Perpetual futures have become one of the most popular instruments in cryptocurrency trading due to their flexibility, leverage options, and absence of expiration dates. A critical component that keeps perpetual contracts aligned with the underlying market is the funding rate mechanism. This system ensures price stability and fairness between long and short traders on platforms like OKX.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how the funding rate works, how it's calculated, and what traders need to know about fee collection and distribution—especially those actively managing positions across different margin modes.
What Is the Funding Rate Mechanism?
The funding rate mechanism is a unique feature of perpetual futures contracts designed to tether the contract price to the spot (index) price of the underlying asset. Since perpetuals don’t expire like traditional futures, this alignment prevents prolonged divergence between market and index prices.
On OKX, the funding rate acts as a periodic transfer of funds between traders holding opposing positions:
- When the funding rate is positive, long position holders pay short position holders.
- When the funding rate is negative, short position holders pay long position holders.
Importantly, OKX does not take a cut from these transfers. The platform only facilitates the exchange—ensuring traders directly compensate each other based on market imbalances.
👉 Discover how funding rates can work in your favor during volatile markets.
Funding Fee Schedule and Timing
Funding fees are typically assessed every 8 hours at 00:00, 08:00, and 16:00 UTC, unless otherwise specified for certain contracts (some may settle every 1, 2, or 4 hours).
Key points about timing:
- Fees are determined within milliseconds and do not interrupt trading.
- You are liable for payment or entitled to receive funds only if you hold an open position at the time of settlement.
- Closing your position before the funding timestamp exempts you from the fee.
- If a contract is delisted before funding occurs, the current cycle’s fee is voided.
- Actual settlement may take up to one minute. For example, opening a position at 00:00:20 UTC could still subject you to funding if the calculation hasn’t finalized.
Additionally, OKX reserves the right to adjust settlement times dynamically based on real-time market conditions.
How Is the Funding Rate Calculated?
OKX uses an advanced, multi-stage model to compute the funding rate, ensuring accuracy and responsiveness. There are two main versions currently in use: the legacy method and the updated premium-based model.
Updated Funding Rate Formula
Funding Rate = Clamp [Average Premium Index + Clamp (Interest Rate – Average Premium Index, 0.05%, -0.05%), Max Funding Rate, Min Funding Rate]Let’s break this down:
1. Interest Rate
- Set at 0.03% daily, divided by the number of settlement periods per day.
- For 8-hour intervals:
0.03% / 3 = 0.01% per cycle.
2. Premium Index
This reflects the deviation between the perpetual contract price and its index price:
Premium Index = [Max(0, Impact Bid Price – Index Price) – Max(0, Index Price – Impact Ask Price)] / Index Price3. Impact Bid/Ask Prices
These represent the average execution price required to fill a large order (the "impact size"), calculated as:
Impact Size = 200 × Maximum Allowed Leverage
Impact Bid/Ask Price = Impact Size / Total Base Amount Needed to Fill Impact SizeFor example, in BTCUSDT perpetuals with high leverage (e.g., 125x), the impact size would be 200 × 125 = 25,000 USDT.
4. Average Premium Index
Calculated using a weighted moving average over the last settlement interval (e.g., 8 hours):
Weighted Avg = (1×P₁ + 2×P₂ + ... + n×Pₙ) / (1+2+...+n)This gives more weight to recent data, improving responsiveness.
5. Clamping Function
Ensures the rate stays within predefined bounds to prevent extreme volatility:
- Minimum and maximum thresholds vary by contract and are published on OKX.
- Prevents excessive payments during flash crashes or surges.
👉 See real-time funding rates and optimize your trading strategy today.
How Is the Funding Fee Paid or Received?
The actual funding fee owed or received is calculated as:
Funding Fee = Position Value × Funding RateBut how “position value” is defined depends on the margin type.
For USDT-Margined or USDC-Margined Contracts
Position Value = Number of Contracts × Contract Size × Multiplier × Mark PriceExample:
You hold a long position in 10 BTCUSDT perpetual contracts.
- Contract size: 0.01 BTC
- Mark price: 60,000 USDT
- Funding rate: 0.1%
Position Value = 10 × 0.01 × 1 × 60,000 = 6,000 USDT
Funding Fee = 6,000 × 0.1% = 6 USDT (paid by longs)For Crypto-Margined Contracts (e.g., ETHUSD)
Position Value = Number of Contracts × Contract Size × Multiplier / Mark PriceExample:
You hold a short position in 100 ETHUSD contracts.
- Contract size: $10
- Mark price: $4,000
- Funding rate: 0.1%
Position Value = 100 × 10 × 1 / 4,000 = 0.25 ETH
Funding Fee = 0.25 × 0.1% = 0.00025 ETH (paid to shorts)Funding Fee Collection & Distribution
When Fees Are Collected (You Pay)
- The full amount is deducted even if it pushes your margin below liquidation levels.
- In Isolated Margin Mode, fees come solely from the isolated position’s margin balance.
- In Cross-Margin Mode, fees are taken from your overall cross-margin equity (single-currency, multi-currency, or portfolio margin).
- Open orders remain active; no automatic cancellations occur.
- If insufficient funds exist after deduction, partial or full liquidation may follow.
When Fees Are Distributed (You Receive)
- The full amount is credited immediately.
- In Isolated Margin Mode, funds are added directly to the position’s margin balance—potentially increasing headroom against liquidation.
- In Cross-Margin Mode, amounts are added to your general cross-margin equity pool.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do I get charged funding fees if I close my position right before settlement?
No. As long as your position is closed before the funding timestamp (e.g., before 08:00 UTC), you will neither pay nor receive funding fees.
Q: Can funding rates cause my position to be liquidated?
Yes. If your margin balance drops below maintenance levels after a funding deduction—even temporarily—liquidation may occur.
Q: Why does OKX use impact bid/ask prices instead of best bid/ask?
Impact prices reflect realistic execution costs for large trades, making the premium index more accurate and resistant to manipulation.
Q: Are funding rates predictable?
While not guaranteed, they often follow trends. Sustained high long interest usually leads to positive rates; strong short dominance results in negative rates.
Q: How can I check upcoming funding rates on OKX?
Real-time and historical funding rates are displayed directly on the trading interface and via API endpoints.
Q: Does OKX profit from funding fees?
No. OKX acts purely as a facilitator—transferring funds between traders without retaining any portion of the fee.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the funding rate mechanism is essential for any trader using perpetual futures. It influences holding costs, strategy timing, and risk management—especially for leveraged positions held over multiple cycles.
By leveraging transparent calculations involving premium index, impact pricing, and dynamic clamping, OKX ensures fair and efficient alignment between perpetual contract prices and real-world asset values.
👉 Start monitoring live funding rates and refine your entry/exit strategy now.