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The Crypto Rundown 233: Cooling Off After the Crypto Storm Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

The crypto market catches its breath after last week's sharp selloff. On this episode of The Crypto Rundown, Mark Longo breaks down Bitcoin's recovery from Friday's lows, Ethereum's continued attempt to regain momentum, and what subdued options activity may be signaling as the market settles into the heart of summer.

You'll also get the latest on options flow in IBIT, MSTR, ETHA, BMNR, Circle (CRCL), and PURR, along with a look at the biggest movers across the broader crypto landscape, including Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Cardano, Polkadot, and Shiba Inu.

In this episode:

Bitcoin stabilizes after last week's market turmoil
Ethereum tries to build on its recent rebound
Why crypto options volume remains muted
IBIT and MSTR options activity
ETHA, BMNR, Circle (CRCL), and PURR options flow
The latest market cap rankings
Performance across the major altcoins
What traders are watching heading into the new month

The Option Block 1486: Moves Like Jagger Jul 27, 2026

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Mick Jagger may have studied economics, but this week the panel tackles the market's biggest economic questions. Is Apple becoming the new AI winner while the rest of the Mag 7 struggles under massive capital spending? Are AI infrastructure costs finally catching up with Big Tech? And could the return of single-stock futures actually matter this time?

Mark Longo is joined by Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi and Uncle Mike Tosaw to break down another busy week in the options markets, including:

Why Apple continues making new highs while many AI leaders stumble
The growing debate over massive AI spending by Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI and others
Whether the "Magnificent Seven" are becoming the "Lag Seven"
The launch of CME's new single-stock futures contracts
Key earnings to watch from Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and more
Unusual options activity in CoStar Group and Trimble
Strategy Block: Using synthetic covered calls versus cash-secured puts
Around the Block: The panel's outlook heading into a pivotal Fed and earnings week

The Hot Options Report: 07-27-2026 Jul 27, 2026

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Apple reached another all-time high while NVIDIA and the broader semiconductor sector came under pressure, setting the stage for a fascinating day in the options market. On this episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down the stocks and ETFs dominating the options tape, the biggest trades of the session, and what unusual options activity may be signaling.

Today's show includes:

Apple hits fresh record highs ahead of earnings.
NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Micron lead a sharp semiconductor selloff.
Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and SpaceX round out the day's most active names.
A look at today's Morning Coffee Scan featuring GXC, GLD, VNQ, SPY, UUP, QQQ, and USO.
The hottest options trades and unusual activity from across the market.

Run your own reports at TheHotOptionsReport.com.

The Hot Options Report: 07-24-2026 Jul 24, 2026

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Apple stole the spotlight to close out the trading week, ripping higher on massive options volume while Intel's post-earnings optimism quickly faded. On this episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down the busiest names on the options tape, the most active strikes, and the trades that defined Friday's session.

From Apple's explosive rally to Intel's earnings hangover, Tesla's continued weakness, NVIDIA's relentless options activity, and notable action in AMD, Amazon, Alphabet, Micron, Oracle, and SpaceX, you'll get a fast-paced recap of where options traders were putting their money.

Plus, Mark highlights today's Hidden Figure Scan from QuikOptions, featuring unusual near-dated options activity in Nike, Intel, and IREN.Discover the scans professional options traders rely on every day at TheHotOptionsReport.com.

Volatility Views 688: Another Strange Week in Volatility Jul 24, 2026

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Volatility finally showed signs of life this week—but as traders have come to expect, the spike didn't last.

On this episode of Volatility Views, Mark Longo is joined by Dr. Russell Rhoads to dissect another unusual week in the volatility markets. The hosts examine why VIX briefly pushed toward 20 before quickly retreating, despite geopolitical tensions, AI spending concerns, and a sharp selloff in technology stocks.

They also break down the latest VIX futures term structure, analyze the week's most intriguing VIX options trades, discuss whether markets are underpricing geopolitical risk, and explain why Microsoft's upcoming earnings could be one of the biggest volatility events of the summer.

In this episode:

Why VIX couldn't sustain its move toward 20
AI spending concerns from Google and Tesla shake the market
What the VIX futures curve is signaling
Dr. Russell Rhoads' Weekly Rundown of unusual VIX options trades
Is the market ignoring geopolitical risk?
Why Microsoft earnings could be the next major volatility catalyst
Crystal Ball predictions for next week's VIX

TWIFO 506: Feeling Apocalyptic Jul 24, 2026

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Are markets starting to price in the unthinkable?

This week on This Week in Futures Options (TWIFO), Mark Longo and Russell Rhoads dive into one of the most fascinating weeks we've seen across the futures options landscape. Energy markets continue their explosive rally as crude oil surges back above $90, equity markets stumble, volatility begins to stir, and traders place some of the most unusual gold options trades we've ever seen.

The hosts analyze massive WTI crude oil put spreads, aggressive call buying, downside hedging in the S&P 500, the evolving relationship between VIX and equity volatility, and the extraordinary December gold option structures featuring 10,000, 15,000 and even 20,000 strike calls.

In this episode:

Movers & Shakers across CME Group markets
Why energy continues to dominate futures trading
Unusual WTI crude oil options activity
S&P 500 downside hedging and volatility positioning
Is VIX sending the right signal?
The most bizarre gold options trades of the year
What extreme options positioning may be telling traders

The Hot Options Report: 07-26-2026 Jul 23, 2026

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Big Tech takes center stage as earnings, AI spending, and post-market volatility drive another busy session in the options market.

Host Mark Longo breaks down the stocks dominating today's options tape, including Tesla's sharp post-earnings selloff, Alphabet's AI-driven plunge, and a surprise after-hours rally in Intel following earnings. Plus, Micron keeps its momentum alive, SpaceX fights back after another volatile session, and traders position in NVIDIA, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft ahead of Friday's expiration.

In this episode:

Tesla dominates the options leaderboard after earnings disappointment
Alphabet's AI spending sparks a broad Big Tech selloff
Intel jumps after earnings—were options traders ready?
Micron pushes toward the 1,000 strike again
SpaceX stages a surprising rebound
Heavy options activity in NVIDIA, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and more
Featured QuikOptions Scan: Death Cross stocks to watch

Discover powerful options analytics and unusual activity tools at TheHotOptionsReport.com.

The Option Block 1485: The Twin Terrors of AI and UTIs Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

A brutal selloff swept through the markets as concerns over AI spending, earnings, and geopolitical uncertainty rattled investors. Mark Longo is joined by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe and special guest "The Black Hatted" Dan Passarelli from Market Taker Mentoring to break down the biggest stories driving the options market.

This episode explores the market reaction to disappointing earnings from Tesla and Alphabet, rising volatility as the VIX climbs back toward 20, unusual options activity in Micron, Universal Technical Institute (UTI), LSB Industries (LXU), and Nokia, plus the ongoing debate over whether markets are finally beginning to price geopolitical risk.

You'll also hear:

Tesla and Alphabet earnings reactions
AI infrastructure spending and CapEx concerns
VIX, SPY, QQQ, and Russell 2000 options activity
Massive unusual options flow in Micron
Bullish call buying in UTI and LXU
Nokia earnings and post-earnings options trading
Earnings season strategies and time spreads with Dan Passarelli
Around the Block: what the panel is watching next

The European Market Brief 27: Welcome to the Swap Party! Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Interest rate swaps are the largest derivatives market in the world—but they're also one of the least understood. In this episode, host Mark Longo is joined by Chris Dopp and Milena Dimitrova from Eurex for an in-depth look at OTC interest rate swaps, central clearing, and why this market sits at the heart of the global financial system.

Topics include:

What interest rate swaps are and why institutions rely on them
Why the OTC swaps market exceeds $500 trillion in notional outstanding
How central clearing transformed the market after the financial crisis
Counterparty risk, clearing houses, and capital efficiency
Dodd-Frank, EMIR, MiFID, and the evolving regulatory landscape
Why futures, options, and swaps are increasingly interconnected
The future of OTC clearing, tokenization, and even... swaptions

The Futures Rundown 84: Returning to the Scene of the Crime Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Has crude oil finally returned to fair value after one of the year's biggest geopolitical shocks?

This week on The Futures Rundown, Mark Longo welcomes back Morad Askar of EdgeClear to examine why crude oil has retraced nearly its entire Iran-driven rally and what "returning to the scene of the crime" means from a market profile perspective. They also dive into the hottest futures markets, from energy and grains to metals, crypto, and equity indexes.

The discussion covers whether today's volatility is creating opportunity or chaos, why retail traders continue to dominate Nasdaq Micro futures, and what the return of single-stock futures could mean for active traders.

In this episode:

Why crude oil has returned to its pre-war equilibrium
WTI, Brent and the outlook for energy markets
Gold, silver and whether precious metals have finally found fair value
Coffee, cocoa, cattle and the surprising commodity landscape
Why Nasdaq Micro futures continue to dominate trading volume
Retail traders, prop firms and index futures activity
Bitcoin, Ethereum and crypto futures trends
The return of CME single-stock futures and why traders should pay attention

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