We have witnessed in these past days a steep drop of Bitcoin to $91,231.00, it was expected that it would not be less than $95,000.00 but this did not happen. Many people, especially those who just entered, the newcomers who were just starting to buy BTC and Altcoins were the most affected, losing more than 50% of their portfolio due to FOMO and in the worst cases losing it entirely. This is an activity that repeats itself time and again after some time; not everyone can understand this process, it is very difficult, but this is how the cryptocurrency market works. You can make a lot of money, but you can also lose; it requires being consistent, persistent, following the market as closely as you can, studying, gaining knowledge, and experience. What we have gone through with the market drop gives us that experience to know where we are situated and what measures we should take the next time it happens, but this has already passed.
Here is a clear and simple explanation of the differences between SPOT, FUTURES, and MARGIN on Binance:
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1. SPOT
Real purchase of cryptocurrencies.
You only use the balance you already have (for example: USDT, BTC, BNB...).
There is no liquidation risk.
Ideal for beginners or long-term investors.
Example: You buy 100 USDT in BTC and that BTC is yours immediately.
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2. FUTURES
You do not buy the actual asset, but rather make a contract to speculate on whether the price will rise or fall.
You can use leverage (e.g., 10x, 20x...), meaning you trade with more money than you have.
There is a risk of liquidation if the market goes against your position.
Ideal for experienced traders looking for quick profits (and accepting more risk).
Example: You bet 50 USDT that BTC will rise, using 10x leverage. You are controlling as if it were 500 USDT, but if it drops significantly, you can lose everything.
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3. MARGIN
Similar to SPOT, but you can borrow money to buy more.
It has interest (you pay for the loan).
There is also a risk of liquidation if your collateral drops significantly.
It is like a midpoint between SPOT and FUTURES.
Example: You have 100 USDT, borrow 100 more, and buy 200 USDT in ETH. If ETH drops, you might lose everything or have to top up funds.
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Which one to choose?
SPOT: Safe, straightforward, ideal for beginners.
FUTURES: High potential profit, but also high risk.
MARGIN: More buying power, but with debt and liquidation risk.
You bought at a good price, stay updated on the news, but if you don't have more USDC to invest in case of a sharp drop, I would sell 50% to 75% to secure profits.
$BTC The futures trading is designed to lose, that is my personal opinion. Of course, those who are winning do not think the same, but how many are the 1% or 2%? I hope the outlook changes and my opinion does as well, but until today that is what I think, there is freedom of opinion.
Futures Trading is designed to lose. I have been at this for several days; I have stopped being a novice. I have been training in various ways, applying operations both short and long, and it is really impressive to see how 'The market' seeks my stop loss both above and below. Another way to see Futures Trading is like a casino, although it shouldn't be viewed that way, but it looks that way. It catches my attention that it is such a manipulated market by 'Big players' oh!! what expert people, you can't win against them both above and below. They seem like robots following the game to the letter; you can't compete against such, because if that's the case, there is a huge advantage. This is my personal opinion.