Futures instrument guide

Crypto futures signals

Crypto futures signals combine a leveraged contract with a market that can trade continuously. The venue, contract type, funding or carry, liquidation rule, and order execution all belong in the review.

This page is educational research. It does not claim that the recommended models trade crypto futures or any particular digital asset.

Identify the contract and venue

“Crypto futures” can describe different products: a dated contract, a perpetual-style derivative, an inverse contract, or a linear contract settled in another asset. The venue sets the tick, lot size, margin currency, funding or settlement rule, liquidation process, and fee schedule. A signal that omits the venue and contract type is not reproducible.

Leverage and liquidation

High leverage can turn a normal market move into a forced exit. The liquidation price is affected by size, collateral, maintenance rules, fees, mark price, and the venue's risk engine. It should not be confused with the provider's planned stop. A review should show whether the historical record assumes a clean stop, a mark-price trigger, or a liquidation event.

Use the leverage and margin guide for the account-level questions. Available leverage is not a reason to use it.

Funding and basis

Perpetual-style products can have periodic funding transfers, while dated futures can trade at a premium or discount to a reference price. Those costs can matter in a longer holding period. A signal record should state whether funding, carry, and fees are included and whether the reported result is gross or net.

Continuous trading changes the workflow

A 24-hour venue does not mean every hour has the same depth or spread. Alerts may arrive during thin liquidity, venue maintenance, or a fast liquidation cascade. Record the timestamp, bid, ask, venue, order type, fill, and any partial execution. If the signal is copied across venues, the record should disclose that prices and fills can diverge.

Evidence checklist

The futures evidence checklist covers the publication and denominator tests. Keep venue-specific execution evidence separate from a general model record.

Bottom line

Crypto futures require more than a directional call. A credible review names the contract and venue, describes leverage and funding, and shows how the result survived real execution conditions.

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