Spot trading: You buy actual crypto. Simple, no leverage. You own the asset. Good for beginners.

Futures trading: You trade contracts. Leverage up to 100x. Higher risk, higher potential reward. You don't own the actual coin.

My advice for beginners:

• Start with spot trading. Learn the basics first.
• If you try futures, use small leverage (2x-5x max). 100x is gambling.
• Set stop-loss. Always. I learned this the expensive way.

I trade mostly spot now. Futures only when I'm very confident about direction. Too stressful otherwise.