Crypto Options Implied Volatility: Event Time vs Retrieval Time
Implied volatility is computed from a price at a moment, using the underlying price at that moment. An IV without its time and underlying isn't comparable.
Short answer
Deribit's ticker reports mark, bid and ask IV for options with a timestamp, and book summaries include mark_iv with underlying_price and interest_rate used. IV changes with the option price and the underlying; comparing IVs read at different times mixes market moves with volatility changes. Store IV with its timestamp, the underlying price and the IV type, and compare surfaces only from coherent snapshots.
Which times the data carries
| Time | Present? | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ticker timestamp | Yes | Reading time |
| underlying_price | Summaries | IV input |
| interest_rate | Summaries | IV input |
| Retrieval time | No | Record it |
Check Crypto Options Implied Volatility against a live market before relying on it.
Try it in ChartsPodWhat to record yourself
| Field to store | Why |
|---|---|
| timestamp | Event key |
| IV type | Mark/bid/ask |
| underlying price | Context |
| interest rate | Context |
| received_at | Delay |
Example
Illustrative: 'ATM IV rose 3 points' compared two different strikes because spot moved; re-centred on the same moneyness, IV was unchanged.
Related: Crypto Options Implied Volatility: Null vs Zero - Handle Missing Fields Correctly, Crypto Options Chain Data: Event Time vs Retrieval Time.
Store IV with its timestamp, the underlying price and the IV type, and compare surfaces only from coherent snapshots.
Compare Crypto Options Implied Volatility across Binance, Bybit, OKX and Hyperliquid markets.
Open markets in ChartsPodQuestions readers ask
Why store the underlying price with IV?
IV depends on it.
Can I compare IVs from different times?
Only with care; re-centre on moneyness.
Which IV?
State mark, bid or ask.
Sources and methodology
Field definitions come from DEX Screener's API reference and CoinGecko's onchain API documentation, read 17 October 2026. Where a schema doesn't document a timestamp, this guide says so and recommends recording retrieval time yourself.
- Deribit API: ticker — timestamp, IVs, greeks.
- Deribit API: get_book_summary_by_currency — creation_timestamp (ms) per summary.
This article explains research tools and workflows. It is not financial advice, does not recommend buying or selling any asset and does not predict prices. Crypto derivatives carry a risk of rapid and total loss of margin.
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