BTC
USD
What BTCUSD is
BTCUSD is the price of Bitcoin quoted in US dollars. When a broker lists BTCUSD, it usually offers a CFD (contract for difference). A CFD is a contract that pays the difference between the opening and closing price of a position. You never own or receive any Bitcoin.
Exness lists BTCUSD. The Standard account covers forex, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, stocks, indices, and BTCUSD is named among the instruments eligible for unlimited leverage: Forex majors and minors, DXY, USDCNH, HKDJPY, USDHKD, USDTHB; all commodities except XAUUSD247; BTCUSD, BTCUSDT, ETHUSD, ETHBTC. The cent version is called BTCUSDc, and it has a platform limit: MT4 and MT5 (BTCUSDc, ETHUSDc not on MT4).
What Bitcoin is
Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency. It runs on a public ledger called a blockchain, and no central bank or company controls it.
- Fixed supply schedule. The software sets a hard maximum on the number of coins that can ever exist. New coins are released to miners as a block reward on a pre-set schedule.
- Halvings. At set intervals the block reward is cut, which slows the rate at which new coins appear. Halvings are known in advance, so their effect on price is debated rather than certain.
What moves the Bitcoin price
- Demand and sentiment. News, social media and large holders buying or selling can move the price sharply.
- Interest rates and the US dollar. Bitcoin often reacts to central bank decisions and to risk appetite in general. See fundamental analysis.
- Regulation. Rules or bans announced in large economies can cause fast moves.
- Crypto industry events. Exchange failures, hacks and exchange-traded fund flows have all moved the market in the past.
- Liquidity. In thin trading hours, prices can jump between levels with no trades in between (a gap).
Bitcoin is far more volatile than major currency pairs. Large daily moves are normal, and a leveraged position can be wiped out in minutes.
Bitcoin CFD vs holding the coin
| BTCUSD CFD | Buying Bitcoin | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | No coins, only a price contract | You own the coins |
| Wallet | Not needed | Needed, and you must keep it secure |
| Direction | Positions can be opened in either direction | Profit only if the price rises |
| Leverage | Yes, which magnifies gains and losses | Usually none on a spot purchase |
| Overnight cost | Swap may apply | No swap |
| Hours | Set by the broker's schedule | Crypto markets trade around the clock |
A swap is a fee or credit for keeping a position open overnight. Exness states that by default all accounts are swap-free on listed instruments; the status can be lost, and that Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan are given swap-free status automatically. Check the current swap for BTCUSD in the platform specification. More on this in swap fees and crypto CFD vs buying coins.
Weekend trading: check the BTCUSD trading hours in the platform. Do not assume the CFD follows the same hours as crypto exchanges.
Exness conditions to check for BTCUSD
The facts below are general account conditions from Exness pages. For anything specific to BTCUSD, check the specification in the platform. That covers contract size, spread, swap, trading hours and minimum volume.
- Execution: on Pro, instant (forex, metals, energies, stocks, indices), market (cryptocurrencies). On Standard: market execution.
- Lot size: the general minimum is 0.01 lot, but some instruments differ. Check BTCUSD itself.
- Leverage: up to 1:Unlimited on Standard, but unlimited leverage requires on real accounts: equity below 5,000 USD and at least 10 closed orders totalling 5 lots or more across real accounts.
- News: from 15 minutes before to 90 seconds after high-impact news, higher margin requirements can apply.
- Margin call and stop out: Standard Cent: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Standard: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Pro: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Raw Spread: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Zero: margin call 30%, stop out 0%. Note that 0% stop out not supported in some countries; may vary.
- Negative balance: balance reset to 0 after stop out.
- Commission: Raw Spread up to 3.50 USD each side per lot, Zero from 0.05 USD each side per lot. The crypto rate can differ, so check it in the platform.
Compare accounts in account types.
Working out pip value and margin
A pip is the minimum price step used to measure moves. On BTCUSD its size is set in the specification. Margin is the money locked to keep a position open.
Use the pip calculator to see what one pip is worth for your lot size:
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
Use the margin calculator to see how much margin a position needs at a given leverage:
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
High leverage lowers the margin required, but it does not lower the risk. On an asset as volatile as Bitcoin, a small move against you can trigger stop out. Read risk management before trading.
Ready to try it on a real or demo account?
Partner link · trading carries a high risk of loss
Legal position in Pakistan
Pakistani regulators have made public statements on offshore trading platforms. According to these:
- On payments: per the SBP, remitting foreign exchange to overseas forex/margin/CFD platforms is not allowed through any payment channel (FERA s.5(1))
- On buying: per the SBP, the purchase of offshore forex/margin/CFD products by Pakistani residents violates section 4(1) of FERA 1947
- On protection: per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse
Read law and regulators and regulation and safety before you open any account.
Frequent questions
Is BTCUSD on Exness real Bitcoin?
No. It is a CFD. You trade the price difference and never hold coins or a wallet.
Can I trade Bitcoin CFDs on MT4 with a cent account?
No. For cent accounts the condition is MT4 and MT5 (BTCUSDc, ETHUSDc not on MT4). See MetaTrader 5.
Is BTCUSD open at weekends?
Check the trading hours for BTCUSD in the platform, because schedules can change.
Can I practise first?
Yes. A demo account comes with 10,000 USD (virtual). Note that demo not available for Standard Cent. See demo account.
Is Bitcoin trading a way to earn money?
No. Leveraged CFD trading on a volatile asset can lose money fast, and many traders lose. Never trade money you cannot afford to lose.
Where can I read about other coins?
See crypto CFDs and ETHUSD.
