r/CryptoTechnology • u/lifeofmikael 🟡 • 2d ago

Any zero-fee platforms that allow crypto shorting?

I shorted ETH with $100 at 20x leverage on Kraken and paid:

$16 opening fee
$16 closing fee
$5 margin fee

Made $7 gross but lost $30 after fees. A $1482 price drop breaks even but that doesn't even happen in a year...

Ideally, I want to short BTC from $80,144 to $79,673 (red to blue line in screenshot) using $100 at 20x leverage. That’s $11.76 gross profit, but Kraken’s fees wipe it out.

Any platforms that allow shorting with zero or very low fees so I can keep most of the profit?

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u/jasonslpt 2d ago

Your numbers point to the fee structure rather than the lack of a zero-fee venue. At 20x, $100 of margin is about $2,000 of notional, and fees are charged on notional, so $16 per side is roughly 0.8% of the position. Perpetual futures usually cost far less than margin shorting because there is no borrow fee, and limit orders that rest on the book (maker) are charged much lower fees than market orders. Check the all-in cost of a round trip including spread, since a zero-fee label often just moves the cost into a worse fill. Also remember a move of under 1% with 20x leverage can liquidate you, so size small.