What is spot?Spot
A trade delivered and paid for right away (or very soon); its price is the spot price.
Learn “spot” in an animated lesson
- Physical CommoditiesWhat Are Commodities?
Crude oil, gold, copper, wheat… standardized physical goods traded in bulk. They're the raw materials of the world economy.
- Crypto BasicsPerpetual Futures and Funding Rates
Contracts with no expiry date use a "funding rate" to stay close to spot: longs and shorts regularly pay each other a fee.
- Futures BasicsBasis and Convergence at Expiry
The futures price isn't the same as the spot price, and the gap between them is the basis. As expiry approaches, the futures price moves toward spot.
- Futures BasicsWhat Are Futures?
A farmer and a bakery agree today on the price of wheat in 3 months. That's a futures contract: a standardized agreement to buy or sell at a fixed price in the future.
Related terms
See how “spot” works for yourself with an animation you can drag and play.
Go to “What Are Commodities?”