Local Volatility

Analysis

Local volatility, within cryptocurrency options, represents a surface depicting implied volatility as a function of both strike price and time to expiration, differing from a single implied volatility value derived from a Black-Scholes model. Its construction relies on observed market prices of options across various strikes and maturities, providing a more nuanced view of market expectations than a constant volatility assumption. This surface is crucial for pricing and hedging exotic options, and for understanding the market’s perception of future price distributions, particularly skew and kurtosis.