Perpetual Futures are a special type of Futures contract that have no expiration date and have an auto-rolling feature every four-hours.

To see Inverse crypto-collateralised Fixed Maturity Contract specifications please visit the other page here.

Below is a detailed table of characteristics, followed by multiple examples to demonstrate the mechanics of the Contract:

 

Perpetual Contract Specifications

	Bitcoin-Dollar Futures		Ether-Dollar Futures	Litecoin-Dollar Futures	BitcoinCash-Dollar Futures		Ripple-Dollar Futures
Contract Symbol	PI_BTCUSD*		PI_ETHUSD	PI_LTCUSD	PI_BCHUSD		PI_XRPUSD
Instrument Type	Inverse Perpetual Futures
Auto-Roll Period	Every 4-Hours on 12 UTC, 16 UTC, 20 UTC, 24 UTC, 4 UTC, 8 UTC
Rate-setting Calculation Window	Rate for next period is calculated over current 4-hour period (e.g., rate for 12-16 UTC period is calculated in window between 8-12 UTC
Funding Rate	Between start and end of Rate-setting Period the Funding Rate is computed as the time-weighted average premium, and standardised to a per-hour basis. Permissible range per 1 hours: [-0.1%, +0.1%] (i.e., 80 basis point magnitude for 8-hour realisation period)
Payout Frequency	Continuously based on Funding Rate set at the end of the prior Funding Period. Positions will immediately and continuously receive or send funding while open in the perpetual contracts. The funding accumulates as UPL and settles every four hours at end of Funding Period, or when user changes net open position (whichever occurs first).
Funding Rate Multiplier	n = 8 This is the coefficient used in the calculation of the funding rate. A value of 1/n means that, ceteris paribus, it will take n hours to realise the Average Premium. Example: if the Average Premium is 0.32% for the four hour period, then Funding Rate is equal to 0.04%, meaning that over the course of 8 hours, this 0.32% total will be realised.
Funding Rate Calculation	In a given 4-hour Funding Period, Premium values calculated from minutely perpetual contract prices (240 observations) using an Impact Mid are recorded versus the Real Time Platform Ticker. The Impact Mid is the median of the average entry price market-selling 1000 contracts and market-buying 1000 contracts.  The Average Premium is calculated as the average of the mid 120 observations recorded from above. Finally, this value is weighted by the Funding Rate Multiplier. If Average Premium > 0 then for the 4 hour period, those in Long positions will continuously pay out to Short positions, which pushes the price closer to Index. If Average Premium < 0 then for the 4 hour period, those in Short positions will continuously pay out to Long positions, which pushes the price closer to Index.
Contract Size	1 USD		1 USD	1 USD	1 USD		1 USD
Trading Hours	24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year (excluding maintenance)
Price Quotation	US Dollars per 1 bitcoin		US Dollars per 1 Ether	US Dollars per 1 Litecoin	US Dollars per 1 BitcoinCash		US Dollars per 1 Ripple XRP
Tick Size	0.5 USD		0.05 USD	0.01 USD	0.1 USD		0.0001 USD
P&L Settlement Method	Cash-settled in BTC		Cash-settled in ETH	Cash-settled in LTC	Cash-settled in BCH		Cash-settled in XRP
Fee Structure	Crypto Facilities uses a maker-taker fee structure with volume incentives. Fees are calculated as a percentage of the notional order value for a matched trade. See our Fee Schedule for more information. No fees are charged on auto-roll or funding payouts -- these occur strictly between counterparties.
Contract Expiration	The perpetual futures are non-expiring, which means that positions in the contract are never “expired” or “matured”, however there is a settlement process every four hours that applies funding to anchor the spot value to the Index. See Last Trading for more information.
Settlement time	Every 4 Hours on 12 UTC, 16 UTC, 20 UTC, 24 UTC, 4 UTC, 8 UTC: the accumulated unrealised funding is settled and new rate set based on TWAP premium to index in prior rate period.
Last Trading	This contract remains trading perpetually and would only expire in emergency situation if Crypto Facilities deems necessary to settle/expire contract. This would only occur in exigent circumstances if the Market Risk Committee deemed it necessary to facilitate a fair and orderly market. Noting that the settlement process, occurring every four hours, is auto-rolling. See Auto-Roll Period for specific times.
First Trading	August 31, 2018
Initial Margin	Minimum 2% depending on most instruments. See Margin Schedule
Maintenance Margin	Half of IM
Position Limits	See Margin Schedule
Mark Price	Mid price of Order Book bounded by a range defined by CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index (BRTI) with anti-manipulation coefficient	Mid price of Order Book bounded by a range defined by CME CF Ether Real Time Index with anti-manipulation coefficient		Mid price of Order Book bounded by a range defined by LTC:USD Spot Rate with anti-manipulation coefficient		Mid price of Order Book bounded by a range defined by BCH:USD Spot Rate with anti-manipulation coefficient		Mid price of Order Book bounded by a range defined by XRP:USD Spot Rate with anti-manipulation coefficient
	The Mark Price is calculated using the Mid Price that is bound to the index. The Premium that is capped at a premium of 1% for Perpetual contracts. Note: in the extremely rare circumstance that the Index Price is unavailable for whatever reason, the above caps may not apply and the Mark Price will be equal to the Mid Price.
Real Time Platform Ticker	IN_XBTUSD	IN_ETHUSD		IN_LTCUSD		IN_BCHUSD		IN_XRPUSD
Margin & Settlement Currency	BTC	ETH		LTC		BCH		XRP

 

Note on Funding Rate

The funding rate for a given perpetual contract is represented in two different ways:

• absolute rate: The amount of funding an account will receive by maintaining a 1 contract unit short position for 1 hour. This is more useful for account log purposes.
• relative rate: The absolute funding rate relative to the spot price at the time of funding rate calculation. This is an intermediate value in the calculation of the absolute funding rate, and is the number we display in the front end (as a %) as the 'funding rate'.

 

Examples

In order to get a complete understanding the rate dynamics of the Perpetual Contract, we present examples to demonstrate the key features:

 

Example Funding Rate 1: (8-hour rate realisation length)

Assume time is 12 UTC and that price of BTC is $7,000 (via realtime index) and the Perpetual trades at $7,010 the whole time until 16 UTC. The average premium is computed as 0.1428% for the 4-hour period ($10/$7,000). This leads to a funding rate of 0.1428 / 8 = 0.01785% per hour.

Now assume that you are in a short position of 100,000 Contracts. If you hold this position from 16 to 24 UTC, and the premium in 16-20 UTC period remains as 0.1428%, then you will earn interest of $142 for the eight-hour period ($100,000*0.001428) in BTC terms, so $142/$7,000 = 0.0204 BTC.

 

Example Funding Rate 2: (Maximum rate)

Assume time is 12 UTC and that price of BTC is $7,000 and the Perpetual trades at $7,100 until 16 UTC. The average premium is computed as 1.428% for the 4-hour period. This leads to a funding rate of 1.428 / 8 = 0.1785% per hour.

The maximum funding rate per hour in any given period is 0.1%. The minimum is -0.1%.

As a result. this 0.1785% hourly rate is floored to 0.1% per hour, so that the maximum 8-hour realisation will not exceed 0.80%.

Note that there is no "dampening" of rates done in this model: if a four-hour computed rate is near 0, then it will stay pay out non-0 value even if it is de minimis.

 

Example Funding Rate 3: (Absolute vs. relative rate)

Assume time is 12 UTC and that the real-time index price of BTCUSD is $7,000, and the relative rate set for the four-hour period is 0.05% per hour.

Now assume the time is 14 UTC and the Perpetual trades at $8,000 and you enter a Short position of 125,000 contracts at this price.

You will immediately begin receiving funding at an absolute rate of 0.05%/$7,000 = 0.000007142% per hour per contract unit.

In your account log you will then see this rate applying in your unrealised PnL through continuous funding payout equal to:

• 0.00000007142 * 125,000 = 0.008928 BTC per hour
• 0.00000248 BTC per second

This will pay out continuously until 16 UTC where the relative funding rate will change based on the market activity between 12-16 UTC.

Assume this new relative funding rate is now 0.03% and the real-time spot index is $7,900 for BTCUSD at 16 UTC.

In your 125,000 Contract short position at the end of the 2 hour period you will have 0.017856 BTC applied in your account log at 16 UTC.

From 16 UTC to 20 UTC a new absolute funding rate will begin applying of 0.03%/$7,900=0.000003797% per hour per contract unit.

 

Example Funding Rate 4: (Variable inter-period rate)

Assume time is 14 UTC and you enter a position long 200,000 Contracts on BTCUSD at $7,000. Assume that the funding rate for the four-hour period (12-16 UTC) is set as -0.04% per hour.

At 16 UTC, after you have held this position for two full hours, you will have earned $80 per hour (0.0004*$200,000). This is $80*2=$160 USD equivalent, or $160/$7,000 = 0.0228 BTC, which credits continuously throughout the two hour period you hold it.

However, during this period , the price was at a premium and so the new four-hour rate set for 16 - 20 UTC is 0.04% per hour. After two hours of holding the position, you have paid 0.0228 BTC and you close at 18 UTC, two hours later.

Your funding for the four hour period you held the position is thus 0.0228 BTC for the last two hours of first period then -0.0228 BTC for the first two hours of the second period and your net flows are 0 for this.

 

Example Funding Rate 5: (Fixed intra-period rate)

Assume time is 14 UTC and you enter a position long 500,000 Contracts on BTCUSD with realtime index at $7,000. Assume that the funding rate for the four-hour period (12-16 UTC) is set as 0.033% per hour.

At 16 UTC, after you have held this position for two full hours, you will have paid $165 per hour (500,000*0.00033). For two hours this costs $165*2=$330 USD equivalent, or $330/$7,000 = 0.04714 BTC, which debits from your position continuously throughout the two hour period you hold it, in the form of Unrealised Profit/Loss (UPL).

 

Example Funding Rate 6: (Booking of unrealised funding)

Assume it's 12 UTC you are in a 250,000 Contract long position on BTCUSD with realtime index at $7,000 and the rate in the funding period is -0.05%. This earns you funding of:

• 0.0005 * 250,000 = $125
• $125/$7,000=0.01785 BTC per hour
• 0.0002976 BTC per minute
• 0.00000496 BTC per second
• 0.00000000496 BTC per millisecond

This credits and debits every millisecond to every user with an open position. It credits first as "UPL" which is "unrealised" profit and loss, but you have the funds available right away to use in further positions or transfer into you Cash account.

The funding accumulates as UPL and is booked into your account log and realised when one of the following events occur:

1. You adjust your open position up or down by any amount

2. You hold until the end of the Funding Period, at which point it is booked (occurs every four hours)

 

*XBTUSD is used for logs download and API only