How Does the “Mark Price” Calculation Affect Liquidation Triggers?
The mark price is an estimate of the true value of a futures or perpetual contract, typically derived from the spot price and the funding basis, rather than the last traded price. Exchanges use the mark price, not the last price, to calculate the unrealized P&L and trigger liquidations.
This prevents market manipulation ("wicks") from unfairly triggering liquidations, but a sustained divergence still triggers them.
Glossar
Last Traded Price
Definition ⎊ Last traded price refers to the most recent price at which a financial instrument, such as a cryptocurrency, option, or future, was bought or sold on an exchange.
Mark Price
Valuation ⎊ The Mark Price within cryptocurrency derivatives represents a fair value estimation, calculated to mitigate price manipulation and ensure orderly market functioning, particularly during periods of low liquidity or volatility.