Long/Short Ratio (2024)

The long/short ratio indicates the number of long positions relative to short positions for a particular instrument. The long-short ratio is considered a barometer of investor expectations, with a high long-short ratio indicating positive investor expectations. For example, a long-short ratio that has increased in recent months indicates that more long positions are being held relative to short positions. This could be because of various factors ranging from market conditions to geo-political events. The long-short ratio is used by many as a leading indicator of market health and direction including as a precursor to what the spot markets will soon be experiencing.

The long/short ratio is calculated by dividing the long positions by the short positions. This gives a ratio representing the number of long positions to short positions. For example, the BTCUSDT instrument on Binance on August 29, 2022, shows a ratio of 1.8145, a long position of 0.6447, and a short position of 0.3553. Simply put, the long/short ratio of 1.8145 means that there are 1.8145 as many long positions as short positions. This would be considered a bullish signal.

/market/futures/long-short-ratio/information
/market/futures/long-short-ratio/{instrument}

Our Long/Short endpoints are available via REST API for latest and historical (time series) data as well as WebSockets for real-time data.

This table outlines how far back our Long/Short data goes across the different exchanges within the Futures market:

*These dates represent the oldest start date we have for L/S Ratio data across all contracts

Who uses the long/short ratio?

• The long/short ratio is popular amongst professional and less seasoned traders alike. It is used by many as a leading indicator of market health and direction including as a precursor to what the spot markets will soon be experiencing.

Why is this time interval different compared to other endpoints?

• You'll notice that we give you the option to use the 5 minute time frame interval with this particular endpoint. The reason for this is because the lowest granularity being offered by the exchanges themselves for this kind of data is 5 mins.