Long Iron Butterfly
Description
Buying an at-the-money call and put and selling an out-of-the-money call and put, paying a net debit that pays out most if the underlying moves well away from the middle strike.
Setup
- Buy one at-the-money call and one at-the-money put.
- Sell one out-of-the-money call above and one out-of-the-money put below, same expiry.
Context
The defined-risk, lower-cost cousin of a long straddle, used when a big move is expected but the trader wants to cap the cost and the worst case.
Risk Profile
Maximum loss is the net debit paid, at the middle strike. Maximum gain is the width of either wing minus that debit.
Pros
- Cheaper than a long straddle.
- Defined, capped risk and reward.
- Profits from a move in either direction.
Cons
- Maximum gain is capped even on a very large move.
- Four legs means more trading fees and more to manage.
Effect of Time
Time decay works against the position as expiry nears, if the underlying stays close to the middle strike.
Effect of Volatility
A rise in implied volatility helps the position; a drop hurts it.
Look-Alike Strategies
Live Structure
| Position? | Right? | Ratio | Strike | Expiry | IV? | Premium? | Fill Price? | Liquidity? | Est. Fee? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short | Put | 1 | $74000.0000 | 20 Nov 2026 | 39.2% | $1499.6442 | $1462.1531 | 136.1000 | $22.4947 |
| Long | Put | 1 | $75000.0000 | 20 Nov 2026 | 38.5% | $1949.5375 | $1987.0286 | 38.2000 | $22.4947 |
| Long | Call | 1 | $75000.0000 | 20 Nov 2026 | 38.5% | $1949.5375 | $1987.0286 | 73.7000 | $22.4947 |
| Short | Call | 1 | $76000.0000 | 20 Nov 2026 | 38.2% | $1480.8921 | $1462.1467 | 1.7000 | $22.4946 |
Net cost, breakevens, the payoff chart and the scenario table are after costs: every leg filled by crossing the spread, estimated fees included -- the same numbers the Scanner ranks by.
Estimated Cost to Assemble
An estimate of what entering this structure right now would really cost: filling every leg by crossing the spread (the ask when buying, the bid when selling) instead of at the mid-price, plus an estimated exchange fee. Real fees and fills can differ from this estimate.
Compare venues
These exact contracts -- same strikes, expiries and ratios -- on every venue BOSS tracks for this currency, at execution: what selling (bid) or buying (ask) each leg there comes to, after that venue's own fee. Green marks the best venue for each leg and for the whole structure.
| Deribit this page | Bybit | OKX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index? | $74856.1900 | $74949.4218 | $74862.5000 |
| Mid-Price Cost | $918.5386 | $905.0000 | $918.6724 |
| Slippage? | +$131.2188 | +$15.0000 | +$93.7421 |
| Estimated Fees? | +$89.9786 | +$90.2200 | +$89.9924 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $1139.7359 | $1010.2200$129.5200 better than this page | $1102.4069$37.3300 better than this page |
| Max Profit? | -$139.7359 | -$10.2200 | -$102.4069 |
| Max Loss? | -$1139.7359 | -$1010.2200 | -$1102.4069 |
| Breakeven(s)? | — | — | — |
| Structure IV? | 38.6% | 38.7% | 38.4% |
| Open on this venue → | Open on this venue → |
Each leg: what it nets there per contract (fill price with the fee folded in), then the fill price, fee, IV and the size quoted at that price.
For comparing prices, not a recommendation: quotes move by the second, size is only what's shown at the top of the book, fees are each venue's published estimate, and the venues settle against different indexes and margin separately.
Market Context
This expiry as the Dashboard sees it: how the legs are priced against at-the-money and realized volatility, and where the expiry's forward sits against spot.
Volatility Smile?
Implied volatility across strikes at this expiry; the marked lines are this structure's strikes. Buying on the high part of the curve pays up for volatility; selling there collects it.
Leg bought Leg sold
Payoff & Greeks vs. Underlying Price
The Greeks curves are a Black-Scholes model using each leg's current implied volatility, holding time to expiry fixed -- not live exchange data at every price, which only exists at the current price (dashed line).
Payoff at Expiration
After costs At mid price
This structure's value and profit/loss at expiration, at a handful of specific prices: every leg's strike, every breakeven, the current spot, and the chart's own range.
| Underlying Price | Value at Expiration | Profit / Loss | Return on Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $72000.0000 | $1000.0000 | -$139.7359 | -12.3% |
| $74000.0000 | $1000.0000 | -$139.7359 | -12.3% |
| $74981.8800 current | $18.1200 | -$1121.6159 | -98.4% |
| $75000.0000 | $0.0000 | -$1139.7359 | -100.0% |
| $76000.0000 | $1000.0000 | -$139.7359 | -12.3% |
| $78000.0000 | $1000.0000 | -$139.7359 | -12.3% |
Delta (model)?
Gamma (model)?
Vega (model)?
Theta (model)?
Rho (model)?
Alternatives
From the Scanner's latest pass (21:35:48 UTC), priced at execution like everything above.
Same payoff through other strategies
| Strategy | Market | vs. this one | Credit/Debit | Max Profit? | Max Loss? | Prob. of Profit? | Max Profit / Max Loss? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Call Butterfly74000/75000/76000 | Bybit · BTC | $144.5032 | -$4.7673 | $4.7673 | -$995.2327 | 84% | 0.00× |
Other strikes and widths of this strategy
| Strategy | Market | vs. this one | Credit/Debit | Max Profit? | Max Loss? | Prob. of Profit? | Max Profit / Max Loss? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Iron Butterfly73000/76000/79000 | Deribit · BTC | — | $2414.7929 | $585.2071 | -$2414.7929 | 63% | 0.24× |
| Long Iron Butterfly72000/75000/78000 | Deribit · BTC | — | $2414.7985 | $585.2015 | -$2414.7985 | 62% | 0.24× |
| Long Iron Butterfly71000/74000/77000 | Deribit · BTC | — | $2452.2933 | $547.7067 | -$2452.2933 | 62% | 0.22× |