Reviewed 2026-04-24

Historical VIX Spikes During Market Crashes

How the fear gauge behaved during 2008, 2020, and other crisis periods — and what those episodes teach about mean reversion and regime change.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

VIX ETF Decay: The Hidden Cost of Contango

Why VIX ETFs like VXX and UVXY lose value over time. Contango, roll costs, and volatility drag explained.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

VIX Options Trading Strategies

Spreads, calendars, and hedging techniques using VIX options — how the European-style settlement changes the playbook.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

VVIX: Trading the Volatility of Volatility

Understanding VVIX, the VIX-of-VIX. How to use this second-order volatility indicator for regime awareness.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

VIX Term Structure: Trading Contango and Backwardation

Reading the VIX futures curve, identifying regime shifts, and framing calendar-spread trades.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

SVXY: The Practical Guide to Short VIX Trading

Inverse VIX exposure, contango carry, sizing discipline, and the risks every short-volatility trader has to respect.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

Portfolio Hedging with VIX: A Practical Guide

Using VIX products for portfolio protection — sizing hedges, choosing instruments, and managing cost drag.

Reviewed 2026-04-24

Understanding VIX Futures Roll Yield

How daily rebalancing and curve shape drive long-run returns in VIX ETFs — with a simple roll-drag formula.

New readers: start with What is the VIX? and then How VIX is calculated. The Learn section has long-form fundamentals, and the glossary covers terminology. For answers to common questions, see the FAQ.

Index last reviewed on 2026-04-24.