Cole Kennelly is the founder and chief executive of Volmex Labs, a company that develops volatility and rates benchmark indices for digital assets, including the BVIV (Bitcoin) and EVIV (Ethereum) implied volatility indices. ^{[1] [2]}​

Education

Cole Kennelly earned a bachelor's degree in Finance & Economics from The Ohio State University. ^{[1] [3]}

Career

Before founding Volmex Labs, Cole Kennelly worked at Staked in a sales position related to partnerships with institutional cryptocurrency investors. Staked was later acquired by Kraken.

From 2016 to 2017, Kennelly worked as a Research Assistant at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in the Columbus, Ohio area.

Kennelly has been professionally associated with the New York City metropolitan area, with public activity related to cryptocurrency market structure, derivatives, and index-based financial products.

Founding Volmex Labs

In 2021, Kennelly founded Volmex Labs, also known as Volmex. The company was established to develop cryptocurrency volatility indices modeled on traditional financial market benchmarks and to support on-chain volatility-related trading products.

Public references and company materials connect Kennelly to the development of implied volatility indices associated with Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Volatility and Rates Benchmarks

Public profiles and appearances associated with Kennelly have focused on volatility and rates benchmarks for digital assets, including the BVIV and EVIV implied volatility indices linked to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

His work has included the development of index-linked products designed to measure volatility and other market-related metrics within cryptocurrency markets.

In January 2026, reports stated that Polymarket listed contracts referencing Volmex’s BVIV and EVIV indices. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Media, Speaking, and Public Commentary

Conference Appearances

Kennelly has participated in industry conferences and public discussions on derivatives and volatility. In May 2026, he appeared on a panel during Consensus in Miami, where he discussed funding rates and market structure and stated that a $250,000 year‑end price target for Bitcoin was “possible.” The appearance underscores his role as a public commentator on market dynamics related to volatility and derivatives. ^[6]​

Interview Features

Kennelly was the featured guest on a London Real interview published on May 1, 2025, focused on Volmex’s indices and their potential applications. The episode page outlines topics including implied volatility, prime‑rate benchmarks across lending protocols, anticipated index expansions, and considerations around regulatory developments and the broader outlook for crypto markets. ^[2]​

Press Coverage of Product Launches

Coverage of Polymarket’s January 2026 release of Volmex contracts presented the products as simplifying volatility exposure for Bitcoin and Ether. Kennelly’s comments in that piece reinforce his positioning as a spokesperson for index‑based approaches to managing and trading crypto market risk. ^[5]​

Selected Statements

• On the launch of Volmex index‑linked contracts on Polymarket (January 2026): “Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, launching contracts on Volmex’s BVIV and EVIV Indices is a major milestone for Volmex and crypto derivatives broadly.” He added that the partnership brings institutional‑grade benchmarks into a simple prediction‑market format, “making it easier for traders and investors to express views on crypto implied volatility.” ^[5]
• On Bitcoin’s potential year‑end price during Consensus Miami 2026: Kennelly stated that “$250,000 is possible,” offering a bullish scenario in the context of a panel on derivatives and funding rates. ^[6]

Interviews

Bitfinex Talks Interview on Crypto Volatility #01

On July 29, 2025, Cole Kennelly participated in an interview on the Bitfinex YouTube channel titled “Why Volmex Has Everyone Talking About Crypto Volatility.” The discussion focused on cryptocurrency volatility indices, derivatives markets, and the role of index-based products within digital asset trading environments.

During the interview, Kennelly discussed the development of volatility indices including BVIV and EVIV, which are designed to measure implied volatility in cryptocurrency markets. He stated that the indices are used as reference tools for market analysis and as underlying benchmarks for derivative products offered on trading platforms. Kennelly also described Volmex Finance’s work in creating rate indices related to funding rates and decentralized finance lending activity.

Kennelly stated that the company’s products are integrated across centralized and decentralized trading platforms and referenced the use of volatility-linked perpetual futures contracts on exchanges such as Bitfinex. He also discussed the relationship between cryptocurrency options markets and volatility indices, describing options trading as part of the broader derivatives infrastructure associated with digital assets.

The interview additionally covered topics including digital asset treasury companies, decentralized finance protocols, tokenized financial products, and the interaction between cryptocurrency markets and traditional financial systems. Kennelly stated that developments such as exchange-traded funds, tokenized equities, and on-chain financial products indicate increasing overlap between traditional finance and blockchain-based markets. ^[10]

Volmex and Crypto Market Indices #02

In an interview published on the London Real YouTube channel on December 13, 2025, Cole Kennelly discussed topics related to cryptocurrency volatility markets, derivatives infrastructure, and financial indices used in digital asset markets.

Kennelly described Volmex Labs as a company that develops implied volatility and rates indices for cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. During the interview, he compared some of the company’s products to financial benchmarks used in traditional markets, including the VIX, LIBOR, and SOFR indices. He also discussed the use of implied volatility data in the evaluation of market expectations and price movement forecasts.

The interview included discussion of cryptocurrency derivatives markets, Bitcoin ETF options, and the use of volatility indices by trading platforms and market data services. Kennelly referenced integrations involving platforms such as TradingView and CoinMarketCap in relation to the distribution of Volmex market data.

Kennelly also discussed lending and funding rate indices developed by Volmex Labs. According to his statements during the interview, these indices were created to track borrowing costs and funding activity within decentralized finance markets.

Additional topics included cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, the expansion of crypto exchange-traded products, and considerations related to the possible issuance of native crypto tokens by digital asset companies. ^[11]