What Is “Opportunity Cost” in the Context of Collateral for a Hedged Position?

Opportunity cost is the value of the next-best alternative that must be forgone when a choice is made. When capital is used as collateral or margin for a hedged options position, that capital cannot be used for other investments, such as staking or earning interest.

The lost potential return from those alternative uses is the opportunity cost of the hedge.

Why Is the Opportunity Cost of Capital a Crucial Factor in the Cost of Carry Calculation?
What Is the Opportunity Cost of Including a Zero-Fee Transaction in a Full Block?
How Does the “Opportunity Cost” of Mining Relate to the Attacker’s Profit Motive?
What Happens If One of the Private Keys in a Multi-Sig Setup Is Lost or Destroyed?
How Does Portfolio Margining Impact Capital Efficiency for Institutional Traders?
What Is the Opportunity Cost of Holding Idle Capital?
What Is the Primary Difference between Hedged and Non-Hedged Volatility Arbitrage?
How Does the Potential for Lost Coins Affect the Calculation of a Token’s Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV)?

Glossar