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What Is the Concept of ‘Open Interest’ and How Does It Indicate Potential Options Liquidity?

Open interest is the total number of outstanding, unclosed contracts for a specific options series. It indicates the level of market participation and commitment to that contract.

High open interest suggests a strong existing base of traders, which generally correlates with higher liquidity, tighter spreads, and lower potential slippage. Low open interest suggests the opposite.

It is a forward-looking indicator of potential future liquidity.

Does the Open Interest of an Option Contract Directly Impact Its Implied Volatility?
How Does the Mempool Size Fluctuate and What Does It Indicate about Network Congestion?
What Is a “Volatility Skew” or “Smile” and What Does It Indicate about Market Sentiment?
What Is the Trade-off between Premium Size and Strike Price Selection?