SignavaThe difference at a glance
| Spot | Futures (perpetual) | |
|---|---|---|
| You own the coin | Yes | No — you hold a contract |
| Profit when price falls | No | Yes, by going short |
| Leverage | No | Yes, often up to 100x+ |
| Liquidation | Never | Yes, if the loss eats your margin |
| Funding payments | No | Yes, usually every 8 hours |
| Typical taker fee | ~0.1% | ~0.05%, but on a larger position |
When spot makes sense
Spot is the natural starting point: you buy a coin, you own it, and the worst case is that its price falls. There's no liquidation and no funding. Signava's spot signals are all buys, sent only when Bitcoin and the coin itself are in uptrends.
When futures make sense
Futures are useful when you want to profit from falling prices or hedge coins you hold. The danger is leverage: it multiplies losses as fast as gains. Read leverage and liquidation explained before your first futures trade.
Our recommendation
- Start with spot and stop losses until you've taken at least 30 planned trades.
- Move to futures only with low leverage (2–3x) and position sizes worked out from the stop.
- Never let your liquidation price sit closer than your stop loss.
Frequently asked questions
Is futures trading better than spot?
Not better, different. Futures let you short and use leverage; spot is simpler and you can't lose more than you put in. Beginners should start on spot.
Can you lose more than you invest in futures?
On most exchanges your loss is limited to the margin in the position (isolated) or your futures account balance (cross), but leverage means you can lose that margin very quickly.
