Part 2/11:
Recent market dynamics reveal disturbing trends. The volume of options traded in the US stock market has soared to an astonishing $3.5 trillion per day, roughly equivalent to the total value of the Russell 2000 index—representing all small-cap US companies combined. This level of options activity reflects aggressive speculative bets, primarily fueled by the last five years of relentless bull markets that began post-2020.