A spot market is a marketplace in which securities, commodities, currencies and other financial instruments are traded for immediate delivery. It contrasts with a futures market, in which delivery is due at a later date. Spot markets can be based on physical locations (such as exchanges) or through electronic networks such as ECNs (electronic communication networks).
In the context of cryptocurrencies, the spot market is an exchange where digital assets (cryptocurrencies) are bought and sold for immediate settlement. Buyers enter into contracts to purchase cryptos from sellers at predetermined prices. The price that buyers pay reflects current supply and demand conditions in the cryptocurrency markets—i.e., the “spot” price of each crypto at any given moment in time. All trades are settled immediately without credit risk or counterparty risk; this makes spot trading ideal for traders seeking fast execution times and low transaction fees while avoiding long-term commitment to positions they want to exit quickly when market conditions change suddenly or unexpectedly.
The majority of major cryptocurrency exchanges offer some form of spot trading—usually pairing cryptos against fiat currency like USD, EUR, JPY etc.—as well as derivatives products such as futures or options contracts that allow traders to speculate on future changes in value without actually taking ownership of the underlying asset(s).
