OKX Adjusts Minimum Price Precision for Select Perpetual Contracts

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In a strategic move to enhance market liquidity and refine the trading experience, OKX has announced adjustments to the minimum price precision for several popular perpetual contracts. These changes took effect during a scheduled maintenance window on August 19, 2021, and are designed to support tighter bid-ask spreads, more granular pricing, and improved execution accuracy—especially beneficial for active traders and algorithmic strategies.

This update impacts a wide range of USDT and USD-margined contracts, allowing traders to place orders with greater precision. Below, we break down the full scope of the adjustment, its implications for open orders and APIs, and what users should know to adapt their trading approach effectively.

Why Adjust Price Precision?

Price precision refers to the smallest increment by which a contract’s price can change—also known as "tick size." By reducing this increment (e.g., from 0.001 to 0.0001), exchanges like OKX enable finer price points. This leads to:

👉 Discover how tighter price steps can improve your trading edge on a leading platform.

These benefits collectively contribute to deeper market depth and a more efficient trading environment.

Contracts Affected by the Update

The following perpetual contracts had their minimum price precision adjusted effective August 19, 2021:

Major Adjustments: Increased Granularity

For most assets, the tick size was reduced by one decimal place, enabling significantly more precise entries and exits:

Notably, some contracts such as RSRUSDT and SCUSDT now support up to six decimal places (e.g., 0.000001), catering to low-priced altcoins where micro-pricing is essential.

These updates align with evolving market demands and reflect OKX's ongoing commitment to innovation in digital asset derivatives.

How Existing Orders Are Handled

One of the most critical aspects of this change is how it affects open, historical, and partially filled orders.

Key Rules During Transition:

  1. No Auto-Cancellation
    All existing limit and conditional orders remain active during and after the adjustment period. There is no need to manually cancel or re-place them.

  2. Display Logic: Rounding Rules Apply
    Prices shown on the web and mobile interfaces will reflect the new precision using standardized rounding:

    • Buy orders: Truncated (rounded down) to the nearest valid tick
    • Sell orders: Rounded up to maintain conservative pricing
    Example: A buy order at 332.456 with old precision 0.001 becomes 332.45 when displayed under new 0.01 precision.
  3. Actual Execution Remains Unchanged
    Despite display adjustments, the original order price is preserved in the matching engine. If your order fills, it executes at the initially set price—even if the UI shows a rounded version.

  4. API Behavior Preserves Accuracy
    For API traders:

    • Submitted prices using outdated precision are automatically adjusted using the same truncation/rounding logic.
    • Matching continues based on original precision values.
    • The API returns exact execution prices (e.g., 332.456) regardless of frontend display.

This ensures consistency across platforms while minimizing disruption for automated trading systems.

Implications for Traders

Whether you're a spot trader dabbling in futures or a full-time algo developer, these changes offer tangible advantages:

For Manual Traders:

For Algorithmic & High-Frequency Traders:

👉 Access advanced trading tools that leverage high-precision markets for smarter execution.

Additionally, traders managing portfolios across multiple assets benefit from standardized precision improvements across both USD-margined and USDT-margined contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Will my open orders be canceled during the adjustment?

A: No. All existing limit and conditional orders will remain active and will not be canceled during or after the price precision update.

Q: Why does the displayed price differ from my actual order price?

A: The platform adjusts displayed prices to match the new tick size using rounding logic: buy orders are truncated, sell orders are rounded up. However, your actual order price remains unchanged in the system.

Q: Do these changes affect both spot and futures markets?

A: This update applies only to selected perpetual futures contracts (both USDT and USD-margined). Spot trading pairs are unaffected.

Q: Can I still use old precision when placing new orders via API?

A: Yes, but the system will automatically adjust your input using truncation (for buys) or ceiling (for sells) to conform to the new minimum step size.

Q: How do I know which contracts were updated?

A: A complete list is published above, including before-and-after values for each affected perpetual contract.

Q: Is this type of adjustment common in crypto trading?

A: Yes. Leading exchanges regularly refine price steps as trading volume grows and asset prices evolve—especially after large price movements or increased adoption.

Final Thoughts

The refinement of minimum price precision on OKX represents more than just a technical tweak—it’s a forward-looking enhancement aimed at building a more liquid, responsive, and professional-grade trading environment.

As digital asset markets mature, features like granular pricing become increasingly important for sophisticated participants seeking efficiency, accuracy, and competitive advantage.

👉 Stay ahead of market changes with a platform built for precision, speed, and reliability.

Traders are encouraged to review their strategies in light of these updates, particularly those relying on tight spreads or automated order placement.

By continuously optimizing core trading mechanics, OKX reinforces its position as a leader in innovation within the global crypto derivatives landscape.

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