YieldMax Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF

YBIT

Market cap $127M

YieldMax Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF remains a Buy, balancing drawdown mitigation and income potential amid recent executional underperformance. YBIT's brief underperformance in May 2025 was an executional glitch, not a structural flaw, and performance has since tracked peers like YBTC and BTCI. YBIT's defensive profile is intact, offering better drawdown management than most peers, though it relies on a bullish long-term bitcoin outlook.

The buzz surrounding YieldMax's exchange traded funds (ETFs) is undeniable. Some of the annual yields on these funds are absolutely stunning, and last year, I just couldn't resist wagering my $170,000 investment account on YOLO (You Only Live Once) trades with YieldMax ETFs.

YBIT offers a high monthly yield through a dynamic options approach, but its complexity could make it less suitable for some portfolios. Its dynamic structure and higher yield (over 40%) make it intriguing but prone to NAV erosion. This is why it's better to treat it as a tactical tool for spot trades. It has high costs but is still fairly liquid despite its low AUM.

YBIT offers high income via call writing on Bitcoin exposure, but the usual caveat exists with capped upside potential if Bitcoin rallies strongly. We covered BTCI recently, and we made several comparisons between the two, where BTCI looks like the stronger fund. YBIT's monthly distributions are attractive for income-focused investors, but they can be quite volatile, similar to the underlying asset.

There's the CLARITY Act, which could provide a framework for the digital assets industry.

The new potential ETF will hold Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, Cronos, and Ripple directly, with 70% of its assets invested in Bitcoin.

Tidal's YieldMax Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF (YBIT 0.09%) offers investors a unique way to generate income from Bitcoin's (BTC -0.31%) volatility. It does that by constantly writing covered calls on its own "synthetic long" positions in Bitcoin, and it currently pays an annual distribution rate -- or the yield an investor would receive if its most recent distribution (including option income) stays the same for the full year -- of 41.5%.

At the start of 2024, the digital currency traded at $42,280. Today, it's up to $111,166 and could easily run even higher.

Benchmarking YBTC against YBIT shows YBTC has lower payouts but potentially better growth, making it suitable for investors seeking higher bitcoin exposure. YBIT offers quicker de-risking from bitcoin, making it ideal for those needing income and downside comfort, despite underperformance in up markets. YBTC outperforms in sideways to upward markets, while YBIT holds better in downtrends, highlighting their different risk-reward profiles.