Cryptocurrency Trading: Spot vs Derivatives

Derivative instruments are very popular to trade these days because of ease and flexibility. Virtually anyone can be a trader. PrimeBit is the most convenient way to start crypto derivatives trading anytime, anywhere. But how does derivatives trading work? And how does it differ from the traditional spot trading? Knowing the difference is vital to gain success in the cryptocurrency trading field.

Two main terms are common in the crypto trading world:

• Spot trading
• Derivatives trading

These are forms of trading designed for traders and investors to make profits out of digital coin prices.

Spot Trading

Spot trading is considered as the most basic form of investment in the world of cryptocurrencies. It involves buying a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and then holding it until its value rises. You are free to trade any of the cryptocurrencies that you have against the US dollar or other currencies at any time based on the market trends or based on your trading strategies.

The coin that you bought is your own and can be stored in your crypto wallet (or in trading platforms) for safekeeping until such time that you sell them when the price surges. You can also use it to buy altcoins (or other cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin) that you think will rise in value in the future. Because you are buying or selling actual crypto, which is limited in supply, traders can trade with low levels of leverage. In spot trading, you can use the crypto anyway you want since it is yours.

Spot Trading Benefits

• You own the crypto directly.
• You can buy other altcoins.
• You can use the crypto for other things such as paying for goods or services.

Derivatives Trading

Derivatives trading is also referred to as trading of contracts. It is different in some ways from spot trading in that you will not need to own the asset and store it directly before you can trade it. Instead, you trade contracts derived from this asset using trading platforms or brokers. Derivatives trading is convenient because traders will not worry about the security of coins but still earn from their price actions. Owning crypto wallets entails security issues and additional fees.

When trading derivatives like Bitcoin contracts (or BTCUSD), you are not buying or selling actual Bitcoins. However, the value of these Bitcoin contracts follows the market price of Bitcoin against the US dollar. As the Bitcoin price rises or falls so does the value of the contract. You profit from the difference in the price changes from the moment that you opened a position (buy or sell) to the time that you closed it. A unique element of derivatives trading is that traders can easily sell “short,” which means that you can earn both from a rising and a falling market.

Derivatives come with higher levels of leverage. Trading on leverage or margin means that you can borrow funds from your broker to trade in bigger amounts or trade multiple currencies than you normally could. It is a great way to diversify a trading portfolio. How does it work? For example, when you trade Bitcoin contracts worth $10 with 10x leverage, you can buy a Bitcoin contract worth $100 with only that initial $10 as margin. Thus, there are greater profit opportunities for traders of derivative instruments.

Derivatives Trading Benefits

• You profit from cryptocurrencies without directly owning them.
• You trade in a highly liquid market.
• You earn in both rising and falling markets.
• Your earning potential is limitless with higher leverage.
• You can easily trade more instruments in a single broker.

Conclusion

Both spot trading and derivatives trading have their benefits and give the traders opportunities to profit. However, most traders nowadays prefer derivatives trading because the trading conditions are much more favorable. There is no need to own the asset being traded and the fees involved are very low compared with spot trading. Due to the higher leverage offered, derivatives trading is very attractive to many traders.

PrimeBit is a derivatives exchange where traders can trade crypto contracts on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin with up to 200x leverage. Trade anytime on mobile or desktop. Want to check out our platform? Sign up today and get a complimentary demo account where you can look around and trade with zero risk. If you’re a competitive trader, try your skills in our PrimeBit Demo Trading Contest! You won’t have to deposit anything. Just trade on your demo account, earn big, and you can win from the $5000 prize pool. Check PrimeBit now!