Four trading methods get their own section here because people search for them: day trading, margin, swing trading, and futures. Each one can lose more than a simple purchase, and leverage can lose more than the cash you deposited.
Every method below comes with a current tutorial, a plain explainer, a book and a course. Read the explainer before the video: videos sell the upside, explainers describe the mechanics and the risk.
If a video promises a daily dollar amount, assume it is an advertisement for a course or a referral code. Paper-trade or use a tiny size for months before you decide the method fits you. Most people should not do this with rent money. Not financial advice.
Trading · Topic 1 of 4
Day trading
You open and close positions the same day and try to catch short moves. Spreads and fees are charged on every round trip, so a strategy that looks good on a chart can lose once costs are included. You also need time at the screen and a written stop. “I will just watch it” is how small losses become large ones. The article below teaches a specific ruleset; rules do not guarantee a profit.
Plays from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play · Watch on YouTube
Trading · Topic 2 of 4
Margin trading
Margin means borrowing to make the position bigger. A 5x position that moves 20 percent against you is a total loss, and the exchange can close it before you react. Interest (or a funding-like fee) accrues while the trade is open. Kraken’s explainer walks through margin levels and liquidation with real numbers. Read the liquidation price before you enter, and assume you will hit it at least once while learning.
Plays from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play · Watch on YouTube
Trading · Topic 3 of 4
Swing trading
Swing trades last days or weeks instead of minutes. You are still forecasting direction, and you are still paying fees, but you are not glued to a one-minute chart. Overnight gaps in crypto are normal because the market does not close. A stop-loss set in the evening can fill far from the price you typed. Position size matters more than the indicator.
Plays from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play · Watch on YouTube
Trading · Topic 4 of 4
Futures
A crypto futures contract is a bet on price that settles later, usually with leverage built in. Perpetual swaps add a funding payment between longs and shorts so the contract tracks the spot price. Funding can flip your expected profit into a loss even if price goes your way. Schwager’s futures book is about established markets and risk, which is the part crypto Twitter skips. Liquidation is not a rare event for small accounts.
Plays from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play · Watch on YouTube
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which of these is safest?
None of them are safe. Day trading and futures add costs and leverage on top of an already volatile price. Holding a small amount is still risky, and it is a different activity from trading.
Can beginners make money day trading crypto?
Few do. Fees, spreads and emotional decisions eat most small accounts. If you want to learn, paper-trade or use a tiny amount for months before risking more.
What is liquidation?
When a leveraged position loses enough that your collateral no longer covers it, the exchange closes it for you. You lose the margin you posted, and it can happen within minutes in a fast market.
Do I have to pay tax on crypto trades?
In most countries, yes. Each trade can be a taxable event. Keep records of every buy, sell and fee, and check the rules where you live.
