Retail Investors Dominate U.S. Stock Options Market in Q3 2025

According to BlockBeats, the third quarter of 2025 saw a significant milestone in the U.S. stock market as the total quarterly options trading volume surpassed 3.5 billion contracts for the first time. Over the past five years, the total trading volume of options contracts has doubled. Retail investor participation reached a record high of 55% last quarter, indicating that retail investors now account for the majority of market trading. Since 2023, this percentage has increased by 10 points, compared to a five-year average of approximately 49%. During last week's market pullback, retail investors engaged in one of the largest buying-the-dip events ever recorded, further asserting their dominance in the U.S. stock options market.