How much is the overnight fee for Kraken contracts

Nov 13, 2024 at 10:04 pm

Understanding Kraken Contracts and Overnight Fees

Kraken, a renowned cryptocurrency exchange, offers a diverse range of trading options, including contracts. Contracts allow traders to speculate on the future price of an underlying asset, leveraging advanced financial instruments. One crucial aspect of contracts trading is understanding the concept of overnight fees.

What are Overnight Fees?

Overnight fees are charges incurred by traders who hold their contract positions open past a certain cut-off time, typically around 10 PM UTC. These fees are designed to compensate the exchange (Kraken) for the risk it assumes by allowing traders to maintain their positions overnight.

Factors Influencing Overnight Fees

Several factors influence the calculation of overnight fees on Kraken contracts:

1. Contract Type: The type of contract being traded (e.g., futures, perpetuals) determines the formula used to calculate the overnight fee.
2. Underlying Asset: The underlying asset of the contract (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) affects the interest rate used in the fee calculation.
3. Position Size: The size of the trader's position (number of contracts held) influences the total fee charged.
4. Market Conditions: Current market conditions, such as interest rates and volatility, can impact the overnight fee.

Calculating Overnight Fees

Kraken utilizes a three-step process to determine overnight fees for its contracts:

1. Determine the Funding Rate: The funding rate is calculated based on the difference between the futures contract price and the spot price of the underlying asset. A positive funding rate implies that futures traders are willing to pay shorts (traders who have sold contracts) to roll over their positions, while a negative rate indicates the opposite.
2. Calculate Position Value: The position value is simply the product of the contract price and the number of contracts held by the trader.
3. Apply the Funding Rate: The daily overnight fee is calculated by multiplying the position value by the funding rate for the specific contract. This fee is charged (or credited) on a daily basis as long as the position remains open past the cut-off time.

Example of Overnight Fee Calculation

Consider a trader holding 10 long BTC futures contracts (1 BTC per contract) with a current BTC futures price of $20,000. If the funding rate for BTC futures that day is 0.01%, the daily overnight fee would be:

• Position Value = 10 contracts * $20,000 = $200,000
• Overnight Fee = Position Value Funding Rate Days Held
• Overnight Fee = $200,000 * 0.01% * 1 = $2

Therefore, the trader would pay $2 as an overnight fee for holding their BTC futures position open overnight.

Managing Overnight Fees

To mitigate the impact of overnight fees, traders can implement the following strategies:

1. Close Positions Before Cut-Off Time: Closing contract positions before the cut-off time (10 PM UTC) avoids incurring overnight fees.
2. Leverage Short-Term Contracts: Trading short-term contracts (intraday, <24 hours) can limit exposure to overnight fees.
3. Calculate and Factor in Fees: Traders should consider overnight fees when determining entry and exit points for their trades to avoid surprises.

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