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GlossaryAdvanced

Perpetual Swap

A futures-like contract with no expiry date that tracks an asset's price through a funding mechanism.

A perpetual swap (or perpetual future) is a derivative contract with no fixed expiry date, designed to track an underlying asset's spot price closely through an ongoing funding-rate mechanism.

It commonly allows leverage, meaning both potential gains and losses are magnified relative to an equivalent unleveraged spot position.

Examples

  • A trader might use a perpetual swap to gain leveraged price exposure without owning the underlying asset.
  • Unlike a traditional futures contract, a perpetual swap never expires.

Learn more

Guide

Understanding Spot vs. Futures Trading

Read the full guide

Concept

Inverse Perpetual

Read the Inverse Perpetual glossary definition

Concept

Linear Perpetual

Read the Linear Perpetual glossary definition

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Cash-Settled vs. Physically-Settled

Read the Cash-Settled vs. Physically-Settled glossary definition

Concept

Synthetic Dollar

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Concept

Futures Contract (Dated)

Read the Futures Contract (Dated) glossary definition

Concept

Quanto Contract

Read the Quanto Contract glossary definition

Article

Why Bitcoin Perpetual Futures Are Now Legal in the US (and Still Restricted in the EU)

Read the article

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