How to avoid carrying orders in contract trading?

A carrying order in crypto trading is an open position held overnight, exposing traders to risks like slippage, funding fees, and unexpected price gaps.

Jun 21, 2025 at 08:49 pm

What is a Carrying Order in Contract Trading?

In the realm of cryptocurrency contract trading, a carrying order refers to an open position that remains active beyond the end of a trading session or market close. These orders can expose traders to overnight risks, including slippage, unexpected price gaps, and funding fees. Unlike spot trading, where assets are bought and sold immediately, futures contracts often involve leverage and expiration dates, which further complicate holding positions overnight. Understanding what constitutes a carrying order is essential for managing risk effectively.

Why Are Carrying Orders Risky?

Carrying orders introduce several potential issues for traders. One major concern is market volatility during off-hours, which can result in significant price changes when markets reopen. Additionally, funding fees may accumulate if you're holding leveraged perpetual contracts overnight. These fees vary depending on the exchange and the direction of your trade. Moreover, unforeseen news events or macroeconomic data releases can cause abrupt price movements, leading to liquidation risks even if your initial analysis was sound.

Strategies to Avoid Holding Overnight Positions

To prevent unintended carrying orders, traders should adopt specific strategies:

• Set Time-In-Force Parameters: Configure your orders with "Good-Til-Time" (GTT) settings so they automatically cancel at a specified time.
• Use Stop-Loss Orders: Implement stop-loss mechanisms to close out losing positions before the market closes.
• Monitor Expiry Dates: For futures contracts, be aware of settlement times and avoid holding positions past these deadlines unless intentional.
• Trade During Active Hours: Focus on periods with high liquidity and volume to ensure smoother exits from trades.

Each of these steps ensures that traders maintain control over their open positions without exposing themselves unnecessarily.

Automating Position Closure Through Trading Platforms

Modern trading platforms offer tools to automate the closure of open positions. Most exchanges allow users to set conditional orders that trigger based on specific criteria such as time or price levels. For example:

• On Binance Futures, navigate to the “Conditional Order” section and create a sell or buy order that executes automatically at a set time.
• Use TradingView alerts integrated with APIs like 3Commas or Gunbot to execute trades programmatically when certain conditions are met.
• Enable auto-close features if available within your trading interface to liquidate positions before funding fees apply.

By leveraging automation, traders can eliminate emotional decision-making and reduce the likelihood of accidentally carrying positions into undesirable periods.

Managing Leverage to Prevent Forced Liquidations

Excessive leverage increases vulnerability to forced liquidation, especially when holding positions overnight. To mitigate this:

• Adjust Leverage Settings: Lower your leverage ratio to provide more buffer against adverse price movements.
• Maintain Adequate Margin: Ensure your account has sufficient margin to withstand temporary drawdowns without triggering automatic closures.
• Avoid Overleveraging Small Movements: Even minor price fluctuations can wipe out highly leveraged positions quickly.

By being cautious with leverage, traders protect themselves from sudden losses due to market shifts while avoiding unwanted overnight exposure.

Monitoring Market Conditions Before Closing Trades

Before exiting any trade, it's crucial to assess current market dynamics:

• Check News Feeds and Announcements: Significant announcements or regulatory changes can impact prices after hours.
• Review Technical Indicators: Confirm whether support/resistance levels justify closing positions now or waiting for better exit points.
• Evaluate Funding Rates: In perpetual futures, analyze upcoming funding rates to decide whether it’s cost-effective to hold positions overnight.

This proactive approach ensures informed decisions and minimizes the chances of entering unintentional carrying orders.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I manually close my position anytime?

A: Yes, most exchanges allow manual closure of open positions at any time, provided there's sufficient liquidity and no restrictions are in place.

Q: Do all exchanges charge funding fees on overnight positions?

A: No, funding fees typically apply only to perpetual futures contracts and vary by platform and asset. Always check the fee schedule before opening a position.

Q: Is it possible to carry a position intentionally?

A: Absolutely, some traders deliberately carry positions to capture long-term trends or hedge against other investments. The key is to do so with full awareness of the risks and costs involved.

Q: How does time zone affect carrying orders?

A: Since crypto markets operate 24/7, the concept of "overnight" depends on your personal trading strategy rather than geographic time zones. However, major funding rate adjustments often occur at UTC-based intervals, making it important to align your timing accordingly.