Perpetual contracts have become one of the most popular tools in the cryptocurrency derivatives market, offering traders the ability to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset. Platforms like OKX offer robust perpetual contract trading with flexible leverage, advanced risk controls, and unique mechanisms such as funding rates and mark pricing. This guide explores what perpetual contracts are, how they differ from traditional futures, and key features that every trader should understand.
Understanding Perpetual Contracts
A perpetual contract is a type of futures contract that doesn’t have an expiration date, allowing traders to hold positions indefinitely. Unlike regular futures (also known as delivery contracts), which settle on a specific date, perpetual contracts remain open until the user decides to close them.
On OKX, each BTC-based perpetual contract typically represents $100 worth of Bitcoin. Traders can go long (buy) if they expect prices to rise or short (sell) if they anticipate a decline. Leverage ranges from 1x to 100x, enabling significant exposure with relatively small capital.
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One of the defining characteristics of perpetual contracts is the funding rate mechanism, which helps keep the contract price aligned with the underlying spot market. Without this, prices could deviate significantly due to prolonged speculation.
Key Features of Perpetual Contracts
- No Expiry Date: Positions can be held indefinitely, making it ideal for long-term strategies.
- Funding Rate Mechanism: Ensures price alignment between the contract and spot markets.
- Mark Price for PnL Calculation: Uses a fair price (often based on index data) to calculate unrealized profits and losses, reducing manipulation risks.
- Daily Settlement: On OKX, unrealized PnL is settled every 24 hours at 16:00 Hong Kong time, converting it into realized PnL and improving capital efficiency.
- Tiered Maintenance Margin System: Larger positions require higher maintenance margins and reduce maximum available leverage to manage systemic risk.
- Auto-Deleveraging & Partial Liquidation: For large positions (Level 3+), the system may partially reduce holdings instead of fully liquidating, helping preserve capital during volatile swings.
Perpetual vs. Delivery Contracts: What’s the Difference?
While both are derivative instruments, perpetual and delivery contracts serve different trading needs.
| Feature | Perpetual Contract | Delivery Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Expiration | None – trades indefinitely | Fixed expiry (e.g., weekly, quarterly) |
| Settlement | Every 8 hours on OKX | At expiration only |
| Funding Rate | Yes – periodic payments between longs and shorts | No – settled at maturity |
| Use Case | Short-to-long-term speculation | Hedging or directional bets with closure |
Perpetual contracts eliminate the need to roll over positions before expiration, making them more convenient for active traders. In contrast, delivery contracts are often used by institutions or those hedging real asset exposure.
How Funding Rates Work
The funding rate is a periodic payment exchanged between long and short traders to tether the contract price to the spot market. It acts as an incentive: when the contract trades above spot (premium), longs pay shorts; when below (discount), shorts pay longs.
The formula is simple:
Funding Payment = Position Value × Funding Rate
For example, if the funding rate is positive (say +0.01%), long-position holders pay short-position holders. This encourages selling pressure or shorting, helping pull the price back toward equilibrium.
Let’s consider a real-world scenario: During a downtrend in BTC from June 27 to July 2, the perpetual contract consistently showed a positive funding rate. Even though price was falling, short traders earned regular income just from receiving funding. A trader with 0.01 BTC in short position could potentially double their profit—not from price movement alone, but from accumulated funding payouts.
Conversely, long-position traders not only faced losses from declining prices but also had to pay funding fees, accelerating their drawdowns.
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This illustrates a critical point: positive funding doesn’t always mean bullish sentiment. Sometimes, traders enter positions purely to collect yield through funding, especially in stable or range-bound markets.
Full vs. Isolated Margin Modes
Traders can choose between two margin modes:
Full Margin Mode
In full margin mode, all available balance in your futures account supports your positions. The system automatically uses excess equity to avoid liquidation. While simpler, it increases risk since one losing trade can impact your entire portfolio.
Isolated Margin Mode
Isolated margin allocates a fixed amount of collateral to a specific position. Profits and losses only affect that designated margin. This offers better risk control—ideal for managing multiple trades independently.
When it comes to funding payments:
- In full margin, funding is deducted from your total account balance.
- In isolated margin, it's taken from the allocated margin for that position.
Many beginners find isolated margin easier to manage, while experienced traders might prefer full margin for its flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I hold a perpetual contract forever?
Yes—there’s no expiration date. As long as you maintain sufficient margin and pay any applicable funding fees, you can keep your position open indefinitely.
Q: Why do funding rates change?
Funding rates fluctuate based on market demand. High demand for long positions pushes contract prices above spot, triggering higher funding rates paid by longs to shorts.
Q: What happens if I get liquidated?
If your margin falls below the maintenance threshold plus fee buffer, your position will be partially or fully closed. On OKX, large positions undergo partial deleveraging, reducing risk of total loss.
Q: Are perpetual contracts suitable for beginners?
They can be, but require understanding of leverage, margin, and funding mechanics. Start with small positions and use stop-losses until comfortable.
Q: How often is funding charged on OKX?
Funding is exchanged every 8 hours—at 00:00, 08:00, and 16:00 UTC.
Q: Does mark price affect my liquidation?
Yes. OKX uses mark price (based on external indices) rather than last traded price to calculate unrealized PnL and determine liquidation levels—preventing manipulation during flash crashes.
Final Thoughts
Perpetual contracts combine the flexibility of indefinite holding periods with sophisticated mechanisms like funding rates and tiered margin systems. Whether you're scalping short-term moves or holding long-term directional views, platforms like OKX provide powerful tools to execute your strategy.
Understanding core concepts—such as how funding works, the role of mark price, and differences between margin modes—is essential for managing risk and maximizing returns.
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