How to hedge with KuCoin Futures?

Hedging on KuCoin Futures involves opening a short position matching your spot crypto holdings to offset price drop risks—ideal for protecting BTC or ETH without selling.

Jul 23, 2025 at 11:00 pm

Understanding Futures Contracts on KuCoin

Futures contracts on KuCoin allow traders to speculate on the future price of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum without owning the underlying asset. These contracts are standardized agreements to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price at a specific time. For hedging, the goal is not to profit from price movements but to reduce the risk of adverse price changes in an existing position. When you hold actual crypto assets—like BTC in your wallet—you can open a short position in KuCoin Futures to offset potential losses if the market drops.

Setting Up Your KuCoin Futures Account

Before hedging, ensure your KuCoin Futures account is active:

• Log in to your KuCoin account and navigate to the "Futures" tab.
• Complete identity verification if not already done—this is required for leverage trading.
• Deposit funds into your Futures wallet via the "Transfer" option from your Spot wallet.
• Choose the correct margin mode: Isolated Margin gives you precise control over each position’s risk, which is ideal for hedging. Avoid Cross Margin unless you fully understand its implications.
  

  Choosing the Right Futures Contract

  
  KuCoin offers multiple futures types:
• Perpetual contracts: No expiry date, funded by periodic payments between long and short holders.
• Delivery contracts: Expire on a set date, settled in the underlying asset.
  For hedging, perpetual futures are more practical because they don’t require rebalancing at expiry. Match the contract symbol exactly to your spot holding—for example, if you own BTC, hedge with the BTC/USDT perpetual contract.
  

  Opening a Hedge Position: Step-by-Step

  
  Assume you hold 1 BTC valued at $60,000 and want to hedge against a price drop:
• Go to the BTC/USDT perpetual futures market.
• Select "Short" as your position direction.
• Enter the quantity: 1 BTC worth of contracts (e.g., 1 contract if 1 contract = 1 BTC).
• Set leverage: 1x or 2x is safer for hedging—high leverage increases liquidation risk.
• Choose order type: Use Limit Order to control entry price or Market Order for immediate execution.
• Confirm the trade in the pop-up window. Your short position is now live and offsets your spot BTC exposure.
  

  Monitoring and Adjusting the Hedge

  
  Hedging isn’t a “set and forget” strategy. You must actively manage it:
• Track your Mark Price and Liquidation Price in the Positions tab—ensure price movement won’t trigger liquidation.
• If BTC price drops, your short futures gain value while your spot BTC loses value—net effect is minimal loss.
• If BTC price rises, your spot gains while futures lose—again, the net is stable.
• Rebalance if you sell part of your spot BTC: reduce the futures short position proportionally to avoid over-hedging.
• Watch for funding rates in perpetual contracts—they can erode profits over time if held long-term.
  

  Exiting the Hedge Correctly

  
  To close the hedge:
• Return to the Futures trading interface.
• Locate your open short position in the Positions tab.
• Click "Close" or place a market buy order for the same quantity as your short.
• Confirm the trade—this liquidates the futures position.
• Your spot BTC is now unhedged and exposed to market movements again.
• Always close the futures position before selling your spot BTC unless you intend to remain short.
  

  Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over-leveraging: Using 10x or higher leverage for hedging can lead to early liquidation even with small price swings.
• Ignoring funding fees: In perpetual contracts, long positions pay short positions every 8 hours. If you’re short, you earn funding—but if the market shifts, this can reverse.
• Mismatched assets: Hedging ETH with BTC futures won’t work—you must hedge each asset with its corresponding futures contract.
• Forgetting margin requirements: Even with 1x leverage, you need enough margin to cover potential losses—check your Maintenance Margin level.
  

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  Frequently Asked Questions

  Can I hedge using KuCoin Futures without holding the actual crypto?
  
  No, hedging implies you already own the asset you’re protecting. Opening a futures position without spot exposure is speculation, not hedging. KuCoin allows this, but it carries directional risk unrelated to hedging.

  What happens if my hedge position gets liquidated?
  
  If your short futures position is liquidated due to a sharp price rise, you lose the margin allocated to that trade. Your spot holdings remain, but now they’re fully exposed to downside risk—this defeats the purpose of hedging.

  Do I need to pay fees when hedging on KuCoin Futures?
  
  Yes. KuCoin charges taker and maker fees for opening and closing positions. Taker fees are slightly higher (e.g., 0.06%) and apply to market orders. Maker fees (e.g., 0.02%) apply to limit orders that add liquidity. These fees reduce net gains from successful hedges.

  How do I check if my hedge is working properly?
  
  Monitor both your Spot and Futures tabs in real time. If BTC drops 5%, your spot BTC value should fall 5%, but your short futures should gain ~5% in value (minus fees). The combined value should remain nearly unchanged—this confirms the hedge is functioning.