Binance Futures to Discontinue 4 Contracts—Important Information for Traders with Open Positions

Binance will be discontinuing four futures contracts. Traders who currently hold open positions in these contracts should be aware of the following details:

- The specific contracts affected and the timeline for discontinuation
- How to close or roll over existing positions before the delisting date
- Potential impacts on trading strategies and risk management
- Important deadlines and procedures to ensure a smooth transition

Please review your open positions and take necessary actions to avoid unexpected losses or liquidation. For more detailed information, visit the official Binance announcements and support pages.

Binance’s futures trading platform has issued an important notice. Among USDT-margined perpetual contracts, four trading pairs—BIDUSDT, DMCUSDT, ZRCUSDT, and TANSSUSDT—are expected to be discontinued on January 21 (UTC). This decision was made in response to declining trading activity and deteriorating liquidity, and it is critical information requiring urgent action from traders.

Affected Contracts and Discontinuation Schedule

The contracts subject to discontinuation are the aforementioned four USDT-margined perpetual contracts. Binance will prohibit opening new positions starting at 08:30 (UTC) on January 21, 2026, and will automatically force close all positions at 09:00 (UTC).

An important point during this process is that traders can avoid unfavorable liquidation conditions by voluntarily closing their open positions before the discontinuation time. Especially in the final stages of heightened market volatility, automatic liquidations may result in unexpected losses.

Actions Traders Should Take: Managing Open Positions

The most recommended action is for traders holding open positions in the affected contracts to liquidate their positions before the discontinuation time. If positions remain open at the time of automatic liquidation, the following risks may occur:

• Forced sale at unstable prices during automatic liquidation
• Potential for high slippage
• Incurring liquidation fees

Since new position opening will be unavailable after 08:30 on January 21, it is strongly advised to gradually close existing open positions.

Details of the Automatic Liquidation Mechanism and Settlement Process

At the time of discontinuation, Binance’s futures insurance fund will not support the liquidation of these contracts. Instead, the IOCO (Immediate-or-Cancel Order) mechanism will be activated.

IOCO attempts to exit positions with a single market order, resulting in the reduction of the user’s maintenance margin until the position meets the requirements. If IOCO is insufficiently executed, the remaining unsettled portion will be handled through the Auto Deleveraging (ADL) process. ADL is a mechanism that gradually absorbs liquidity from profitable position holders and functions as a last resort.

Risk Mitigation and Protective Measures During Increased Volatility

As the discontinuation time approaches, market volatility is expected to rise rapidly, and liquidity may decrease. Binance may implement additional protective measures without prior notice to safeguard traders, including:

• Reducing maximum leverage per margin tier
• Adjusting position values and maintenance margin requirements
• Updating funding rates
• Adjusting the mark price

These measures are defensive actions to protect traders’ assets from abnormal market fluctuations. Holding open positions during the final moments of discontinuation exposes traders to the risk of facing these unpredictable changes. Therefore, closing open positions as early as possible is advisable to preserve assets.