Crypto Options Launched by Blockchain.com for Consumers

Blockchain.com has expanded its consumer application by introducing crypto options, allowing eligible users to make short-term market bets on seven digital assets. This new feature enables customers to express market views on both price direction and timing, with purchases funded upfront in USDC and a defined maximum loss. The move aims to simplify the options trading process for retail users.

The new crypto options product is now available to eligible consumer app users in supported jurisdictions. Customers can purchase call and put contracts for Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), Hyperliquid (HYPE), Avalanche (AVAX), XRP, and TRON (TRX). The initial offering includes expiration periods of up to one week. Unlike margin trading, these contracts require upfront funding in USDC, and customers must hold positions until settlement.

Blockchain.com’s vice president of consumer, Taro Ugen, explained that the interface is designed around the key decisions customers make when trading options. These decisions include where they expect the market to move, when it will reach that level, and the amount they are willing to commit. The platform handles the underlying complexity, ensuring a defined risk structure for buyers.

“We organized our crypto options interface around the decisions customers make when expressing their market expectations. Specifically, Ugen cited traders’ expectations of where the market will move and when it will reach that level. He also highlighted the amount they would commit to that view,” stated Ugen. Blockchain.com manages the option’s structure, converting the customer’s market view into the corresponding call or put contract.

This expansion follows Blockchain.com’s earlier launch of perpetual futures trading earlier this year. The company serves both retail and institutional users, and this new offering further diversifies its trading capabilities for consumers. The upfront funding mechanism in USDC means that a customer’s maximum potential loss is limited to the amount paid for the option contract.

In related developments, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly considering a proposal from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to allow companies to offer tokenized versions of their securities. Blockchain.com has a memorandum of understanding with the NYSE regarding tokenized U.S. securities. This proposed collaboration could grant Blockchain.com customers around-the-clock access to trade tokenized U.S. exchange-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds, subject to regulatory approvals.

Separately, Standard Chartered Bank recently launched Bitcoin and Ether trading for affluent clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This service, approved by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), allows eligible Professional Investor clients to trade these cryptocurrencies directly through their existing bank accounts. This marks Standard Chartered’s first cryptocurrency trading offering for affluent wealth clients globally and the first of its kind from an international bank operating in the UAE. The bank has also previously focused on crypto custody services in Singapore.

The introduction of crypto options by Blockchain.com aligns with a broader trend of institutional capital pushing blockchain technology beyond hype into real infrastructure. As the digital asset space matures, platforms are increasingly offering sophisticated trading tools to a wider user base. This move by Blockchain.com aims to make options trading more accessible and understandable for its consumer audience, emphasizing a defined-risk approach.