IV Crush (Volatility Crush)
IV crush is the rapid deflation of implied volatility - and with it, option prices - once an anticipated event passes or uncertainty resolves. Because the event premium drains out of every contract at once, a trader can be right on direction and still lose money owning options through the event.
Ahead of a scheduled catalyst - CPI, FOMC, earnings - options price in the possibility of a large move, inflating IV. The moment the outcome is known, that uncertainty premium evaporates. The underlying may move exactly as an option buyer hoped, yet the contract's value can still fall if the volatility deflation outweighs the directional gain.
0DTE contracts experience a compressed version of this every session: morning IV starts elevated and decays through the day alongside theta, which is why same-day options bought at the open can bleed even in a gently favorable tape.
Structurally, crush also moves the underlying: as IV falls, dealer deltas shift through vanna, and the resulting re-hedging can add a mechanical bid - one reason indices often grind higher in the sessions after an event clears without damage.
Frequently asked
Can the market move my way and my option still lose value?
Yes. If the collapse in implied volatility outweighs the directional gain, the option's price falls anyway - the classic post-event crush experience.
When is IV crush most severe?
Immediately after scheduled binary events - inflation prints, central-bank decisions, earnings - when the uncertainty the options were pricing resolves all at once.
Related terms
This term is part of a bigger picture: Gamma Exposure, Explained — the complete guide →