Bitget TradFi 101: Key Terms in Gold Trading
Since Bitget launched TradFi services in 2025, crypto traders can now use USDT as margin in a single account to trade major traditional assets worldwide, including gold CFDs (the usual ticker is XAUUSD). This innovation lets crypto traders access the gold market seamlessly, without opening a traditional brokerage account or converting fiat currency. In this article, we explain several of the most basic and core concepts in gold trading. This article is part of the Bitget TradFi 101 series.
1. What is XAUUSD CFD?
XAUUSD CFD is the standard product name for gold trading on Bitget TradFi. It means:
● XAU: The international standard ticker for gold (derived from the Latin word "Aurum"), it represents gold.
● USD: The U.S. dollar.
● XAUUSD: The "gold/dollar" quote, meaning how many U.S. dollars one ounce of gold is worth.
● CFD: Short for "contract for difference".
When you trade XAUUSD CFDs on Bitget TradFi, you do not actually own the gold. Instead, you enter into a contract with the platform and settle profit and loss based on the price movements of gold in XAUUSD.
In simple terms:
If you are bullish on gold → Open long (buy)
If you are bearish on gold → Open short (sell)
Final PnL = (exit price – entry price) × futures quantity × futures multiplier – transaction fees
Key features of Bitget TradFi's XAUUSD CFD:
● High leverage of up to 500x
● Extremely competitive fee rates (as low as $0.09 per lot)
● Using USDT as margin which is automatically converted to USD for settlement.
● Trading opens 24/7 (following the global spot gold market)
2. Units of measurement in gold trading: ounce, gram, and lot
These are the three most common units in gold trading. Understanding how they convert is important:
| Unit | Term | Weight conversion | Equivalent in gold CFDs | Bitget TradFi definition (based on mainstream CFD standards) |
| oz | Ounce | 1 ounce ≈ 31.1035 grams | Basic unit of international gold pricing | XAUUSD quote unit |
| g | Gram | 1 gram ≈ 0.03215 ounce | Common unit for physical gold bars/coins | Rarely used directly, typically quoted after conversion |
| Lot | Standard lot/futures lot | Depends on the trading platform | Minimum trading unit multiplier | On mainstream CFD platforms, 1 lot = 100 ounces. Some platforms set 1 lot to be 10 or 1 ounce |
Conversion example (based on the mainstream standard of 1 lot = 100 ounces):
● 1 lot = 100oz ≈ 3110.35g (approximately 3.11kg)
● 1 ounce ≈ 31.1035g
● If the gold price is quoted at $2650/oz, then the notional value of 1 lot (100oz) ≈ $265,000.
Quick tip:
On high-leverage CFD platforms like Bitget TradFi, the minimum trading unit is often as low as 0.01 lot (equivalent to 1oz), which is ideal for users with smaller capital to enter.
3. Differences between physical gold, spot gold, and gold CFDs
| Category | Physical gold | Spot gold(London gold) | Gold CFD (Contract for difference) |
| Ownership of physical gold | Yes, actually owning gold bars/coins | No (typically records in trading account) | No, pure derivatives |
| Storage/delivery | Self-storage or storage with a fee | Usually no delivery | No delivery, only settling price differences |
| Trading venue | Gold stores, banks, exchanges | Interbank OTC, major forex platforms | CFD brokers (such as Bitget TradFi) |
| Leverage | None | 2x–20x | Up to 500x |
| Trading time | Business hours on working days | Monday morning to Saturday morning (nearly 24h) | Mostly 24/7 (following the spot market) |
| Holding cost | Storage fees, insurance premiums | Overnight interest swap (swap) | Overnight interest (typically low) |
| Primary use case | Long-term value preservation and collection | Short- to mid-term speculation/hedging | Speculation, high-frequency/short-term trading |
| Entry barrier | High (from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars) | Medium | Extremely low (opening positions with a few dozen USDT) |
Key differences between spot gold and gold CFDs and when to use which
● Spot gold: Closer to the real-world gold price, typically quoted by major banks and international bullion dealers, with very strong liquidity. However, leverage is lower (mostly 10x–50x), and many platforms do not offer very high leverage.
● Gold CFDs: A derivative contract based on the spot gold price. CFDs offer higher leverage, a lower entry barrier, and more flexible direction (you can short more easily).
When should you focus on gold CFD opportunities?
1. Use a small amount of capital to capture a big move: With 500x leverage, 1000 USDT can control a gold position worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
2. Short-term/ultra-short-term trading: Intraday trading and news-driven moves (e.g., Fed rate decisions, NFP, sharp swings in U.S. Treasury yields, geopolitical conflicts, etc.).
3. A clear bearish view on gold: Shorting via CFDs is very convenient, while shorting physical gold or via most spot accounts is harder or more costly.
4. Seamless integration with crypto portfolio: When BTC and ETH is volatile and you have a bullish/bearish view on gold's safe-haven appeal, you can switch quickly within the same Bitget account.
5. To capture weekend/holiday news: The spot gold market is closed on weekends, but major geopolitical events can shift expectations, and CFD platforms often react earlier.
In a nutshell
If your goal is medium-to-long-term value preservation, choose physical gold or low leverage trading. If you want efficiency, high leverage, flexible long/short exposure, and 24-hour trading, you can choose to trade XAUUSD CFDs on Bitget TradFi. It is one of the most efficient ways for crypto users to trade gold today.
Conclusion
We hope this article helps you better understand and capture gold trading opportunities on Bitget TradFi. As the ultimate safe-haven asset, gold is worth close attention as macro uncertainty rises into late 2025 and 2026.
Risk warning: This content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Margin trading carries significant risk and may result in the loss of your capital. Assess your risk tolerance carefully and follow strict risk management.
