As Bitcoin's dominance persists, emerging regulatory clarity may catalyze a resurgence in altcoins, particularly for platforms like Ethereum and Solana, which are poised to benefit from a pro-crypto environment.

: Donald Trump’s election signals a pivotal shift in cryptocurrency policy, moving from skepticism to advocacy, which may redefine the regulatory landscape.

: The election result triggered immediate and substantial reactions in the crypto markets, particularly evident in Bitcoin's price surge, reflecting heightened investor optimism.

: A Republican-controlled U.S. Congress could lead to clearer and more favorable regulations for digital assets, fostering innovation and investment in the sector.

: As Bitcoin's dominance persists, emerging regulatory clarity may catalyze a resurgence in altcoins, particularly for platforms like Ethereum and Solana, which are poised to benefit from a pro-crypto environment.

Donald Trump’s re-emergence as the “crypto president” represents a dramatic turnaround in his relationship with the cryptocurrency sector. Once a vocal critic, his 2024 campaign embraced Bitcoin, positioning it as central to his economic strategy. This transformation can be attributed to the substantial financial contributions from crypto firms, which played a crucial role in his campaign, underscoring the industry's growing political influence. By vowing to make America the “crypto capital of the planet,” Trump not only appeals to a burgeoning voter base invested in digital assets, but also aligns himself with the interests of powerful crypto stakeholders. This shift could fundamentally alter the regulatory framework governing cryptocurrencies, potentially easing restrictions and fostering an environment more conducive to innovation.

The immediate aftermath of Trump’s victory was characterized by significant volatility in the crypto markets, particularly with Bitcoin (BTC) experiencing a sharp rally from approximately $70K to nearly $90K. This movement was not merely speculative; it reflected a broader alignment of market sentiment with political outcomes. The use of on-chain prediction markets such as Polymarket illustrated how traders adjusted their positions in real time based on election developments. As Trump's victory appeared more likely, BTC’s correlation with these prediction markets intensified, showcasing a direct link between political events and crypto valuations. This responsiveness highlights the increasing intertwining of traditional financial markets with crypto as investors seek to leverage political insights to inform their trading strategies.

Regulatory Outlook and Congressional Influence

With a Republican majority in both chambers of the U.S. Congress, the potential for significant regulatory reforms in the cryptocurrency space is heightened. Historical context reveals that previous efforts, such as the FIT21 Act, aimed to delineate the regulatory authority over digital assets, although it faced challenges in legislative passage. However, the current political landscape, coupled with substantial financial backing from crypto-friendly Super PACs, sets the stage for a more favorable regulatory environment. The election cycle demonstrated the effectiveness of targeted political spending in reshaping legislative priorities, particularly in key Senate races. 

As newly elected officials take office, their pro-crypto stances could lead to expedited discussions and potential passage of critical regulatory frameworks, thereby reducing ambiguity and fostering a more robust investment climate.

While Bitcoin continues to dominate the market narrative, the potential for altcoins to gain traction is significant, especially in light of a supportive regulatory environment. Historical patterns suggest that Bitcoin's dominance often peaks during bull markets, followed by a capital rotation into altcoins as investors seek higher returns. The recent surge in Bitcoin's price has overshadowed altcoins, and yet the incoming administration's pro-crypto posture may catalyze renewed interest in platforms like Ethereum and Solana. These networks, which facilitate smart contracts and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, stand to benefit from increased investment as regulatory clarity emerges. The influx of capital into altcoin markets could be accelerated by the anticipated legislative focus on fostering innovation within the cryptocurrency sector, marking a potential shift in market dynamics as investors diversify their portfolios beyond Bitcoin.

In conclusion, Trump's presidency heralds a transformative period for the cryptocurrency landscape, characterized by potential regulatory clarity and increased market participation. As the political and financial realms converge, stakeholders in the crypto ecosystem must remain attuned to the evolving landscape, ready to adapt to new opportunities and challenges that arise in this dynamic environment.

Advanced

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Bybit x Block Scholes Institution Report: Takeaways From the U.S. Election and What to Look For Next

Nansen has partnered with TRON DAO to integrate the TRON network into Nansen V2, enhancing on-chain analytics for the TRON ecosystem. 

Daily Top Performer — Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)

The S&P 500 climbed 0.4%, driven by a nearly 5% surge in Nvidia shares ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report, which lifted market sentiment despite ongoing geopolitical concerns.  Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was up by 0.15%, with Bitcoin rising by 1.13% and Ether dropping by 1.62%, in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is VIRTUAL, which surged 5.2% after the launch of Agentstarter, empowering founders to build successful AI agents with Virtuals Protocol.

Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL), founded in 2021, allows users to invest in and co-own AI-driven virtual assets like companions and influencers. Its model fosters community ownership, transforming AI agents into revenue-generating assets across platforms like Roblox and TikTok. The platform attracts contributors from AI and gaming to drive innovation in virtual economies. Virtuals Protocol introduces 

, an AI agent launchpad offering funding, development support, and distribution for creators. It aims to help founders build successful AI agents within a thriving ecosystem and long-term incentive structure.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

 to integrate the TRON network into Nansen V2, enhancing on-chain analytics for the TRON ecosystem. This collaboration aims to provide developers, users, and projects with valuable data to foster growth and innovation. The integration will offer advanced features like Token God Mode, Wallet Profiler, and Smart Alerts, helping optimize decentralized applications (DApps) and improve transparency within the community. TRON’s high-speed, low-cost blockchain infrastructure will benefit from these enhanced analytics to further empower the ecosystem.

Yesterday, total inflows into BTC Spot ETFs amounted to $600.3 million, with $16.2 million coming from GBTC and $584.1 million from non-GBTC sources.

 allows users to earn XP for transactions, quests, gas fees, and referrals in its wallet. XP, while offchain, is tied to wallet addresses and used to level up and unlock exclusive rewards. Key features include free transactions on the ZERϴ Network, daily quests, and retroactive XP for active wallets before mid-October. Rewards enhance the onchain experience but are non-transferable. The program encourages bridging assets to ZERϴ and active participation to maximize XP and rewards.

Beginner

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Nansen Partners with TRON DAO to Enhance On-Chain Analytics for TRON Ecosystem

In our latest Learn 101 livestream session, we gathered an esteemed panel of crypto experts to share insights on the Bybit VIP Program.

The crypto market is highly volatile and moves around the clock, and crypto traders need every advantage available to them. Bybit VIPs have access to a wide range of special tools and features, an amazing community, lower trading fees and other benefits.

, we uncover everything you need to know about Bybit’s VIP Program.

, provides a recap of our Learn 101 livestreams, offering you comprehensive expertise and insights from leading figures in the crypto industry in case you miss the livestream.

Joining the livestream on Nov 14, 2024 were three distinguished guests: Livio Scalet, Bybit VIP; Tradealot, Bybit VIP; and Maxim Orlov, VIP Team Lead at Bybit. Under the moderation of Sabrina Chua, Crypto Evangelist and SEO Editor at Bybit, this episode explores the success stories of our existing VIP traders, the 

 the Bybit VIP Program offers and the way you can become the next 

What's Your Trader Type? Understanding VIP Profiles and Characteristics

Bybit’s VIP program caters to a diverse group of traders, each leveraging their unique strengths and approaches. Maxim, the VIP Team Lead at Bybit, highlights its broad membership, ranging from altcoin enthusiasts and spot traders to long-term investors who prefer to buy and hold.

VIP traders like Livio and Tradealot each adopt distinctive trading strategies tailored to their skills and market conditions. Livio, for example, employs meticulous 

 to refine his strategies, relying on defined entry and exit points and indicator setups. He emphasizes the importance of understanding past market behaviors to anticipate future trends. On the tools front, Livio frequently utilizes Bybit’s 

 and bot strategies to enhance trade precision and efficiency, advocating for copy trading as a beneficial tool for novices to emulate the moves of experienced traders.

Tradealot, on the other hand, focuses on price action rather than traditional indicators. In typical market conditions, he might execute 500 to 600 trades per day, a number that can surge into the thousands when the market heats up. His approach is honed for short-term trading, recognizing that his strength lies in quick, voluminous trading facilitated by Bybit’s reduced fees for VIPs.

 is a critical theme for both traders. Livio approaches trading with a calculated view of risk, opting to increase his trade volume when his strategies show a high success rate. Meanwhile, Tradealot emphasizes the importance of understanding his own trading limitations, especially in volatile markets where poor leverage choices can lead to significant losses.

Community engagement also plays a pivotal role in both traders’ strategies. Each one values the insights and feedback from the Bybit VIP community, which they use as a sounding board to refine their approaches and check their strategies.

Personal trading histories further illustrate their journeys and learning curves. Livio’s turning point came at age 18 after a significant loss that steered him toward mastering risk management and technical analysis. Tradealot’s story began with a modest $600 and a series of early losses that underscored the importance of disciplined trading and risk management.

 not only offers lower trading fees and exclusive events but also fosters a learning environment in which traders can grow and optimize their strategies, drawing on community support and advanced trading tools. Both Livio and Tradealot emphasize the utility of starting with 

 to build confidence and skills in a risk-free environment.

Attaining Bybit VIP status offers a wealth of benefits, tailored to enhance the trading experience significantly. Maxim explains that eligibility for VIP status is determined either by maintaining a minimum account balance of $100,000, or achieving a requisite trade volume. Once VIP status is attained, you gain access to exclusive perks, including dedicated relationship managers available across all time zones, ensuring prompt support whenever needed. Additionally, VIPs enjoy lower transaction fees, enhanced trading features and more lucrative cashback bonuses with the 

The VIP Program also facilitates unique networking opportunities, organizing live events globally for members to connect with peers and industry experts. For those looking to maximize their returns, Bybit offers 

, which are particularly beneficial for VIP members through enhanced terms on investments. 

Livio, though less experienced with Structured Products, is keen to integrate them into his trading strategy. He recognizes the potential these products hold, and plans to explore them further to optimize his investment approach. On the other hand, Tradealot has embraced the use of Bybit's VIP trading bots extensively, leveraging them alongside higher APYs offered through 

 isn’t exclusive to VIPs, he utilizes it and also explores 

, which interfaces seamlessly with several applications he regularly uses.

Tradealot and Livio both share insights on their personal motivations for choosing the Bybit VIP program. Livio cites the lower fees as a crucial factor, enabling him to capitalize profitably on smaller market movements. Tradealot, previously a Binance user, switched to Bybit for its superior platform stability, better fees and higher liquidity, especially under volatile market conditions.

Maxim emphasizes that the journey within the VIP program is progressive, and as members ascend through different VIP levels, they unlock further benefits including higher APYs, exclusive gifts, specialized workshops and access to special events — all coupled with progressively lower fee rates. This tiered system incentivizes and rewards active and high-volume traders, aligning with their evolving trading needs and contributions to the platform.

Unlock the VIP Gateway: How to Join the Elite

Becoming a VIP trader on Bybit is straightforward. It offers two primary pathways: newcomers can opt for a 20-day free trial to experience VIP benefits, and existing VIPs from other platforms can qualify immediately by providing a screenshot of their trading volume or asset balance. For those not meeting these criteria, funding a Bybit account with $100,000 also grants VIP status.

Once established as VIPs, traders such as Livio notice significant changes in their trading approach. For Livio, the ability to capitalize on smaller price movements has become a key advantage, along with access to an engaging trading community, while Tradealot embraces the use of advanced trading bots.

A day in the life of a VIP trader varies, and Livio and Tradealot reflect on their personal routines and trading styles. Livio starts his day gathering information to strategize his morning trades, followed by actual trading in the afternoon. In contrast, Tradealot combines lifestyle activities, such as going to the gym or hiking, with his trading routine. He stays updated with both crypto and global news, ready to trade intensively during volatile market periods.

The VIP Program also includes exclusive trading competitions, as Maxim explains. These competitions not only provide an exciting challenge, but also offer substantial rewards. Winners can expect lavish prizes — such as a gold ring adorned with diamonds during the latest 

 — enhancing the allure of participating in these high-stakes events.

This Learn 101 livestream session offers a comprehensive overview of the Bybit VIP Program, shedding light on the exclusive benefits and features accessible to VIP traders. As a member of the Bybit VIP community, you can enjoy an array of perks, including enhanced features, reduced rates and other advantages designed to elevate your trading experience and maximize your profits. We encourage you to explore the various VIP levels available today to discover how they can enhance your trading journey.

Intermediate

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Learn Live ICYMI: Are You Bybit’s Next VIP?

Aptos (APT) is a scalable Layer 1 blockchain using Move language, offering fast transactions, modular upgrades, and a growing ecosystem of Web3 projects.

Aptos has emerged as a standout in the blockchain space, raising 

 from such venture capitalists as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coinbase Ventures, Apollo, Circle Ventures and Franklin Templeton to build its dream project promising a flexible and upgradeable blockchain structure. It lived up to its promises, with a successful mainnet launch on Oct 12, 2022. 

Two years later, Aptos has surpassed $1 billion in 

 (TVL), an impressive feat showcasing its ability to achieve real-world adoption as it attracts millions of users worldwide.

, giving users improved scalability, reliability, security and usability.

The Aptos genesis occurred on October 12, 2022, with Aptos blockchain's mainnet "Aptos Autumn" launched on October 17, 2022. Aptos is a Layer 1 blockchain built with a Rust-based programming language called Move. Its key features include a parallel execution engine, high-level security features and low transaction costs.

The Aptos blockchain is generating all this hype because of its intriguing past. The blockchain is based on the Diem blockchain initiative (from Meta) that was recently abandoned. Created by Diem developers, the Aptos crypto uses the programming language originally created for Diem. Its focus is on Diem's original goal of creating a scalable, fast blockchain. 

Aptos’s flexible architecture means it can be constantly upgraded to support emerging new use cases as the 

 world becomes increasingly sophisticated. Currently, Aptos is capable of supporting 

 (AI) on its blockchain. Its myriad use cases have drawn over 8 million users worldwide.

The Aptos network was created by Aptos Labs, while the Aptos Foundation focuses on nurturing the ecosystem through grants, education initiatives, events and partnerships.

Aptos Labs is the team behind the Aptos project. They currently lead a diverse team of developers, engineers and strategists headed by co-founders Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching.

Shaikh and Ching met when they worked together on the Diem blockchain project at Meta. Shaikh specializes in scaling products, and has experience in the private equity and venture capital markets. Meanwhile, Ching was one of the principal software engineers at Meta and has led many exciting and innovative development projects in the past. When Meta chose to discontinue the Diem project, Shaikh and Ching decided to join together to create Aptos Labs.

. Besides the Aptos blockchain, Aptos Labs has a range of products that cater to bridging the gap between Web 2.0 and web3. These include 

, a user-friendly web3 wallet that offers seamless access to 

, a name service that allows users to convert their lengthy and complex 

, a dedicated Aptos AI chatbot developed with OpenAI technology.

, whereby token holders stake tokens to their selected validators to help maintain the network. Aptos can theoretically reach 160,000 

 (TPS) while maintaining security and reliability. The following revolutionary concepts are at work behind Aptos's impressive performance.

 creates an engine that efficiently handles 

. The Aptos blockchain engine relies on parallel execution to handle multiple transactions at once. This makes things a lot quicker because a single failed transaction won't halt the whole chain. Instead, transactions can be processed concurrently, and all of them are validated post-execution. To further improve efficiency, a collaborative scheduler works to prioritize certain transactions on the Aptos blockchain and handle essential validations efficiently. Ultimately, up to 160,000 transactions per second (TPS) may be processed simultaneously.

One of the things that makes Aptos’s network so appealing is 

 for swift, secure transactions that was first designed for the Diem blockchain. Move is a type of executable bytecode language that’s used to 

implement smart contracts and custom transactions

. It uses Move modules, which are grouped in upgradeable packages, to define the state of transactions. 

It’s flexible enough to handle the unique needs of Aptos developers, and its global storage is more secure than the average programming language. Move lets users define custom resources that can’t be copied or discarded, making it much more difficult for malicious entities to control the Aptos blockchain. 

Aptos has also made multiple improvements to the Move ecosystem to further enhance its security, such as the 

, a formal verifier for Move smart contracts which boosts protection for contract invariants.

Aptos employs a modular data model, in which a ledger state records the interaction of transactions and accounts. Accounts are representations of users’ control over their assets, from on-chain currency to NFTs, and must be created before they can execute transactions. Transactions submitted by any user modify the ledger state and trigger events coded via Move modules. These events, uniquely identified by keys, are then stored as data within the ledger. This design also ensures flexibility and user privacy, as it supports flexible key management and hybrid custodial options, and allows users to create multiple pseudonymous accounts via cryptographic key pairs.

Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) Consensus Protocol

Instead of using a consensus protocol that has to follow the order of transactions, Aptos decouples the two processes and lets them run parallel to each other. This reduces latency (the time it takes to confirm network transactions) while increasing speed. To ensure accuracy, Aptos has created a Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) engine that analyzes individual states on-chain and then automatically updates validators as needed.

The Aptos ecosystem is robust, with over 190 projects in the realms of DeFi, GameFi, NFTs, social media, education, AI, infrastructure and more.

. Once an APT holder stakes their APT tokens to a validator node, they’re eligible to vote for various protocol changes, such as blockchain upgrades and changes to blockchain parameters. There was 

 of 1 billion APT tokens, distributed as follows:

 isn’t merely used for governance, as APT token holders can also stake their tokens to a validator to help secure the network while earning rewards, which can be received at 

There’s a minimum stake of 1 million APT and a maximum of 50 million APT, with the staked tokens automatically locked for a fixed duration. The maximum annual reward rate, evaluated at every epoch, began at 7% in 2022, with an annual decline rate of 1.5% (until it eventually reaches 3.25%, which Aptos estimates will take over 50 years). 

To further facilitate decentralization, Aptos also started offering delegated staking for users from April 2023. Delegated staking features a low minimum staking requirement whereby users with as little as 11 APT can collectively stake in a trusted validator node. This move encourages more active participation, allowing more users to stake and earn rewards while helping to sustain a stable and efficient network. 

Staking rewards raise the total supply, making APT an 

 token. However, the rewards mechanism may be modified via on-chain governance.

Aptos is available on Bybit’s Spot market as a swap pair with USDT (

As of Nov 19, 2024, APT’S price is $11.68, which is 41.4% lower than its ATH of $19.92 on Jan 26, 2023 and 279.2% higher than its ATL of $3.08 on Dec 29, 2022. 

Price prediction experts generally have a positive outlook on the APT token. Changelly, while 

 a slight dip to $9.85 in 2025, anticipates APT will exceed $100 by 2030 and hit an astonishing average of $4,727 in 2040. CoinCodex is more conservative in its predictions, 

 APT will trade at an average rate of $31.22 in 2025 and $37.05 in 2030. 

There are several factors working together to make Aptos crypto seem like a great opportunity. First of all, the venture is a continuation of a Meta-founded project that was already getting positive results before it was canceled. Furthermore, the developers working on it are experienced, highly-trained people who've worked on exciting projects in the past.

Aptos’s innovative technology has captured the interest of many venture capitalists, making it one of the top-funded blockchain projects at a total of $350 million (split into two rounds). 

Aptos accepted its first big set of investments in March 2022. Several large venture capital groups, including a16z Crypto, Multicoin Capital, Hashed, Tiger Global, Three Arrows Capital, FTX Ventures and Coinbase Ventures contributed a total of $200 million. Aptos then went on to receive another $150 million in June from FTX Ventures and Jump Crypto. Previous investors, such as a16z crypto and Multicoin Capital, have contributed to multiple rounds of funding.

Thanks to its unique architecture, which separates consensus from execution, and its use of Move as a programming language for added security, Aptos certainly stands out from the crowd of Layer 1 projects. 

In a mere two years, Aptos has achieved a TVL of over $1 billion and attracted over 190 projects, including top DeFi platforms like PancakeSwap, Ondo Finance (the biggest stablecoin by market cap) and USDT.

Aptos has also secured partnerships with industry giants and global asset management leaders, such as BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, and entertainment titan NBCUniversal, further contributing to its credibility as one of the top Layer 1 blockchains.

All of these factors point to a bright future ahead for Aptos. Nevertheless, the crypto market is inherently volatile. As with any other cryptocurrency, before buying APT, please make sure you do 

Aptos, often dubbed the “Solana killer,” possesses plenty of features that help it stand out among other Layer 1 chains — including a highly active community, strong partnerships, and access to unique engines and programming languages. 

One of the Aptos blockchain's main competitors is 

, which is currently the hottest high-performance Layer 1 available. 

Theoretically, Solana can support up to 65,000 TPS, while Aptos is capable of supporting 160,000. While the actual performance of both blockchains falls far below their theoretical speeds, they’re still considered high-speed blockchains, with Solana 

. Apart from their fast speeds, both Aptos and Solana also appeal to many users due to their meager transaction costs, which average around $0.0001 per transaction. 

, having had notable outages and downgrades. Meanwhile, the Aptos blockchain adds redundancy to its network, rendering it less prone to failure. Each block in Aptos is synced with leader nodes and nearby nodes. In case the leader node fails, one of the other nodes can take over. This results in slightly more computational requirements, so Aptos' hardware needs are a little larger than Solana's. Ultimately, Aptos offers more reliability than Solana in exchange for slightly higher hardware requirements.

 use Move programming language, though Sui’s version is modified into an object-centric model, unlike Aptos’s account-centric model. 

Additionally, Aptos records its ledger on a blockchain, whereas Sui stores and organizes its data in a 

Both Aptos and Sui are built to be scalable, with Aptos presenting a high throughput of 160,000 TPS in its testnet days and Sui’s test throughput achieving 120,000. When both networks are launched on the mainnet, however, their maximum throughputs over the past 30 days have fallen to 

While the two networks’ scalability allows for varied use cases, Sui’s focus is on NFT games, with a recent expansion into DeFi. In contrast, Aptos is built to be more general purpose, encompassing a diverse range of applications from DeFi, GameFi and NFTs to social media, entertainment and even AI.

The Aptos blockchain has already managed to outperform 

 in terms of speed. While Ethereum's time to finality is over a minute, Aptos can finalize transactions in less than a second, due to both hardware and design differences. Ethereum only has one CPU core, while Aptos operates on 16.

However, Ethereum’s reliability is undeniably superior. While Aptos doesn't have many problems with outages, it can't compare to Ethereum's stability: Its performance is almost impossible to disrupt. As long as users are fine with paying more fees and waiting longer times, Ethereum still remains the more popular choice.

The Aptos project promises to increase blockchain scalability and reliability. 

Indeed, thanks to its innovative technology, Aptos has proven its credibility in just two short years, drawing over 190 projects to join its ecosystem and enabling it to scale rapidly and evolve to match market demand. 

While it remains to be seen whether Aptos will really be a “Solana killer,” its network is rapidly catching up to Solana’s popularity, as evidenced by its growing ecosystem and partnerships with industry leaders. 

The addition of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT, to the Aptos blockchain further cements its position as the top blockchain of choice for users and developers seeking a scalable, secure and user-friendly platform. 

With its focus on modularity and upgradeability, Aptos continues to attract significant attention from the web3 community, revealing itself to be a formidable player in the race for blockchain dominance.

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What Is Aptos (APT): A Scalable Modular Layer 1 for Seamless Upgrades

Crypto

Trading

A spot market is referred to assets like forex, crypto, or commodities traded on the spot whenever the buying/selling order is filled. Learn how crypto spot works today!

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With an increasing number of institutions beginning to invest in cryptocurrency, it’s inevitable that more users have started to take an interest in it. To begin a journey in cryptocurrency investing/trading, one would typically wish to start with the basics, understanding how to buy and sell cryptocurrencies before moving on to trading.

Spot trading is the most basic and simplest method for trading cryptocurrency. New traders usually start their cryptocurrency trading journey by interacting with spot markets. Compared to investing in crypto, which typically means holding a cryptocurrency for a prolonged period of time, spot trading involves buying and selling a range of cryptocurrencies in an attempt to generate regular short-term profits.

In this article, we’ll explore spot trading.

Spot trading refers to buying and selling cryptocurrencies at the current market price, also known as the spot price, with the intention of immediate delivery of the cryptocurrency traded. “Delivery” in this context refers to the buyer and seller fulfilling their commitment to the transaction, with the buyer offering the payment and the seller offering the cryptocurrency traded.

Spot traders typically buy cryptocurrencies at the current market price with existing capital, hold onto the cryptocurrency for a period of time in hopes of the price increasing so they can eventually sell their crypto to realize a profit. Spot trading is popular among traders, given that they can open short-term positions with low spreads and no expiration date.

 the cryptocurrency spot market. This involves selling a cryptocurrency and repurchasing it when the price decreases.

Taking ownership of the actual cryptocurrencies that are being bought and sold differs from trading derivatives, such as a cryptocurrency contract for difference (CFD), in which the asset traded only tracks the price of the cryptocurrency and doesn’t confer ownership of the cryptocurrency upon traders.

A spot price refers to the present market rate for immediate purchase or sale of a particular asset.

Trading pairs describe assets that can be exchanged for one another. There are two main types of trading pairs in the cryptocurrency spot market: crypto-to fiat pairs (e.g., ETH/USD) and crypto-to-crypto pairs (e.g., ETH/USDT).

 gives traders information regarding the depth of a given market. It displays a real-time list of open buy and sell orders for a selected cryptocurrency. There are two sides to the order book:

An open order refers to unfilled orders that have yet to be executed.

There are different kinds of orders that can be made in a cryptocurrency spot market.

This allows spot traders to prepare spot trades in advance. Users can set the desired price at which they wish to buy or sell the cryptocurrency, known as the limit price. Once the market price reaches that price, the trader’s order will be executed, made possible through conditional agreements that have been specified by the trader.

A market order is executed immediately at current market prices. This order type is used by traders when they wish to complete their trade orders as quickly as possible. Spot traders can make this order easily, without having to enter a price. Once a market order has been executed, a trader can purchase or sell their holdings immediately at the best available spot price.

There is no guarantee that the market price won’t change while the order is being executed, especially given the volatile market conditions of cryptocurrency.

Traders can refer to the transaction history to keep track of the type of orders they’ve made.

Most exchanges charge a transaction fee for each spot trade order. The amount of fees to be paid depends on 

Takers are traders who remove liquidity from the order book. A buyer who inputs a market order is considered to be a taker. A trader whose order is matched immediately with an existing buy or sell offer subjects them to a taker fee.

A maker is a trader who provides liquidity to the market by increasing the market depth of the order book. A maker fee is applied when a trade order is placed in advance with limit orders.

However, not all limit orders are charged a maker fee. For example, when a trader is matched with an order straightaway, they might be charged a taker fee instead. To ensure that a maker fee is charged, traders can place a limit order so they won’t be matched with an order immediately even when the terms are met.

Differences Between Spot Trading & Margin Trading

In spot trading, traders purchase cryptocurrencies with the capital they have available, fully possessing the asset once the trade has been executed. 

, traders borrow capital from a third party to complete the purchase of cryptocurrencies. This allows margin traders to purchase larger quantities of cryptocurrencies or enter larger trading positions, resulting in the potential for more significant profits. However, this is considered riskier as a losing margin trade could potentially amplify the losses and cost margin traders more than their initial capital.

In addition, margin traders are required to consistently meet their margin requirements to avoid receiving a margin call, which could cause the trader’s assets to be sold off. Margin traders are thus required to constantly keep an eye on their trades. In addition, the costs of a margin loan can pile up, rendering the need for margin traders to trade in shorter time frames more often as compared to spot trading.

Differences Between Spot Trading & Futures Trading

With spot trading, cryptocurrencies are purchased with immediate delivery and spot traders will own the underlying asset. Afterward, spot traders generally wait for the price of the cryptocurrency to increase before taking profit.

, on the other hand, don’t own the underlying asset; they merely own a contract which represents the cryptocurrency’s value. In futures trading, both the buyer and seller agree to trade a certain quantity of cryptocurrency at a specific price in the future, which is then locked in the contract until the transaction is completed at a later date. When the contract matures on the predetermined date, the buyer and seller come to a settlement.

The main difference between spot trading and futures trading lies in the use of leverage. Futures trading allows for the use of leverage, so that futures traders can enter a larger position even if they have a lower account balance.

Spot markets, also known as cash markets since traders make payments up-front, are available for a wide range of asset classes. These include stocks, bonds and the foreign exchange (forex) market. NASDAQ and NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) are two of the most popular spot markets.

To understand how the spot market works for cryptocurrency spot trading, let’s take a look at a BTC/USDT spot trading pair.

Buyer A, with 1,000 USDT, puts in a buy order for an equivalent amount of BTC at the unit price of $42,000. Buyer A will be matched with Seller B, who offers BTC in exchange for USDT at Buyer A’s desired price. Once Buyer A and Seller B have agreed on the price, the order will be executed and filled immediately.

Spot markets are commonly affected by market sentiment, and spot prices for nearly all cryptocurrencies fluctuate wildly. Therefore, understanding 

There are different types of spot markets for cryptocurrencies, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

Spot trading occurs in two major types of spot market: Exchanges and over-the-counter (OTC) trading.

Exchanges are platforms where market demand and supply are aggregated, allowing spot traders to buy or sell cryptocurrencies quickly at market price. In cryptocurrency spot markets, there are two distinct exchanges: centralized exchanges (CEXs) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs).

 acts as an intermediary between spot traders and cryptocurrencies, functioning as a custodian and managing the traded cryptocurrencies. CEXs provide an order book, which will provide spot traders information with regard to the amount of cryptocurrency available for sale, and also the market demand for a cryptocurrency. This is useful for gauging the market liquidity available for trading.

CEXs grant spot traders access to fiat-crypto trading pairs. To begin spot trading, users simply have to deposit either fiat or crypto into their account.

There are certain responsibilities specific to CEXs:

Since CEXs offer the above functionalities and services for users, spot trading on CEXs often involves transaction fees. Fees are also charged for listing and other trading activities. Thus, CEXs can profit regardless of the market state as long as they have sufficient trading volume and users.

This type of exchange is most commonly used for cryptocurrency trading. 

 have similar functionalities and services as CEXs. However, the greatest difference lies in that there are no intermediaries involved in DEXs. The matching of buyers and sellers is achieved through blockchain technology, where smart contracts with predetermined rules are used to execute trades directly from a trader’s wallet. With self-executing codes, traders are able to transact without needing to trust an intermediary to complete the trade for them. Similarly, the traded cryptocurrency doesn’t need to be held in custody by the CEX, giving traders full ownership of the cryptocurrency.

When using DEXs, traders aren’t required to create an account, and can bypass the KYC process. This provides users with a lot more privacy and freedom, allowing them to trade directly with others. However, the tradeoff is that should there be any technical issues, the lack of KYC and customer support leave the trader largely stranded.

Some DEXs use an order book model, similar to that of CEXs. A more recent development within the space is the automated market maker (AMM) model, such as that of Uniswap and PancakeSwap. AMMs use a formula to determine prices and make use of 

Spot trading can be carried out through OTC trading or P2P trading, with each carrying its own benefits.

OTC trading is considered to be off-exchange, as the buyer and seller transact directly, without any third party or trading platform overseeing their trade. The buyer and seller aren’t using an order book, and instead can choose to transact any cryptocurrency at any price that they both deem fit, even if it's below or above market price.

OTC trading is popular among spot traders for the following benefits:

, particularly for cryptocurrencies with lower liquidity such as small-cap cryptocurrencies. This results in spot traders being unable to fill their order at the price desired. OTC trading bypasses the order book, letting spot traders fill their trade positions without experiencing high slippage.

Since OTC traders are transacting off-the-market, they can trade a large amount without worrying about causing volatility that would result from trading in an open market.

Spot trading allows users to hold tokens for up to multiple years. It’s thus used by many traders to dollar-cost average (DCA) their favorite cryptocurrencies. Note that profits only become “real” when cryptocurrencies are “moved,” meaning converted to fiat currency or stablecoins. It’s also at this point that cryptocurrencies become taxable, but they can be held indefinitely before they’re taxed.

If you’re interested in trading the spot market with Bybit, the following is a step-by-step guide to help you get through the process.

What Is a Spot Market for Crypto Trading?

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