Getting Started With Spot Trading: A Complete Guide

Welcome to the world of spot trading! Whether you’re new to digital asset trading or looking to refine your skills, this comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of the process. Spot trading allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrencies at current market prices, making it one of the most straightforward ways to participate in the crypto market.

Finding Your Trading Pair

The first step in spot trading is selecting which trading pair you want to work with. On the left side of the trading interface, you’ll find a dropdown menu displaying all available spot trading pairs. Each listing shows the last price at which the pair traded, along with the percentage change over the last 24 hours—giving you quick insight into market momentum.

To locate your desired pair quickly, simply type into the search box. This feature is particularly helpful when searching for less common trading pairs. You might also notice a “10x” label next to certain pairs; this indicates that the pair qualifies for spot margin trading, an advanced feature offering additional leverage compared to standard spot trading. For a detailed comparison between standard spot trading, spot margin trading, and futures trading, you can review the comprehensive comparison guide.

Placing Orders in Spot Trading

Spot trading offers several order types to suit different trading strategies and preferences. Market orders, limit orders, and conditional orders each serve unique purposes in your trading toolkit. Below, we’ll walk through the process using a market order as our example.

Getting Started: First, confirm you’re in the Spot tab of the trading interface. Then, decide whether you want to Buy or Sell your chosen asset.

Entering Details: Next, specify your order value or quantity. If you’re using limit orders or conditional orders instead, you’ll need to input a price level or trigger price respectively. For market orders specifically, the default setting places buy orders by value and sell orders by quantity. However, you have the flexibility to switch between “Order by Value” and “Order by Quantity” depending on your preference.

Important Note: When you maximize your available balance for a market buy or sell order, you might notice a small difference between the maximum displayed and what the system calculates. This buffer exists as a safety measure—it protects your order from failing due to minor price movement between when you click and when the order executes.

Final Confirmation: A verification window will appear. Review all order details carefully to ensure everything is correct, then click Buy or Sell to execute. Congratulations! Your order has been successfully placed on the market.

For detailed information about trading fees and other costs associated with spot trading activity, refer to the fee structure guide. Additionally, review the trading rules to understand all policies and limitations, and check the frequently asked questions section for answers to common inquiries.

Monitoring and Managing Your Orders

Current Orders Section: Your unfilled and untriggered orders appear on the Current Orders tab, allowing you to track active positions at a glance. If you want to see all your active orders across every trading pair simultaneously, simply check the “Show all trading pairs” box. Found an order you want to modify? Click the pencil icon next to it to adjust price levels, trigger prices, or quantities.

Historical Records: As you accumulate trading experience, you’ll want to review past activity. The Order History and Trade History tabs display up to 50 records from the preceding six-month period. Like the Current Orders section, you can toggle the “Show all trading pairs” option here to view your complete trading history across all pairs. For trading records extending beyond six months, navigate to the All Orders page for extended historical data.

Canceling Orders When Needed

Market conditions change, and sometimes you’ll need to cancel an order. To remove an individual order from the Current Orders tab, simply click the Cancel button next to it. Prefer a quicker approach? Use the Cancel All button in the upper right corner to remove all active orders at once.

Helpful Reminder: If you’ve enabled “Show all trading pairs,” using Cancel All will remove orders from every trading pair you’re trading. Use this feature carefully to avoid accidentally canceling orders you intended to keep.

Mastering these fundamental aspects of spot trading will give you the confidence and control needed to execute your trading strategy effectively across different market conditions.