#TradingPairs101

Your First Step into the Crypto Market

When you open a crypto exchange for the first time, you’ll probably see something like BTC/USDT, ETH/BTC, or SOL/ETH. Confused? Don’t worry — you’re not alone.

Welcome to the world of trading pairs — one of the most important concepts in cryptocurrency trading.

In this guide, we’ll break it down for you in plain English, with real examples and tips to help you trade smarter, not harder.

What Are Trading Pairs?

A trading pair tells you which two assets you’re trading against each other.

It’s like a price tag that says:

“You can buy this asset with that asset.”

For example:

BTC/USDT means you're buying Bitcoin using USDT (Tether).

ETH/BTC means you're buying Ethereum using Bitcoin.

The order matters:

In BTC/USDT, BTC is the base currency.

USDT is the quote currency — you’re paying in USDT to get BTC.