Available Markets
Ballast offers derivatives on the world's most critical maritime chokepoints and ports. Each market is settled using real-time AIS and port authority data.
Chokepoint Markets
Suez Canal (Egypt)
Current Status: Active trading
Contract Type: Binary (Yes/No)
Settlement: Monthly
Market Question:
"Will the Suez Canal be available for tanker transits this month?"
Key Events:
- 2021 Ever Given blockage (6 days)
- 2023-2024 Red Sea Houthi attacks (ongoing reroutes)
Trading Use Case: Energy traders hedge against closure risk that would spike Brent crude. Shipping cos hedge reroute costs around Cape of Good Hope.
Panama Canal (Panama)
Current Status: Active trading
Contract Type: Index (0-100)
Settlement: Weekly
Market Question:
"What will the Panama Canal congestion index be this week?"
Key Events:
- 2023-2024 drought (80% transit capacity reduction)
- Lake Gatún water levels critical for drafts
Trading Use Case: Container shippers hedge against delay costs. LNG exporters hedge transit slot availability.
Strait of Hormuz (Iran/Oman)
Current Status: Coming Q2 2025
Contract Type: Binary (Yes/No)
Settlement: Event-based
Market Question:
"Will Hormuz be fully operational for oil tankers this month?"
Key Events:
- 2019 tanker seizures and drone attacks
- Ongoing Iran-West tensions
Trading Use Case: Oil majors hedge against supply disruptions. Defense contractors trade geopolitical risk.
Strait of Malacca (Malaysia/Indonesia)
Current Status: Coming Q3 2025
Contract Type: Index (0-100)
Settlement: Monthly
Market Question:
"What will the Malacca Strait transit time index be?"
Key Events:
- Piracy incidents (historical)
- Singapore Port congestion spillovers
Trading Use Case: Commodity traders hedge Asia-Europe routing delays. Bunker fuel suppliers trade volume expectations.
Port Congestion Markets
Port of Shanghai (China)
Current Status: Active trading
Contract Type: Index (0-100)
Settlement: Weekly
Congestion Drivers:
- COVID lockdowns (2022-2023)
- Lunar New Year backlogs
- Typhoon season disruptions
Trading Use Case: Container lines hedge demurrage costs. Retailers hedge inventory delivery risk.
Port of Los Angeles (USA)
Current Status: Active trading
Contract Type: Index (0-100)
Settlement: Weekly
Congestion Drivers:
- 2021-2022 record backlogs (100+ ships anchored)
- Labor union negotiations
- Peak holiday season volumes
Trading Use Case: Importers hedge late deliveries. Warehouse operators trade volume forecasts.
Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Current Status: Coming Q2 2025
Contract Type: Index (0-100)
Settlement: Weekly
Congestion Drivers:
- Rhine River water levels (drought impacts barge access)
- North Sea weather delays
Trading Use Case: European energy importers hedge LNG terminal access. Refiners hedge crude delivery delays.
Transit Time Volatility Markets
Asia-Europe Route
Current Status: Coming Q3 2025
Contract Type: Volatility Index
Settlement: Monthly
Measures: Standard deviation of Shanghai → Rotterdam transit times vs. baseline.
Trading Use Case: Freight forwarders hedge schedule reliability risk. 3PLs price delivery guarantees.
Transpacific Route
Current Status: Coming Q3 2025
Contract Type: Volatility Index
Settlement: Monthly
Measures: Standard deviation of Shanghai → Los Angeles transit times vs. baseline.
Trading Use Case: Retailers hedge "just-in-time" inventory risk. Container lessors trade utilization expectations.
Contract Specifications
| Market Type | Tick Size | Min Notional | Max Leverage | Settlement Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binary Chokepoint | 0.01 | $100 | 10x | AIS + Official Announcements |
| Congestion Index | 0.1 | $500 | 5x | Port Authority Data |
| Volatility Index | 0.1 | $500 | 5x | AIS Historical Std Dev |
Market Data Feeds
Access real-time bid/ask spreads, order book depth, and historical settlement data via our WebSocket API.
Upcoming Markets (Roadmap)
- Turkish Straits (Bosphorus/Dardanelles) - Q4 2025
- Cape of Good Hope (Alternative routing index) - Q4 2025
- Kiel Canal (Germany) - 2026
- Port of Singapore (Congestion) - Q2 2025
Request a Market
Have a chokepoint or port you want to hedge? Contact us to request new market listings.