How Does Crypto Futures Trading Work?

A derivative trading product is a futures contract. These are regulated trading contracts in which two parties agree to buy or sell an underlying asset at a certain price on a specific date. The underlying asset in the case of bitcoin futures would be bitcoin.

To trade crypto futures, how much money do you need?

Consider the following scenario for a bitcoin futures contract from the CME Group. Let’s say an investor buys two bitcoin futures contracts for a total of ten bitcoin. When the futures contract was purchased, the price of a single bitcoin was $5,000, therefore the total price for both futures contracts was $50,000. CME’s margin requirements for bitcoin futures trading are 50%, which means an investor must deposit $25,000 in order to trade. They can use leverage to fund the remainder of the contract acquisition.

What does it mean to invest in cryptocurrency futures?

Cryptocurrency futures are financial instruments that allow you to leverage your investments to increase your profits. They can be used to bet on a digital coin’s future direction or to hedge the future price risk associated with cryptocurrencies. Futures contracts are well-known financial instruments that are exchanged on an exchange. You’ll need an account with a futures broker who deals with a bitcoin futures market to trade them.

In crypto futures trading, how do you compute profit?

The dollar value of a one-tick move is multiplied by the number of ticks the futures contract has moved since you purchased it to calculate profit and loss on a trade.

What is the process of futures trading?

A futures contract is a contract to purchase or sell an item at a predetermined price at a future date. Soybeans, coffee, oil, individual stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and a variety of other assets could be used. Futures contracts are often traded on an exchange, with one side agreeing to buy a specific quantity of securities or commodities and take delivery on a specific date. The contract’s selling party agrees to provide it.

Can you keep Binance futures for a long time?

Futures contracts, in other words, have a finite lifespan and will expire according to their corresponding calendar cycle. Our BTC 0925, for example, is a quarterly futures contract that will expire three months after it is issued.

What is the cost of Binance futures?

Binance Futures has one of the most affordable cost structures among the crypto exchanges. Taker fees at Binance Futures start at 0.04 percent and can reach as low as 0.017 percent. Maker fees, on the other hand, begin at 0.02 percent and can down to 0.0000 percent.

What is the distinction between futures and spots?

A crucial factor in deciding the price of a futures contract is the spot price. It can reveal forecasts for future commodity price variations.

Spot Price vs. Future Price

The primary distinction between spot and futures prices is that spot prices are for immediate purchase and sale, but futures contracts postpone payment and delivery to predetermined future periods.

Typically, the spot price is lower than the futures price. Contango is the term for this circumstance. Contango is a regular occurrence for non-perishable items with high storage costs.

Backwardation, on the other hand, occurs when the spot price is higher than the futures price.

The futures price is expected to eventually converge with the current market price in either case.

More Resources

Thank you for taking the time to read CFI’s guide to spot prices and the differences between them and futures prices. Check out the following resources to learn more about capital markets and related topics:

How do you profit from futures?

Futures are traded on margin, with investors paying as little as ten percent of the contract’s value to possess it and control the right to sell it until it expires. Profits are magnified by margins, but they also allow you to gamble money you can’t afford to lose. It’s important to remember that trading on margin entails a unique set of risks. Choose contracts that expire after the period in which you estimate prices to peak. If you buy a March futures contract in January but don’t expect the commodity to achieve its peak value until April, the contract is worthless. Even if April futures aren’t available, a May contract is preferable because you can sell it before it expires while still waiting for the commodity’s price to climb.

What factors influence futures pricing?

The futures pricing formula deserved its own discussion for a reason. Various types of traders can be found in the futures trading spectrum: some are intuitive traders who make judgments based on gut instincts, while others are technical traders who follow the pricing formula. True, successful futures trading necessitates skills, knowledge, and experience, but before you get started, you’ll need a good grasp of the pricing formula to figure out how to navigate the waters.

So, where does the price of futures come from? The cost of the underlying asset determines the futures price, which moves in lockstep with it. Futures prices will rise if the price of the underlying increases, and will fall if the price of the underlying falls. However, the value of the underlying asset is not necessarily equal. They can be traded on the market for a variety of prices. The spot price of an asset, for example, may differ from its future price. Spot-Future parity is the name given to this price gap. So, what is it that causes the prices to fluctuate over time? Interest rates, dividends, and the amount of time until they expire are all factors to consider. These elements are factored into the futures pricing algorithm. It’s a mathematical description of how the price of futures changes as one or more market variables change.

In an ideal scenario, a risk-free rate is what you can earn throughout the year. A risk-free rate is exemplified by a Treasury note. For a period of two or three months until the futures expire, it can be adjusted accordingly. As a result of the change, the formula now reads:

Let’s have a look at an example. We’ll use the following values as a starting point for our calculations.

We’re presuming the corporation isn’t paying a dividend on it, so we’ve set the value to zero. However, if a dividend is paid, it will be taken into account in the formula.

The ‘fair value’ of a futures contract is calculated using this formula. Taxes, transaction fees, margin, and other factors contribute to the gap between fair value and market price. You may compute a fair value for any expiration days using this formula.