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Getting into crypto, everyone faces the question: what is spot coin and what is Futures? These two trading methods are quite different, so I want to share a bit of experience.
Spot is the simplest way. You buy a certain coin or token, and it immediately belongs to you. Profit only occurs when the price increases. For example: you use 20 million VND to buy Bitcoin, and you own the BTC worth that 20 million. When the price rises to 30 million, you sell and make a 10 million profit. If the price drops to 10 million and you sell, then you lose 10 million. But if you don't sell, the BTC remains in your wallet, with no maintenance fees. You can wait until the price returns or goes higher before selling. This spot coin trading method is very suitable for those who want to hold assets long-term.
Futures is completely different. It’s not about owning coins, but trading based on predicting whether the price will go up or down through futures contracts. The strength of Futures is that you can make money both when prices rise and fall. But the risk is also much higher.
One attractive feature of Futures is leverage. For example: an ETH/USDT Futures contract worth 1,000 USD, but the exchange allows you to use 10x leverage. That means you only need 100 USD to open a position. If the price increases by 10%, your profit will be 20% of your initial capital – double! But conversely, if the price drops by 10%, you will lose the entire 100 USD.
Looking back, what is spot coin? It’s actual ownership of assets. What is Futures? It’s trading futures contracts, without owning the coin. Both methods aim to profit from price fluctuations, based on the underlying digital asset market, tradable during market hours, and both carry risks from price volatility.
The biggest difference is: Spot is safer but yields slower profits, Futures has higher potential but also greater risks. Depending on each person’s goals and risk tolerance, choose the suitable method. I recommend that beginners start with Spot to understand the market well, then try Futures once you have experience. Wishing you successful trading!