thetaOwl

COIN

Coinbase Global, Inc.Close $191.29EOD only
Max Pain
$192.50
Next expiry May 22, 2026
Expected Move
±$8.47
4.4% from close
Price Gap
+1.21
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
6
Low premium
P/C OI
0.73
Slightly call-heavy
Consensus
8.0/10
Bullish tilt
Published snapshot: May 20, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

This page reflects COIN options positioning from the latest published market-close snapshot. Intraday price and contract changes are not displayed.

Published Snapshot
May 20, 2026 close
COIN Flow Report
Analysis based on market close April 2, 2026

Historical consensus-supported lens with full content, report chain context, and metric rail.

You are viewing an older report from April 2, 2026. A newer flow report is available for May 14, 2026.

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Flow Verdict

BiasNeutral-to-Bearish
Confirmation: Spot breaks and holds below the $170 gamma flip, with put/call volume ratio rising above 0.8
Invalidation: Spot reclaims $177.50 with high-volume call buying and net premium flips positive
Confidence:
6 / 10
base 5; +1 sustained massive negative net premium; +1 spot below max pain; +0.5 GEX pinning; -1.5 conflicting near-term call flow and P/C volume ratio

Watch next session: Defense of $170 put OI (6,916) vs. $172.5 call OI; Follow-through on the $185 call block (7,361 volume)

Flow Summary

Net premium: -$143.1M bearish

P/C volume ratio: 0.58 — call-dominant volume

P/C OI ratio: 0.73 — moderate call lean

A stark conflict: volume is call-dominant, but net premium is massively negative due to enormous, distant put sales. This suggests institutional hedging (tail-risk or volatility) is overwhelming retail/speculative call buying, creating a bearish lean in positioning despite active near-term call flow.

Notable Prints

#1
COIN 2026-04-10 $185 Call
Vol: 7,361
OI: 1,845
Vol/OI: 4.0x
IV: 63.7%
Notional: ~$1.1M (premium est.)
Intent: Fresh directional call buying or call spread leg
Dual read: Bought (bullish breakout) or sold (covered call/neutral)

Read-through: This is the highest single-strike volume in the near-term. It targets a move above the $180-$185 resistance zone (max pain for 3/27 was $185). Given the high vol/oi and moderate IV, this is likely new bullish positioning betting on a rebound toward $185.

#2
COIN 2026-04-10 $130 Put
Vol: 3,146
OI: 439
Vol/OI: 7.2x
IV: 93.6%
Notional: ~$1.9M (premium est.)
Intent: Tail-risk hedge or speculative put buying
Dual read: Bought (bearish crash protection) or sold (premium collection)

Read-through: Extremely high vol/oi and IV. This is a deep OTM put (~24% below spot). The high premium suggests buying, not selling. This is a meaningful hedge against a severe downside move, consistent with the institutional bearish hedging theme.

#3
COIN 2026-04-10 $177.50 Call
Vol: 9,647
OI: 2,668
Vol/OI: 3.6x
IV: 65.5%
Notional: ~$1.6M (premium est.)
Intent: Directional call buying near resistance
Dual read: Bought (bullish) or sold (neutral)

Read-through: Massive volume, but lower notional than the $185C due to lower premium. This strike is just above spot, targeting an immediate breakout. The flow aligns with the $185C, suggesting a coordinated bullish bet on a move to $177.50-$185.

#4
COIN 2026-04-10 $160 Put
Vol: 3,484
OI: 823
Vol/OI: 4.2x
IV: 70.8%
Notional: ~$1.2M (premium est.)
Intent: Downside protection or directional bet
Dual read: Bought (bearish) or sold (bullish put write)

Read-through: High volume below the key $170 gamma flip. If bought, this targets a break below $170 and a move toward $160. It provides a bearish counterpoint to the near-term call flow, indicating some are positioning for further downside.

#5
COIN 2026-04-17 $250 Put
Vol: 1,255
OI: 400
Vol/OI: 3.1x
IV: 144.4%
Notional: ~$3.1M (premium est.)
Intent: Tail-risk hedge
Dual read: Bought (bearish hedge) or sold (extreme premium collection)

Read-through: Extremely high IV and meaningful notional. This is a continuation of the deep OTM hedging seen in prior reports. It's a major contributor to the negative net premium and signals persistent institutional concern over volatility and left-tail risk.

Institutional Positioning

Call additions: Near-term calls at $177.50 and $185 for April 10th expiry. Some interest in $180 calls for May 1st.

Put additions: Deep OTM puts at $130 (April 10th) and $250 (April 17th). Closer puts at $160-$167.50.

GEX/DEX consistency: Partially. Positive GEX (+$5.0M) supports pinning near $170, aligning with the large OI clusters. However, the massive negative premium flow (bearish) conflicts with the stabilizing effect of GEX.

OI clusters: Major call wall at $170 (14,101 OI) and $190 (11,607 OI). Major put wall at $170 (6,916 OI). This creates a powerful magnet/pin zone. The $170 strike is the estimated gamma flip.

Hedging evidence: Strong evidence. The top premium flow strikes are all deep OTM puts ($370, $380, $250, $640) generating massive negative net premium. This is institutional tail-risk hedging or volatility positioning, not a direct near-term directional bet.

Max pain context: Spot ($171.46) is below the nearest max pain ($185 for 3/27, $170 for 4/2). The rising MP trend ($185 → $200) suggests longer-term positioning is bullish, conflicting with near-term bearish flow and spot price action.

Signal vs Noise

~The enormous negative net premium is driven by deep OTM put sales (e.g., $370, $380, $640). This is institutional hedging/volatility positioning and should not be read as a direct near-term directional signal for spot.
~High-volume, low-IV prints in the $177.50-$185 calls (IV 63-66%) are likely fresh directional bets or spread legs, given the high vol/oi ratios. This is signal, not noise.
~The $700 Call for June (volume 986) is likely a legacy position, speculative lottery ticket, or part of a complex spread, not meaningful new bullish flow.
~The $170 Put and Call OI clusters represent dealer positioning that will enforce pinning; high volume here is often delta-hedging, not new directional bets.

Key Conclusions

⚔️Battle at $170: Massive call OI (14.1K) vs. put OI (6.9K) creates a strong pin, supported by positive GEX.
🛡️Institutions remain heavily hedged via deep OTM puts, generating massive negative premium and a bearish lean in positioning.
📈Speculative call buying is active at $177.50-$185, betting on a near-term rebound against the bearish hedging flow.
🎯Watch $170 gamma flip. A break below targets $160-$165 put strikes; a hold above invites a test of the $177.50-$185 call zone.
How to Use These Reports
This flow reflects the market close on April 2, 2026.
What the reports do

Each report translates the same market-close options snapshot into a specific lens such as directional bias, premium-selling posture, flow quality, or earnings setup.

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What to remember

These are interpretation layers, not execution guarantees. Validate the setup against chain liquidity, expected move, and exposure before sizing risk.

If the report conviction and the raw data disagree, slow down and resolve the mismatch before sizing risk.