BTC futures are listed on the nearest six consecutive monthly contracts, including the nearest two December contracts, and expire on the last Friday of the month.
Do contracts for futures expire?
Traders roll over futures contracts to move from a near-expiring front month contract to a futures contract in a later month. Futures contracts have expiration dates, whereas equities trade indefinitely. To avoid the fees and obligations involved with contract settlement, they are rolled over to a different month. Physical settlement or cash settlement are the most common methods of settling futures contracts.
Can you keep Bitcoin futures for a long time?
You don’t own bitcoin directly when you invest in a bitcoin futures ETF, as you would with a stock or bond ETF. Bitcoin futures, on the other hand, are what you own.
Futures contracts are essentially wagers between two investors on the price of an item be it wheat, oil, or bitcoin at a specific point in the future (hence the name). Bitcoin futures contracts, which are traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, normally have a six-month expiration date. As a result, one group of contracts expires each month, and the exchange prepares a new batch that will expire several months later.
Naturally, the price of bitcoin futures contracts can increase above or fall below the current spot price for bitcoin, depending on whether investors believe the cryptocurrency will be worth more or less in six months than it is now. However, as the contract’s expiration date approaches, the price of the contracts should converge with the market price of bitcoin, until they finally coincide on the final day.
The bitcoin ETF operates by purchasing futures contracts with expiration dates within a month or two of the current bitcoin price, which should roughly, but not precisely, mirror the current bitcoin price. As the expiration date approaches, the ETF sells the contracts that are about to expire and buys a new set of contracts that will expire in a month or two effectively “rolling” them over.
This isn’t unusual; several commodity ETFs operate in this manner. The United States Oil Fund (USO), the most popular oil ETF, invests in crude oil futures rather than crude oil. These pricing differences normally don’t amount to much over short periods of time – think days or weeks. They can, however, become important over longer periods of time, such as six months or a year, according to Hougan.
Can I keep Binance futures for a long time?
Futures contracts, in other words, have a finite lifespan and will expire according to their respective calendar cycle. Our BTC 0925, for example, is a quarterly futures contract that will expire three months after it is issued.
When bitcoin futures expire, what happens?
The next contract is added as one contract ends, completing the six-month lineup. When the December contract ends, the June contract, as well as the December contract for the next year, becomes active. So there are six consecutive monthly contracts and only two December contracts available at any given moment.
Do futures have an impact on price?
As the delivery month of a futures contract approaches, it’s a reasonably safe bet that the price of a future will inch closer to, and possibly even match, the spot price. This is a very strong trend that exists independently of the underlying asset of the contract.
Should I consider purchasing Bitcoin futures?
Despite the fact that a futures-based bitcoin ETF isn’t a direct investment in cryptocurrencies, it’s nevertheless dangerous due to bitcoin exposure and the complexities of futures contracts.
Ross is particularly concerned about new investors who have been anticipating the launch of a futures-based bitcoin ETF in order to obtain exposure to the cryptocurrency without fully comprehending its hazards. “Those who may have been waiting and thinking that this was going to make it really safe for them, without actually doing the necessary diligence,” he says, are the ones who should be concerned.
Financial experts advise that you only invest what you can afford to lose, whether you use a futures-based bitcoin ETF or directly invest in cryptocurrencies.
Don’t miss: The Securities and Exchange Commission is ready to enable bitcoin futures ETFs to begin trading – here’s what investors need to know.
Can citizens of the United States trade cryptocurrency futures?
Even when living abroad, US nationals are barred from using crypto margin trading sites. However, there is a crypto trading platform that has obtained the authorization to offer crypto trading with a modest leverage to its US consumers in practically all US states.