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Prediction Trading

Information on Prediction Trading, covering common queries and scenarios that users may encounter while trading

Updated today

What is Prediction Trading?

Prediction Trading is a CFTC-regulated derivatives trading feature available in the Crypto.com App.

It presents you with a straightforward Yes/No decision based on whether you believe an outcome of a global event, such as politics, economics, finances, will occur. If you believe the outcome will occur, you can select “Yes” to trade contracts and open a position. Otherwise, you can choose “No.”

After the event is resolved, you will receive a US$10 payment for each contract you own if you are correct. If you are incorrect, you will lose the amount you paid to open the position and nothing more, allowing you to know your potential gains and losses upfront.

Is Prediction Trading regulated in the US?

Yes. Prediction Trading is offered by Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (CDNA) and is subject to US regulatory oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Contract Specifications

The contract specifications for the respective events can be found in the product filings below:

Event

Product Filing

Contingent Derivatives Contract (Industry Event - Live Presentations)

Trading Hours

Crypto.com | Derivatives North America opens Prediction Trading when the contracts are listed, expiring on the respective event dates.

Scheduled maintenance takes place from 16:15 to 23:00 EST every Friday. During this period, Prediction contracts are not available for trading. If you have an open position during this period, your position remains open and can only be traded after the scheduled maintenance period is over.

For all the latest updates, holiday schedules, and contract availability, please see the Holiday and Hours page and the Notices page on the Crypto.com | Derivatives North America website.

Onboarding

To trade Prediction contracts, you need to set up an account with Crypto.com | Derivatives North America. To do so, follow these steps in the Crypto.com App:

  1. Go to the Predict tab

  2. Select a contract to trade

  3. Set up your USD Cash Account if you haven’t done so already

  4. Review and accept the Terms & Conditions, then hit Confirm

  5. Answer the Qualifying Questions and click Continue

  6. You will receive an in-app notification and email once your account is created

Funding

Prediction Trading is a fully collateralized trading product. You need to have sufficient funds in your USD Cash Account to trade. The calculation for your available balance may include unsettled funds (i.e., via Instant Deposit). Visit our Help Center for more information on USD deposits with Wire Transfer and ACH Direct Deposit and how you may use Instant Deposit for trading Derivatives.

Alternatively, you can use Crypto Funding to instantly convert your preferred crypto to USD to trade. This feature currently supports all over 350 tokens in the Crypto.com App and Web, including BTC, ETH, and CRO.

Trading

To open a position, simply select the outcome you think will occur for an event and confirm the number of contracts you wish to trade. You can increase, open, and close positions before the event starts.

  • If you close your position before the event: The difference between the contract price when you opened the position and the price when you are closing it will be your PnL, excluding fees.

  • If you hold your position until the event: The contract expires when it starts, and you need to wait until the event resolves to ascertain your PnL

If your position matches the event outcome, you will receive a US$10 return for each contract you own, excluding fees. If your position does not match the event outcome, you will receive $0.

What are the limits for Prediction Trading?

Position Limits

A position limit defines the maximum aggregate position you can hold per Prediction contract.

The position limit is 250,000. This means you can have a maximum of 250,000 open positions for each Prediction contract at the same time.

What order types does Prediction Trading support?

The orders you submit to trade Prediction contracts are Market Orders (“MO”) with protection on an Immediate-or-Cancel (“IOC”) basis.

An MO with protection is a request submitted to buy or sell a set number of Prediction contracts at the displayed indicative price when the order is submitted.

In the event that the displayed indicative price is no longer available when Crypto.com | Derivatives North America receives the order, the MO with protection order will be acceptable to fill within the set slippage tolerance. See the ‘What is Slippage Tolerance?’ section for more information.

An IOC order demands immediate execution or cancellation. It can be filled in whole or in part, with any remaining quantity automatically canceled. This is also known as a “partial fill.”

What is Slippage Tolerance?

Slippage Tolerance allows your trade to be completed even if the contract’s price moves from the time you place the order to the time it is executed. It is a predetermined number of points, expressed as a dollar value, away from the displayed indicative price that will be acceptable to fill the MO with protection.

If the contract’s price movement is within the tolerance and either the full or partial order quantity can be filled, your order will be executed on an Immediate-or-Cancel (“IOC”) basis. If the contract’s price movement exceeds the tolerance, your order will not be executed because no order quantity can be filled in this case.

How do I set my Slippage Tolerance?

Slippage Tolerance for Prediction contracts is set at $0.5 per contract and can be adjusted through the slippage settings on the order input screen

What happens when there is insufficient liquidity in the market?

When the market has insufficient liquidity, it means there is no party offering to match the other side of your order. You will either see that there are no price quotes available to place your trade or that your trade will not be executed.

Simply put, if you want to buy a contract, there must be another party selling it to match your purchase order, and vice versa.

Possible Reasons for Insufficient Liquidity:

Expiry Time: As the expiry time of a Prediction contract approaches, fewer parties, or none at all, may be willing to take on the less desirable side of the trade.

Outside Trading Hours: Market makers actively quote during trading hours.

When there is insufficient liquidity to close your position, there is no Price to Close, and your Unrealized PnL cannot be calculated.

Getting Started With Prediction Trading

Opening a position

You can open a position anytime before the event begins.

Follow these steps to open a position:

  • Go to the Predict tab from the main menu

  • Select an event to view all available contracts and select Yes or No based on whether you think the relevant outcome will occur.

  • Input the number of contracts you wish to trade

  • Review the order details; in particular, the Estimated Total amount. Click Place Order when you’re ready.

  • Tap Confirm on the pop-up. You have the option to check the box above the Confirm button to bypass this step for future trades.

You will receive an in-app notification once your order is filled or rejected.

How do I calculate the amount I need to pay to open a position?

Before placing your trade, you will see the Estimated Total amount on the Order Input page.

The Estimated Total is the Contract Price multiplied by the Contract Quantity plus fees. Please note this amount is not final, as slippage may result in the actual total being higher. This amount, including slippage, will be held in your USD Cash Account until your order is filled or rejected.

When your order is filled, the actual amount you paid (the Actual Contract Price plus fees) will be reflected in your Order History page.

Your maximum loss is the cost you put into the trade, including fees.

Example 1 - You open a Yes position

The contract price for an outcome you think will occur (i.e., “Yes”) is $1.9. The default Slippage is $0.5 per contract. You decide to open a position for 10 contracts.

The Estimated Total displayed will be:

(Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (1.9 + 0.1 + 0.1) ✕ 10

= $21

This is an estimation, as the actual amount may be higher because of slippage. A hold is put on your USD Cash Account for the amount, including possible slippage:

Estimated Total + (Slippage ✕ No. of Contracts Traded)

= 21 + (0.5 ✕ 10)

= $26

When your order is executed, the Actual Amount you pay will be based on the Actual Contract Price for the position of 10 contracts:

(Actual Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (1.9 + 0.1 + 0.1) ✕ 10

= $21

Your USD Cash Account is debited this amount

Example 2 - You open a No position

The contract price for an outcome you think will occur (i.e., “No”) is $6.5. The default Slippage Tolerance is $0.5 per contract. You decide to open a position for 10 contracts.

The Estimated Total displayed will be:

(Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (6.5 + 0.1 + 0.1) ✕ 10

= $67

This is an estimation, as the actual amount may be higher because of slippage. A hold is put on your USD Cash Account for the amount, including possible slippage:

Estimated Total + (Slippage ✕ No. of Contracts Traded)

= 67 + (0.5 ✕ 10)

= $72

When your order is executed, the Actual Amount you pay will be based on the Actual Contract Price for the position of 10 contracts:

(Actual Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (6.5 + 0.1 + 0.1) ✕ 10

= $67

Your USD Cash Account is debited this amount.

Closing a position

You proactively close your position

You can close your position anytime before the event begins or before the contract is settled.

Follow these steps to close a position:

  1. Go to the Prediction tab from the main menu

  2. Your Open Positions will be displayed below the main banner. Click the Close button next to the position you wish to close.

  3. Review the Position Details and click the Close Position button when you’re ready

The contract has expired

Your position will be closed when the contract expires because of one of two scenarios:

Scenario 1 - The contract expires at the listed expiry date

Your contract will expire at the listed expiry date.

  • If the outcome is already determined at that time, the contract will be settled within 24 hours. You’ll receive US$10 per contract if your prediction is correct, and nothing if it’s not.

  • If the outcome is not yet determined at expiry, trading will not be allowed after the contract expires and it will be settled once the outcome becomes available.

Scenario 2 - The contract expires before the listed expiry date

Your contract may expire prior to the listed expiry date if the outcome is determined early. You receive a US$10 return per contract if the outcome matches your trade and nothing if it does not.

How do I calculate the amount I'll receive when I close a position and what is my Profit/Loss?

Example 1 - You proactively close a position

You closed the whole position at a price of US$3.20 per contract. The amount you will receive is:

(Closing Price - Exchange Fee** - Technology Fee**) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (3.20 - 0.10** - 0.10**) ✕ 10

= $30.00

**When the position is closed prior to expiration, the Exchange Fee and Technology Fee will be charged per contract.

Assuming you opened the position of 10 contracts earlier at a price of US$1.90 per contract. The amount you paid was:

(Actual Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (1.90 + 0.10 + 0.10) ✕ 10

= $21.00

Your Realized Profit/Loss is the amount you receive less the amount you paid

= 30.00 - 21.00

= $9.00

Alternatively, you may also calculate your Realised Profit/Loss by comparing the prices you opened and closed your position at and accounting for fees

[(Closing Price - Actual Contract Price to Open) - 2 ✕ (Exchange Fee + Technology Fee)] ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= [(3.20 - 1.90) - 2 ✕ (0.10 + 0.10)] ✕ 10

= $9.00

Example 2 - The contract expires, and the outcome matches your trade

The contract expires, and the outcome matches your trade. You will receive a US$10 return per contract. After deducting fees, you will receive:

($10.00 Return - Exchange Fee - Technology Fee**) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (10.00 - 0.10 - 0**) ✕ 10

= $99.00

**When the position settles in-the-money (ITM), Exchange Fee will be charged per contract and the Technology Fee will be waived

Assuming you opened the position of 10 contracts earlier at a price of US$1.90 per contract. The amount you paid was:

(Actual Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (1.90 + 0.10 + 0.10) ✕ 10

= $21.00

Your Realized Profit/Loss is the amount you receive less the amount you paid

= 99.00 - 21.00

= $78.00

Alternatively, you may also calculate your Realised Profit/Loss by comparing the prices you opened and the US$10 return per contract, accounting for fees

[($10 Return - Actual Contract Price to Open) - ((2 ✕ Exchange Fee) + Technology Fee)] ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= [(10.00 - 1.90) - ((2 ✕ 0.10) + 0.10)] ✕ 10

= $78.00

Example 3 - The contract expires, and the outcome does not match your trade

The contract expires, and the outcome does not match your trade. You will receive US$0 per contract.

Assuming you opened the position of 10 contracts earlier at a price of US$1.90 per contract. The amount you paid was:

(Actual Contract Price + Exchange Fee + Technology Fee) ✕ No. of Contracts Traded

= (1.90 + 0.10 + 0.10) ✕ 10

= $21.00

Your Realized Profit/Loss is the amount you receive less the amount you paid.

= 0 - 21.00

= -$21.00

You can only lose the amount you put into your trade, not more.

Trading Fees

Prediction Trading

The following fees are charged for each Prediction contract:

  • US$0.10 Exchange Fee

  • US$0.10 Technology Fee

If the position settles in-the-money (ITM), the Exchange Fee will be charged per contract and the Technology Fee will be waived. If the position settles out-of-the-money (OTM), no Trading Fees will be charged. If the contract is closed prior to expiration, the Exchange Fee and Technology Fee will be charged per contract.

Where is this feature available?

Prediction Trading is currently available in the United States only.

FAQs

Is Prediction Trading legal?

Prediction Trading is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and it is legal to trade Prediction contracts on a CFTC-regulated exchange like Crypto.com | Derivatives North America.

What's the minimum amount I can trade in Prediction contracts?

Prediction contracts are priced between US$0 and US$10.

Glossary

Term

Definition

Contract Range

A predefined boundary or limit that the contract's price can move within. For example, the price of a Prediction contract can move between 0 and 10.

Tick Size

The tick size represents the minimum price movement in a token's contract, indicating the smallest increment by which the price can change.

For example, Prediction contracts have a tick size of 0.10, which means the contract price can move in increments of 10 cents. So if the current price is $5.00, the next possible price would be $5.10 or $5.20.

Probability

The potential of your contract settling profitably at expiration (excluding fees). For Prediction contracts, it’s derived from the current ASK price.

Contract Return or Payment

The fixed amount a trader will receive if the event outcome matches their trade.

Expiry Time

This is the specific moment when the contract expires. The outcome of whether it ends profitably or at a loss may be determined either before or at the time of expiry, depending on when the outcome is available.

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