What Is a Long Position in Trading? Long vs. Short Explained
Going long means buying an asset in the hope that its price will rise. Buy lower, sell higher — the difference is yours.
What is a long
The term comes from the English word "long." When you simply buy a stock or a coin, you're already long. The opposite is a short, a bet on a price drop.
| Long | Short | |
|---|---|---|
| Bet on | Price going up | Price going down |
| Maximum loss | The full amount if the price falls to zero | Unlimited |
| Where to open | Spot, futures | Futures or margin only |
Going long on spot and with leverage
On spot, you buy the asset with your own money, so no one can force-close your position. On futures, you can open a long with leverage, and then a price drop can lead to liquidation.
How to go long deliberately
- Decide on your entry, stop-loss and target in advance.
- Enter with the trend — more in trend trading.
- Risk only a small share of your account on a single trade.
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- A long is a bet on a rise, an ordinary purchase.
- A short is a bet on a decline.
- A stop-loss is mandatory in a long, too.
Frequently asked questions
Are longs and shorts only for traders?
No. An investor who bought stocks to hold for years is also long, just over a longer horizon.
What does “longs got liquidated” mean?
The price dropped sharply, and the exchange force-closed the positions of many leveraged buyers.
Can I hold a long forever?
On spot, yes. On perpetual futures too, but you'll have to pay or receive funding.
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