Binance will change how it calculates benchmark prices for commodity-based perpetual futures during off-hours, a move that could affect margin and liquidation levels during weekends, holidays and maintenance periods, according to an exchange notice published Tuesday. The update will take effect on May 8 at 9:00 pm UTC.
The exchange will replace its current fixed pricing method with an Orderbook EWMA model for commodity-based traditional finance (TradFi) perpetual contracts. EWMA, or exponential weighted moving average, uses orderbook data that is smoothed over time rather than relying on a fixed reference price during periods of lower activity.
Binance said the change will apply during daily maintenance windows as well as weekends and holidays, when trading activity is typically reduced.
A Binance spokesperson told Cointelegraph the fixed mode was designed for lower-liquidity periods, but stronger volumes and deeper orderbooks have made a shift toward more flexible price discovery a “natural progression,” reflecting the growth of its TradFi perpetuals business.
The change applies to commodity-based TradFi perpetuals including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, crude oil, Brent crude and natural gas contracts. It will also apply to future commodity-based TradFi perpetuals listed on Binance Futures.
EWMA model replaces fixed pricing
It will also extend to any similar commodity-based TradFi perpetual contracts listed in the future. The index price generated under this methodology is used to calculate margin and liquidation levels, meaning traders may see changes in how positions are marked and how liquidations are triggered during off-hours compared with the previous fixed-mode system.
The spokesperson said the exchange is not changing weekend margin requirements, but liquidation behavior outside regular hours will become more aligned with crypto perpetuals, with pricing more directly tied to exchange liquidity. The EWMA model also smooths transitions between off-hours and regular trading to maintain price continuity.
Update on price index calculation mode of commodity-based TradFi perps. Source: Binance
Industry pricing models
Other crypto derivatives venues use index pricing methodologies that incorporate multiple market inputs and orderbook-weighted components during periods of low liquidity or heightened volatility to reduce liquidation distortions, including Bybit’s index price calculation framework.
Bybit’s model aggregates prices from multiple external spot exchanges and applies weighting mechanisms to help smooth short-term dislocations.
The Binance spokesperson said the change applies only to commodity-based TradFi perpetual contracts, where underlying markets close outside regular hours. Crypto perpetuals trade continuously, and the existing framework remains appropriate. Equity-based TradFi perpetual contracts will continue to use the current fixed pricing method for now.
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