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Rankings updated October 2026

CFD Crypto Day Trading: Guide & Top Brokers

Crypto CFDs are derivatives where the buyer and seller pay the difference between the opening and closing price of a token when the trade is closed. Day traders can go long and short with these crypto-backed instruments, meaning you can make profits whether digital asset prices rise or fall. They are usually traded using leverage (borrowed capital). This can supercharge profits, but it can also amplify losses when the crypto market moves quickly.

The guide will explain how crypto CFDs work, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and list the steps to trade these short-term financial products. We’ve also vetted and listed the best brokers for trading crypto CFDs.

Top 6 Crypto CFD Brokers

We've evaluated the range of crypto CFDs and trading conditions at each of these top-rated brokers:

Tested with a live trading account Accepts traders from United Kingdom Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.
  1. Our top pick in United Kingdom
    • FTSE Spread: 1.0
    • GBPUSD Spread: 0.9
    • Stocks Spread: 0.02
    70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    • FTSE Spread: 1.8
    • GBPUSD Spread: 1.4
    • Stocks Spread: 0.2%
    74% of accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
    • FTSE Spread: 1.10
    • GBPUSD Spread: 0.4
    • Stocks Spread: 0.17 (Apple)
    • FTSE Spread: 1.0
    • GBPUSD Spread: 0.9
    • Stocks Spread: 0.15%
    • FTSE Spread: From 0.4
    • GBPUSD Spread: From 0.6
    • Stocks Spread: Variable
    • FTSE Spread: 0.005% (£1 Min)
    • GBPUSD Spread: 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
    • Stocks Spread: 0.003

Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.

Here is a summary of why we recommend these brokers in October 2026:

  1. IG 4.8/5 IG offers a growing selection of over 100 crypto CFDs and digital assets for buying, selling and storing. It also stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market. Its crypto offering was also bolstered in the UK after it secured a digital asset license from the FCA, providing trading and investing on popular crypto coins in a regulated setting. It has also expanded its spot crypto offering to Australia, France, and Singapore.
  2. XTB 4.8/5 XTB offers an excellent selection of cryptos with more than 50 digital currencies. Spreads are tight starting from 0.22% on BTC and leverage reaches 1:5. The xStation platform also provides intra-crypto pairs like ETH/BTC and DSH/BTC. With the capability to trade cryptos 24/7, XTB ensures a secure environment with transparent accounts for cryptocurrency day trading.
  3. FXCC 4.6/5 FXCC has ramped up its range of cryptocurrencies for trading, going from under 10 to more than 30. There are no restrictions on crypto day trading strategies with Expert Advisors (EAs) permitted. Digital currencies can be traded 24/7 with no commission and leverage up to 1:20.
  4. Spreadex 4.5/5 Spreadex offers spread betting on Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Litecoin and Ripple in pairs with USD, allowing traders to make leveraged bets on crypto price movements through a derivative contract without owning the digital assets.
  5. Trade Nation 4.4/5 Cryptocurrencies are available through the broker's Bahamas entity. Traders can access thousands of indicators to tailor their crypto trading strategies and there are no hidden charges.
  6. Interactive Brokers 4.3/5 IBKR lets you purchase and hold Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin at competitive commission rates and without needing a crypto wallet. Additionally, there is a range of other diverse assets to explore, such as crypto indices like the NYSE Bitcoin Index, as well as futures contracts like the BAKKT Bitcoin Futures.

Compare Crypto CFD Trading Conditions

Compare Crypto CFD Trading Conditions
BrokerCoinsCrypto Spread
IG 30Variable
XTB 210.22%
FXCC 31Variable
Spreadex 51 - 140 pips
Trade Nation 3Fixed
Interactive Brokers 40.12%-0.18%

Community Sentiment

See how users rate these brokers based on the average customer ratings submitted on DayTrading.com, plus ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Community Sentiment
BrokerOur Users' RatingTrustpilot ScoreTrustpilot ReviewsiOS App RatingAndroid App Rating
IG 4.3 / 53.6 / 5101344.6 / 54.0 / 5
XTB 4.7 / 53.7 / 529354.7 / 54.1 / 5
FXCC 4.4 / 54.5 / 52204.8 / 54.4 / 5
Spreadex 4.0 / 54.4 / 522854.5 / 54.5 / 5
Trade Nation 4.0 / 54.4 / 521474.5 / 54.5 / 5
Interactive Brokers 3.5 / 53.1 / 555264.3 / 54.5 / 5

IG

IG continues to provide a comprehensive package with an intuitive web platform, best-in-class education for beginners, advanced charting tools bolstered by its recent TradingView integration, real-time data, and robust trade execution for experienced day traders.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

IG quick facts

FTSE Spread
1.0
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
Stocks Spread
0.02
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro)
Regulator
CFTC, NFA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, FMA, DFSA, BMA
Platforms
Web, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime
Coins
BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, BCH, ADA, TIA, LINK, EOS, HBAR, ICP, LTC, NEAR, NEO, ONDO, PEPE, DOT, POL, SHIB, XLM, SUI, TRX, TON, UNI, DOGE, AAVE, APT, ARB, AVAX, CRYPTO10
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
Variable
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, ZAR, SEK, DKK, CHF, HKD, SGD

Pros

  • IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis.
  • The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our 'Best Trading App' award.
  • As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust.

Cons

  • IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders.
  • IG applies an inactivity fee of $12-$18 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors.
  • Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges.

XTB

XTB stands out as a top choice for new day traders with the terrific xStation platform, low trading costs, no minimum deposit, and excellent educational tools, many of which are seamlessly integrated into the platform.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

XTB quick facts

FTSE Spread
1.8
GBPUSD Spread
1.4
Stocks Spread
0.2%
Leverage
1:30
Regulator
FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, CMF, Bappebti
Platforms
xStation
Coins
ADA, BTC, BCH, DSH, EOS, ETH, IOTA, LTC, NEO, XRP, XLM, TRX, XEM, XLM, XMR, DOGE, BNB, LINK, UNI, DOT, XTZ
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
0.22%
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP

Pros

  • XTB has boosted its interest rate on uninvested balances and added zero-fee ISAs (On ETFs and real shares, or 0.2% with transactions over €100k) for UK clients with a huge range of markets available.
  • With an excellent range of educational materials, including training videos and articles integrated into the platform, XTB supports traders at all levels.
  • XTB has improved its assets and markets offering further in 2026 with options trading in Spain and Germany, spot cryptos in some regions, and Investment Plans 2.0 with more pre-built plans covering sectors like Defence, a more intuitive interface, and greater flexibility to combine single stocks and ETFs into individual plans.

Cons

  • Trading fees are competitive with average spreads of around 1 pip on the EUR/USD but still trail the cheapest brokers like IC Markets, plus there's an inactivity fee after 12 months.
  • The demo account expires after just four weeks, a serious limitation for traders who wish to thoroughly test the xStation platform and practice short-term strategies before committing real funds.
  • Not being able to adjust the default leverage level of XTB products is frustrating, as manual adjustment can significantly mitigate trade risk, especially in forex and CFD trading.

FXCC

FXCC continues to prove itself an excellent option for day traders with a particularly strong selection of 70+ currency pairs, ultra-tight spreads from 0.0 pips during testing, and a free VPS for qualifying traders.

Jemma Grist Jemma Grist, Reviewer

FXCC quick facts

FTSE Spread
1.10
GBPUSD Spread
0.4
Stocks Spread
0.17 (Apple)
Leverage
1:1000 (Exceeds FCA limits; high risk)
Regulator
CySEC, MISA
Platforms
MT4, MT5
Coins
BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC, XMR, DASH, XRP, ALG, ATO, AVE, AVX, AXS, BNB, BSV, CKE, DOT, ENJ, FTM, LNK, MEL, MNA, MTC, SHB, SND, SNX, SOL, TRP, UNI, WAV, XTZ, YFI
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
Variable
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD

Pros

  • Customer support still relies on human agents with response times of under three minutes on live chat during our tests and knowledgeable reps - a welcome break from the frustrating AI chatbots increasingly offered by brokers.
  • The free VPS for qualifying traders and the ability to build or buy EAs on MetaTrader make FXCC a strong option for algo traders.
  • FXCC’s ECN XL account has been built with active traders in mind, featuring spreads from 0.0 with no commission, while also passing our execution speed benchmark for day traders.

Cons

  • Although FXCC has bolstered its range of markets with US, European and Asian stocks, the choice of metals and energies is light, and there are no soft commodities.
  • Although the economic calendar has benefited from a facelift, FXCC still offers very little in terms of market research beyond basic daily technical analysis and aggregated market news, with no tools like Autochartist or social sentiment data.
  • FXCC charges steep withdrawal fees on many of its payment methods, including $45 for bank transfers and 2% crypto transfers, which may cut into the returns of traders making regular withdrawals.

Spreadex

Spreadex will appeal to UK day traders who are interested in both spread betting on financial markets and placing traditional bets on sports events. Fees are low on short trades and profits are tax-free on spread bets. There's also a powerful proprietary charting platform, plus £0 minimum deposit required to get started.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Spreadex quick facts

FTSE Spread
1.0
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
Stocks Spread
0.15%
Leverage
1:30
Regulator
FCA
Platforms
Spreadex Platform, TradingView, AutoChartist
Coins
BCH, BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
1 - 140 pips
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
£0 (but £5 minimum for standard payment methods)
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, CHF

Pros

  • Our fee analysis came through with the EUR/USD at 0.6 pips in quieter hours, while FTSE and S&P 500 spreads stayed in the normal competitive range for spread-betting brokers. For day traders, costs are fair.
  • Spreadex introduced trading signals to its desktop platform, powered by Autochartist, providing real-time, pattern-based insights to help active traders identify potential opportunities.
  • In our live tests near London, Spreadex returned 120–200ms round-trip latency across 50+ FTSE and EUR/USD trades, with no requotes and mostly controlled slippage in normal market conditions.

Cons

  • Spreadex makes you use real money from the start, with no demo. It's one of the few spread betting brokers that fail to serve prospective traders this way.
  • CFDs, financial spread bets, sports, and casino activity all sit in one pooled balance. For serious active traders, that means losses outside trading can directly reduce margin available for trading positions.
  • Execution is decent but not elite from our tests - we recorded 0.2–0.4 pip slippage on liquid markets in calmer periods, but news spikes pushed some fills toward 1 pip, and thinner AIM stocks regularly slipped by 2–4 points.

Trade Nation

Trade Nation suits discretionary traders who want to speculate on major indices like the US 500 or liquid FX pairs, and want the predictable all-in costs of fixed spreads. In tests, we found the fixed-spread TN Trader environment particularly useful for trading around scheduled economic releases owing to its reliable charting environment and because published spreads stayed capped.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Trade Nation quick facts

FTSE Spread
From 0.4
GBPUSD Spread
From 0.6
Stocks Spread
Variable
Leverage
1:30
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA
Platforms
TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
Coins
BTC, ETH, LTC
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
Fixed
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK

Pros

  • The demo comes with a $5,000 practice account and you can request a one-on-one platform walkthrough by callback - this level of personal help is rare.
  • In testing of the TN Trader account under normal market conditions, fixed spreads held while fills were prompt on major forex pairs, with a slight drift in the entry level as price ticked between click and fill.
  • The broker expanded into Europe with regulated online trading services after securing authorization from Portugal's CVMV, boosting its safety protections for European residents.

Cons

  • Offshore SCB and FSA entities allow retail clients up to 1:200 and 1:500 leverage compared to 1:30 in regions like the UK, Europe and Australia, so an FSA client can have 16 times the exposure of a UK retail client on the same trade, but with less oversight and no compensation scheme.
  • The 2–20% rebate scheme is closed to FCA, CMVM, and ASIC clients, meaning active day traders in these regions who would benefit from transaction rebates cannot claim them.
  • Withdrawals can take up to five business days, which is around the industry average but slower than the 1-3 days we’re increasingly seeing brokers offer in an attempt to quash withdrawal complaints from retail investors.

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is one of the best brokers for advanced day traders, providing powerful charting platforms, real-time data, and customizable layouts, notably through the new IBKR Desktop application. Its superb pricing and advanced order options also make it highly attractive for day traders, while its diverse range of equities is still among the best in the industry.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Interactive Brokers quick facts

FTSE Spread
0.005% (£1 Min)
GBPUSD Spread
0.08-0.20 bps x trade value
Stocks Spread
0.003
Leverage
1:30
Regulator
SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS
Platforms
Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower
Coins
BTC, LTC, ETH, XRP
Crypto Mining
✘No
Auto Market Maker
✘No
Crypto Spread
0.12%-0.18%
Crypto Lending
✘No
Crypto Staking
✘No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, AED, HUF

Pros

  • Interactive Brokers has launched a unified interface that integrates prediction markets across three top exchanges: Kalshi, CME Group, and ForecastEx, with products where users can trade yes/no contracts on political, economic, and climate events, with fixed $1 payouts per contract, 24/6 market access, and interest on eligible held positions.
  • Interactive Brokers was named 'Best US Broker' for 2025 by DayTrading.com, recognizing its long-standing commitment to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and global market access at minimal cost.
  • The TWS platform has clearly been built for intermediate and advanced traders and comes with over 100 order types and a reliable real-time market data feed that rarely goes offline.

Cons

  • IBKR provides a wide range of research tools, but their distribution across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page lacks consistency, leading to a confusing user experience.
  • TWS’s learning curve is steep, and beginners may find it challenging to navigate the platform and understand all the features.
  • Support can be slow and frustrating based on tests, so you might find it challenging to reach customer service representatives promptly or encounter delays in resolving issues.

What Are Crypto CFDs?

Crypto CFDs are financial instruments that track price movements in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin.

They enable speculators to bet on whether crypto prices will rise or fall without having to own the underlying asset itself, a characteristic of all CFDs.

You can bet on crypto prices rising by taking a ‘long’ position, or speculate that values will drop by going ‘short’.

Like many derivatives, crypto-backed CFDs are popular with short-term traders who wish to use leverage. These are funds that you can borrow from a brokerage to control a larger position.

You will put down a deposit (known as margin) that allows you to open and hold a position in a cryptocurrency. Your broker will specify the minimum balance you must maintain in your account relative to the total value of the leveraged position.

Based on our many years in the industry, the level of leverage available on crypto CFDs typically ranges from 1:2 to over 1:20. A $100 outlay with 1:2 leverage would give you $200 (2 x $100) in buying power, while 1:20 leverage would give you $2,000 (20 x $100).

Bitcoin CFD conditions on XTB trading platform
Source: XTB

Due to their volatile nature, crypto CFDs are normally available with less leverage than other financial instruments, such as fiat currencies, protecting against significant losses in fast-moving markets.

Importantly, if you fall short of the margin requirements, the brokerage will demand that you deposit more cash. This is known as a margin call. If you fail to do this you may find your cryptocurrency CFD position liquidated by your broker – an extremely frustrating situation.

Crypto CFDs are controversial financial securities. While they can significantly enhance your returns, they can result in whopping losses when things go wrong.

Royston WildRoyston WildAuthor

A Crypto CFD Trade In Action

To help you understand how a crypto CFD trade works in reality, let’s look at an example…

Initial Scenario

  • Current Bitcoin Price: $60,000
  • My Deposit (Margin): $1,000

Objective

I anticipate that the price of Bitcoin will increase following an announcement from an established public company that it’s bought a large amount of the digital currency, so I decide to enter a long position (buy) using a Bitcoin CFD with 10x leverage.

The 10x leverage means that my $1,000 deposit allows me to control a position worth 10 times my deposit, so $1000 x 10 = $10,000.

Trade Execution

  • Price Movement: The price of Bitcoin rises over the next 6 hours
  • New Bitcoin Price: $62,500

Importantly, Bitcoin CFDs are only settled when I choose (or the broker closes it because I have failed to meet margin requirements).

Calculating My Profit

  • Determine the price movement: The price moved from $60,000 to $62,500, which is a $2,500 increase.
  • Calculate the percentage increase: The increase is $2,500 on the original $60,000, which is a 4.17% increase.
  • Apply the percentage to my controlled amount: Since I control $10,000 worth of Bitcoin, a 4.17% increase on my position is $10,000 x 4.17% = $417. My profit excludes trading fees.

If I had not used leverage and simply invested my $1,000 directly into Bitcoin, my profit from the price increase from $60,000 to $62,500 would have been approximately $41.67 ($1,000 x 4.17%), excluding any fees, demonstrating the huge impact of leverage.

If The Price Had Fallen

If, instead, the price of Bitcoin had fallen to $58,000, I would calculate my loss in a similar manner. The price movement would be a $2,000 decrease, equating to a 3.33% decrease. On my $10,000 position, a 3.33% decrease would result in a $330 loss.

While this won’t impact day traders, if you keep a Bitcoin CFD trade open overnight, you may incur interest charges, potentially increasing the cost of trading.

Royston WildRoyston WildAuthor

Should I Trade Crypto CFDs Instead Of Crypto Directly?

You can trade cryptocurrency directly on a specialist crypto exchange like Coinbase. However, trading a crypto-based CFD can have advantages over buying and selling digital currencies themselves. These include:

  • Eliminating wallet management: If I buy cryptocurrency on an exchange, I also need to set up a digital wallet in which to store the asset. These can only be accessed via a private ‘key’, a code that can easily be lost or stolen. Trading cryptocurrency CFDs eliminates this threat and also makes day trading much simpler.
  • Better liquidity: Crypto CFDs tend to have higher trading volumes than digital tokens and, as a consequence, much deeper liquidity. This can result in reduced costs through tighter bid and ask spreads, while short-term traders can also be able to enter and exit positions more quickly.
  • Tighter regulation: Regulatory oversight of CFDs tends to be much tighter than the cryptocurrency market more broadly. This provides traders with an enhanced level of protection. However, day traders who use overseas brokers should carefully check their regulatory status.
  • Leverage: I may be able to obtain higher leverage by trading a crypto-based derivative than by dealing in the digital currency itself, potentially increasing profits (and losses).

Trading crypto CFDs instead of the underlying cryptocurrency also has drawbacks. These can include the potential for higher trading fees and increased counterparty risk (the danger that the broker may fail to meet its contractual obligations).

Also, despite improvements in recent years, there is still often a limited choice of digital tokens beyond the biggest and most well-known, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin.

Royston WildRoyston WildAuthor

How To Trade Cryptocurrency CFDs

If allowed in your jurisdiction, day trading crypto CFDs requires 3 steps:

  1. Choose a CFD crypto broker
  2. Develop a strategy
  3. Place a trade

Choose A Crypto Broker

The first step is to choose a broker with cryptocurrency CFDs. I always start by checking that the company is trusted; there are vast numbers of unregulated crypto CFD brokers doing business across the globe with scams prevalent.

Next, consider the levels of leverage that you’re able to take advantage of. After all, the ability to use borrowed funds from a broker is one of the major selling points of day trading crypto CFDs.

Also look for brokers with negative balance protection. This will ensure that you cannot lose more than the funds that are already in your account when trading with leverage.

Once you’re happy with these points, check the pricing – low spreads will help maximize profits, especially for active day traders.

Finally, make sure the trading platform is easy to use with the charting tools you need to analyze and forecast cryptocurrency price movements. This is really important – an intuitive platform can really enhance the trading environment in my experience.

Develop A Strategy

Successful CFD crypto trading requires a well-thought-out strategy, typically entailing technical analysis if you’re short-term trading, though it could also include fundamental analysis.

Determine in advance your entry and exit points, stop-loss orders, and take-profit levels. Backtest your strategy where possible, making use of a demo account if needed, and remain adaptable to changing market conditions – crypto prices are notoriously volatile.

Two popular strategies for short-term crypto CFD trading include:

Breakout Trading – This strategy involves identifying a channel of resistance and support levels that the asset is consistently oscillating between. A breakout trader would wait until the price breaks through either level and then open a position for the breakout to be consolidated and become a new trend.

Contrarian Trading – This strategy is similar to swing trading, entailing betting against a consolidated trend as you are anticipating its reversal. This can be indicated in several ways, for example, a declining trading volume.

Place A Trade

You should be able to execute a cryptocurrency CFD trade directly in the broker’s platform or mobile trading app in a few clicks, inputting long/short, position size and any risk management parameters.

Importantly, begin day trading crypto CFDs with an amount of capital you can afford to lose. Start small to test your strategy under real market conditions.

Always stay informed about market news and events that could affect crypto prices, and be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed.

A Restricted Asset Class

Their high-risk nature means that trading crypto CFDs is closely regulated in many countries and even outlawed in others.

For example, in January 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK banned retail traders from speculating on cryptocurrencies through derivatives like CFDs. Retail clients in the UK can only trade crypto CFDs with offshore, weakly regulated brokers with limited legal protections.

That said, the FCA has left the door open for professional traders to continue dealing in crypto derivatives.

Screenshot of FCA website with ban on crypto derivatives like Bitcoin CFDs
Source: FCA Website

The high-risk nature of CFDs means many territories have prohibited them regardless of which underlying asset they are linked to. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for instance, has prohibited any US citizens from dealing in these contracts.

Certain regions like the European Union and Australia have strict rules on the trading of CFDs, including crypto CFDs, while some like Hong Kong prevent their citizens from trading them unless they use an overseas broker.

Bottom Line

Since the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, hundreds of other cryptocurrencies have been created and now form a massive part of the day trading landscape. CFDs are extremely popular ways to capitalize on these new-age assets, although the wide-scale availability of leverage adds extra danger to these trades.

Investors who decide to deal in these financial instruments should be fully aware of these risks, and must have a detailed understanding of cryptocurrency markets before taking the plunge.

To get started, see our ranking of the best brokers with crypto CFDs. Alternatively, trading cryptocurrency-backed CFDs via a demo account is a lowe-risk first step for newer traders.

FAQ

How Does CFD Crypto Trading Work?

Two parties will enter a contract that states that the difference between the opening and closing values of the digital asset will be paid by either the broker or trader (depending on the type taken out and the direction of price movement).

Importantly, CFDs are derivatives, so you do not take ownership of the underlying digital asset, you simply make or lose money based on the change in its value.

Do I Need A Digital Wallet For CFD Crypto Trading?

No, you do not need a digital wallet. Digital wallets are used when you own digital currencies, which is not the case for CFD crypto trading, and is part of their appeal to short-term speculators.

What Cryptocurrencies Can I Trade CFDs With?

It is primarily the cryptos with the biggest market capitalization that brokers will offer CFDs for. These include Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum and Litecoin.

Having said that, we’re seeing brokers expand their suite of cryptocurrency CFDs, with Eightcap standing out for its around 100 crypto derivatives.

How Much Money Do I Need To Trade Crypto CFDs?

CFD crypto trading is much akin to betting in that you can put as much or as little money as you wish (to a point) on the trade.

The use of leverage can also increase market exposure by allowing you to front only a portion of a trade’s stake, for example, less than $100.

Importantly, given the derivative nature of CFDs, you do not need to be able to purchase one whole Bitcoin, for example, to begin trading.

What Time Does Crypto CFD Trading Cease?

As cryptocurrencies are not traded on one specific regulated exchange, they are open for CFD trading 24/7, all year round.

That said, there are times of higher and lower market activity that will often follow the peak trading hours of popular physical exchanges, which can affect profits through slippage and volatility.

Article Sources

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