Top Crypto Contract Trading Platforms in 2025: Compare Features, Fees & Security

Crypto contract trading platforms are a great way to engage with the cryptocurrency market as they allow you to speculate on crypto price movements without having to actually own the asset. With futures or perpetual contracts, you can use leverage to multiply potential profits – or losses.

If this all sounds a bit alien to you, don’t worry. In this article, we simplify everything you need to know about crypto contract trading, including how it differs from spot trading. We’ll also review seven of the best crypto contract trading platforms, including Binance, MEXC, and BloFin, to help you choose the right platform.

By the end, we hope you’ll be more familiar with contract trading, know the key platform features to look out for, and have the confidence to try it out either with a demo trading account or in the actual crypto marketplace.

What is Crypto Contract Trading?

Crypto contract trading involves an agreement between you and another party to buy or sell a cryptocurrency at a set price on a future date (futures contract) or with no set expiry date (perpetual contract).

Unlike spot trading, you don’t actually own the asset. Instead, you speculate (bet) on how its price will move, which allows you to take advantage of both bullish (rising) and bearish (falling) markets.

How Does Contract Trading in Crypto Work?

There are many nuances and knowledge levels involved in contract trading crypto, but these are the basic steps:

1. Choose a trading pair: Decide what crypto pair you’d like to trade, for example, $BTC/$USDT.
2. Go long or go short: Going long means that you think the price will increase, while going short means betting that it will decrease.
3. Set the order type: A market order executes the trade immediately at the current price, and a limit order executes the trade at a price you specify. You can also set orders to automatically exit a trade at a certain price to prevent losses (stop-loss) or to secure your profit (take-profit).
4. Use leverage: You also have the option to use leverage, where you borrow funds to increase your position size. For example, if you only have $100 to invest but want to buy $1K worth of Bitcoin ($BTC), you can get 10x leverage from the broker. They will then lend you $900 to be able to invest $1K.

If the $BTC’s price increases by 10%, your total investment’s value would become $1.1K. This would allow you to pay back the $900 you borrowed plus fees, return your $100 personal investment, and pocket the rest as profit.

On the flip side, you could lose money if $BTC’s price moves in another direction, and how much will depend on your leverage. Using the same example above but with a 15% drop in $BTC price, your $1K investment’s value will drop to just $850. You’ll end up paying the broker $50 for the difference, and you’ll be left with only half of your initial investment.

But before liquidation occurs, you’ll get what’s called a margin call. This tells you that you’re about to lose money from your position. You can then either close this position or add more funds to prevent a loss.

To avoid getting a margin call, you need to keep the maintenance margin, which is a minimum amount of equity in your account. In most cases, your maintenance margin is equivalent to 25% of the total value of your assets, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority requirements. Some brokers, however, might set higher margins.

When you place an order on a crypto trading platform, you have the choice between a market order and a limit order. The market order immediately executes your trade at the best available price. If you want to get the best price, you make a limit order, which only goes through when your order finds a matching or lower price.

Whatever trading strategy you choose, always remember to do your own research when you invest. While crypto trading can be highly profitable, it’s also risky. Ensure you understand the mechanics of trading and use the risk management tools at your disposal.

Other Crypto Contract Trading Concepts to Know

As you get into crypto contract trading, you’ll encounter different concepts such as taking a long or short position. You may also hear about options and spot trading. We’ll take you through some of these concepts to help you understand them much better.

Crypto Contract Trading vs Spot Trading

There are a few key differences between crypto contract trading and spot trading. For one, you buy and own the actual crypto in spot trading, while you only trade contracts that follow crypto prices rather than the crypto itself in contract trading.

Another key difference is how you make money. In spot trading, you make money from selling crypto at a higher price than your purchase price. In contract trading, you make money by predicting that the crypto’s price will go up or down.

Then there’s leverage, which is available with contract trading. This means you can trade with more money than you actually have. In contrast, you can only trade what you own with spot trading.

Contract trading tends to be riskier than spot trading, which makes the former better suited for experienced traders.

Going Long vs Short

The two are strategies you take when trading crypto. When you go long, you’re buying crypto expecting that its price will increase later on. If you buy $BTC for $100, wait for its price to hit $200, and then sell it, it’s called a long position.

On the other hand, going short is where you buy crypto at a certain price, sell it, and then buy it back when its price decreases. For example, you expect $BTC to drop from $200 to $100, so you borrow $200 to buy $BTC and sell it at the same price. You then buy it back once it hits $100, which makes you a $100 profit.

Crypto Futures Trading vs Crypto Options Trading

With contract trading, you typically choose between crypto futures or crypto options contracts. With crypto futures, you agree to trade crypto at a pre-agreed price and date. Options are similar, but they give you the right and not the obligation to buy or sell crypto at a certain price.

With options, you also have what are called call and put options. With a call option, you exercise the right to buy crypto at a predetermined price. If the crypto’s price goes up, you can then exercise your option to buy it at the lower, previously agreed-upon price. You profit once you sell the crypto at the current higher market price.

Meanwhile, a put option lets you sell crypto at a pre-agreed price. If its current market value drops, you have the option to sell the crypto at a higher predetermined price.

Crypto Futures Contracts vs Perpetual Contracts

In futures contracts, you speculate on a cryptocurrency’s future price date. It’s better suited to more experienced traders since getting the price and timing right can be difficult.

Perpetual contracts, on the other hand, are similar to futures contracts, but they don’t specify a settlement date. As such, choose this type of contract if you’re a beginner or prefer a contract with relatively lower risk than a futures contract.

Reviewed & Analyzed – Best Crypto Contract Trading Platforms

You have plenty of options if you’re looking for the best crypto contract trading platform to trade futures. While variety can be a good thing, it can also make choosing the right one for you quite confusing.

That’s why we reviewed and analyzed these platforms to help narrow down your choices. When creating this list, we considered essential factors like their trading volume, security measures, and fees to ensure you get options that are safe, reliable, and easy on your pocket. Let’s start off with our top selection.

1. Binance – Largest Platform With 539 Futures Contracts and up to 125x Leverage

First on our list is Binance. Arguably the best crypto exchange, it supports 539 futures contracts, making it an ideal one-stop shop solution. Because of this, Binance is the top choice on our crypto contract trading platforms list.

You get up to 125x leverage on some pairs on the platform, which can help maximize your potential profits. While not the lowest on our list, Binance’s 0.02% maker and 0.04% taker fees are mostly at par with what other large platforms charge.

Binance charges a host of other fees aside from the maker and taker fees. These include the funding fee, which is based on the funding rates. Funding rates are fees that traders pay periodically to help keep futures prices close to prices in the spot market. While these rates are dynamic, the platform’s interest rate is fixed at 0.03% daily except for $BNB/$USDT and $BNBB/$USD pairs, which have 0% interest rates.

Because of its feature variety, Binance can be quite confusing to navigate if you’re a new crypto trader. That’s because aside from futures trading, it also offers other products, including a launchpad, staking, and lending.

This is where its mobile app comes in handy. At the flick of a switch, you can switch between Binance’s Lite and Pro mode. The former is ideal if you’re a complete beginner with its more user-friendly interface. Meanwhile, the latter caters to experienced traders, displaying advanced trading features and tools such as price analysis charts.

Another great feature of the platform is Binance Square. It’s a social media platform within the website where users can share their insights, engage in discussions, and even join ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions featuring industry experts. If you’re new to crypto trading, you’ll learn a lot by simply browsing through the articles.

However, because of its popularity, Binance is a prime target for hackers. To counter this, the platform has several layers of security to protect its customers’ data and funds.

When it comes to securing your account, the platform combines two-factor authentication (2FA) via the app, SMS, a second device, or email. Binance also follows stringent regulatory requirements. This includes requiring you to undergo its Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

You have the choice to complete only the basic verification, where you only upload a government-issued ID. If you want to increase your withdrawal limit, you must undergo advanced verification, which requires you to upload a proof of address document, such as utility bills, bank statements, and tax documents.

As one of the premier crypto exchanges, Binance is secure and highly liquid. But if you’re looking for other options, we still have six more for your consideration.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL BINANCE WEBSITE TODAY

2. MEXC – Offers Up to 400x Leverage and 0% Maker Fees for Cost-Effective Trading

With over 30M users in 170 countries and regions, MEXC is one of the largest crypto trading platforms on our list, with an order book depth exceeding $100M.

Developed by experts in the banking technology field, its high-performance trading engine is one of the most secure in the industry. In addition, it has identity verification, 2FA, and anti-phishing codes that help identify fake MEXC websites and emails.

If you’re using the platform for the first time, try demo trading first. This will help familiarize you with the interface and its various features before you do actual trading. The platform also has a Beginner’s Guide section, which is worth checking out to learn more about what you can do when trading futures.

All in all, MEXC’s interface is clean, which makes it easy for you to know exactly which buttons to click and actions to choose (for example, choosing margin modes, setting leverage, stop orders, and limit orders).

You can trade over 600 asset pairs on the platform’s website or its mobile contract trading crypto app. Aside from that, you get up to 400x leverage for some of these pairs. Having this level of leverage gives you more flexibility to trade depending on your risk tolerance.

When you register at MEXC, the platform will require you to undergo KYC. This is an essential step that will help secure your account and ensure the platform meets regulatory requirements.

There are two KYC levels on the platform. First is the primary KYC. This requires you to upload your government-issued ID. Completing this increases your 24-hour withdrawal limit to 80 $BTC.

Next is the Advanced KYC, which raises your withdrawal limit to 200 $BTC. It also requires an ID and a selfie. You can do both types of verification on MEXC’s website or mobile app.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL MEXC WEBSITE TODAY

3. BloFin – No-KYC Platform With Trading Bots and up to 150x Leverage

The third platform on our list is BloFin, which was established in 2021. It’s a no-KYC crypto exchange and contract trading platform that’s perfect if you want to trade while keeping your privacy.

It has over 500 trading pairs and an above-average maximum leverage of 150x. This makes BloFin a great platform for trading a variety of currencies and getting the highest profits possible.

If you want to start trading, you can pay via credit card or bank transfer. BloFin accepts a wide range of currencies, including USD, AED, SGD, NZD, and more. Additionally, you’ll get funds for trading via BloFin’s Futures Bonus. This rewards you every time you join a marketing activity, promotion, or campaign.

While its maker and taker fees are on the high side – 0.02% and 0.06%, respectively – you’ll get discounts as a VIP customer. For example, if you’re on the highest tier as a VIP 5 customer, you’ll be able to enjoy a 0.0350% taker fee and no maker fee.

But whatever your user level, you’ll get access to all of BloFin’s trading tools. For example, some bots help you trade futures automatically (Signal Bot) or split large orders/schedule order placement/reduce slippage (TWAP).

As a no-KYC platform, it provides you with a generous 24-hour withdrawal limit of 20K $USDT and lets you trade futures and access the maximum leverage without submitting any documents. If you want to increase your withdrawal limit, you need to provide a government-issued ID or add proof of your address.

When it comes to the interface, there’s plenty to tinker with, including the layout, drawing tools, and viewing the 52-week high-low data. It’s fantastic for more experienced traders, but it can be overwhelming for first-time users.

The platform is built with security in mind, as expected from one with a daily trading volume worth billions of dollars. For one, it uses Fireblocks for wallet custody, which is an industry leader in securing customers’ assets, particularly with cold wallets (often cited as the best crypto wallets for security). Fireblocks also provides BloFin with liability insurance.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL BLOFIN WEBSITE TODAY

4. Margex – Beginner-Friendly With a $50 Sign-Up Bonus and No KYC Required

Margex is one of the smaller crypto contract trading platforms on our list, with just over 500K users, an order book depth of more than $50M, and support for a little over 40 contracts. But don’t let its size fool you – the platform packs a punch with its features.

When you log into the platform, you’ll immediately notice the layout of its interface. The chart is right in the middle of the window, with the order form on the left rather than the usual right. It’s a small thing, but you might find that it helps make the entire page cleaner and easier to navigate compared to having everything on the right of the chart.

The platform doesn’t require a KYC. This is a huge plus if you prefer not to jump through hoops before you can start trading.

If it’s your first time using Margex, a tutorial will demonstrate its features and show you how to trade. It also helps that the instructions are written clearly without bombarding you with information. Naturally, you have the option to skip the tutorial entirely and go straight to trading.

It’s worth noting, though, that Margex doesn’t offer a demo account. It’s good if you’re a seasoned trader who just wants to trade right away, but not if you’re only starting out.

On the upside, Margex offers a variety of bonuses to boost your trading power. There’s a $50 sign-up bonus to help you start trading on the platform, and another bonus if you deposit at least $100 during your first week on Margex. There are also bonuses you can earn when you join other marketing campaigns and events.

As with other crypto contract trading platforms, Margex has a dynamic funding rate, which depends on your order size, total market exposure, market volatility, and the ratio of long and short positions.

Meanwhile, the platform has a standard eight-hour funding period starting at 00:00, 08:00, and 16:00 UTC. You’ll be able to see the time remaining above the chart, which then displays the current funding rate when you hover your mouse pointer over it.

If you prefer, you can trade on the Margex mobile app on your iOS or Android device. To download this, scan the QR code on the website or go directly to your device’s app store.

When it comes to security, Margex offers 2FA to help secure your account. In case you lose your mobile device, you also get a secret key, which allows you to restore your Google Authenticator time codes. Because it helps unlock access to your account, you need to always keep your secret key away from prying eyes.

You can set up notifications whenever you sign in to your account or transact. This will allow you to immediately get on top of security issues such as unauthorized transactions.

Overall, Margex is attractive because it’s easy to use, doesn’t require KYC, and has all the features you need from a crypto contract trading platform. Its 100x leverage and bonuses to help you start out are huge pluses too.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL MARGEX WEBSITE TODAY

5. PrimeXBT – High-Risk, High-Reward With up to 1,000x Leverage & No KYC

The next platform on our list for crypto contract trading is PrimeXBT. It has over 1M clients and is available in most markets with a few exceptions, including the US, Japan, Israel, Cuba, and Myanmar.

Here, you can trade 35 different pairs with a 0.01% maker fee and a 0.045% taker fee. You’ll get a 25% discount if you’re a VIP 1 user and a 40% discount if you’re a VIP 2 user, depending on your 30-day trading volume.

Funding rates depend on the price and the number of a particular asset you’re trading, as well as the swap rate, which is the fee for holding a position overnight. Take note that the swap fee is 3x higher on Wednesdays to account for the weekend.

While PrimeXBT is smaller in terms of supported contracts and market share compared to the others on our list, its standout feature is maximum leverage of up to 1,000x. While this creates opportunities for massive gains, it also opens you up to huge potential losses, so use it carefully.

The platform is easy to navigate regardless of your trading experience. If you’re a first-time user, a tutorial will introduce you to the interface and its features. The interface looks standard compared to other platforms, so if you’ve previously used a different one, you’ll feel right at home here.

Of course, there’s also the companion contract trading crypto app, which is available for both iOS and Android. If you’re an Android user, you can also download the app as an APK directly from the PrimeXBT website.

The account verification process is fairly standard, which requires you to take a selfie and submit a government-issued ID. It’s also quick, only taking two minutes in most cases.

Take note that when you make a deposit, you may be required to provide proof of address. This means submitting a copy of your utility bill, tax documents, and insurance policy documents.

From here, you can choose to secure your account further with 2FA via Google Authenticator. Doing so helps prevent unauthorized logins, withdrawals, and account modifications. It’s turned off by default, so it’s worth turning on the settings page as soon as you create your account.

If you’re a new trader, you have the option to play around with your demo trading account on the platform. It gives you a virtual equity of 1K $USDT – best for getting the hang of trading futures.

PrimeXBT can also help you out once you’re ready to trade with real money through its bonuses. For one, there’s a welcome bonus of up to $500 when you first create an account, and other bonuses when you trade or deposit at least $300.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL PRIMEXBT WEBSITE TODAY

6. Bybit – Trusted No-KYC Platform With 718 Trading Pairs and Robust Tools

With 18M users in over 160 countries, Bybit is one of the biggest and most recognized crypto trading platforms out there.

The platform offers a broad range of tools that will allow you to trade with confidence, no matter your experience level. For one, you can practice via demo trading to learn the basics without putting real money on the line.

Another is a position builder, which lets you simulate your profit and loss for your selected futures combinations before you place orders. There’s also the programmable trading bot that trades on your behalf and TradeGPT that provides trading insights and opportunities.

You can trade 718 pairs on Bybit even without undergoing KYC. However, you’ll only be able to withdraw crypto below 20K $USDT per day or 100K $USDT per month. If you want to deposit, withdraw fiat, and trade futures, you need to undergo KYC.

Bybit offers three KYC levels. The Standard tier will require you to submit a government-issued ID and will take your photograph to verify your identity. Next, the Advanced tier will ask you to submit any proof of your address, like utility bills, for further identity verification. Finally, the Pro tier requires you to complete a questionnaire and provide supporting documents as proof of income.

Typically, the Standard verification process is enough as it offers the same benefits as the higher tiers. These include unlimited monthly withdrawals, the ability to trade futures, and deposit crypto and fiat. The only difference is the daily withdrawal limit: up to $1M for Standard verification and up to $2M for Advanced and Pro.

The trading interface is fairly standard both on the web and mobile, which makes it easy to navigate if you’ve used other trading platforms before. If not, it has a trading guide that automatically gets displayed if you’re a first-time user.

The guide has the basics, including how to trade futures and use the platform. If you’re a more advanced user, there are tutorials that are more suited to your experience level (such as trading automatically using TradingView crypto signals).

To trade futures on the go, install the Bybit app on your iOS or Android device. The app has all of the website’s features, although it can be a bit clunky to navigate charts on a small screen.

In terms of leverage, it’s possible to get anywhere between 25x and 125x depending on your chosen trading pair.

If you want to trade futures on a large and highly trusted platform, you can’t go wrong with Bybit. It has all the features you need and lets you trade with a demo account, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced traders.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL BYBIT WEBSITE TODAY

7. KCEX – Over 800 Trading Pairs With Ultra-Low Fees (0% Maker, 0.01% Taker)

Rounding up our list of the best crypto contract trading platforms is KCEX. Established in 2021, this crypto exchange offers spot trading, futures trading, and financial derivatives. It holds an operational license in an ever-expanding list of countries, including the US and Canada.

On average, KCEX has a trading volume worth billions of dollars daily, which shows how popular the platform is. Here, you can trade over 800 pairs, including $BTC/$USDT, $ETH/$USDT, and $PEPE/$USDT, with $BTC/$USDT accounting for over half of its trade volume. We expect this list to expand as the exchange supports more new cryptocurrencies.

The platform has what it calls the ‘Futures Trading Guide,’ which walks you through the platform. Using this, you’ll be able to understand how candlestick charts work, how to complete a futures trade, and more. This is a huge plus, especially for beginners, since it makes using KCEX a lot less intimidating.

If you prefer to trade on the go, it also has a contract trading crypto app for iOS and Android devices. The interface is consistent with the website, so there’s little to no learning curve to deal with.

Another positive is its interface layout, which lets you easily find everything you need. However, there’s little room for customization, so if you’re the type who loves tweaking charts to your liking, this could be a dealbreaker.

One downside to KCEX is that it doesn’t offer demo trading. As such, it’s less suited to you if you’re a beginner in cryptocurrency contract trading.

But what it loses in demo trading, KCEX makes up for with robust security. For one, there’s the KYC, which increases your daily withdrawal limit. You also have the option to use a passkey via biometric scanning to secure your account and authorize withdrawals.

Another key feature of the platform is its verification channel, which helps avoid phishing and other online risks. If you’re unsure if a link, QR code, or website is indeed KCEX’s, just enter the URL, email address, phone number, or social media account you wish to verify.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL KCEX WEBSITE TODAY

How to Choose the Right Crypto Futures Platform for You

You need to consider several things when you’re looking for the best crypto contract trading platform. Not all platforms will have every feature you need, but having the essentials like risk management tools, low fees, and varied contract types is good when it comes to ensuring your trades are safe, reliable, and affordable.

Here are some of the factors you need to look into when choosing a platform.

Is Contract Trading Crypto Right for Me?

A lot depends on your experience as a trader. Speculating on the price of an asset in a highly volatile market like crypto isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you want to give contract trading a try, consider these pros and cons.

Benefits of Contract Trading Crypto:

• Leverage potential: This allows you to invest and enjoy higher potential gains even if you have a small capital.
• Profit from bear markets: Crypto contract trading lets you go short, allowing you to profit even in a bear market.
• Hedging. By going short, you’re able to protect yourself against potential losses.

Drawbacks of Contract Trading Crypto

• Overleveraging: When you borrow more capital than you can afford to lose, you’re at risk of significant losses.
• Higher liquidation risks: As the crypto market is highly volatile, your liquidation risks increase dramatically.
• Psychological stress: Crypto contract trading isn’t for the faint of heart. So, always ask yourself if you’re able to handle the stresses associated with this.

Final Thoughts on Crypto Contract Trading Platforms?

When it comes to crypto trading, contract trading offers one of the biggest potential profits. But this is highly risky too, which makes it better-suited to more experienced traders.

If you want to try out contract trading, we advise you to try demo trading first until you’re more comfortable spending your own money.

It’s also important to choose a good crypto contract trading platform. This means signing up with one that’s secure, reliable, and has reasonable fees. This allows you to trade with confidence and maximize your profits.

Since this is a high-risk, high-reward type of trade, always do your own research before you proceed. It also helps to manage your risk well and never let hype or your emotions dictate your investment decisions.

FAQs

1. Is contract trading in crypto safe?

Like other forms of crypto trading, contract trading has its share of risks. You could, for example, lose money if you choose a leverage that’s too high. Because of this, it’s good to always do your research before investing and use all the risk management tools at your disposal.

If you’re new to investing or if you want to sharpen your trading skills, try demo trading first. Most crypto contract trading platforms offer this, such as MEXC, which allows you to trade using virtual money.

2. What is the difference between spot trading and contract trading in crypto?

In spot trading, you buy and own the actual crypto, while you only trade contracts that follow crypto prices in contract trading.

Also, you make money in spot trading when you sell crypto at a price higher than your purchase price. In contract trading, you make money if you correctly predict the crypto’s price.

Contract trading uses leverage, allowing you to trade with more money than you actually have. Spot trading doesn’t have this feature.

3. Which platforms offer the best crypto contract trading in 2025?

Some of the best crypto contract trading platforms include Binance, MEXC, and BloFin. Binance is one of the largest exchanges out there, which is ideal if you’re looking for a trusted name to trade in.

Then there’s MEXC, which lets you enjoy up to 400x leverage. Finally, BloFin has a multitude of tools at your disposal, including bots that help you automate your trades.

4. Can beginners trade crypto contracts?

Yes, but it’s generally advised that you gain trading experience first. That’s because concepts like leveraging, hedging, and going long or short can be complicated subjects for new traders. You run the risk of losing your money if you get your trades wrong.

If you want to learn contract trading, consider starting with demo trading. Most crypto contract trading platforms have this, which allows you to learn the ropes without using real money.