The Option Block goes on the road! This week, Mark Longo is coming to you live from the Securities Traders Association (STA) 100th Anniversary event in Chicago. Joined in person by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz, the team breaks down the biggest highlights from the conference and the massive volatility shifts hitting the equity markets.

• Live from the Floor: Mark and Henry discuss the 100-year legacy of the STA and the evolution of the options industry from the birth of the CBOE in 1973 to today's high-volume digital environment.

• The State of the Industry: Henry shares key takeaways from his panel, including the explosion of volume in Single Stock, ETF, and Index options. Plus, a look at how Robinhood has reshaped retail education and reduced friction for a new generation of traders.

• Volume Predictions for 2026: With the market currently averaging 66-67 million contracts a day, are we on track for a record-shattering 17 billion contracts this year?

• Monday & Wednesday Expirations: It's a done deal! The team discusses the upcoming listing of Monday and Wednesday daily expirations for major names like Tesla, Nvidia, and Apple, and what this means for after-hours risk management.

• The "Greenland Trade": Navigating a week where the market swung 100 handles down and 100 handles back up on geopolitical volatility.

• The Odd Block: The Flowmaster provides an update on ARDX and CWEN, plus a deep dive into the Mag 10 (Magnificent 10 Index) where put volume is currently lighting up the tape at record levels.

• Visit the Website: TheOptionsInsider.com

• Check out the App: Available on iTunes and Google Play.

• Follow the Crew: Join the conversation on Twitter/X @Options, Facebook, and StockTwits.

This episode of The Option Block is brought to you by Cboe Global Markets. To learn more about the suite of S&P 500 Index Options (SPX) and Mini S&P 500 (XSP) options, visit https:// cboe.com/spx

The markets are showing a splash of green as we break down a wild week in trading with The Flowmaster Henry Schwartz (Cboe Global Markets) and Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management). From the unprecedented 20% weekly surge in Silver to the aggressive rotation out of Mag 7 tech and into Biotechs and Small Caps, this episode covers the critical moves every options trader needs to know. Plus, we look ahead to a heavy earnings week and reveal the panel's official 2026 VIX Crystal Ball predictions.

The Trading Block: The "Meme-ification" of Silver

• The Silver Surge: Why Uncle Mike thinks Silver has officially entered "meme stock" territory after a staggering 20% move in one week.

• Market Rotation: Is the Mag 7 reign over? We discuss the rotation into the Russell 2000 (IWM) and the energy sector.

• Volatility Check: VIX comes back to earth toward the 15 handle, but the VVX remains "frothy" at 98.

The Odd Block: Unusual Activity in Small-Cap Tech and Bio

• Ardelyx (ARDX): Aggressive call buying in this biotech after a legal dismissal. Is there a clinical catalyst on the horizon?

• T1 Energy (TE): A massive sweep in the February 10 calls. Why Henry is keeping a "steely gaze" on alternative energy.

• Clearway Energy (CWEN): Unusual March 40 call buyers as the clean energy sector sees a resurgence.

The Mail Block: The 2026 VIX Crystal Ball

• The panel places their official bets on where the VIX will close on December 31st, 2026.

Around the Block: Earnings & Geopolitics

• Earnings Watch: Initial results from Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Taiwan Semi (TSM).

• Looking Ahead: Previewing moves for Netflix (NFLX), United Airlines (UAL), Intel (INTC), and Charles Schwab (SCHW).

• The Global Picture: Keeping an eye on Venezuela, Iran, and the upcoming STA Conference in Chicago.

Kick off the second full trading week of 2026 with Mark Longo (The Options Insider Media Group) and Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) as they navigate a market that seemingly "doesn't give an F" about geopolitical turmoil. From potential military interventions to the Fed chair vs. the President, the panel breaks down why the S&P 500 continues to climb a wall of worry while the VIX remains suppressed.

In this episode, we break down:

• The Trading Block: A look at the "Mad New Year" so far. Why is the VIX ignoring the headlines? Plus, a deep dive into the massive volume in Tesla ($TSLA), Nvidia ($NVDA), and the return of the Feb 15 VIX puts.

• The Odd Block: Unusual activity in newcomers Standard Lithium ($SLI) and Amprius Technologies ($AMPX). Is someone getting "AMP'd" up for a breakout?

• Smurfette Returns: We revisit the corrugated packaging play Smurfit WestRock ($SMURF). Is the Feb 50 call a smart overwrite or a speculative gamble ahead of earnings?

• Strategy Block: Uncle Mike discusses the current bond environment and why it might finally be time to look at covered calls on $IEF or $TLT for extra yield.

• Around the Block: What to expect from the official kickoff of earnings season with the big banks (JPM, WFC, BAC) reporting later this week.

The first Thursday of the new trading year is here, and the panel is back to break down a wild start to 2026. From record-breaking volume milestones to unusual activity in AI beauty tech and defense drones, the team dives deep into the forces shaping the market this week.

• The Trading Block: Mark Longo (The Options Insider), Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management), and the Flowmaster Henry Schwartz (Cboe) review a mixed start to the session. While the S&P 500 struggles for direction ahead of the jobs number, small caps (IWM) are off to the races—up 5% year-to-date.

• 2025 Year in Review: Henry Schwartz provides an exclusive data deep dive into the sixth straight record-breaking year for options.

  • Average Daily Volume (ADV): Nearly 61 million contracts.

  • The 15 Billionth Contract: Henry reveals he tracked down the exact moment the milestone occurred—a spread in CoreWeave on the day after Christmas.

  • Strike Proliferation: The industry has officially topped 2 million individual strikes available for trade.

• Odd Block: Things get weird with unusual activity in:

  • Caesars Entertainment (CZR): Heavy put volume and long-dated March 33 calls.

  • Oddity Tech (ODD): A massive $640k bet on April 50 calls for this AI-driven beauty company.

  • Vision-Wave (VWA): Bullish drone play with volume 16x the norm following geopolitical defense headlines.

• Mail Block: The team discusses how to track the growth of new retail accounts and why "buying the dip" continues to be a dominant, albeit debated, strategy.

• Around the Block: Predictions for the upcoming Supreme Court tariff decision, a preview of financial earnings (JPM, BAC, GS), and why the "Mag 10" equal-weighted index is the new one to watch.

The 2026 trading year is officially underway! Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi gather for the first full trading week of the year to break down a massive 2025 and look ahead to the new market landscape.

• The 2025 Trivia Champion Revealed: After a grueling year of 1980s Trivial Pursuit, we finally crown the winner of the 2025 Trivia Challenge. Who took home the title between Uncle Mike, The Rock Lobster, and previous guest Dan Passarelli?

• The Trading Block: A robust start to 2026! The team analyzes the S&P 500's push toward all-time highs, the sudden surge in Financials (XLF) and Energy (XLE), and why Big Tech (Apple and Nvidia) is showing some early-year weakness.

• Record-Breaking Volume: We dive into the final 2025 numbers from the OCC. With over 15.26 billion contracts traded last year, we discuss what this explosive growth means for retail traders.

• The Odd Block: Unusual activity returns with a deep dive into Peloton (PTON) and a massive January 2027 call trade, plus some aggressive short-term upside speculation in Enovix Corp (ENVX).

• Strategy Block: Uncle Mike explains the "Time Non-Linear Time Decay Differential" and why calendar or diagonal spreads might be your best bet if you expect volatility to rise from these lows.

• Around the Block: Predictions for the year ahead, the impact of geopolitical headlines on the energy sector, and a look at the upcoming VIX expiration.

• Pro Analysis: theoptionsinsider.com/pro

• The Network: Search "Options Insider Radio Network" on your favorite podcast app.

• TastyTrade: Visit tastytrade.com/podcasts to see why they were named the Best Broker for Options in 2024.

In this year-end finale, the All-Star panel gathers for a definitive look back at a historic 2025. From the "Tariff Tantrum" of April that sent the VIX screaming to 60, to the S&P 500 hitting all-time highs on Christmas Eve, Mark Longo and Uncle Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management break down the trends, the traps, and the massive volume records that redefined the options market this year. Plus, a solo trivia battle for the ages and a deep dive into why 2025 was truly the "Year of the Collar."

• The Trading Block: A comprehensive 2025 post-mortem. The panel discusses the S&P's 1,000-point climb, the volatility spikes that caught traders off guard, and why hedged equity strategies became the essential tool for navigating the year's "madness."

• The 15 Billion Milestone: Mark breaks down the staggering 15,000,000,000 contracts traded in 2025—a 3x explosion since 2019—highlighting October 10th as the single busiest trading day in history.

• The Metals Mania: Uncle Mike reflects on Silver ($SLV) becoming the "meme stock of precious metals" and explains why he's finally fading the shiny stuff after a 50% gold rally.

• Odd Block: Reviewing the best "rolls of the bones" from the year, including activity in Bath & Body Works ($BBWI), steel rebar bets in Commercial Metals ($CMC), and e-commerce plays in VIP Shop ($VIPS).

• Strategy Block: Uncle Mike invokes "Miller Time"—explaining why the smartest move for the final week of the year is to "take the money and run" to get some much-needed rest before 2026 kicks off.

• Trivia Challenge: Uncle Mike faces off in a solo quest to defend his crown while the Rock Lobster remains MIA on vacation.

• Options Insider Pro: Join the community for exclusive live streams and Q&As at theoptionsinsider.com/pro .

• Broker Spotlight: Find out why Investopedia named Tastytrade the Best Broker for Options in 2024: tastytrade.com/podcasts .

• Follow the Network: Search "Options Insider Radio Network" on your favorite podcast platform.

The Option Block: Holiday Havoc, iRobot Reversals, and Year-End RMDs

The All-Star Panel is back to wrap up the year! Host Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and The Rock Lobster Andrew Giovinazzi dive into a festive but frantic market to break down the latest unusual activity and essential year-end strategies.

The Trading Block:

• Market Sentiment: How the holiday season is warping typical market movements and what to expect from the "Santa Claus Rally."

• Unusual Activity in iRobot ($IRBT): Breaking down the latest heavy flow in the robotics space.

• Gap ($GPS) Check-in: Analyzing the recent retail trades as the year comes to a close.

The Strategy Block:

• Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): Uncle Mike breaks down the critical deadlines and pitfalls for traditional IRAs. Don't let the IRS take a bigger cut than necessary.

• Holiday Trading Hours: Insights on the best (and worst) times to put on trades when liquidity is thin.

Around the Block:

• Favorite Christmas Movies: The team debates the holiday greats. Is A Christmas Story still the king, or does Elf take the crown? Plus, thoughts on the stop-motion nostalgia of Rudolph.

Check out more from The Options Insider: TheOptionsInsider.com

• Follow us on Twitter: @Options

The All-Star Panel convenes for the final Thursday of 2025! Host Mark Longo is joined by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz (Cboe) and "Uncle" Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) to break down a wild year-end session.

• The 15 Billion Milestone: Henry Schwartz predicts when the 15,000,000,000th options contract of 2025 will trade.

• Silver's Historic Run: Mike Tosaw discusses the "thief in the night" move in SLV as it hits new highs, and why he's finally fading the metal.

• Market Rotation: A look at the aggressive move back into tech (XLK, Micron, Palantir) following cooler CPI data.

• DJT "Skullduggery": We analyze suspicious call buying in DJT (Trump Media) immediately preceding a 40% jump on fusion merger news.

• Leslie's Inc (LESL): Why is someone grabbing thousands of calls in a stock that has dropped 95% this year?

• Ticker Autopsy: A look back at the failed $210k bet on IPA (now HYFT).