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First rule of futures trading: only trade liquid instruments.
Liquidity is, in simple terms, the number of people and money in the market. The higher the trading volume, the easier it is to buy or sell a contract at a fair price. For a trader, this is critically important. In a liquid instrument, you can enter and exit quickly, without surprises and sharp price jumps.
In illiquid futures, the market is thin. A single large order can suddenly move the price, trigger stop-losses, and then bring it right back. As a result, you might incur a loss even if you correctly predicted the direction of the move. Often, these movements look like "manipulations," but sometimes it's just a lack of participants.
Another crucial point is analysis. In liquid markets, levels, trends, and patterns work better because they are formed by thousands of traders rather than a few random trades. There's less chaos and more logic there.
Moreover, in popular futures, commissions, funding, and volatility are already factored in. You understand the risks in advance and can manage your position effectively.
Bottom line: the more volume and interest in an instrument, the more honest the market. In futures, it's better to trade where the crowd is, not in silence.