# Spot Market

> A market for buying and selling crypto for immediate delivery, at the current price.

Canonical URL: https://fudfomo.co/glossary/spot-market
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

A spot market is where you trade an asset for instant delivery. If you buy one ETH on a spot market, that ETH is yours straight away.

Spot is the opposite of derivatives markets, where you trade contracts whose value tracks the underlying price. Spot is what most beginners use and is generally simpler and lower risk than perpetuals or options.

## Related terms

- [CEX](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/cex): A centralised exchange. A regulated platform where you buy and sell crypto using an account.
- [DEX](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/dex): A decentralised exchange. Trade crypto directly from your wallet, without an account.
- [Futures](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/futures): A contract to buy or sell an asset at a fixed price on a future date.
- [Options](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/options): A contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell at a set price by a set date.

## See the full catalogue

What The Block! covers more than 2,000 plain-English crypto terms, delivered as embeddable hover-state tooltips for crypto exchanges. https://wtb.fudfomo.co