Futures & Spot
Two ways to trade on Vanta — pick the one that fits your goal.
Vanta supports both perpetual futures and spot swaps in the same place. Futures are for taking a directional view with leverage; spot is for simply holding the asset itself. Most traders use both — futures to express a trade, spot to manage what they actually own.
Futures (Perpetuals)
Perpetual futures let you go long or short without ever holding the underlying asset. They never expire, so you can hold a position as long as your margin supports it. What makes them powerful:
- Leverage — control a larger position with less capital, amplifying both gains and losses.
- Long or short — profit in either direction, not just when prices go up.
- Broad markets — trade crypto perpetuals and traditional-finance markets side by side.
How to trade one:
- Pick a futures market.
- Choose your direction, order type, price, size, and leverage in the order panel.
- Submit, then track and close the position from Positions & orders.
Spot (Swap)
Spot Swap is the simplest way to exchange one asset for another — you pay with one token and receive another at the current market price. No leverage, no liquidation; you own exactly what you swap into. Use spot when you want to:
- Convert between assets quickly.
- Build or rebalance the holdings you actually own.
- Step out of volatility into a more stable asset.
How to swap:
- Choose the asset to pay with and the asset to receive.
- Enter the amount and review the estimated output, price impact, and fees.
- Confirm the swap.
Which should you use? Choose Futures to trade a view with leverage and the ability to short. Choose Spot to own an asset outright, with no leverage and no liquidation risk.
Leverage cuts both ways. With futures, a small move against you is amplified and can lead to liquidation. Always check your size and leverage before submitting.