In fast-moving markets like crypto, the price of an asset can change between the time you place an order and when it’s executed.

This difference is called slippage and its result is paying more or receiving less than expected.

Slippage can be positive (you get a better price) or negative (you get a worse price). Negative slippage is a common concern for traders, as it can lead to unexpected losses.

It’s more likely to happen in:

• Volatile markets: Prices move quickly.
• Low-liquidity assets: Fewer buyers/sellers are available.
• Large orders: Can consume available bids or asks, impacting the price.

What is slippage protection?

Slippage protection is a feature that safeguards your market and stop-loss orders from significant negative price changes. If you turn it on for the web version and the market price moves beyond a set tolerance before execution, your order will be automatically canceled.

This prevents your order from being filled at an unexpectedly unfavorable price, giving you more control and protecting your funds.

Which users is this feature applicable to?

Bitso Alpha (Web/Mobile) and Bitso API users.

For Bitso Alpha (Web/Mobile) it’s turned on by default.

For Bitso API users it’s turned off by default.

How do I toggle slippage protection on/off?

Bitso Alpha

These are the steps to turn on slippage protection in your Bitso account:

1. Go to the Trading section in your web platform.
2. Find and toggle the "Slippage protection" switch.

If you're on the web version, you can turn on slippage protection in Profile >> Trading.

If you’re in the Bitso Alpha app in Settings >> Trading.

Or when placing a market or stop-loss order.

Tip: We recommend keeping slippage protection on unless you’re an experienced trader who prioritizes order execution over price certainty. Turning it off may expose you to higher risks in volatile markets.

API Users
For API Users slippage protection is disabled by default for all orders.

To turn it on and set a specific slippage tolerance %, set a new parameter on the Place an Order call slippage_tolerance call.

Refer to the Bitso API documentation on placing an order for details on which values are supported.

If you have questions about slippage or your trades, contact our Customer Support team.

Slippage thresholds per book and order side

These thresholds can be used to reject market or reverse market orders. The values are expressed as decimal percentages (e.g., 0.25 means 0.25%).