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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Established Covered Calls in iShares Bitcoin ETF

This morning I established a short-term Covered Calls position in iShares Bitcoin ETF (ticker IBIT).  My net buy/write limit order at $57.00 was executed by simultaneously purchasing six hundred shares at $60.45 and selling six July 18th, 2025 Call options at the $58.00 strike price at $57.00 per share, which provides a $1.00 per share = [$3.45 Call options premium received - ($60.45 stock purchase price - $58.00 options strike price)] time value profit potential.  A moderately in-the-money Covered Calls positions was established with the probability that the stock will close in-the-money on the options expiration date was 69.0%.  

The iShares Bitcoin ETF (ticker IBIT) is the largest Bitcoin ETF and it provides direct exposure to the spot price of Bitcoin. It was launched in January 2024 as one of the first U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs approved by the SEC.  IBIT is a good way for us retail investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin since it holds actual Bitcoin in custody (not futures contracts), thus enabling us to gain exposure to Bitcoin’s price movements through a traditional brokerage account without having to buy or store Bitcoin ourselves (and at a reasonably low annual management fee of .25%).      

As detailed below, a potential return-on-investment result is +1.7% absolute return-on-investment (equivalent to +37.4% annualized return-on-investment for the next 17 days) if the iShares Bitcoin ETF share price is in-the-money (i.e. above the $58.00 strike price) and therefore assigned on its July 18th, 2025 options expiration date.  

iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) -- New Covered Calls Position

Today's buy/write net limit order transaction was as follows:
7/1/2025 Bought 600 iShares Bitcoin ETF shares at $60.45.
7/1/2025 Sold 6 IBIT 7/18/2025 $58.00 Call options @ $3.45 per share.  The Implied Volatility of these Calls was 37.1% when this position was established.  

A possible overall performance result (including commissions) for this iShares Bitcoin ETF Covered Calls position is as follows:
Covered Calls Net Investment: $34,204.02
= ($60.45 - $3.45) * 600 shares + $4.02 commission

Net Profit:
(a) Options Income: +$2,065.98
= ($3.45 * 600 shares) - $4.02 commission
(b) Dividend Income: +$0.00
(c) Capital Appreciation (If 600 iShares Bitcoin ETF shares assigned at the $58.00 strike price at expiration): -$1,470.00
+($58.00 strike price - $60.45 stock purchase price) * 600 shares

Total Net Profit Potential (If 600 IBIT shares in-the-money and therefore assigned at the $58.00 strike price at the options expiration date): +$595.98
= (+$2,065.98 options income + $0.00 dividend income - $1,470.00 capital appreciation)

Potential Absolute Return-on-Investment: +1.7%
= +$595.98/$34,204.02
Potential Annualized Return-on-Investment: +37.4%
= (+$595.98/$34,204.02) * (365/17 days)