A Must-Read for Newcomers in the Crypto World: Spot vs Futures Simplified Guide
1. Why Must Newcomers Start with Spot?
1. Risk Comparison
Spot: Maximum loss of principal (e.g., 1000 yuan → 0 yuan)
Futures: Possible liquidation leading to debt (10x leverage down 10% = principal goes to zero)
2. Learning Difficulty
Spot Basics: Buying and selling, market analysis, wallet operations
Futures Advanced: Leverage calculation, liquidation warning, funding rate
3. Psychological Impact
Spot fluctuations are mild, suitable for developing market intuition
Futures have severe fluctuations that can trigger emotional trading (a killer for newcomers)
2. Hidden Traps of Futures
1. Complex Mechanisms
Full position/isolated position mode differences
Funding rate (high cost for long-term holding)
High leverage slippage (small price differences trigger liquidation)
2. Strategy Barriers
Spot: Dollar-cost averaging, incremental profit-taking is sufficient
Futures: Requires hedging, grid trading, and other advanced strategies
3. Phased Learning Path
Phase 1: Spot Trading Introduction (1-3 months)
Must-learn content:
✅ Buy and sell BTC/ETH on exchanges (recommended Binance/OKX)
✅ Understand basic indicators like market cap and trading volume
Goal: Complete 10 spot trades, attempt to withdraw coins to wallet
Phase 2: Futures Experimentation (after 6 months)
Prerequisites:
🔸 Continuous profitability in spot trading for over 3 months
🔸 Able to explain 'liquidation price' and 'funding rate'
Safety Rules:
⚠️ Leverage ≤ 5x, single trade ≤ 2% of principal
⚠️ Must set stop-loss, emotional trading is prohibited
4. Key Recommendations
1. Start with a demo account (provided by Binance/OKX, practice for at least 1 month)
2. Beware of the illusion of quick wealth: Social media profit screenshots do not show liquidation records
3. Remember the formulas:
Spot loss = principal × price decline
Futures loss = principal × leverage × price decline
5. Common Questions from Newcomers
Q: Seeing others make huge profits in futures, can't help but want to try?
A: 98% of beginners lose money within 6 months; survivor bias makes you only see the winners.
Q: When can I learn about futures?
A: When you can answer:
Why does BTC halving affect price?
What is the Ethereum gas fee mechanism?
How to verify the authenticity of a project's TVL?
Summary: The first principle of survival in the crypto world is to stay alive. Spot trading is a compulsory course, while futures trading is an elective course—when understanding is insufficient, futures are a gamble; when understanding is sufficient, they become a tool. #美联储FOMC会议 #Solana现货ETF竞赛 #币安钱包TGE #币安Alpha上新
