Deribit, the world's leading crypto derivatives exchange, has significantly expanded its institutional offerings by launching options contracts for Tron (TRX) and Avalanche (AVAX). The exchange, a subsidiary of Coinbase, announced the introduction of USDC-settled options for both major Layer-1 blockchain tokens, marking a pivotal expansion beyond its traditional focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum derivatives.
The TRX options listing went live on January 14, 2026, offering institutional traders multiple expiry schedules: two daily, two weekly, one monthly, and one quarterly. This development follows Deribit's existing perpetual futures offerings for both assets and represents a strategic move to provide sophisticated risk management tools for major altcoins. The options are European-style, meaning they can only be exercised at expiration, and are settled in USDC to eliminate final volatility from the underlying crypto assets.
"The introduction of TRX options on Deribit represents a meaningful development for the TRON ecosystem," said Sam Elfarra, Community Spokesperson for TRON DAO. "As the range of third-party tools that are compatible with TRON continues to expand, standardized derivatives instruments help support more structured participation and long-term network utility."
Jean-David Péquignot, Chief Commercial Officer at Deribit, emphasized the exchange's commitment to evolving market needs: "Adding TRX options to Deribit's platform reinforces our commitment to supporting the evolving needs of global market participants. TRON's scale, activity, and TVL make TRX a natural addition to our growing suite of options."
The selection of AVAX and TRX reflects their established positions in the crypto ecosystem. Avalanche is recognized for its high throughput and custom blockchain creation capabilities through subnet architecture, while Tron hosts a significant portion of the world's USDT stablecoin supply—currently exceeding $77 billion on its network. As of January 2026, the TRON blockchain has recorded over 357 million user accounts, more than 12 billion transactions, and over $24 billion in total value locked (TVL).
This expansion occurs within a broader context of regulatory evolution and product innovation in 2025-2026, as jurisdictions worldwide clarify rules for crypto derivatives. The move toward USDC settlement responds to institutional demand for stability and regulatory clarity, while the growing adoption of stablecoin-settled options reflects increasing demand for flexible, capital-efficient derivatives products among both institutional and professional traders.
