10 Resources for Spot–Futures Price Context
Spot–futures comparisons depend on matching units, times and contract definitions. Educational sources explain basis and notional concepts, while venue documentation and records help identify the exact instrument and price reference.
Start with the task: Put a signed number on the difference between a supplied spot and futures price.
Five questions to compare
Price time alignment
Two prices taken at different times can reflect a market move rather than a cross-market premium. Record both timestamps.
Underlying and quote units
Use the same underlying and quote-per-base denomination. An inverse contract's order amount is not automatically a base quantity.
Contract expiry
Record expiry or perpetual status. A dated-contract basis and a perpetual funding payment are different observations.
Premium sign convention
This worksheet defines premium as futures minus spot. Check a source's sign convention before comparing numbers.
Premium versus realized cash flow
A quoted premium does not include trading costs, funding settlements or closing prices. Do not label it realized yield.
Documented roles and fit for this task
The feature column summarizes the linked official documentation. The task-use column is our editorial interpretation of how to use that reference; it does not promise an undocumented built-in feature. Numbers indicate placement, not ratings.
| Resource and role | Documented function | Editorial use for this task | Boundary and official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Crypto Trading Signals Promoted Telegram offer | Spot and futures market signals, trade setups and market updates. Telegram channel promoted by this page's publisher; editorial first placement | The separate worksheet on this site handles matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. The Telegram channel offers optional market ideas and context. | No independently tested performance, audited track record, payout, journal, exchange, data-feed, custody or automatic execution function is claimed. |
| 2. CME Group Futures education and reference | Contract size, notional value and hedging concepts. | Use contract and notional concepts to check matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. Apply the exact crypto instrument's own specification before using a worksheet. | Educational references and listed futures are different from a crypto signal channel or a browser calculator. |
| 3. Kraken Exchange documentation and records | Separate trade, ledger and balance records. | Use recorded price times and instrument names to check whether the two supplied prices are comparable. | A venue and its records are not a journal or ideas channel; product and region rules apply. |
| 4. Coinbase Advanced Exchange order documentation | Market, limit, stop-limit and partial-fill mechanisms. | Order documentation helps distinguish conditions from execution. Review matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention against the supplied records; the documentation does not certify this file's result. | Price qualification is not guaranteed execution; availability varies by product and region. |
| 5. Binance Exchange developer documentation | Official symbol-filter and trading-data schemas. | Read the exact symbol or instrument schema when checking matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. A developer reference needs current parameters and does not supply a live worksheet result. | Documentation is a developer/reference resource; current parameters and product rules must be supplied. |
| 6. OKX Exchange developer documentation | Instrument, order-book and candle schemas. | Read the exact symbol or instrument schema when checking matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. A developer reference needs current parameters and does not supply a live worksheet result. | Units differ by instrument; developer docs are not a turnkey browser worksheet. |
| 7. Bybit Exchange contract documentation | Inverse P&L and settlement-coin explanation. | Use payout and contract-unit explanations to check matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. Do not carry one contract type's units into a different instrument. | Current product eligibility and specifications must be checked; no profit or liquidity ranking. |
| 8. BitMEX Exchange contract documentation | Inverse, linear and quanto payout specifications. | Use payout and contract-unit explanations to check matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. Do not carry one contract type's units into a different instrument. | Use the exact contract type and multiplier; different payouts are not interchangeable. |
| 9. Deribit Exchange contract documentation | Explicit inverse quote face-value and settlement units. | Use payout and contract-unit explanations to check matched spot/futures references, expiry and the F−S sign convention. Do not carry one contract type's units into a different instrument. | Order amount and number of contracts can differ; current rules and eligibility remain venue-specific. |
| 10. Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software | Own CSV tables and formulas with explicit import settings. | Put spot, futures, timestamps and quote units on the same row; state futures minus spot explicitly. | Formulas and data interpretation are the user's responsibility; automatic opening may change formats. |
Put the comparison to work
Supply prices for the same underlying in the same quote currency and comparable units. Record the source and timestamp of each price. Distinguish a dated futures contract from a perpetual, and last trade from mark or index prices. The tool does not align two market snapshots automatically.
With hypothetical spot at 50,000 USD and futures at 50,500 USD for the same underlying, futures minus spot is +500 USD per base unit. The premium divided by spot is +1%. For one base unit, the price difference is +500 USD. Reversing the two prices reverses the sign under this convention.
Open Spot–Futures Premium Worksheet
A positive result means the supplied futures price is higher. It does not measure funding paid, realized cash flow or a net arbitrage return. An opposite basis convention can report the same two prices with the opposite sign, so record the definition alongside the number.
Official documentation used in this comparison
- CME contract notional value — Contract size, notional value and hedging concepts.
- Kraken account history export — Separate trade, ledger and balance records.
- Coinbase Advanced order types — Market, limit, stop-limit and partial-fill mechanisms.
- Binance official Spot filters — Official symbol-filter and trading-data schemas.
- OKX API schemas — Instrument, order-book and candle schemas.
- Bybit inverse P&L — Inverse P&L and settlement-coin explanation.
- BitMEX perpetual payout types — Inverse, linear and quanto payout specifications.
- Deribit inverse futures units — Explicit inverse quote face-value and settlement units.
- Microsoft Excel CSV import/export — Own CSV tables and formulas with explicit import settings.
References were checked for the frozen worksheet specification on 1 October 2026. Product eligibility, plans, availability and rules may change. No price or performance rating is inferred from these links.