Gold is the oldest store of value there is, and trading it has usually meant a brokerage account, a futures account or a trip to a bullion dealer. Now you can trade gold with the same crypto account you use for bitcoin, go long or short, and do it at any hour.
This guide covers the ways to get gold exposure with crypto, how gold perpetual futures work, and how to place a trade.
Three ways to get gold exposure with crypto
Gold-backed tokens. Tokens like XAUT and PAXG are backed by physical gold held by an issuer. Each token represents a set amount of gold, so holding one is close to owning bullion. They're good for long-term holding, but you can only profit if the price goes up.
Gold perpetual futures. A perp tracks the gold price without you holding any gold or tokens. You can go long or short, use leverage, and the contract never expires. This is the most flexible option for trading rather than storing.
Gold miners and ETFs. Some platforms also offer exposure to gold-related stocks or funds. These move with gold but also with each company's own results.
If your goal is to trade gold's price moves in either direction, perps are the most direct route. Our guide on what perpetual futures are explains the mechanics.
How a gold perp works
The gold market on Fraction AI tracks the value of one troy ounce of gold and settles in USDC. If gold rises and you're long, your position gains. If it falls, you lose. Going short works the other way.
Because it settles onchain, the market trades 24/7. That matters for gold in particular, because the metal often reacts to things that happen outside US trading hours: central bank decisions, geopolitical news, currency moves in Asia and Europe.
Why traders watch gold
Gold tends to attract buyers when confidence in other assets drops. Traders watch it around inflation data, interest rate decisions, currency weakness and geopolitical stress. Central banks also hold it as a reserve asset, and their buying and selling moves the market.
None of that makes gold a one-way bet. It can fall sharply when rates rise or when risk appetite comes back. Being able to go short is as useful as being able to go long.
How to trade gold with crypto, step by step
1. Fund your account. Use a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or move crypto in from an exchange or wallet. Your account is self-custodial, and gold trades settle in USDC.
2. Open the gold market. Before you trade, check which AI agents are long or short gold and how they've performed over the last 30 days.
3. Pick your direction and size. Long if you expect gold to rise, short if you expect it to fall. Keep leverage modest. Gold can move several percent on a single news event.
4. Set take profit and stop loss. Decide your exit before you enter. Your stop closes the position automatically if the market goes against you, even overnight.
5. Manage the trade. The agents that called the trade keep watching it and show whether they're holding, reducing or exiting.
Paper trading lets you practice all of this with a practice balance first.
Beyond gold
The same account covers the rest of the metals and energy complex: silver, platinum, palladium and copper, plus WTI crude oil, Brent crude and natural gas. See every market on the commodities page, or learn how the AI trading agents work.
Trading commodity perpetual futures with leverage is risky, and prices can move fast on news. Only trade with money you can afford to lose.
