35 min ago3 min readBitcoin traders may consider protecting against a price drop next month, which averages -3%. (CoinGlass)SummaryThis is an excerpt from CoinDesk newsletter 'Daybook.' Sign up here, if you haven't already.Missed bitcoin’s BTC$79,422.78 initial climb to $80,000 and looking for a smart way in? Industry experts favor a defined-risk strategy known as call spreads for the next leg higher.The strategy is popular with traders looking to profit from an expected price rise while capping potential losses. It involves buying the right to purchase BTC at a given price, such as $80,000, and simultaneously selling the right for someone else to buy it at a higher price, say $90,000, capping both the upside and downside. The maximum profit is the difference between the two strike prices minus what the call spread buyer paid for the spread. The maximum loss is limited to the initial premium."Call spreads remain an appealing mechanism for upside exposure into September,” said Jean-David Pequignot, the chief commercial officer at Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange by volume and open interest. “Long call spreads allow traders to buy the cheaper wing of a skew leading toward downside puts, capturing potential post-expiry upside while maintaining defined risk ahead of Fed and inflation catalysts," he told CoinDesk.He added that put options, which are bets that protect against BTC price losses, remain relatively expensive.Markus Thielken, the founder of 10x Research, also prefers call spreads. "Buy BTC and sell $90,000 September calls against it. Because of higher implied volatility, the premium brings in yield, which also lowers your risk. An alternative is the 85/95 September call spread," he said.Analyst consensus remains bullish. BlackRock recently cited U.S. fiscal issues as a major bullish tailwind for assets like BTC and gold.While BTC is on track for its biggest monthly gain since 2024, one cautionary note is that September has historically been a mildly bearish month. Since 2013, it has averaged a negative 3% return, according to data source Coinglass. Stay alert.Read more: For analysis of today's activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today . For a comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk's "Crypto Week Ahead."What’s trendingBitcoin treasury companies shed $80bn in value as business model unwinds (FT): An analysis of the 50 bitcoin treasury companies with the highest holdings found that their combined market capitalization has slumped to $67 billion from $150 billion in July last year.Britain plans new Bank of England objective for stablecoins (CoinDesk): The U.K. plans to give the Bank of England a new statutory objective to support innovation in stablecoins and other forms of digital money while keeping financial stability as its primary responsibility.Binance co-founders CZ and Yi He adopted Simpsons cartoon aliases ‘Homer’ and ‘Marge’ in company meetings (CoinDesk): Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Yi He used the aliases Homer and Marge for company meetings and internal chats. They also used the identities when lurking at meetings of BNB Chain and subsidiaries like CoinMarketCap, according to a person familiar.Today’s signalBitcoin's 30-day implied volatility index, BVIV, has surged with BTC's price. (TradingView)The chart shows bitcoin’s spot price and its 30-day implied volatility index, BVIV, since Aug. 15. The two have jumped higher in lockstep, a sign of the surging demand for options as the spot price climbs. Options are derivatives that help traders hedge or profit from price swings. Implied volatility is determined by demand for options. According to cyprto options exchange Deribit, institutions have been buying longer-dated puts in a bid to hedge against potential BTC price slides. At the same time, short-term traders have been buying calls to profit from the current price rally. Related Assets12345678910Anvil: The Missing Collateral LayerAnvil: The Missing Collateral LayerAnvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.Jul 29, 2026Anvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.Why it matters:Anvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.View Full Report