Trading Mechanics
Spot, perpetuals, leverage, funding rates, and order types.
10 chapters · 1.3 hr total
- 01
Spot vs Futures vs Perpetuals: Which One Are You Actually Trading?
Spot, futures, and perpetuals look similar but have completely different mechanics, risks, and use cases. Picking the right one is half the trade.
8 min read
- 02
What Is a Perpetual Futures Contract? The Crypto-Native Derivative Explained
Perpetuals are >90% of crypto trading volume. They're a clever engineering solution to a real problem, and they have failure modes worth understanding.
8 min read
- 03
Leverage in Crypto Trading: How It Works and Why Most Traders Misuse It
Leverage isn't a bigger position, it's a smaller margin buffer. Understanding which one you're choosing is the difference between using leverage and being used by it.
9 min read
- 04
Liquidation Explained: How and Why the Exchange Closes Your Position
Liquidation isn't a punishment, it's the exchange closing you to protect itself from your losses exceeding your collateral. Knowing exactly when and how it triggers is non-negotiable.
9 min read
- 05
How Funding Rates Work in Crypto Perpetuals
Funding is the small periodic payment that keeps perpetual futures tracking spot. Read it well and it stops being a fee, it becomes a sentiment signal.
8 min read
- 06
Crypto Order Types Explained: Market, Limit, Stop, and the Rest
Order types are the vocabulary of execution. Knowing which one to use, and which flags to set, is the difference between expressing intent and improvising.
9 min read
- 07
Market vs Limit Orders: When to Use Each (And Why It Matters)
The choice between market and limit isn't a preference, it's a decision about whether you value certainty of execution or certainty of price. Pick deliberately.
7 min read
- 08
Stop-Loss and Take-Profit: How to Place Them Without Sabotaging Yourself
Stops and targets are where strategy meets execution. Place them by structure, not feeling, and pre-commit to them before the trade ever moves.
9 min read
- 09
Isolated vs Cross Margin: Which One You Pick Changes What You Can Lose
Isolated and cross margin are two different bets on what you'd rather lose under stress. The choice is not stylistic, it shapes your worst-case outcome.
8 min read
- 10
Post-Only and Reduce-Only: Two Order Flags That Quietly Save You Money
Post-only ensures maker fees; reduce-only prevents accidental position flips. The two flags together represent free execution insurance for serious traders.
5 min read