# What are Perpetual Futures?

Perpetual futures trading, or "perps," might sound complicated, but the core idea is simple: it's a way to trade on the future price of a cryptocurrency without ever having to own the cryptocurrency itself.

Think of it as placing a bet on whether the price of a digital asset, like Bitcoin, will go up or down. If you believe the price will rise, you can open a **long** position. If you think it will fall, you can open a **short** position. This allows you to potentially profit from the market no matter which direction it's moving.

#### What makes perpetual futures different?

Unlike traditional futures contracts that have a set expiration date, perpetual futures, as the name suggests, never expire. This means you can hold your position for as long as you want, whether it's for a few minutes or a few months, giving you much more flexibility.

Another key feature is **leverage**. Leverage allows you to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital.

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For example, with 10x leverage, you could control a $10,000 position with just $1,000 of your own funds. This can amplify your potential profits, but it's important to remember that it also amplifies your potential losses.
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*At Arcex, we're focused on making this powerful tool accessible to everyone. We've designed our platform to be as intuitive as possible, so you can focus on your trading strategy, not on figuring out*


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