Funding on KuCoin is a periodic payment between longs and shorts on a perpetual contract; in the 8-hour cycle it settles at 00:00, 08:00 and 16:00 UTC (since June 2025; before that — 04:00, 12:00 and 20:00). A positive rate means longs pay shorts, a negative one means the opposite. Whoever holds the position at the moment of settlement pays or receives. The payment uses the rate computed from the premium of the interval that just ended.
KuCoin funding rate: questions and answers
How often does KuCoin pay funding?
By default every 8 hours: at 00:00, 08:00 and 16:00 UTC. For some contracts the interval is different, and KuCoin announces such changes contract by contract. That is why rates are converted to one period for comparison: the table has “Per 8 hours”, “Per day” and “Annualized” switches.
How is the funding payment calculated on KuCoin?
The payment equals the position value times the funding rate. Since June 2025 KuCoin uses a “current-period” model: at settlement it takes the rate computed from the premium of the interval that just ended — for example, the 16:00 payment uses the premium from 08:00 to 16:00. Before that, a “cross-period” model applied, where the payment used the rate of the previous interval.
Who gets the funding money on KuCoin?
Traders on opposite sides of the market: with a positive rate longs pay shorts, with a negative one shorts pay longs. Whoever holds a position at the moment of settlement pays or receives.
Has the KuCoin funding schedule changed?
Yes. In the 8-hour cycle, settlement moved from 04:00, 12:00 and 20:00 UTC to 00:00, 08:00 and 16:00 UTC; the move went contract by contract in three phases — 3 June 2025 (4 contracts), 10 June (67) and 17 June (350). On the day of the switch each contract followed a one-time transition procedure for payments. If you are looking for the old schedule, check the date.
Why do some coins on KuCoin pay funding more often than every 8 hours?
The settlement interval on KuCoin depends on the contract and changes by separate announcements. In our table many KuCoin coins settle every 4 hours. The rate per settlement is scaled to the interval, so rates of different coins are compared in one measure — per 8 hours or per day: the table has those switches.
How do I get an alert when the KuCoin funding rate rises?
In the QuickRadar builder pick the “Funding rate” condition, the KuCoin exchange, a coin and a threshold — the message arrives in Telegram as soon as the rate crosses it.