# Perpetual Trading *Perpetual trading, also referred to as perpetual swaps or perpetual contracts, is a derivative financial product that enables traders to speculate on the value of an underlying asset without a specified expiration date. While similar to futures contracts in some ways, these contracts lack a fixed expiry or settlement date. Instead, they are intended to be held indefinitely, with traders making regular payments to maintain their position.* *This enables traders to capitalize on price fluctuations on an ongoing basis, rather than being restricted to the expiration of a traditional futures contract. Perpetual trading is frequently used in the cryptocurrency market, where decentralized exchanges (DEXs) often provide it as a means for traders to speculate on the value of a range of digital assets.* --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://crypto-bank-1.gitbook.io/crypto-bank-exchange/introduction/perpetual-trading.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.