Good-Til-Canceled (GTC)
An order instruction that keeps an order active indefinitely until it's either filled or manually canceled, rather than expiring automatically.
Good-Til-Canceled (GTC) is an order instruction that keeps a limit order (see Kaavon's "Limit Order" glossary definition) active indefinitely — persisting across any amount of time — until it's either filled or manually canceled by the trader, rather than automatically expiring after a set period or trading session.
GTC is one of several common order-duration instructions, contrasted with options like a day order (which expires automatically at the end of a trading session) — in crypto's continuous, 24/7 markets, GTC is a particularly common default, since there's no scheduled session close to automatically expire an order against.
Examples
- A GTC limit order set well below the current price will remain active indefinitely, potentially filling days or weeks later if price eventually reaches it.
- GTC is a particularly common default order duration in crypto's continuous, 24/7 markets, which have no scheduled session close.