Letโs understand how funding works โ visually first โ and then how to build a low-risk arbitrage model around it.
Why Funding Rate Exists (Visual Understanding)
In perpetual futures, there is no expiry date So exchanges use a funding mechanism to keep the perpetual price close to the spot (underlying) price.
From this visual:
When Perpetual Price > Spot Price โ Market is aggressively long โ Funding becomes positive
When Perpetual Price < Spot Price โ Market is aggressively short โ Funding becomes negativeFunding is simply a balancing tool. It incentivizes traders to take the opposite side of crowded positions. 2- The Core Funding Rule (Who Pays Whom?)
Now letโs simplify it completely.
The rule is simple:
If Funding is POSITIVE: Longs pay Shorts If Funding is NEGATIVE: Shorts pay Longs
Formula: Funding Payment = Position Size ร Funding Rate
For Example:
$10,000 ร 0.2% = $20 per funding interval
On Binance, funding usually occurs every 8 hours (3 times daily).
3- The Funding Arbitrage Strategy (Spot + Futures Hedge)
Now the powerful part. We remove directional exposure and monetize funding imbalance.
Case 1: Funding Is Positive (Most Common) : If funding = +0.15%, +0.20%, +0.30%
This means longs are paying.
Strategy:
Buy asset in Spot
Short same amount in Perpetual Futures
Now your position is market-neutral.
if price rises:
Spot gainsFutures loses
โ Net neutral
If price drops:
Spot losesFutures gains
โ Net neutral
But you collect funding as the short.
You are earning from market imbalance, not direction.
Case 2: Funding Is Negative
If funding = -0.10%, -0.20%
Shorts are paying.
Strategy:
Sell spot (or borrow & sell)Long perpetualNow you collect funding as the long.
This reinforces that funding itself is the income source.
#FundingFeeExplain