Perpetual Futures Fundamentals

Webinar Overview

Perpetual futures have emerged as one of the fastest-growing innovations in derivatives markets. Unlike traditional futures contracts, perpetual futures have no expiration date, allowing market participants to maintain continuous exposure to an underlying asset. As interest in these products expands, exchanges, clearinghouses, regulators, and market participants are evaluating how perpetual futures fit within existing market structures and risk management frameworks.

This webinar examines the key features of perpetual futures and how they differ from traditional futures contracts, including how perpetuals function, who trades them, the role of funding mechanisms in maintaining price alignment, and the market needs these products are designed to address.

The webinar also explores why exchanges are considering new perpetual futures listings and the regulatory, market structure, and product design questions associated with bringing perpetual contracts into regulated markets.

Finally, it examines the operational and risk management challenges posed by continuously traded products, including leverage controls, collateral and margin management, clearing considerations, liquidity requirements, and the technology and banking infrastructure needed to support markets that operate around the clock.

Key Takeaways

• How perpetual futures differ from traditional futures contracts
• The role of funding rates and continuous pricing mechanisms
• Types of market participants that trade perpetual futures
• Exchange and regulatory considerations for listing perpetual products
• Risk management challenges associated with leverage and continuous trading
• Clearing, collateral, and margin considerations
• Operational and infrastructure requirements for 24/7 markets
• The potential impact of perpetual futures on the evolution of derivatives markets