How do I read contract ticker symbols?

17 April 2025 16:26
Updated

BitMEX uses a standardized syntax to construct its contract ticker symbols. This guide explains how to interpret these symbols for both Perpetual and Futures contracts.

Ticker Symbol for Perpetual Contracts

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| The first three letters of perpetual contracts refer to the home currency and which series it's in. For example, In XBTUSD, "XBT" indicates that the contract is in the XBT (Bitcoin) series and its home currency is XBT.

| The second part of the symbol specifies the currency in which the contract is quoted. In XBTUSD's case, "USD" indicates that the contract is quoted in US Dollars.

Ticker Symbol for Futures Contracts

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| The first three letters refer to which series the contract is in. For XBTN22, it's the XBT series.

| The fourth letter represents the contract's expiration month. Refer to the Futures Month Codes documentation to see which months correspond to which letter. In XBTN22, "N" corresponds to July.

| The numbers at the end of the symbol specify the contract's expiration year. In XBTN22, "N" indicates the year 2022.

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