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Learn Perpetual Futures

Twenty-one guides, from what a perp is to trading it systematically.

START HERE8 MIN READ
What Are Perpetual Futures?

The complete guide for US retail traders entering regulated perp markets.

KEEP ON HANDREFERENCE
Perpetual Futures Glossary: Every Term Defined

Every perpetual futures term defined in plain English — from funding rate to liquidation, mark price to open interest. Keep it open while you read.

The instrument

What a perp is next to everything it gets compared to, and the decisions to make before trading one.

Perpetual Futures vs Futures vs Spot Trading: What Is the Difference?7 MIN READ

Three ways to trade the same asset — with very different risk profiles, costs, and mechanics.

Perpetual Futures vs Options: Which Is Right for You?8 MIN READ

Leverage mechanics, risk profiles, costs, and complexity — a direct comparison of the two leveraged products.

How to Choose a Perpetual Futures Exchange as a US Retail Trader7 MIN READ

The exchange you trade on determines your liquidation risk, your fees, and your consumer protections. Here is what to evaluate.

Perpetual Futures Tax Guide for US Traders9 MIN READ

Section 1256 vs capital gains, funding payments, mark-to-market, and what to track before your first trade. Educational background, not tax advice.

How the market moves

The mechanics that drive perp prices and the data the market publishes about itself.

How Perpetual Futures Funding Rates Work7 MIN READ

The number most traders ignore — and why it's one of the most important signals in the market.

Mark Price vs Last Price in Perpetual Futures6 MIN READ

Which price determines your liquidation, why exchanges use mark price, and what it means for your stop loss placement.

Perpetual Futures Open Interest: What It Is and Why It Matters7 MIN READ

Open interest tells you how much conviction is behind a price move — and whether it is likely to continue or reverse.

Perpetual Futures Long/Short Ratio: How to Read Crowd Positioning7 MIN READ

When 80% of traders are positioned the same way, the trade is not a consensus — it is a trap. Here is how to read the crowd.

The Math of Perpetual Futures Liquidation6 MIN READ

At every leverage level, here's exactly when you get liquidated — and the formula that prevents it.

Staying alive

Leverage, sizing, stops, and margin: the risk decisions that decide whether an account survives.

Perpetual Futures Leverage Guide: How Much Is Too Much?8 MIN READ

Leverage amplifies gains and losses equally. How to calculate safe leverage, understand liquidation distance, and survive one bad trade.

Perpetual Futures Position Sizing: The Math That Keeps You Alive8 MIN READ

Position sizing is the single most important variable in perpetual futures trading. Get it wrong and no strategy saves you.

How to Set a Stop Loss in Perpetual Futures8 MIN READ

Where to place it, how to size from it, the mistakes that blow up accounts, and the one non-negotiable rule.

Isolated vs Cross Margin in Perpetual Futures: Which Should You Use?7 MIN READ

The margin mode you choose determines whether a single bad trade can wipe your entire account. Most retail traders never check this setting.

Perpetual Futures Risk Management: The Complete Framework9 MIN READ

Stop losses, position sizing, liquidation prevention, and surviving losing streaks — the math that keeps accounts alive.

How to Survive a Losing Streak in Perpetual Futures Trading7 MIN READ

Every systematic strategy loses in streaks. Here is the math behind them and how to size through them.

Trading it as a system

Rules over reactions: reading signals, executing consistently, and how an honest backtest is built.

How to Trade Perpetual Futures Systematically9 MIN READ

The pre-trade checklist, position sizing rules, and execution discipline that separates traders who survive from those who do not.

How to Read a Perpetual Futures Signal7 MIN READ

Entry, stop, exit target, AI analysis — how to read every element of a signal card and execute without emotion.

Perpetual Futures Backtesting Methodology: How We Verified 343 Signals9 MIN READ

Zero look-ahead bias, the bug we found and fixed, and why honest counting beats the inflated win rates most platforms advertise.

What Is a Perpetual Futures Intelligence Platform?6 MIN READ

A perpetual futures intelligence platform is not a signal service. Here is what the category means and what it delivers.

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