Bitcoin Seven-Day Volatility Registers 32.6%, Below 30-Day Reading

Bitcoin (BTC) options priced seven-day implied volatility at 32.6% on Oct. 21, below the 30-day reading of 35.5%, following a week of increased demand for U.S. stock hedges.

For the week ended Oct. 16, the Nasdaq-100 shed 5.5%, its sharpest weekly decline since April 2025. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) rose about five points to 20 over the same period as demand for protection against S&P 500 losses increased. The VIX measures expected swings in the stock index over 30 days.

Bitcoin had traded between roughly $80,000 and $84,000 for about two weeks. By Oct. 21, demand for short-term protection against a Bitcoin decline had eased from its Oct. 18 level. That change in downside demand covers a later period than the rise in U.S. stock hedging.

The Oct. 21 Bitcoin volatility figures compare two time horizons at a single point. They show that the seven-day reading was below the 30-day reading, but do not establish how seven-day implied volatility changed during the stock selloff. The easing in downside demand is a separate observation about options pricing.

Ether (ETH) options showed a different short-term pattern. Ether’s seven-day implied volatility rose from 41.1% on Oct. 16 to 46.3% on Oct. 21. Its seven-day put premium narrowed to 2.8 volatility points but remained positive, indicating that protection against a decline still carried a premium over the corresponding upside exposure.

Implied volatility reflects the price swings anticipated in options markets, rather than investor confidence directly. Bitcoin’s 32.6% reading and Ether’s 46.3% reading cover seven days, while Bitcoin’s 35.5% comparator and the VIX cover 30 days. The differing assets, measurement periods and observation dates limit any direct ranking of anxiety across the markets.