What does perpetual contract liquidation mean?

Perpetual contract liquidation occurs when a trader's margin falls below the maintenance requirement, resulting in an automatic position closure and potential financial loss.

Dec 03, 2024 at 06:40 am

What Does Perpetual Contract Liquidation Mean?

Perpetual contracts, also known as perpetual futures, are a type of financial derivative that allows traders to speculate on the future price of an underlying asset without having to take physical delivery of the asset. Perpetual contracts are similar to traditional futures contracts, but they have no expiration date and can be traded continuously.

Liquidation occurs when a trader's margin balance falls below the required maintenance margin. When this happens, the exchange will automatically close out the trader's position and sell the underlying asset at the current market price. The trader will then be responsible for any losses incurred on the trade.

There are a number of reasons why a trader's margin balance may fall below the required maintenance margin. These include:

• Market volatility: If the market price of the underlying asset moves against the trader's position, the trader's margin balance will decrease.
• Insufficient margin: If the trader does not have enough margin to cover potential losses, the trader's margin balance will decrease.
• Trading errors: If the trader makes a mistake when entering or exiting a trade, the trader's margin balance may decrease.

How to Avoid Liquidation

There are a number of things that traders can do to avoid liquidation, including:

• Use a stop-loss order: A stop-loss order is an order to sell an asset at a specific price. If the market price of the asset falls to the stop-loss price, the order will be executed and the trader will be able to limit their losses.
• Manage risk: Traders should always manage their risk carefully. This means only trading with money that they can afford to lose and not taking on too much risk.
• Monitor margin balance: Traders should regularly monitor their margin balance to ensure that it is above the required maintenance margin.

What Happens When a Perpetual Contract Is Liquidated?

When a perpetual contract is liquidated, the following will occur:

• The trader's position will be closed out.
• The underlying asset will be sold at the current market price.
• The trader will be responsible for any losses incurred on the trade.

Liquidation can be a costly experience, so it is important to take steps to avoid it. By using a stop-loss order, managing risk, and monitoring margin balance, traders can help to protect themselves from liquidation.