone? We dissect a massive 100k x 200k x 100k long-term call butterfly (700/750/800) in Meta. Tesla's "Penny" Protection: Why someone just bought 100,000 of the 680 calls for next week. Semiconductor Slump: Checking the wreckage in AMD and Micron as they plummet from recent highs. Apple & Alphabet: Analyzing the short-term put action as traders bet on further downside for tomorrow's expiration. Get the data b

The markets are seeing red this Thursday, but the action in the pits is heating up. Join Mark Longo, Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz, and "Uncle Mike" Tosaw as they break down a wild session dominated by geopolitical tension, spiking energy prices, and some very curious "unusual activity." In this episode, the panel dives into: The Trading Block: A look at the "Blood Red Thursday" playbook. With the S&P, Dow, and Nasdaq all sliding, why are VIX puts seeing massive volume? Plus, a look at the "Mag 10" and why small caps are finally feeling the heat. Suspicious Paper: The team revisits last week's look at Brown-Forman (BF.B). Was it luck, or did someone know something? The stock exploded 15% on merger rumors exactly as the unusual call activity predicted. Odd Block: Henry highlights unusual bullish flow in Momo (MOMO) and the high-juice world of Bit Deer (BTDR). Is it time to sell covered calls on crypto miners? Earnings Insight: Why "Love Sack" (LOVE) is the surprise winner of the day and what's ex

The global energy landscape is shifting, and WTI isn't the only story in town. In this episode of The Futures Rundown, host Mark Longo breaks down the massive divergence in the energy complex as the Brent-to-WTI spread hits its widest level in over 11 years. With Middle East tensions impacting the Strait of Hormuz, we move beyond the headlines to analyze the contract specs, volume trends, and risk profiles that every futures trader needs to understand in 2026. Inside the Trading Pit: Energy Dominance: Why Brent Crude and Heating Oil are leading the year-to-date leaderboard (up 68% and 85%, respectively). The "Shiny Stuff" Slump: Analyzing the surprising 6-7% weekly sell-off in Gold, Silver, and Palladium. Equity Rotation: Small caps (Russell 2000) finally turn green for the year—is the move out of large-cap tech permanent? Contract Specs 101: A deep dive into ICE Brent Crude—contract sizes, tick values ($10 vs. $5), and the reality of cash settlement vs. physical delivery. Futures Free-for-All: We t

Host Mark Longo breaks down the massive institutional flows for Wednesday, March 25, 2026. We dive into the big money moving in Alphabet (GOOGL), heavy volatility in Micron (MU), and the massive momentum shift in AMD. Today's Market Heat Map: AMD Spotlight: Breaking down the 785,000 contracts as AMD rallies over 7%. Alphabet Analysis: Inside the Wednesday weekly action as GOOGL hits the top ten volume list. Whale Trades: The "Million Plus" badge scans for Micron (MU) and big premium in Cadence. The Volume Leaders: A look at the millions of contracts in Tesla (TSLA) and Nvidia (NVDA). Get the Data: TheHotOptionsReport.com

Is the "Wheel Strategy" making you nervous in a high-volatility market? In this episode, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli field listener questions about navigating black swan fears, the "Greeks" you should watch when the market moves fast, and whether the AI narrative in Nvidia still has legs. Dan also prepares for his upcoming trip to Greece by getting some questionable advice from Mark about riding donkeys in Santorini and ordering "Euros" at the local taverna. Key topics covered in this episode: The Wheel Strategy vs. Credit Spreads: Is it time to cap your downside when the VIX hits 22? Vega and Gamma Focus: How your attention should shift between Greeks in a fast-moving market. Nvidia (NVDA) Outlook: Dealing with underwater bull call spreads after the GTC conference. 0DTE Expansion: Will we see more zero-day contracts added to the roster this year? UVIX vs. SVIX: A deep dive into leveraged and inverse VIX products and how to use them to hedge "weekend risk."

On today's episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a surprisingly quiet Tuesday in the options market. While total volume hit "dog days of summer" levels at just 362,000 contracts to break the Top 10, the 5K Club scanner was lighting up with significant institutional activity. Inside this episode: The 5K Club: A deep dive into massive block trades in the VIX, EWZ (Brazil), and NVIDIA ($NVDA). The Top 10 Countdown: Why Tesla ($TSLA) and NVIDIA held the top spots despite lighter-than-usual overall volume. Retail & Tech Movers: Analyzing the options tape for SoFi, Amazon ($AMZN), Alphabet ($GOOGL), and Meta. Semiconductor Volatility: A look at the "wild" action in Micron ($MU) and Palantir ($PLTR) as paper looks to overwrite positions. Whether you're tracking the "Power Strike" in Meta or looking for the next big move in the Fruit Company ($AAPL), we have the data you need to stay ahead of the tape. Check out the full scans at TheHotOptionsReport.com .

Join Mark Longo for the Monday, March 23, 2026, edition of The Hot Options Report. It was a "respectable" day on the tape with over half a million contracts needed just to break into the top 10. We start the week by looking at the Call Bias Scan from TheHotOptionsReport.com, featuring WFRD, KANE, and DNTH as the top names where the bulls are showing their hand. The Top 10 Deep Dive: Tesla (TSLA): Reclaims the #1 spot with 2.92M contracts. We break down the nail-biting action in the 380 puts. Nvidia (NVDA): 2.6M contracts traded. Was the 180 call a smart "lottery ticket" or a total washout? Apple (AAPL): Unusual size (72k contracts) hitting the June 280 calls. SMCI: Defending the 20 strike once again as volatility remains high. The Tech Stack: Rapid-fire analysis of MSFT, AMZN, PLTR, MU, META, and SOFI. Get the full breakdown of the strikes that matter and the "paper" that moved them. Full Scans & Badges: www.TheHotOptionsReport.com Pro Insight: www.TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro

Is Bitcoin finally decoupling from Gold as a flight-to-quality asset? Join Mark Longo and Greg Magadini from Amberdata as they break down the 75K "magnet" level and the surge of "Hype" in the top 10. Full Description: In this episode, we dive deep into the shifting dynamics of the crypto derivatives market amidst global volatility. As the Middle East conflict influences traditional assets, we examine why Bitcoin is showing relative strength against Gold and what dealer positioning at the $75,000 strike tells us about the next move. Key topics include: The Bitcoin Breakdown: Analyzing the $65K–$75K consolidation range and the impact of extreme backwardation. Dealer Positioning: Why the 75K calls are acting as a "magnet" for price action. Altcoin Universe: The rise of Hyper Liquid (HYPE) into the Top 10 and why Solana (SOL) remains a favorite for "responsible yield." The Volatility Surface: Exploring the negative spot-vol correlation and the impact of IBIT options on the skew. Stablecoin Velocity: A d

The markets are shot out of a cannon this Monday! Host Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovanizzi to break down a wild "Bounce Back" session driven by shifting geopolitical headlines and "weekend risk" reversals. On this episode, the panel dives into: The Trading Block: A massive reversal in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Is the "Taco Trade" back in play? Plus, a look at VIX cash flirting with 26 and a surge in April 30 calls. Odd Block: Unusual activity in a newcomer—TetraTech (TTEK)–and a potential "rubber rebound" in Goodyear Tire (GT). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike shares a "tool for the toolbox" for covered call writers caught in a downtrend. Mail Block: The panel debates: Will the Fed actually cut rates again in 2026? Plus, find out if you know what a "somnambulist" is in our 80s Trivia Challenge!

On a "blood red" Friday in the markets, the Hot Options Report dives into the explosive allegations rocking the AI sector. Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment against a co-founder of Super Micro Computer (SMCI), alleging a massive $2.5 billion scheme to smuggle restricted NVIDIA (NVDA) AI chips to China. Mark Longo breaks down how this scandal sent SMCI shares plummeting over 33% and how the "options tape" reacted to the news. We also look at the Silver Sweep scan, tracking nearly $1 million in premium moving through the chains. In this episode, we cover: SMCI Meltdown: The details of the $2.5B smuggling case and the massive put volume targeting the $20 strike. NVIDIA (NVDA): How the SMCI news and broader sell-off impacted the king of AI chips. The Silver Sweep: Deep dives into huge institutional flows in SPY, IWM, and NVDA LEAPS. Market Countdown: Volatility updates for Intel (INTC), Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), SoFi, Micron (MU), Apple (AAPL), and Tesla (TSLA). Run you

In this episode of Volatility Views, the crew breaks down a week of intense market swings driven by escalating Middle East conflict and a stunning shift in the Fed's long-term rate outlook. We also pay tribute to the legendary Chuck Norris (1940–2026) and discuss why his passing—and the spirit of Lone Wolf McQuade—is the perfect metaphor for today's "fighting" markets. Key Topics Covered: The 2027 Pivot: Why the market is suddenly pricing in a "higher for much longer" regime, with the next potential rate move shifting toward late 2027. Geopolitical Volatility: How the Iran-Israel conflict and threats to oil supply chains are keeping the VIX term structure in a state of nervous backwardation. The Gretchen Bullseye: Russell Rhoads' model nails the VIX Cash settlement at 26.26. We look at the next prediction for the week ahead. The UVIX "Open-to-Open" Edge: A deep dive into Russell's new back-tested strategy for trading volatility ETPs over the weekend. VIX Option Flow: Analyzing the massive April 80 c

In this episode, Mark Longo and Dan Gramza dive deep into the massive dislocations hitting the futures and options markets as Middle East tensions escalate. While WTI remains surprisingly range-bound, the Brent spread has widened to levels not seen in over a decade. Why isn't gold acting as a safe haven, and what is the "put bomb" currently dropping in the S&P 500? In this episode, we cover: Movers & Shakers: Heating Oil and Lumber lead the bulls, while Silver and Platinum take a massive hit. Energy: The 11-year high in the Brent/WTI spread, the impact of the Strait of Hormuz, and a look at the massive 1x3 vertical calls in Brent. Equities: Why the S&P 500 remains "orderly" despite the volatility, and a look at the heavy 6500 put activity. Metals: The missing "flight to quality"—why Gold is selling off during a geopolitical crisis and what the 35+ vol means for traders. Nat Gas: Assessing the damage to global LNG facilities and the neutral zone between $2.90 and $3.30.

The "Thursday Effect" strikes again as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East send markets tumbling and volatility spiking. Host Mark Longo is back in the Chicago studio to break down a "Blood-Red Thursday" alongside "Uncle" Mike Tosaw and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz. The panel dives into the massive VIX rolls, the curious lack of a "flight to quality" in bonds and gold, and why the S&P 500 is struggling to hold the 6500 level. Plus, we look at why traders are suddenly piling into coal and spirits. In this episode, we discuss: The Trading Block: Market reaction to Middle East escalations, surging oil, and the VIX hitting 25. VIX Watch: A massive 250,000-contract roll in May/August 47.50 calls. The Odd Block: Unusual activity in Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) and a speculative flurry in Brown-Forman (BF.B). Mail Block: What's keeping traders up at night? Geopolitical risk vs. sky-high valuations. Around the Block: What to watch as we head into the weekend, including FedEx earnings and th

In this episode of The Hot Options Report, host Mark Longo breaks down a "weird and wild" Thursday session. As the broader markets feel the heat, the options tape is flashing some highly unusual signals—specifically a massive wave of deep in-the-money (ITM) puts across major tech and energy names. On the Docket Today: Micron Earnings Carnage: Did the "500-strike dream" for Micron (MU) turn into a nightmare? We analyze the post-earnings fallout and what those expiring calls mean for the tape. The Scan of the Day: We dive into the "Hidden Figure" scan, identifying stealthy, near-dated institutional flow in Nvidia (NVDA), Comcast (CMCSA), and Bank of America (BAC). The ITM Put Mystery: Why are traders flooding the tape with deep ITM puts in Meta, Amazon, and Apple? Is this a massive move to get long stock at specific levels, or a unique hedging regime? Energy on Fire: With oil markets literally heating up, we look at the newcomer to our Top 10, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ). The Top 10 Countdown: Fr