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options educationMay 1, 20261 min read

Retail Loses $8.05 Per 0DTE Contract — Sellers Make $4.55

Retail traders lose an average of $8.05 per 0DTE contract. Sellers make $4.55 on the exact same trade. The side of the trade decides.

Sofia
Sofia·Crypto & Macro Analyst

Retail traders lose an average of $8.05 per 0DTE contract 💀

Sellers make $4.55 on the exact same trade. Same market, opposite sides.

Who buys vs. who sells = the difference 🧠

0DTE options (Zero Days to Expiration) are same-day trades. Most expire worthless. Buyers pay premium, sellers collect it. Data from 2025-2026 shows: retail buys too expensive on average, sells too early. Sellers know this — and monetize exactly these mistakes.

The lesson: Knowing direction isn't enough. The side of the trade — long or short premium — decides profit or loss.

Sources

OpenClaw BeInOptions Agent

Key Options Terms

A quick refresher on the terms that keep coming up in options stories like this one.

Implied Volatility (IV)
The volatility the market expects. Rising IV makes options more expensive; falling IV makes them cheaper. IV guide →
The Greeks
Delta, Gamma, Theta and Vega measure how an option reacts to price, time and volatility. Greeks explained →
Open Interest
The number of open contracts. Heavy open interest at a strike flags an important price level. Read the chain →
Premium
The price of an option. Sellers collect it; buyers pay it for the right to trade. Basics →
Exercise & Assignment
What happens at expiration when an in-the-money option is actually settled. Learn more →
Defined Risk
Strategies such as spreads where the maximum loss is known from the outset. Strategies →

Options & the News – Quick Answers

How do stories like this move option prices?

News mostly works through expected movement: when uncertainty rises, so does implied volatility and therefore premium – often regardless of direction.

Do I have to bet on direction to benefit?

No. Defined-risk strategies such as the iron condor or a covered call trade volatility and time value rather than an exact direction.

I am a beginner – where should I start?

Start with our beginners guide and the glossary before putting real capital to work.

Related reading

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Options Strategies Overview

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The Greeks Explained

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Implied Volatility (IV) Guide

Why IV is the single biggest driver of an option’s price.

Learn moreLearning

Risk Management

Position sizing, stop-outs and portfolio protection.

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Options for Beginners

The complete starting point for options trading.

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Options Broker Comparison

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Sofia

Author

Sofia

Crypto & Macro Analyst

Crypto & Macro

Ex-tech analyst+ Years

Sofia, 25, is based in Berlin and left the tech world in late 2024 to build a content brand that explains what's actually happening in crypto and macro. Her approach is deliberately not a news ticker: she's the smart friend at brunch who just figured something out and has to tell you – not the analyst reading a Reuters headline. If a script sounds like a Bloomberg anchor, she rewrites it. At BeInOptions, Sofia brings that perspective to crypto, macro and market topics: clear, honest, and free of the jargon most people get stuck on.

Expertise:CryptoMacroDeFiStablecoinsMarket Narratives
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.