Long Position
A bet that an asset's price will rise, profiting as it climbs and losing as it falls.
Going long is the simplest trade: buy expecting the price to rise, sell later for more. Holding spot Bitcoin is a long position. So is a leveraged long on a futures contract, which borrows to amplify the same directional bet.
Plain spot longs can't lose more than you put in; the price can only fall to zero. Leveraged longs are different. Borrow to go long and a sharp drop can trigger liquidation, closing the trade and taking your margin before any recovery. Direction is right; timing and sizing are what kill people.
Related terms
A bet that an asset's price will fall, made by selling borrowed coins to buy back cheaper.
LeverageBorrowed money used to control a larger position than your own capital would allow, amplifying gains and losses.
FuturesContracts to buy or sell an asset at a set price on a future date, often traded with leverage.
BullishDescribes an expectation that a price will rise, or a trader positioned to profit from gains.