
The Options Insider Radio Network
The Options Insider Radio Network is the premier audio destination for options traders. The network provides access to a vast array of popular programs including The Option Block, Options Boot Camp, The Advisors Option, The Long and Short of Futures Options, Volatility Views, Options Insider Radio and much more. Join the thousands around the globe who turn to The Options Insider Radio Network for options information, analysis and education.
Latest episodes

Mar 21, 2025 • 58min
TWIFO 442: Equities, Energy and a Taste of Crypto
This episode of 'This Week in Futures Options' features Mark Longo and guest Dan Gramza from Gramza Capital Management. The discussion covers a variety of futures options markets, including equities, crude oil, and crypto. Key highlights include an in-depth analysis of the E-mini S&P 500 trades, the current market sentiment, and the put options trend in crude oil. Listeners are also introduced to CME Group's new Solana futures and Dan Gramza provides insights into market behaviors and expectations. 02:41 Show Kickoff and Market Overview 03:32 Guest Introduction: Dan Gramza 04:32 Movers and Shakers Report 08:27 Exploring CVAL and Market Volatility 12:15 Equity Market Analysis 28:20 Consumer Sentiment and Economic Indicators 29:00 Real Estate Market Dynamics 29:35 Market Predictions for the S&P 31:13 Energy Sector Insights 32:33 Crude Oil Market Analysis 35:37 Global Oil Production and Trade 48:45 Crypto Market Developments 52:00 Conclusion and Resources

Mar 20, 2025 • 1h 1min
The Option Block 1363: Secret Cabals, Monsters and the Gamma of Vega
In this episode, Mark Longo, Henry Schwartz from Cboe, and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management discuss the latest trends and activities in the options market. Highlights include a rundown of volume and activity in VIX, SPY, SPX, RUT, and QQQ, as well as specific stocks like BABA, AMD, META, TESLA, and NVIDIA. The episode also dives into unusual call buying activity in SNAP, options trading in the new CBOE Mini Bitcoin ETF Index (MBTX), and updates on recent trades in Southwest Airlines (LUV). Additionally, a listener's question about SPX calendars and the behavior of VIX is addressed, offering educational insight into the complexities of volatility trading. The show concludes with a look at what the hosts will be monitoring in the coming days. 03:18 Market Analysis and Recent Trends 06:05 Trading Block: Latest Topics and Trades 09:01 Market Reactions and Volatility 23:27 Single Stock Highlights 31:29 Earnings Reports: Nike and FedEx 32:22 Micron and GameStop: Upcoming Highlights 32:38 Micron's Market Moves 33:17 The Odd Block: Unusual Options Activity 33:58 Snap Inc: Social Media or Tech? 38:42 Crypto Corner: Cboe Mini Bitcoin ETF 43:11 Southwest Airlines: Upside in Love 45:46 VIX Super Stupid: A Risky Bet 46:31 Mail Block: Listener Questions 54:31 Around the Block: Market Watch

Mar 20, 2025 • 44min
The Futures Rundown 26: Riding the Solana Wave: A New Era of Futures
In this episode, host Mark Longo and co-host Carly Garner (DeCarley Trading) discuss the latest updates in the futures markets, including the introduction of new CME Solana Futures contracts. They cover the most active futures contracts of the week, highlight significant year-to-date movers such as gold and natural gas, and analyze trading activity in various sectors including metals, agriculture, and energy. They also touch on macroeconomic factors impacting futures trading, particularly the effects of Federal Reserve announcements on market dynamics. Additionally, listener questions about trading volumes and strategies are addressed. 04:03 Market Movements and Trading Insights 04:24 Diving into the Trading Pit 06:58 Analyzing Top Futures Trading Activity 09:48 Economic Developments and Market Reactions 18:58 Year-to-Date Movers and Trends 22:16 Market Performance Recap 22:53 Solana Futures Market Update 23:22 Orange Juice Market Analysis 24:37 New Futures Product: Solana 25:01 Solana Futures Contract Specifications 26:06 Initial Reactions to Solana Futures 32:22 Trading Volume and Market Sentiment 36:01 Futures Free For All: Q&A 41:40 Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Events

Mar 19, 2025 • 43min
Options Boot Camp 330: Falling to the Dark Side of Futures Options
In this episode of Options Bootcamp, host Mark Longo, alongside Dan Passarelli from Market Taker Mentoring and Katie McGarrigle from TastyTrade, dive deep into the world of futures options trading. They discuss the nuances of futures versus equity options, identifying key differences such as expirations and unique skews. Various starter strategies and products are outlined, emphasizing defined-risk approaches for newcomers. The episode also highlights listener insights on the BTFD strategy and the interest in 24-hour trading. Additionally, Katie and Dan provide updates on their platforms and new endeavors, including Dan's upcoming book and podcast. 00:00 Welcome to Options Insider Radio Network 03:40 Meet the Hosts: Mark Longo, Dan Passarelli, and Katie McGarrigle 05:52 Diving into Futures Options 07:55 Challenges and Strategies in Futures Options 14:41 The Evolution of Trading Platforms 19:06 Exploring Skew in Futures Options 21:48 Nuances of Trading: Research and Preparation 22:03 Starter Products for New Traders 22:34 Equity Index Futures and Beyond 25:52 Starter Strategies for Futures Options 29:42 Listener Mail Call: Your Questions Answered 31:30 Market Taker Question of the Week 31:48 New Book Announcement and Podcast 33:26 Poll Results and Audience Insights 37:55 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Shows

Mar 17, 2025 • 48min
The Crypto Rundown 269: Crypto Wild Cards
This episode of the Crypto Rundown explores the latest trends, activities, and developments in the crypto derivatives markets. Hosted by Mark Longo and featuring guest Greg Magadini, Director of Derivatives at Amber Data, the show covers a broad spectrum of topics including the ongoing volatility in key cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, the growing interest and trading volumes in IBIT, and the launch of Solana futures by CME. The discussion also delves into the opportunities present in Bitcoin and Ethereum skews, risk reversals, and trading strategies, while highlighting the recent performance of various altcoins. Key insights are shared about the potential future trends and the intriguing 'wildcards' within the crypto market, such as Solana. The show also offers resources for accessing comprehensive market data through Amberdata's free newsletter, enhancing the listeners' ability to navigate and leverage the evolving crypto ecosystem. 01:24 Welcome to the Crypto Rundown 03:57 Special Guest: Greg Magadini from Amberdata 04:44 Bitcoin Breakdown: Market Trends and Analysis 09:42 Exploring Bitcoin Volatility and Skew 15:51 iBit: The Rising Star in Crypto Options 24:13 Exploring MSTU: A Degenerate Product 26:43 Diving into the Altcoin Universe 28:58 ETH's Struggles and Market Trends 35:27 Solana's Wild Ride 38:15 Altcoin Market Overview 42:58 Concluding Thoughts and Future Insights

Mar 17, 2025 • 58min
The Option Block 1362: Amen to the Options Market
In this episode, host Mark Longo is back in the Chicago studio after attending the Futures Industry Association conference. The team, including Uncle Mike Tosaw and Andrew Giovinazzi, discuss the mixed market activity and the upcoming Fed meeting, where a rate pause is highly anticipated. The show delves into unusual options activities, focusing on large trades in Vodafone and HUYA. Uncle Mike provides insights on active versus passive hedging strategies, and the episode concludes with 'Around the Block' highlighting what to watch for the rest of the trading week. The listeners are also engaged through a poll on whether to buy or sell Vodafone calls. 01:59 Mark Longo's Return and FIA Insights 03:45 80's Trivia Challenge 07:19 Market Analysis and Trading Block 10:01 Uncle Mike's Market Observations 16:53 Rock Lobster's Market Insights 27:25 VIX and SPY Trading Activity 30:19 Market Overview: Small Caps and QQQ 30:59 Single Names: Top Ten Contracts 31:36 Spotlight on Quantum Straddles 33:34 Amazon and Palantir Performance 34:52 Alibaba and AMD Insights 35:47 Apple and Intel Analysis 37:08 Tesla and NVIDIA Trends 37:49 Odd Block: Unusual Options Activity 49:11 Strategy Block: Hedging Techniques 53:01 Around the Block: Market Watch 55:39 Conclusion and Upcoming Content

Mar 14, 2025 • 1h 6min
Volatility Views 624: The Volatility Vortex of Tariffs, Hantavirus, Posh Spice and the Number of the Beast
This episode of Volatility Views dives into the current state of the volatility market, with insights from hosts Mark Longo, Mark Sebastian, and Russell Rhodes. The discussion includes the latest developments in volatility products such as VIX futures, VOLI, VVIX, UVIX, SVIX, and UVXY, highlighting notable market activities and trends. The panel discusses the tariffs impact on the markets, and also includes some talk about the hantavirus and the Spice Girls, particularly Posh Spice. The show concludes with the Crystal Ball segment, where the hosts predict future volatility levels next week.

Mar 13, 2025 • 39min
TWIFO 441: Gassy Meats
We look at the movers and shakers in the futures options markets and in the CVOL Indexes for this past week including energy (nat gas), ags (live/feeder cattle), and much more. With your host: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Radio Network

Mar 13, 2025 • 1h 6min
The Option Block 1361: The Revenge of the Spice Girls
In this episode, the hosts, led by Mark Longo, delve into the current market volatility, the dynamics of the options market, and strategies for navigating today's financial landscape. Joined by guests like Uncle Mike Tosaw and Flowmaster Henry Schwartz, they discuss the influence of tariffs, unusual options activity, and the state of various financial indices. They also explore specific trades and positions, such as in LUV, XRX and NFE. They also engage with listener questions on topics like whether the BTFD trade is dead and whether this spice in the market has legs. The show combines expert insights, market analysis, and a lively discussion on who is everyone's favorite Spice Girl.

Mar 12, 2025 • 17min
The Futures Rundown 25: Crude Oil Faceoff: WTI vs Brent
In this episode of the Futures Rundown, we break down the differences between Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures. Jermal Chandler from Tasty Live joins the discussion to help traders understand key nuances in contract specifications, market behavior, and pricing. The episode covers contract sizes, tick values, settlement types, and the geographical distinctions between Brent (Europe) and WTI (Texas). The show also touches on trading volumes, liquidity, and occasional anomalies like the negative pricing event in April 2020. 03:38 Futures 101: WTI vs Brent Crude 05:30 Contract Specifications and Trading Insights 09:06 Brent vs WTI: Market Dynamics and Trading Strategies 13:45 Final Thoughts
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