# How to Hedge Bitcoin 24/7 > A short BTC perpetual can offset some or all of the price exposure on Bitcoin you already own. Match the coin exposure, fund the margin, and plan both sides of the exit. - Canonical: https://www.liquid.trade/learn/how-to-hedge-bitcoin-24-7 - Published: 2026-09-18 - Category: Strategy - Tags: Bitcoin, BTC, Hedging, Perpetuals, 24/7 Trading --- **The direct answer:** Open a short [BTC perpetual on Liquid](https://app.liquid.trade/trade/BTC) against Bitcoin you already own. To hedge half your BTC, short half the coin amount; to hedge its full price exposure, short the same amount. You keep your Bitcoin while the short gains when its price falls. The tradeoff is that the short loses when Bitcoin rises. A larger hedge reduces both downside and upside, and you need separate collateral to keep the short open. ## Why hedge Bitcoin without selling it? You may want to keep coins in cold storage while reducing dollar-price swings during a news event or while deciding whether to sell. A perpetual lets you do that without moving or borrowing your BTC. [Bitcoin.org explains](https://bitcoin.org/en/faq) that Bitcoin's price depends on supply and demand and remains volatile. A hedge reduces the price exposure you carry through that volatility. For example, holding 0.5 BTC and shorting 0.25 BTC leaves roughly 0.25 BTC of net exposure. ## How much BTC should I short to hedge my holdings? For a dollar-quoted BTC perpetual, start with: **Short BTC quantity = BTC held × target hedge percentage.** Multiply that quantity by the current BTC price to get the dollar notional—the size of the position. Your collateral is the money you set aside to support it. Suppose you own **0.5 BTC** and Bitcoin is hypothetically **$80,000**. Your holding is worth $40,000. A 50% hedge shorts 0.25 BTC, or $20,000 of initial notional. A 100% hedge shorts 0.5 BTC, or $40,000. | BTC price move | Unhedged 0.5 BTC | 50% hedge: combined PnL | 100% hedge: combined PnL | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Falls to $72,000 | −$4,000 | −$4,000 spot + $2,000 short = −$2,000 | −$4,000 spot + $4,000 short = $0 | | Rises to $88,000 | +$4,000 | +$4,000 spot − $2,000 short = +$2,000 | +$4,000 spot − $4,000 short = $0 | These hypothetical results assume matching price moves and an open short, before fees, funding, and execution differences. The full hedge gives up the price gain as well as offsetting the decline. ## Can I hedge Bitcoin kept in cold storage? Yes. Keep your BTC in your wallet and fund the short in your trading account. If Bitcoin rallies, your wallet gains value while the short loses money. Those wallet gains do not automatically cover the trading account's losses, and moving funds during a fast market can take too long. Leave enough margin for a BTC rise and funding costs. If the short is liquidated, your Bitcoin loses that protection against the next decline. See [What Is Liquidation?](/learn/what-is-liquidation) and [Cross Margin vs. Isolated Margin](/learn/cross-margin-vs-isolated-margin) for how the account manages that collateral. ## Does a BTC hedge protect wrapped Bitcoin or a Bitcoin fund? Yes, it can reduce their BTC price exposure. Size the short from the Bitcoin represented by the holding, rather than the number of fund shares or wrapper tokens. Tracking differences remain: funds have fees and can trade at premiums or discounts; wrappers can lose their peg or face redemption problems. The short does not cover lost keys, missing backing, or custodian and smart contract failures. ## What does a 24/7 Bitcoin hedge cost? The main costs are entry and exit fees, spread, slippage, and [funding](/learn/what-are-funding-rates). Shorts receive positive funding and pay negative funding under the usual convention. The rate can change, so count actual payments rather than assuming ongoing income. Liquid's BTC perpetual is designed to trade through nights and weekends. Access depends on your location and market availability; thin liquidity, outages, or delayed transfers can affect execution and margin management. ## How do I hedge Bitcoin on Liquid? 1. Count your BTC holdings and choose the percentage of price exposure to reduce. 2. Open [BTC on Liquid](https://app.liquid.trade/trade/BTC) and select short. 3. Enter the BTC quantity or dollar notional, then choose collateral and leverage. 4. Check the price, fees, funding, and estimated liquidation level before confirming. 5. Set alerts and decide when to close or review the hedge. 6. Reduce the short if you sell or spend BTC, and reassess it if you buy more. Plan both exits together. Selling your BTC while keeping the short leaves you betting on a decline. A [stop loss](/learn/what-is-a-stop-loss) can also close the short and restore BTC exposure; its trigger price is not a guaranteed fill. [Explore Bitcoin →](/markets/bitcoin) · [Understand crypto shorts →](/learn/how-to-short-crypto)