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Crypto Dictionary

Market Order

Definition

An order to buy or sell a cryptocurrency immediately at the best available price.

Deep Dive

A Market Order is a direct instruction to immediately buy or sell a cryptocurrency at the best available current price on an exchange. Unlike a limit order, which specifies a price, a market order prioritizes speed of execution over a specific price point. When a market order is placed, it is filled instantly by matching with the best available opposing orders in the exchange's order book, ensuring immediate execution as long as there is sufficient liquidity.

Examples & Use Cases

  • 1Quickly buying ETH to capitalize on an upward trend
  • 2Selling BTC immediately to mitigate losses during a sharp downturn
  • 3Swapping tokens on a DEX at current prices

Related Terms

Limit OrderSlippageLiquidity

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