How to chart options open interest by strike

Why open interest by strike matters

Open interest by strike shows where large positions are concentrated. It reveals gamma walls, max-pain levels, and dealer hedging flows — information that affects how the underlying moves around key levels.

OI vs volume

Volume tells you what traded today. Open interest tells you what's outstanding. A high-OI strike with low volume is an established position. A high-volume, low-OI strike suggests new positions being opened.

Building the chart

Upload any options chain CSV with strike, call_oi, and put_oi columns. Quadesto renders a stacked bar chart with calls and puts side-by-side, max-pain highlighted, and volume overlay available.