The 5 Basic Order Types Used in Crypto Trading Explained

The 5 Basic Order Types Used in Crypto Trading Explained

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A good understanding of the different types of crypto orders goes a long way toward ensuring your success as a trader. Understanding these order types is actually one of the basics of trading, and it will help you navigate the ever-changing crypto market easily and wisely respond to fluctuations in the bitcoin price.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at the most common trade orders in crypto trading and how they work.

What Order Type Means in Crypto

In cryptocurrency trading, an order type is the specific instructions traders feed to crypto exchanges to be able to trade in digital assets. These instructions are essential for effectively managing risk and taking profits in the fast-paced and unpredictable cryptocurrency market.

The selected order type essentially dictates how a trade is executed, in relation to variables like automation level, pricing accuracy, and execution speed. The conditions you set will then determine when the transaction takes place.

To determine the order type you opt for, you can look at the type of transaction you want to execute. Each should have a strategy, which will then inform the order type. Note that each comes with its set of advantages and challenges, so also consider the amount of risk you’d like to take.

Order Types Used in Crypto Trading

Here are five of the most common trade orders you’ll encounter in crypto trading:

A market order is a command to buy or sell crypto at the current best market price. This ensures prompt execution. However, market orders also come with higher fees compared to other order types. Additionally, they are subject to slippage where the actual execution price differs from the anticipated price.

Unlike market orders, limit orders give traders more control over execution and price. They are executed only at a specified price, so traders have the flexibility to set specific selling or buying prices.

The downside however is that with limit orders, there is no guarantee to execute as the target price may not be met within the period you anticipate. Also, they may not fill right away because of the pricing sequence in which orders are handled.

This type of order brings an automation element to trading strategies. It does so by initiating a buy or sell transaction at the market price when a predetermined stop price is achieved. Traders use stop orders to guard profits and restrict losses. However, these orders aren’t always executed if the market falls short of the stop price. Like marker orders, stop orders are susceptible to slippage.

A stop-limit order combines features of limit and stop orders. It allows traders to set a stop price and limit price for purchasing or selling. Stop-limit orders provide precise control over the execution price. However, both the limit and stop prices must be fulfilled, and if the market doesn’t reach the limit price, the order might not be filled completely.

Tailored to safeguard profits and cut losses, this order type dynamically modifies the stop price when the market price shifts in favor of the trader. With a trailing stop order, you can manage trades with flexibility and without constant supervision, helping optimize earnings during price uptrends. The downside however is that this order type is vulnerable to changes in the market and possibly misleading signals during erratic periods.

Besides the above, other crypto order types include taking profit limit orders, stop market orders and take profit market orders. Whether you’ve just begun your crypto trading journey or are an expert, getting acquainted with these order types and understanding how they function is essential.

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