Trade Crypto Futures: Bitcoin, Ethereum & Micro | TD Ameritrade

To get started, you first need to open a TD Ameritrade account.  From there, you will be prompted to open a futures account with TD Ameritrade’s affiliate, Charles Schwab Futures and Forex. There are certain qualifications and restrictions: you must be futures approved and use a non-retirement account to trade cryptocurrencies.  Please note that the Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC margin requirement for bitcoin futures products is 1.5 times higher than the exchange margin requirements, and is subject to change without notice.

Funds must be fully cleared in your account before they can be used to trade any futures contracts, including cryptocurrency futures. ACH and Express Funding methods require up to four business days for deposits to clear. Wire transfers are cleared the same business day.

Futures products carry unique and often significant risks.  You should carefully consider whether trading in cryptocurrency futures is appropriate for you in light of your experience, objectives, financial resources, and other relevant circumstances.

Please note that virtual currency is a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value, but it does not have legal tender status. Virtual currencies are sometimes exchanged for U.S. dollars or other currencies around the world, but they are not currently backed nor supported by any government or central bank. Their value is completely derived by market forces of supply and demand, and they are more volatile than traditional fiat currencies. Profits and losses related to this volatility are amplified in margined futures contracts.