BitMEX Trading Guide 2025: Perps, Margin, Fees & Safe Start
Why Trade on BitMEX in 2025
BitMEX remains among the most popular crypto derivatives exchange for futures and perpetual contracts. With its robust trading engine, advanced order types, and significant liquidity, it continues to attract professional traders worldwide. In 2025, BitMEX has leverage up to 100x on selected contracts, required KYC verification, and expanding spot market alongside its popular derivatives platform.
Key Benefits
- Perpetuals & Futures: Inverse, linear and quanto contracts with competitive funding rates.
- Margin Options: Cross and isolated margin with professional risk controls.
- Spot Trading: A useful supplement for hedging and instant deposits.
- Regulation: Full KYC and AML processes, making BitMEX more compliant and secure than it was back in the day.
Who Should Trade on BitMEX
BitMEX is ideal for traders who have a good understanding of derivatives, perpetual swaps, and the risks of trading with leverage. Beginners may wish to use spot trading and small test positions before they go into high-leverage trades.
Further Reading on Techingers
- Blockchain Ecosystems Explained — everything about different networks, their tokens, and interoperability.
- VPNs & Device Isolation for Multi-Account Strategies — tips and tricks for secure trading setups.
Beginner Setup: Account, Verification, and Deposits
Before you can make your first trade, create an account and go through the Know Your Customer verification (KYC). You'll typically have to upload an ID and a proof of address. This process usually takes less than 24 hours. You can then deposit crypto directly into your BitMEX wallet. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT are the most commonly deposited assets for margin trading.
Quick Onboarding
- Create an account by registering with this referral link for potential fee discounts.
- Get KYC finalised by providing valid documents.
- Deposit supported cryptos into the BitMEX wallet.
- Familiarise yourself with the trading dashboard using the testnet mode before risking real funds.
Understanding Fees and Funding
BitMEX employs a maker-taker fee schedule. Makers (limit orders that add liquidity to the books) will generally pay less or even zero fees, while takers (market orders that remove liquidity from the books) pay a small percentage. Also, funding rates are applicable to perpetual contracts to ensure the price stays close to the underlying spot price. Funding can be positive or negative, meaning you might pay or receive it depending on whether you are long or short and the state of the funding rate.
| Contract Type | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perpetual Swap | -0.0100% | 0.0750% | Varies (every 8h) |
| Futures | -0.0100% | 0.0500% | None |
Understanding Margin and Leverage
BitMEX allows you to use up to 100x leverage, however, @ that level, the risk of liquidation is very serious. As a rule of thumb, as a beginner, don't go higher than 3x–5x leverage and only risk a small % of @ your trading capital per position.
To hone your overall strategy for crypto trading before you jump into the leverage pool, you might want to read our article on multi-accounting strategies in crypto discussing the tools and setups advanced traders make use of.
Risk Management and Prevention of Liquidations
Leveraged trading on BitMEX can amplify your profits but can also just as easily destroy a sizable chunk of your trading account if things go awry. Understanding liquidation mechanics is critical. As soon as your margin balance dips below the required maintenance level, BitMEX automatically liquidates your position to cover the potential loss. This makes risk management a necessary evil.
The Ultimate Practices for Safer Trading
- Create stop loss orders: You should always have a well-defined exit strategy before you initiate a trade.
- Enable Isolated Margin: This will allow you to limit your risk exposure to a single position rather than your entire account balance.
- Do not over-leverage: 3x to 5x is more than enough for most traders, and allows you to have a balanced risk vs. profit potential.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: You should always have a diversified approach when trading on BitMEX.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are certain mistakes that are so common on BitMEX that they should be avoided at all costs. These include over-trading, over-leveraging, and treating derivatives like the spot market. Additionally, many traders do not pay attention to the funding rates and how they factor into their profits and losses.
Crafting a Sustainable Strategy
Success on BitMEX is not about being lucky once or twice but about systematic success over time. This comes from properly building and executing a sustainable trading strategy. Focus on the small, consistent wins while evaluating your performance diligently using analytics. Many advanced traders leverage other tools in tandem with BitMEX to build a more sustainable trading strategy, such as trading analytics and risk management tools.
If you are looking for deeper insights, be sure to check out our guide on communicating your strategy effectively. While the guide is meant for startups, the principles of setting realistic goals always apply, regardless of the endeavor.
