How Does a Futures Contract Differ from a Stock Purchase?

A futures contract is an obligation to buy or sell an asset at a future date, involving leverage and daily settlement (marking to market), and it is a derivative. A stock purchase is the outright ownership of a share of a company, with no expiration or daily margin calls, and it is an equity asset.

What Are the Limitations of a Smart Contract Audit?
What Distinguishes an Equity Option from a Non-Equity Option for Tax Purposes?
What Is the Concept of ‘Economic Dilution’ When a Non-Equity Token Is Issued?
How Does the Daily Settlement Process for Traditional Futures Differ from Perpetual Swaps?
What Is a “Dealer Equity Option” and How Is It Taxed Differently?
What Technical Mechanism Enables Atomic Swaps on a Blockchain?
How Are Options Contracts Similar to Semi-Fungible Tokens?
How Do Token Standards Define Ownership and Transferability?

Glossar