15-Minute Binary Options
15-minute binary options are a dynamic style of trading in which the duration of each contract is a quarter of an hour. Suiting some day traders, the shorter time frame means that positions are closed quickly, which allows for repeated trading throughout the day.
As with most binary options contracts, there is a fixed payout after the 15 minute period based on whether the trader has predicted the correct outcome. However, this length of binary contract remains high risk – you could lose any money you invest, and many retail investors do, while using offshore platforms exposes users to counterparty risks.
Top Binary Options Brokers With 15-Minute Expiries
After checking every platform below supports 15-minute binaries, these providers stood out as the best:
15-Minute Binary Options Explained
In binary options trading, the trader and the broker enter a contract in which there are only two possible outcomes. After the pre-agreed timeframe elapses, in this case 15 minutes, if the trader has chosen the correct outcome, they will win profits from the broker. If they are incorrect in their outcome, they lose their initial investment.
Unlike common expiries such as 60 seconds (sometimes displayed as M1), which are often provided as standard, you’ll often need to manually set the expiry time to 15 minutes in your broker’s platform. You can see an example of where we did this below on the Pocket Option platform using the ‘+’ button above the minute counter.
Example
For example, if an investor believes that an asset will go up in price within a short time frame, they could buy a 15-minute binary option. Traders buy “call options” if they feel that the price is going to increase, or “put options” if they expect the price to fall.
In this example, the trader buys a call option because they believe that the price of Bitcoin (BTC) will be higher at the end of a 15-minute time frame. The trader pays a $100 stake, and the broker offers a 60% payout if they are correct.
After 15-minutes pass, the price of BTC is higher than the price at entry. This means that the trader gets to keep their original $100 stake, and receives a fixed payout of $60 from the broker because the price has increased above the pre-agreed threshold.
If the price of BTC had stayed below the original level, after 15-minutes the trade would close and the trader would lose their $100 initial deposit on this bitcoin binary trade.
How To Place A 15 Minute Binary Trade
Here is a breakdown of how to set up a 15 minute trade using binaries:
- Access A Trading Chart – Most brokers provide a range of binary charting options to suit the needs of each trader. If this is not the case, you can access free trading charts online through third-party platforms like TradingView, which tend to come with more technical indicators. Ensure you are comfortable with reading charts, as day trading 15-minute binary options can be fast-paced.
- Customize The Chart Times – Once you have downloaded your chart software or selected your chart online, you should change the chart settings to a “15-minute” time frame or less to view price action more granularly.
- Add The Indicators – Next, you may want to add binary indicators that are suitable for 15-minute binary options trading. You could use a simple two–moving average crossover with a fast MA and a slow MA (for example, a 9-EMA and a 21-EMA). Enter a call when the fast EMA crosses above the slow EMA, and enter a put when it crosses below. If your broker or chart service does not offer these indicators, you could try an alternative charting system.
- Choose An Asset – Once you have your chart and indicators set up, it’s time to choose an asset to trade. Bear in mind that highly volatile assets with daily swings may be more difficult to trade. You should select an asset based on your research, market knowledge and risk tolerance.
- Study The Chart And Make A Move – Now that you have chosen your asset, it’s time to study the chart and enter the market. One idea is to look for moments when the two indicator lines cross, and enter the market in the direction the moving averages line is trending. For example, if the moving averages line is increasing, you could buy call options.
- Results – If the asset price continues to rise, and after 15-minutes it is above the pre-agreed threshold, you will receive a payout from the broker. Equally, if it hasn’t, you’d lose your stake in this scenario.
Pros
- Market Agnostic – You can trade binary options in a wide range of global markets, for example stocks, forex and cryptocurrencies, using a 15 minute timeframe.
- Suits Day Trading – This form of trading is popular amongst day traders because the outcomes are settled within 15-minutes. You can make multiple trades very quickly, and there is no need to track asset prices for extended periods.
- Low Investment Required – When trading 15-minute binary options, the only cost is the stake or premium per option, which can usually be sized to suit the needs of the trader. Some alternative forms of investing require traders to purchase the entire asset which can incur high costs and high risk.
Cons
- Fast-Paced – 15-minute binary options are a fast-paced style of trading that require a significant investment of time and focus.
- Limited Online Resources – Compared to other types of binary timeframes like 60 seconds, there is less educational content and tutorials specifically focused on 15-minute binary options trading.
- Limits On Profits – Like all binary options, if the trade expires “in the money” the profits are fixed. Even if the price of the asset soars above the expiry price agreed in the binary option, the trader will still only realize the fixed profit rather than any additional gains they might have received if they bought shares of the asset, for example
- Regulations – While 15 minute binaries aren’t called out specifically, many regulators have restricted the distribution of binaries. For example, ESMA imposed a temporary EU-wide prohibition in 2018–2019, and many national regulators subsequently maintained similar restrictions, including the FCA in the UK. ASIC in Australia followed a similar route. Traders can still open accounts with offshore firms but this brings extra risk with limited legal recourse or investor protection in case of disputes. The US CFTC has warned about this.
Bottom Line
15-minute binary options are popular with active traders because they are offered by many platforms, can be used on various global financial markets, and are quick to execute. Binary options also require low capital commitment from traders, because the cost of each option is typically only a fraction of the asset price.
To successfully trade 15-minute binary options, you should develop a reliable trading strategy and familiarize yourself with chart analysis techniques. A binary demo account is a great place to practice trading this timeframe before risking capital.