How to trade futures on Bybit? A guide for new users.

Understanding Bybit Futures Trading Interface

1. After logging into your Bybit account, navigate to the Derivatives tab located at the top navigation bar.

2. Select USDT Perpetual or Inverse Perpetual depending on whether you wish to trade with USDT or BTC/ETH as margin currency.

3. The main trading panel displays real-time order book depth, 24-hour price chart, and open positions section — all arranged in a responsive grid layout optimized for desktop and tablet use.

4. Clicking the Trade button opens the order entry module where users can choose between market, limit, stop-market, and stop-limit order types.

5. Leverage settings appear directly below the order type selector; new users are advised to start with 1x–5x leverage until familiar with liquidation mechanics.

Funding Your Futures Account

1. Go to Assets → Futures Account in the left sidebar menu.

2. Click Deposit and select either USDT or BTC depending on your chosen contract type.

3. Copy the displayed deposit address and transfer funds from your spot wallet or external wallet — deposits typically confirm within one blockchain block for USDT (TRC-20) and under ten minutes for BTC.

4. Once confirmed, the balance appears instantly in your futures wallet without requiring manual refresh.

5. Avoid transferring funds from third-party exchanges that impose withdrawal delays or require KYC re-verification before enabling futures access.

Placing Your First Futures Order

1. In the order entry box, input the desired quantity in contracts, not USD value — contract size varies per symbol (e.g., BTCUSDT is 1 BTC per contract).

2. Set entry price for limit orders or leave blank for market execution — note that market orders may incur slippage during high volatility periods.

3. Toggle between Isolated and Cross margin modes; isolated mode restricts risk to the allocated margin per position.

4. Enable Reduce-Only if closing an existing position to prevent accidental opening of opposing trades.

5. Confirm submission by clicking Buy or Sell — the order appears immediately in the “Open Orders” tab.

Managing Risk and Monitoring Positions

1. Open positions are visible in the Positions tab showing entry price, unrealized PnL, liquidation price, and margin ratio.

2. Liquidation price updates dynamically based on mark price, leverage, and funding rate — it is calculated independently from last traded price.

3. Use the Close Position button to exit manually or set a take-profit/stop-loss via the advanced order panel.

4. Funding payments occur every 8 hours at 00:00, 08:00, and 16:00 UTC — long positions pay short positions when funding rate is positive.

5. Adjust leverage while holding a position only in isolated mode; cross-margin leverage changes require full position closure first.

Common Questions and Answers

Q: Can I trade futures without completing KYC?A: Yes, Bybit allows futures trading up to certain daily volume limits without Level 2 KYC, but withdrawal restrictions apply until verification is completed.

Q: Why does my liquidation price differ from the price shown on the chart?A: Liquidation is triggered by the mark price, which incorporates index price and spread-based fair price, not the last traded price.

Q: What happens if my position is liquidated?A: The system closes your position automatically at the bankruptcy price, and any remaining margin is forfeited to the insurance fund — no negative balance occurs.

Q: How do I check historical funding rates for a specific contract?A: Visit the contract’s trading page, click the Info icon next to the symbol name, then select Funding History in the pop-up modal.