The crypto sector is in a bull market, and frequent evidence comes from anonymous traders who post their five-, six- and seven-figure investment returns as screenshots on Crypto Twitter. This condition creates a FOMO-like situation where everyone gets greedy. The temptation to boost potential earnings by twenty times or more is often irresistible for most novice traders. Today, almost every cryptocurrency exchange offers leveraged trading using derivatives. To enter these markets, a trader has to first deposit collateral (margin), which is usually a stablecoin or Bitcoin (BTC). However, unlike spot (regular) trading, the trader cannot withdraw from a futures market …

In the past two years futures contracts have become widely popular among cryptocurrency traders and this became more evident as the total open interest on derivatives more than doubled in three months. Additional proof of their popularity came as futures turnover surpassed gold, which is a well-established market with $107 billion in daily volume. However, each exchange has its own orderbook, index calculation, leverage limits and rules for cross and isolated margin. These differences might seem superficial at first, but they can make a huge difference depending a traders' needs. Open interest As shown in the above, the total aggregate …

Ether (ETH) has been making higher lows throughout 2021, and the current trend indicates that $1,800 might be the bottom for April. Even traders and investors who do not rely on technicals have become optimists after Visa initiated a pilot to settle transactions in USD Coin (USDC) through the Ethereum network. Given that Ether's price is looking like it's ready to pursue new yearly highs, there's a few investment options on the table. Buying and holding is an excellent strategy, as well as a leveraged long position up to 2x. The problem lies on the downside, as a 20% move …

The most basic Bitcoin (BTC) options contracts involve buying a call which gives the holder the opportunity to acquire the asset at a fixed price on a set date. For this privilege, the buyer simply pays an upfront fee, known as a premium, to the contract seller. Although this is a great way to use leverage while avoiding the liquidation risk that comes from trading futures contracts, it comes at a cost. The options premium will rise during volatile markets, causing the trade to require even further price appreciation to generate a reasonable profit, so the premium is a metric …

Since 2017, investors have been anxiously awaiting a Bitcoin ETF approval as the existence of such a fund was an important symbol of mass adoption and acceptance from the realm of traditional finance. On Feb. 18, the Toronto Stock Exchange hosted the official launch of the Purpose Bitcoin ETF and the fund quickly absorbed more than $333 million in market capitalization in just two days. Now that the long-awaited Bitcoin ETF is here, investors are curious about how it will compete with Grayscale Investments GBTC fund. On Feb. 17, Ark Investment Management founder and CEO Cathie Wood said the likelihood …

Historical data shows that it is nearly impossible to consistently predict Bitcoin’s price action and many traders that attempt this end up losing money. Now that Bitcoin trades near $50,000, the ultimate goal for most traders is to hold on to their current holdings and incrementally add to them in a way that is not terribly risky. Options strategies provide excellent opportunities for traders who have a fixed-range target for an asset. For example, using leveraged futures contracts might be a solution for a scenario where one expects a price increase of up to 28% over the next month. Of …

Bitcoin seems to be struggling at the $58,000 level, which is leading some traders to fear a more significant correction could take place. While Bitcoin's (BTC) 2021 performance has been incredibly strong, its current 696% gain and comments from United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen suggesting that cryptocurrencies are used to finance terrorism may be enough to have investors feeling a bit cautious. Reducing open position sizes is usually the method most investors use to reduce exposure, but another way to manage risk is to use BTC options contracts to provide protection. Buying a put (sell) option is the easiest …

This week Ether (ETH) price finally broke through the $2,000 level as aggressive institutional inflow through Grayscale Investments products and declining exchange reserves signaled that buying pressure was increasing. While many traders are skilled at using perpetual futures and the basic margin investing tools available on most exchanges, they may be unaware of additional instruments that can be used to maximize their gains. One simple way, albeit expensive, is buying Ether call option contracts. For example, a March 26 call option with a $1,760 strike trades at $340. In the current situation, the holder would only profit if Ether trades …

When BitMEX launched its Bitcoin (BTC) perpetual futures market in 2016, it created a new paradigm for cryptocurrency traders. Although this was not the first platform to offer BTC-settled inverse swaps, BitMEX brought usability and liquidity to a broader audience of investors. BitMEX contracts did not involve fiat or stablecoins and even though the reference price was calculated in the U.S. dollar, all profits and losses were paid in BTC. Fast forward to 2021, and Tether (USDT)-settled contracts have gained relevance. Using USDT-based contracts certainly makes it easier for retail investors to calculate their profit, loss and the required margin …

Ether’s (ETH) $10,000 Dec. 31 call options recently came under the spotlight after surpassing $15.2 million in open interest (8,400 contracts). These instruments give the buyer the right to acquire Ether at a future date for a fixed price and the seller is obliged to honor it. For this right, the buyer pays an upfront fee (premium) to the call option seller. For this reason, call options are deemed neutral-to-bullish as they give its buyer the possibility of high leverage with a little upfront investment. This ‘right’ is currently being traded for $263, equivalent to 14% of the underlying Dec. …

Seasoned Bitcoin (BTC) investors know that the crypto market trades in cycles, and now that BTC price has surpassed its previous all-time high, a full-on bull cycle is underway. As this new cycle gathers steam, the mainstream media are all abuzz with articles about Bitcoin and everyone from world-renowned investment gurus to Uber drivers seem to have an opinion on the best tips, tricks, and moon coins one should buy in order to generate instant riches. Similar to the last bull market, this one will also be riddled with posts from crypto-Twitter celebrities who somehow managed to turn $100 into …

For the past week, Bitcoin (BTC) price has been flirting with the $20,000 mark, which has led some traders to lose their patience. In the eyes of some traders, the lack of bullish momentum is problematic, especially considering that BTC tested the $16,200 level roughly a week ago. Experienced traders know that there are key indicators that serve as telling signs of a trend reversal. These are volumes, the futures premium, and top traders' positions at major exchanges. A handful of negative indicators will not precede every dip, but there are some signs of weakness more often than not. Every …