Volatility Views

The "Buy the Dip" mentality was put to the test this week. Host Mark Longo is joined by Dr. Russell Rhoads (the "Once, Future, and Present Dr. VIX") and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Rock Lobster) to break down a wild week that saw the VIX touch the 22 handle before a massive intraday reversal.

In this episode, the crew dives into:

• The Volatility Review: Analyzing the impact of the rare midweek non-farm payrolls and the latest CPI data on market sentiment.

• AI Narrative Shift: Is the "AI is good for everything" bubble finally bursting? A look at multiple compression in the Mag Seven and the "Grizzly Adams" view of the market.

• Russell's Weekly Rundown: Dr. Russell Rhoads breaks down the "clown show" trades in the weeklies, the impact of the VIX bid-ask spread on morning spikes, and why the current correlation data suggests 2026 is behaving like a different beast.

• Crystal Ball: The team places their bets on where the VIX will settle next week as we head into a holiday-shortened trading session.

Plus: A massive announcement regarding Vol Death Match 2.0: The Flow Master vs. Scott Nations. Find out how you can submit topics and judge the victor at TheOptionsInsider.com/pro .

Check out Tastytrade: https://www.tastytrade.com/podcasts

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

A historic rout in the precious metals markets steals the spotlight this week on Volatility Views. From silver's massive 25% intraday drop to the naming of a new (and hawkish) Fed Chair nominee, the panel breaks down why the "Metals Apocalypse" might be a canary in the coal mine for the broader equity markets.

Join Mark Longo, Dr. Russell Rhoads, and Mark Sebastian as they navigate a high-velocity week of volatility, earnings, and unusual institutional positioning in the VIX.

The "Meme-ification" of silver reached a breaking point this week. After months of triple-digit volatility levels, silver prices cratered 25% in a single session. The panel discusses whether this 46-year historic event suggests a broader 20% retracement for the S&P 500 is on the horizon.

The market reacted negatively to the news of Kevin Warsh potentially taking the helm at the Fed. While he has campaigned for lower rates, his history as an inflation hawk has traders worried about a return to a strict "dual mandate" focus that might not be as market-friendly as the Powell era.

Despite the market sell-off, we aren't seeing "panic" buying in near-term VIX options. Instead, institutional paper is flowing into March and April, including a massive 80,000-contract diagonal spread involving June 47.5 calls. Is it a hedge, or just a sophisticated carry trade?

"When gold and silver catch a cold, the miners catch every single disease you could possibly catch from the Oregon Trail. They're getting dysentery, typhoid, and malaria all at once." — Mark Sebastian

"If you blink, you miss a move up in VIX futures. That's the only opportunity to make money being long them, and it leads to massive upside fatigue." — Dr. Russell Rhoads

• Brokerage: https://Tastytrade.com/podcasts

• Social Media: Follow the crew on X: @Options, @OptionPit , @Rhoads_Russell .

The Council of Elders Reconvenes: The Greenland Siege and the Power of Gamma

In this episode of Volatility Views, the Council of Elders—Mark Longo, Russell Rhoads, and Mark Sebastian—gather at the Hall of Wisdom to break down a week of market madness that would make Skeletor blush. From VIX spikes driven by "Greenland Siege" headlines to the massive $100 breakout in Silver, the team analyzes the forces reshaping the volatility landscape.

• The Volatility Review: The team breaks down the "Greenland Whipsaw." We look at the VIX Cash flirting with a 20 handle before "deal" headlines sent vol crashing back to the Pit of Peril.

• Attack of the Zero DTEs: Huge news from NASDAQ! The Elders discuss the launch of daily options on individual equities. Is this a boon for traders or a "Snake Mountain" trap of contra-exercise risk?

• VIX Term Structure & Tactical Flow: Russell and Mark dive into the Feb/March roll and the staggering volume in Feb 25 and 35 calls. Plus, a look at the "Hero's Journey" for Silver as it hits the par strike.

• Vol Death Match 2.0: Get ready for the ultimate showdown between the Flow Master and Scott Nations. Two men enter, one man emerges—you decide the victor at theoptionsinsider.com/pro .

• Eternia Nostalgia: The crew is "unreasonably excited" for the new Masters of the Universe movie. We discuss the teaser for the teaser, the lack of "CGI roids" on the new He-Man, and why a Snake Mountain popcorn bucket is a mandatory purchase.

• Mark Longo: The Options Insider

• Russell Rhoads: Indiana University

• Mark Sebastian: Option Pit

In this episode, Mark Longo is joined by Dr VIX Russell Rhoads and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Rock Lobster) to conduct a "post-mortem" on 2025 and break down the surprising trends defining the start of 2026.

The team dives deep into the VIX/SPX correlation breakdown, exploring why the traditional inverse relationship failed many traders last year. Russell brings the hard data, revealing how 2025 nearly set a record for the highest inverse correlation—making diversification more difficult than ever.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Volatility Review: A look at the "yo-yo" week in the S&P and the recent firmness in VIX Cash.

• The Correlation Myth: Why "buying the dip" worked but "shorting vol" was a losing battle in 2025.

• VIX Term Structure: Analysis of the Jan/Feb futures and the 100% premium to realized volatility.

• VIX Options Flow: Breaking down the massive activity in Jan 17 calls and the persistent "magic" of the 15 puts.

• The Crystal Ball: The team places their bets for next week's VIX close and debuts their 2026 year-end predictions.

It is a New Year in the volatility markets! Host Mark Longo is joined by "Dr. VIX" Russell Rhoads and Mark Sebastian of Option Pit to break down a wild 2025 and peer into the crystal ball for 2026. From the "tariff tantrums" and "taper tantrums" of last year to the rise of 0DTE options and the recent "face ripper" ratio spreads, the team analyzes why the VIX median stayed elevated even without major explosive events. Plus, the moment you've been waiting for: we crown the 2025 Crystal Ball Hall of Fame winners and launch the official 2026 contest!

What's Inside this Episode:

• The Volatility Review: A deep dive into the 2025 "Mad Vol Year." Why was the median VIX so much higher than normal?

• The 0DTE Impact: How zero-day options are reshaping the term structure and long-dated premium.

• VIX Face Rippers: Russell breaks down the bizarre ratio call spreads hitting the tape and what they signal for January and April volatility.

• The Crystal Ball Hall of Fame: We announce the four winners who nailed the 14.95 year-end VIX close within 0.1pt.

• 2026 Predictions: The crew places their bets for the coming year. Can we see a sub-10 VIX, or will the midterms push us toward 17.76?

Key Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction and "Happy New Year" Cutoff Debate

• [07:15] 2025 Year-in-Review: The high of 60 and the 14-handle reality

• [15:40] The "Tariff Tantrum" and Fixed Income Volatility

• [22:10] Term Structure Analysis: Why the current curve is "poison" for ETP longs

• [31:45] Russell's Weekly Rundown: Explaining the "Face Ripper" trades

• [45:10] Crystal Ball 2025 Winners Revealed

• [52:30] 2026 Official Predictions & Closing Levels

Connect with the Guest Experts:

• Russell Rhoads: Follow on X @RussellRhoads

• Mark Sebastian: Visit OptionPit.com or follow on X @OptionPit

Support the Network: This episode is brought to you by Tastytrade. See why Investopedia named them the best broker for options in 2024. Visit tastytrade.com/podcasts to learn more.

Happy New Year, Vol Maniacs! Mark Longo kicks off 2026 by welcoming Jim Carroll (The Vixologist) to the first Volatility Views of the year. Jim helps us close the books on 2025. From the "Tariff Tantrum" to the birth of the proprietary "VIX Mix," we break down the trends, trades, and traps that defined the volatility landscape over the last 12 months.

• The Tariff Tantrum: Why April 2025 became the apex of volatility for the year, sending VIX cash to an intraday high near 60.

• VIX Cash Highlights: A look back at the 17.93 start in January and the contentiousness of the year-end 14.95 close.

• The "VIX Mix" Debrief: Jim Carroll breaks down the first full year of his 17-component composite indicator.

• Realized Volatility: Why 2025 saw a wider range of realized vol than 2024, yet remained "well-behaved" compared to 2022 or 2020.

• Credit Market Canaries: Why the Move Index and corporate bond behavior were the secret drummers for equity volatility this year.

• The 15 Put Trap: Why the VIX 15 put strike was the ultimate "scratch-off ticket" that never paid off for retail traders.

• The 47.5 Call Mystery: Analyzing the massive, recurring upside rolls that dominated the tape all year.

• Capital Efficiency: A look at the bizarre VIX 200 put spreads and the shifting of institutional volume from futures into options.

• The Vol Fade Game: Performance reviews of SVXY, VXX, and the opportunity to scoop SVX during the April dip.

The team kicks off the new year's prediction game. Will 2026 be the year of the 23.00 VIX?

• Follow Jim Carroll: Twitter/X: @vixologist

• Brokerage Spotlight: tastytrade.com/podcasts

• Twitter/X: @Options

• Web: TheOptionsInsider.com

• Questions: [email protected]

In the final Volatility Views of 2025, host Mark Longo is joined by Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX) and Michael Listman (UVXY Trader) to dissect a wild year in the markets. From the "Santa Claus Rally" to the crushing of the VIX, we break down what traders need to know heading into 2026.

• Volatility Review: A look at the S&P 500 hitting all-time highs and the recent "volatility execution." Why did the Santa Rally take so long to arrive?

• UVXY Deep Dive: Michael Listman breaks down the UVXY reverse split mechanics. We discuss why liquidity is the best argument for UVXY and how to manage the "beta slippage" game.

• The Pairs Trade: Exploring the strategy of pairing UVXY vs. SVXY (or SVIX) to capture slippage while managing directional exposure.

• VIX Term Structure: Why the current curve is "steep" and what a 5-point premium in February futures says about 2026 market expectations.

• VIX Options Flow: Analyzing the "Jan 17 Puts" and the mysterious ongoing activity in the VIX 200 strike puts.

• The Crystal Ball: The team places their final VIX cash predictions for the first week of January 2026.

• The "VIX Wizard": Why volatility arrives precisely when it means to (and how to monetize puts before they expire).

• Reverse Split Strategies: Does a 1-for-5 or 1-for-10 split actually change the trade?

• The "Weekend Trade": Russell's strategy for holding UVIX/UVXY over the weekend to catch volatility events.

• Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX): Follow him on X/Twitter @RussellRhoads .

• Michael Listman: Follow him on X @UVXYTrader or visit UVXY.pro .

• Options Insider Pro: Get the Pro Trading Crate and join the Vol Death Match at TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro .

• TastyTrade: Check out advanced tools for options and futures at TastyTrade.com/podcasts .

In this episode of Volatility Views on the Options Insider Radio Network, Mark Longo and Dr. Russell Rhoads dive into the shifting landscape of volatility as the final full trading week of 2025 comes to a close.

While much of the market is heading into holiday "hibernation," geopolitical tensions are lighting up the commodity space. The team breaks down why Energy CVOL is pinning the needle to the upside while Treasury and FX volatility are being "taken to the woodshed."

• The Venezuela "Brouhaha": How intensified pressure and crude embargoes are reviving Energy CVOL (WTI) and driving it to weekly highs.

• Commodity Volatility Split: A deep dive into the aggregate CVOL levels for Metals, Ags, and the broader Commodities complex vs. the dying volatility in Fixed Income.

• The VIX Term Structure: Analyzing the current curve and what the "post-Fed" environment means for the remainder of 2025.

• Vol Products in Focus: Performance updates and trade analysis for SVXY, UVXY, and VIX futures.

• Looking Ahead to 2026: Anticipated market movers and volatility catalysts for the new year.

• Listener Mailbag: Russell and Mark answer your questions regarding volatility products and specific trading strategies.

In this episode of Volatility Views, Mark Longo (The Options Insider), Russell Rhoads (Kelley School of Business at Indiana University), and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Option Pit) dive deep into the week's market volatility. They begin with an in-depth analysis of the notable Fed cut announcement and its immediate market implications.

Key Volatility Trading Insights:

• VIX Products & Options: Detailed breakdown of VIX options behavior, volatility spikes, and significant trades.

• Fed Reaction: Analyzing insights from Fed officials and the overall market reaction to the rate decision.

• ETPs Explored: Intricacies of volatility ETPs, including $SVIX and $UVXY performance and strategy.

• Strategies & Predictions: In-depth trading strategies and predictions for the upcoming week in the volatility market.