How Helix’s Pre-Launch Futures Outperform Other Crypto Futures Products

Prateek Tripathi
7 min readNov 5, 2023

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Futures are a type of derivative contract that allows traders to speculate on the future price of an underlying asset, such as a cryptocurrency. Futures contracts have a fixed expiration date and a predetermined settlement price, which is the price at which the contract is closed and the profits or losses are realized.

Futures are one of the most popular and liquid instruments in the crypto market, as they offer several advantages for traders, such as:

  • Hedging: Futures can help traders reduce their exposure to price fluctuations and protect their portfolio from adverse market movements.
  • Leverage: Futures allow traders to use borrowed funds to amplify their returns and trade with more capital than they actually have.
  • Arbitrage: Futures enable traders to exploit price differences between different markets and platforms and profit from the discrepancies.
  • Diversification: Futures provide traders with access to a wide range of crypto assets and markets, allowing them to diversify their trading strategies and opportunities.

However, not all futures products are created equal. There are different types of futures contracts in the crypto market, such as:

  • Perpetual futures: These are futures contracts that have no expiration date and are settled in the underlying asset. Perpetual futures are the most common and popular type of futures in the crypto market, as they offer high liquidity and flexibility for traders. However, perpetual futures also have some drawbacks, such as:
  • Funding rate: Perpetual futures require traders to pay or receive a periodic fee, called the funding rate, to keep the contract price aligned with the spot price. The funding rate can be positive or negative, depending on the market conditions and the direction of the trade. The funding rate can have a significant impact on the profitability of the trade, especially for long-term positions.
  • Price slippage: Perpetual futures are subject to price slippage, which is the difference between the expected price and the actual price of the trade execution. Price slippage can occur due to high volatility, low liquidity, or network congestion. Price slippage can result in lower returns or higher losses for the trader.
  • Liquidation risk: Perpetual futures involve leverage, which means that traders can lose more than their initial margin if the price moves against their position. If the margin level falls below a certain threshold, the position will be automatically closed by the exchange, resulting in a liquidation. Liquidation can cause significant losses for the trader and affect the overall market stability.
  • Fixed-term futures: These are futures contracts that have a specific expiration date and are settled in cash or in the underlying asset. Fixed-term futures are less popular and liquid than perpetual futures, as they offer less flexibility and convenience for traders. However, fixed-term futures also have some advantages, such as:
  • No funding rate: Fixed-term futures do not have a funding rate, which means that traders do not have to pay or receive any fees to maintain their positions. This can save costs and improve the profitability of the trade, especially for long-term positions.
  • Price certainty: Fixed-term futures have a predetermined settlement price, which means that traders know exactly what price they will receive or pay at the expiration date. This can reduce the uncertainty and risk of the trade, especially for hedging purposes.
  • No liquidation risk: Fixed-term futures do not involve leverage, which means that traders can only lose their initial margin if the price moves against their position. There is no risk of liquidation, which can protect the trader from extreme losses and market shocks.

What are Pre-Launch Futures?

Pre-Launch Futures are a new type of futures contract that allows traders to speculate on the price of tokens that are not yet listed on public exchanges. Pre-Launch Futures are offered by Helix, a decentralized orderbook exchange built on Injective, a layer-one blockchain optimized for Web3 finance applications. Helix offers fast, secure, and transparent trading of any crypto asset, including unlisted tokens.

Pre-Launch Futures are similar to fixed-term futures, as they have a specific expiration date and are settled in cash or in the underlying asset. However, Pre-Launch Futures have some unique features and benefits, such as:

  • Access to unlisted tokens: Pre-Launch Futures provide traders with access to tokens that are not yet available on public exchanges, such as tokens from upcoming ICOs, IDOs, or IEOs. This can give traders an early exposure and opportunity to profit from the potential price appreciation of these tokens.
  • Price discovery: Pre-Launch Futures enable traders to discover and influence the price of unlisted tokens, based on their demand and supply. This can help the token issuers and the market participants to gauge the fair value and the market sentiment of these tokens, before their official launch.
  • Risk management: Pre-Launch Futures allow traders to hedge their risk and protect their investment in unlisted tokens, by locking in a fixed price and avoiding the volatility and uncertainty of the launch. This can also help the token issuers and the market participants to reduce the price manipulation and the dumping pressure of these tokens, after their official launch.

How to Trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix?

Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is easy and convenient, as it follows the same steps and procedures as trading any other futures contract on Helix. Here is a brief overview of how to trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix:

  • Create an account: To trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix, you need to create an account on Helix’s website or app, and connect your wallet to the Helix platform. Helix supports various wallets, such as MetaMask, WalletConnect, or Injective Wallet.
  • Choose a contract: To trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix, you need to choose a contract from the list of available Pre-Launch Futures contracts on Helix’s website or app. Helix offers Pre-Launch Futures contracts for various tokens, such as Celestia (TIA), Polkadot (DOT), or Solana (SOL). Each contract has a specific expiration date and a settlement price, which is determined by the average price of the token on the public exchanges, after its official launch.
  • Place an order: To trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix, you need to place an order on the Helix orderbook, specifying the quantity, the price, and the direction of the trade (buy or sell). You can also use various order types, such as limit, market, or stop orders, to execute your trade according to your preferences and strategies.
  • Monitor and manage your position: To trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix, you need to monitor and manage your position on the Helix dashboard, where you can see your balance, your margin, your profit and loss, and your open and closed positions. You can also modify or cancel your orders, or close your position, at any time before the expiration date.
  • Receive or pay the settlement price: To trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix, you need to receive or pay the settlement price at the expiration date, depending on the direction and the outcome of your trade. If you buy a Pre-Launch Futures contract, you will receive the underlying token or its equivalent value in cash, if the settlement price is higher than the price you paid. If you sell a Pre-Launch Futures contract, you will pay the underlying token or its equivalent value in cash, if the settlement price is lower than the price you received.

Why Trade Pre-Launch Futures on Helix?

Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix has many advantages and benefits, compared to trading other futures products in the crypto market, such as:

  • Innovation: Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is a novel and innovative way to trade unlisted tokens, which is not offered by any other platform in the crypto market. Helix is the first and only exchange that allows traders to trade Pre-Launch Futures, giving them a unique and competitive edge in the crypto market.
  • Performance: Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is fast and efficient, as Helix is built on Injective, a layer-one blockchain that offers high scalability, low latency, and low fees for Web3 finance applications. Helix can process thousands of transactions per second, with sub-second finality, and near-zero gas fees, ensuring a smooth and seamless trading experience for traders.
  • Security: Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is secure and transparent, as Helix is a decentralized orderbook exchange that operates on a peer-to-peer network, without any intermediaries or custodians. Helix uses cryptographic proofs and smart contracts to ensure the integrity and the validity of the trades, and allows traders to retain full control and ownership of their funds and assets.
  • Flexibility: Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is flexible and convenient, as Helix offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, compatible with various devices and platforms, such as web, mobile, or desktop. Helix also supports various wallets, such as MetaMask, WalletConnect, or Injective Wallet, and various currencies, such as USDT, ETH, or INJ, for trading Pre-Launch Futures.
  • Liquidity: Trading Pre-Launch Futures on Helix is liquid and profitable, as Helix has a large and active community of traders, investors, and partners, who provide ample liquidity and demand for Pre-Launch Futures. Helix also leverages the liquidity and the network effects of Injective, which is integrated with various protocols and platforms, such as Uniswap, Binance Smart Chain, or Polygon, for cross-chain interoperability and compatibility.

Conclusion

Pre-Launch Futures are a new type of futures contract that allows traders to speculate on the price of tokens that are not yet listed on public exchanges. Pre-Launch Futures are offered by Helix, a decentralized orderbook exchange built on Injective, a layer-one blockchain optimized for Web3 finance applications.

Pre-Launch Futures have many advantages and benefits over other futures products in the crypto market, such as:

  • Access to unlisted tokens
  • Price discovery
  • Risk management
  • Innovation
  • Performance
  • Security
  • Flexibility
  • Liquidity

Pre-Launch Futures are a game-changer for the crypto market, as they enable traders to trade unlisted tokens before their official launch, and influence and benefit from their price movements. Pre-Launch Futures are also a boon for the token issuers and the market participants, as they help them to gauge and improve the fair value and the market sentiment of these tokens, and reduce the price manipulation and the dumping pressure of these tokens, after their official launch.

If you are interested in trading Pre-Launch Futures, you can visit Helix’s website or app, and create an account to start trading. You can also join Helix’s community on Telegram, Twitter, or Medium, to stay updated on the latest news and developments of Helix and Pre-Launch Futures.

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Prateek Tripathi

Introducing Prateek Tripathi, a tech-savvy individual with a passion for all things crypto, blockchain, and coding.