The Options Insider Radio Network

Latest Episodes:

The Option Block 1443: How to Get Punched in the Face by Your Broker Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo, "Uncle" Mike Tosaw, and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi dive into a wild week of market reversals, Super Bowl takeaways, and a legendary 80s trivia question that leads to some... interesting historical discussions.

The panel breaks down the shift in the AI narrative—from "unlimited upside" to "unlimited spending"—and what it means for the Mag Seven. Plus, they explore the unusual activity in cheap biotechs and the risks of trading wide markets where you might just get "punched in the face" by the spread.

In This Episode:

The 80s Trivia Challenge: A "Steelers choice" round featuring a badly aimed tomahawk and a controversial question about where Hitler wrote Mein Kampf.
The Trading Block: S&P 500 resiliency, VIX hovering near a million contracts a day, and the defensive masterclass of the Super Bowl.
AI & The Creative Destruction: Why the "Mag Seven" might be losing their grip as massive AI infrastructure spending begins to weigh on tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Odd Block: Unusual activity in Mura Therapeutics (NMRA)—is it a bullish risk reversal or a market maker's trap?
Strategy Block: Uncle Mike discusses the discipline of "having your cake and eating it too" with covered calls and when to exit for 97% profit.
Around the Block: A look ahead at non-farm payrolls, the launch of single-name zero-day options (0DTE), and upcoming earnings for Coke, CVS, Robinhood, and the "dumpster fire" that is Ford.

The Hot Options Report: 02-06-26 Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Nvidia Leads 4.3M Contract Surge as VIX Crumbles!

The "reversal Friday" everyone was looking for finally arrived. In this episode, we track the massive options flow that dominated the tape on February 6, 2026. While Nvidia ($NVDA) and Palantir ($PLTR) caught fire, the "Amazonians" were left licking their wounds after a spending-heavy earnings report.

We break down the Top 10 most active names, from the "Fruit Company" ($AAPL) to the wild 26% swing in MicroStrategy ($MSTR). If you want to know where the paper was moving as the market turned green, this is your report.

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Market Context 1:12 - #10 Meta & #9 Alphabet: The Red Outsiders 2:15 - #8 Palantir & #7 AMD: The Animal Spirits Return 3:30 - #6 Microsoft & #5 MSTR: The 26% Strategy Swing 5:10 - #4 Apple & #3 Tesla: Chasing the Par Strikes 6:45 - #2 Amazon: The $200B Capex Selloff 8:20 - #1 Nvidia: 4.3 Million Contracts & The 8% Rally 9:45 - Final Wrap & Weekly Review

Connect with us:

Access the data: TheHotOptionsReport.com
Twitter/X: @Options

Volatility Views 667: A Volatility Bloodletting Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

The market witnessed a wild week of price action, shifting from a tech-led "bloodletting" to a massive Friday reversal. In this episode, Mark Longo, Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX), and Mark Sebastian (The Greasy Meatball) break down the carnage in the Mag Seven, the "memification" of Bitcoin assets like MSTR, and why the VIX is struggling to hold onto its gains despite the chaos.

Inside This Episode:

Volatility Review: A deep dive into the mid-week route and the "mother of all reversals." Why the Dow and equal-weight S&P (RSP) hit all-time highs while big tech bled.
The "Memification" of Everything: Mark Sebastian explains why Bitcoin and MicroStrategy (MSTR) are following the GameStop blueprint.
VIX Term Structure: Analyzing the "hunched" curve and why front-month futures remain subdued.
Russell's Weekly Rundown: A look at "unusual" weekly trades, including a massive $5 call buy on the 15 strike.
The New 0DTE Frontier: First impressions of the new Tuesday/Thursday expirations for single-name equities like Tesla and Nvidia.
Crystal Ball: The crew places their bets on where the VIX cash will land by next Friday's close.

Contact/Links:

Check out tastytrade.com/podcasts

TWIFO 483: Giving the Big Adios to Equities, Crypto and Silver Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

This episode of This Week in Futures Options (TWIFO) captures a high-stakes, "all-red" day across the global markets. Host Mark Longo and veteran analyst Dan Gramza break down a massive sell-off hitting everything from equities and crypto to metals, providing actionable insights into whether this is a "big adios" or a buying opportunity.

Episode Overview: The "Big Adios" Sell-Off

The markets are seeing a sea of red as equities, metals, and crypto face intense selling pressure. Mark and Dan navigate the wreckage to find where the volatility is exploding and where the smart money is positioning itself amidst the carnage.

Key Highlights from the Show:

Metals Meltdown: A deep dive into the "Silver Madness." With Silver down over 34% this week, the team discusses triple-digit volatility levels and whether the market has finally reached a "double bottom" or if there's more pain to come.
Equities Rotation: Is the AI trade finally over? Analysis of the aggressive unwind in the S&P 500 and the rotation into small caps (Russell 2000), including the impact of the newly launched zero-day (0DTE) options on major individual components like Tesla and Nvidia.
Crypto Carnage: Bitcoin takes a 22% hit since Monday. Dan explores the correlation between the NASDAQ and Bitcoin, identifying the $60,000 level as the next crucial psychological floor.
Movers & Shakers: A breakdown of the rare "Light Side" winners (Milk and Soybeans) versus the "Dark Side" losers (Silver, Bitcoin, and Natural Gas).
Energy & Ags: Why the geopolitical tension between the US and Iran is the "X-factor" for Crude Oil and why Natural Gas continues its downward slide despite cold temperatures.

Inside the Options Flow:

S&P 500 (ES): Analysis of a massive 30,000-contract put spread trade (6,600/6,650) and what it signals for market sentiment over the next 15 days.
Silver (SI): High-volume activity in the March 70 puts and the surprising demand for "lottery ticket" March par (100) calls.
Bitcoin (BTC): Institutional vs. Retail flow, including a look at the "stock repair" strategies appearing in the March cycle.

The Option Block 1442: Blood-Red Markets and the Death of DUOL Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Blood-Red Markets and the Death of DUOL

The markets are bleeding red, and volatility is finally taking center stage. In this episode of The Option Block, the panel breaks down a brutal session for the indices and the absolute carnage following Duolingo's (DUOL) latest move. From VIX spikes to institutional "Odd Block" flows, we're dissecting the anatomy of a sell-off.

On This Episode, Join:

Mark Longo: Founder & CEO, The Options Insider Media Group
Henry Schwartz: Vice President, Institutional Derivatives, Cboe Global Markets
Mike Tosaw: Wealth Manager, St. Charles Wealth Management

The Docket:

The Trading Block: A post-mortem on today's blood-red market. Henry provides the Cboe perspective on the VIX spike, while the team analyzes the breakdown in tech and why the "buy the dip" mentality is being tested.
The Odd Block: Examining the "Death of DUOL." We break down the massive institutional put buying in Duolingo and the unusual activity that signaled this collapse before the floor fell out.
Strategy Session: Defensive positioning 101. How to manage your long delta when the market turns, and the most cost-effective ways to price tail-risk hedges in the current environment.
Mail Call: Listeners ask about the impact of high-volume sell-offs on spread pricing and how to handle challenged positions in a falling market.

The Hot Options Report: 02-05-26 Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

The "Monster" is back in the spotlight! On this episode of The Hot Options Report, host Mark Longo breaks down an explosive session dominated by MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Amazon (AMZN) earnings. As Bitcoin slips below $67k, we analyze the aggressive deleveraging in MSTR options and the surge in put activity. Meanwhile, we look at the wreckage in Amazon as investors weigh record revenue against a staggering $200B AI capex forecast for 2026.

We dive deep into the Top 10 most active names, including:

The MSTR Meltdown: With Bitcoin testing the $65k level, we track the massive volume in MSTR weekly puts and the "forced deleveraging" hitting the tape.
AMZN's Cloud Divergence: AWS is growing at 24%, but the stock is tumbling 9% after-hours. Is the AI spend too high for the Street to stomach?
Alphabet (GOOGL) & The VIX: Tech rotation intensifies as the "fear gauge" spikes 13%.
Chip Sector Fallout: Qualcomm (QCOM) and Arm (ARM) lead the semiconductor slide—we look at the protective put spreads catching fire.

Whether you're looking for a hedge or trading the volatility, we show you exactly where the "big paper" is landing today.

For more options data, go to TheHotOptionsReport.com.

Wide World of Options: Options for (Premium) Income: Unpacking Covered Calls & Cash-Secured Puts Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Two of the most popular strategies for generating income through options are covered calls and cash-secured puts. In this episode of Wide World of Options, host Mark Benzaquen is joined by Dr. Alan Ellman of The Blue Collar Investor Corp to explore the fundamentals of these approaches including how to select strikes, manage risk, and navigate assignment scenarios.

The Futures Rundown 64: Fallout from the Metals Apocalypse Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

The metals markets are reeling after a historic "Metals Apocalypse," and The Futures Rundown is here to pick up the pieces. Host Mark Longo is joined by Jermal Chandler, Head of Options Strategy at tastytrade, to break down the massive volatility crushing Silver and Bitcoin while an unlikely sector—Dairy—dominates the leaderboard.

In this episode, we dive into:

The Trading Pit: A post-mortem on the Silver route and why the "90 handle" is the new psychological battleground.
The Crypto Slide: Bitcoin and ETH are breaking key technical levels—is this a "risk-off" moment or something deeper?
The Dairy Palooza: Why Cash-Settled Cheese, Butter, and Non-fat Dry Milk are the surprise winners of 2026.
Top 10 Most Active: Rates and Equities continue to lead the tape, with the Micro Nasdaq 100 taking the crown.
Futures Free-for-All: We answer listener questions on whether Silver or Bitcoin hits the 100 handle first and how to trade Silver volatility using strangles.

Go to https://tastytrade.com/podcasts for more information.

The Hot Options Report: 02-04-26 Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Join Mark Longo for a high-octane breakdown of a "mostly blood red" Wednesday in the options market. While the broader indices took a hit, specific names saw explosive options activity following earnings and analyst upgrades.

In this episode, we dive into the top 10 most active names on the tape, including:

AMD's Post-Earnings Massacre: How the $220 puts turned into a "home run" as the stock plummeted 17%.
Apple's Green Island: Breaking down the heavy call volume and Goldman Sachs upgrade that kept the fruit company soaring.
MicroStrategy (MSTR) Gambles: With earnings on the horizon, we track the massive bet on $150 calls.
Nvidia (NVDA) & Tesla (TSLA): Tracking the heavy volume at the $177.50 and $400 strikes as these heavyweights continue to dominate the Wednesday weekly expirations.

We also cover unusual activity in SMCI, Amazon, Micron, Microsoft, and Palantir.

Get the Data: Want to see the numbers we're crunching? Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com for unbeatable data at an unbeatable price.

Options Boot Camp 376: Tesla, Trading Scams and the Wisdom of Geena Davis Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Options Boot Camp, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive into the high-velocity world of single-name zero-days-to-expiration (0DTE) options. With Monday and Wednesday expiries now live for heavy hitters like Tesla ($TSLA) and Nvidia ($NVDA), the "Drill Instructors" break down the massive trading volume shifts and the potential risks of contra-exercise in American-style options.

What's Inside This Episode:

The 0DTE Surge: A data-driven look at how much volume is flooding into the new weekly expiries. Are brokers ready for the added risk?
The "Retail Prop Firm" Red Flag: A listener asks if those flashy inbox offers to "bankroll your trading" are legit. Dan and Mark weigh in on why you might want to follow Geena Davis's advice in The Fly: "Run. Run away!"
Commodity Chaos: A check-in on the silver squeeze and Bitcoin's race to the next big psychological level.
IRA Restrictions: Why some brokers limit you to "Level 1" options in retirement accounts and the frustration of synthetic risk equivalence.
Pro Trading Crate: We announce the latest winner for our bespoke pro-member giveaway!

Key Takeaways for Traders:

Volume Watch: Discover why nearly 50% of top strikes in names like Nvidia are now concentrated in contracts with just 24 hours to live.
Scam Alert: Learn the hallmarks of "prop firm" scams—if you have to pony up your own cash to access their "capital," it's time to walk away.
Educational Deep Dive: Understanding the difference between cash-settled and physically settled options in the 0DTE era.

"If you have to pony up any money for a prop deal, stay the hell away from it. Real firms don't cold-email prospects for cash." — Mark Longo

Ready to level up your trading? Check out the full Options Insider Radio Network for more education, or go Pro at https://theoptionsinsider.com/pro for exclusive Q&A sessions and more.

To open an account and see why Investopedia named them the best broker for options in 2024, visit https:// tastytrade.com/podcasts.

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