1. Margin Trading
One of the easiest ways to short Bitcoin is through a cryptocurrency margin trading platform. Many exchanges and brokerages allow this type of trading, with margin trades allowing for investors to "borrow" money from a broker in order to make a trade. It's important to remember that margin involves leverage or borrowed money, which can increase profits or exacerbates losses. Many Bitcoin exchanges allow margin trading at this stage, through which Kraken and Binance are some popular options.
2. Futures Market
Bitcoin, like other assets, has a futures market. In a futures trade, a buyer agrees to purchase a security with a contract, which specifies when and at what price the security will be sold. If you buy a futures contract, you are betting that the price of the security will rise; this ensures that you can get a good deal on it later. If you sell a futures contract, it suggests a bearish mindset and a prediction that Bitcoin will decline in price. In this context, you can short Bitcoin by purchasing contracts that bet on a lower price for the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin futures trading took off around the run-up in cryptocurrency prices at the end of 2017. It is available on a wide variety of platforms now. You can short Bitcoin futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the world's biggest derivatives trading platform, and on cryptocurrency exchanges. Bitcoin futures can be purchased or traded on popular exchanges like Kraken or BitMEX and can also be found at popular brokerages such as eToro and TD Ameritrade.
You can also trade perpetual Bitcoin futures on platforms like BitMEX if you have access to them. Perpetual futures do not have closing dates, allowing traders to set and forget positions or not have to worry about rolling them.
Coinbase began offering Nano Bitcoin Futures trading on June 27, 2022. The contract sizes are 1/100th of a Bitcoin, have a tick value of $.05 per contract, and minimum price increments of $5.
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3. Binary Options Trading
Call and put options also enable traders to short Bitcoin. If you wish to short the currency, you'd execute a put order, probably with an escrow service. This means you would be aiming to be able to sell the currency at today's price, even if the price drops later on.
Binary options are available through several offshore exchanges, but the costs (and risks) are high. One of the advantages of using binary options trading over futures is that you can limit your losses by choosing not to sell your put options. Thus, your losses are limited to the price you paid for the put options. Popular venues for trading options are Deribit and OKEx.
4. Prediction Markets
Prediction markets—where you place bets on the outcome of events—are another way to consider shorting Bitcoin. Prediction markets in crypto are similar to those in mainstream markets. Investors can create an event to make a wager based on the outcome.
You could, therefore, predict that Bitcoin would decline by a certain margin or percentage, and if anyone takes you up on the bet, you'd stand to profit if it comes to pass. Popular crypto prediction markets are Augur, GnosisDAO, and Polymarket.
5. Short-Selling Bitcoin Assets
Though this strategy might not appeal to all investors, those with the stomach for it can reap gains if their bet against Bitcoin pricing succeeds. Sell off tokens at a price you are comfortable with, wait until the price drops, and then buy tokens again. Of course, if the price does not adjust as you expect, you could either lose money or Bitcoin in the process.
Short-selling Bitcoin also incurs high costs and risks. For example, you might need to pay custody or Bitcoin wallet fees to store the cryptocurrency until the trade occurs. You will also have to bear the risk of Bitcoin's price volatility. If the price goes up (instead of down, as you'd hoped), you could end up with significant losses. Certain exchanges also offer leverage for conducting such trades. Again, the downside to using leverage is that it could magnify gains or losses.
One of the easiest ways to short Bitcoin is through a cryptocurrency margin trading platform. Many exchanges and brokerages allow this type of trading, with margin trades allowing for investors to "borrow" money from a broker in order to make a trade. It's important to remember that margin involves leverage or borrowed money, which can increase profits or exacerbates losses. Many Bitcoin exchanges allow margin trading at this stage, through which Kraken and Binance are some popular options.
2. Futures Market
Bitcoin, like other assets, has a futures market. In a futures trade, a buyer agrees to purchase a security with a contract, which specifies when and at what price the security will be sold. If you buy a futures contract, you are betting that the price of the security will rise; this ensures that you can get a good deal on it later. If you sell a futures contract, it suggests a bearish mindset and a prediction that Bitcoin will decline in price. In this context, you can short Bitcoin by purchasing contracts that bet on a lower price for the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin futures trading took off around the run-up in cryptocurrency prices at the end of 2017. It is available on a wide variety of platforms now. You can short Bitcoin futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the world's biggest derivatives trading platform, and on cryptocurrency exchanges. Bitcoin futures can be purchased or traded on popular exchanges like Kraken or BitMEX and can also be found at popular brokerages such as eToro and TD Ameritrade.
You can also trade perpetual Bitcoin futures on platforms like BitMEX if you have access to them. Perpetual futures do not have closing dates, allowing traders to set and forget positions or not have to worry about rolling them.
Coinbase began offering Nano Bitcoin Futures trading on June 27, 2022. The contract sizes are 1/100th of a Bitcoin, have a tick value of $.05 per contract, and minimum price increments of $5.
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3. Binary Options Trading
Call and put options also enable traders to short Bitcoin. If you wish to short the currency, you'd execute a put order, probably with an escrow service. This means you would be aiming to be able to sell the currency at today's price, even if the price drops later on.
Binary options are available through several offshore exchanges, but the costs (and risks) are high. One of the advantages of using binary options trading over futures is that you can limit your losses by choosing not to sell your put options. Thus, your losses are limited to the price you paid for the put options. Popular venues for trading options are Deribit and OKEx.
4. Prediction Markets
Prediction markets—where you place bets on the outcome of events—are another way to consider shorting Bitcoin. Prediction markets in crypto are similar to those in mainstream markets. Investors can create an event to make a wager based on the outcome.
You could, therefore, predict that Bitcoin would decline by a certain margin or percentage, and if anyone takes you up on the bet, you'd stand to profit if it comes to pass. Popular crypto prediction markets are Augur, GnosisDAO, and Polymarket.
5. Short-Selling Bitcoin Assets
Though this strategy might not appeal to all investors, those with the stomach for it can reap gains if their bet against Bitcoin pricing succeeds. Sell off tokens at a price you are comfortable with, wait until the price drops, and then buy tokens again. Of course, if the price does not adjust as you expect, you could either lose money or Bitcoin in the process.
Short-selling Bitcoin also incurs high costs and risks. For example, you might need to pay custody or Bitcoin wallet fees to store the cryptocurrency until the trade occurs. You will also have to bear the risk of Bitcoin's price volatility. If the price goes up (instead of down, as you'd hoped), you could end up with significant losses. Certain exchanges also offer leverage for conducting such trades. Again, the downside to using leverage is that it could magnify gains or losses.