Futures Trading
Trade perpetual and fixed-date futures contracts on top cryptocurrencies. Hedge risk, speculate on price movements, and leverage your positions.
Hedge Your Risk
Go Long or Short
Leveraged Exposure
Futures Trading
Access perpetual and quarterly futures contracts with deep liquidity and advanced order types on BITmarkets.
Contract Types
Perpetual & Quarterly
Leverage
Up to 50x
Settlement
USDT & Coin-margined
What is Futures Trading?
Cryptocurrency futures are derivative contracts that allow you to agree to buy or sell a specific asset at a predetermined price at a future date. Unlike spot trading, futures let you profit from price movements without holding the underlying asset.
BITmarkets offers both perpetual contracts (no expiry) and quarterly contracts (fixed settlement date), settled in USDT or the underlying coin. Advanced traders use futures for hedging portfolio risk, while others use them to speculate with leverage.
Why Trade Futures on BITmarkets?
High Leverage
Access up to 50x leverage on major trading pairs, allowing you to maximise your exposure and potential returns with a smaller initial capital.
Perpetual Contracts
Trade perpetual futures with no expiration date. Hold positions for as long as you want and benefit from funding rate mechanisms that keep contract prices anchored to spot.
Portfolio Hedging
Protect your spot holdings against market downturns by opening short futures positions, effectively locking in your portfolio value during volatile periods.
Deep Liquidity
Benefit from deep order books and tight bid-ask spreads, ensuring your orders are filled quickly and at competitive prices even in fast-moving markets.
Flexible Settlement
Choose between USDT-margined and coin-margined contracts to match your preferred settlement currency and collateral strategy.
Risk Management
Utilise advanced tools such as stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop orders, and adjustable leverage to manage your risk precisely on every trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cryptocurrency futures?
Cryptocurrency futures are derivative contracts where two parties agree to buy or sell a specific cryptocurrency at a predetermined price on a future date (or on an ongoing basis for perpetuals). They allow you to speculate on price movements or hedge existing positions without owning the underlying asset.
What is the difference between perpetual and quarterly futures?
Perpetual futures have no expiration date — you can hold them indefinitely, and their price is kept close to the spot price through a funding rate mechanism. Quarterly futures expire on a set date (e.g., end of quarter) and are settled at the index price on expiration.
What is the funding rate?
The funding rate is a periodic payment exchanged between long and short position holders in perpetual futures. When the rate is positive, longs pay shorts; when negative, shorts pay longs. It keeps the futures price aligned with the spot market price.
How does leverage work in futures trading?
Leverage lets you control a position larger than your deposited margin. For example, with 20x leverage and a $500 margin, you control a $10,000 position. While leverage amplifies gains, it equally amplifies losses — a 5% adverse move at 20x would result in a 100% loss of your margin.
What are USDT-margined vs. coin-margined contracts?
USDT-margined contracts use USDT as collateral and are settled in USDT, making P&L calculations straightforward. Coin-margined contracts use the underlying cryptocurrency (e.g., BTC) as collateral and are settled in the same coin, which can be beneficial if you want to accumulate that asset.
Risk Disclaimer
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for every investor. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. You may sustain a total loss of your initial margin and be required to deposit additional funds. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please consider your investment objectives and level of experience carefully before trading futures.
If you haven't found an answer, don't hesitate to contact us on support@bitmarkets.com
or call us anytime at +44 20 4579 5923
Start futures trading today
Open an account and access perpetual and quarterly futures contracts with deep liquidity and competitive fees.
Start trading