iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) Options Chain
The options chain displays all available contracts with end-of-day quotes, Greeks, volume, and open interest for each strike and expiration, and streams live quotes for traders who connect a broker. It is the primary tool for options trade selection.
iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management - Leveraged industry, with a market capitalization near $434.4M, listed on CBOE, employing roughly 93,000 people, carrying a beta of -1.96 to the broader market. These iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETNs are unsecured debt instruments, issued by Barclays Bank PLC. public since 2018-01-19.
Snapshot as of Aug 14, 2026.
- Spot Price
- $19.36
- Total OI
- 419.7K
- Total Volume
- 73.4K
- Front Expiration
- 28 days
- Second Expiration
- 35 days
- ATM IV
- 45.6%
- Avg Bid/Ask Spread
- 21.90%
As of Aug 14, 2026, iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) has 419.7K open contracts and 73.4K contracts traded. The nearest expiration is 28 days out, followed by 35 days. ATM implied volatility is 45.6%. Average bid/ask spread across the chain is 21.90%: wider spreads, size positions conservatively. The options chain aggregates every listed strike and expiration, letting traders evaluate skew, term structure, and liquidity in a single view.
How VXX options chain Data Feeds Strategy Selection
Strategy selection on iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The options chain view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 45.6% and dealer gamma exposure is negative, so dealer hedging amplifies directional moves. Combine the options chain data here with the volatility-skew surface, dealer-gamma exposure, max-pain level, and upcoming-events calendar to build a positioning thesis. Risk-defined structures (credit spreads, debit spreads, iron condors) are usually safer than naked positions while the regime is uncertain; the data on this page anchors the inputs but does not by itself constitute a trade thesis.
How to read the VXX chain depth
The listed-expirations table above shows every expiration available for iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN options with its days-to-expiration count and ATM implied volatility. Front-month expirations carry the most volume, the highest gamma, and the tightest bid-ask spreads; longer-dated tenors carry less liquidity but more vega exposure. VXX front expiration sits at 28 days - the typical hedging horizon for monthly options. The contango term-structure slope of 0.024 means longer-dated tenors price in proportionally more IV.
VXX chain mechanics and execution
Options are listed at standardized strike intervals (typically $1 for sub-$25 underlyings, $2.50-$5 for mid-cap, $10-$50 for large-cap), and the deltas of each listed strike are determined by where IV lies relative to the strike's moneyness. Average bid/ask spread on the VXX chain is 21.90% - a measure of liquidity. Tighter spreads on liquid strikes mean lower transaction costs; wider spreads on long-dated or far-OTM strikes mean execution drag can dominate the math. The chain table on the SPA side shows the full per-strike, per-expiration grid; this SSR page summarizes the listed expirations and the front-month context to anchor the structural read.
Using the VXX chain to build structures
Strategy selection starts with the chain: directional theses use single-leg calls or puts, range-bound theses use credit spreads or iron condors, vol theses use straddles or strangles, calendar theses use diagonal spreads. VXX's current 13.08% expected move anchors wing placement - structures with wings at the implied band collect the modal-outcome premium under lognormal assumptions. Cross-reference with the gamma-exposure profile to understand where dealer hedging will reinforce or fight your position, and with the volatility-skew chart to confirm the strikes you're trading sit at the IV levels your strategy assumes.
Learn how the options chain is reported and how to read the data →
VXX listed expirations
Per-expiration ATM implied volatility for VXX options. Each row is one listed expiration with its days-to-expiration count and ATM IV pulled from the same term-structure feed that powers the SPA's expiration filter. Front-month expirations carry the highest gamma, the tightest bid-ask spreads, and the most volume; longer-dated tenors carry less liquidity but more vega.
| Expiration | DTE | ATM IV |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | 7 | 34.0% |
| Aug 28, 2026 | 14 | 38.9% |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 21 | 43.1% |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 28 | 44.8% |
| Sep 18, 2026 | 35 | 47.2% |
| Sep 25, 2026 | 42 | 52.7% |
| Oct 2, 2026 | 49 | 55.2% |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 63 | 57.9% |
| Dec 18, 2026 | 126 | 68.4% |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 154 | 71.1% |
| Mar 19, 2027 | 217 | 78.4% |
| Jan 21, 2028 | 525 | 87.0% |
VXX most-active contracts
| Type | Strike | Expiration | Volume | OI | IV | Bid | Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALL | $19.00 | Aug 21, 2026 | 2.5K | 234 | 30.2% | $0.51 | $0.55 |
Top 1 contracts from the institutional-grade nightly options scan; ranked by volume within the broader S&P 500/400/600 + ETF universe.
Frequently asked VXX options chain questions
- What does the VXX options chain show right now?
- As of Aug 14, 2026, iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) has 419.7K contracts outstanding and 73.4K traded today, with ATM IV of 45.6%. The full chain spans every listed strike and expiration with bid/ask, Greeks, volume, and open interest per contract.
- What expirations are available for VXX options?
- The nearest expiration is 28 days out, followed by 35 days. Listed expirations typically extend monthly with weeklies between, plus LEAPS one to two years out for liquid names.
- How tight are VXX options bid/ask spreads?
- Average bid/ask spread across the chain is 21.90%. Wider spreads warrant conservative sizing; mid-market fills are unreliable for retail-size orders.