OKX Nitro spread trading (also called "Spread Express") has a core promise: atomic two-leg execution. When you place one order, the system guarantees that both legs either fill completely at the same time, or neither fills at all. You will never end up with one leg filled and the other leg hanging. When closing, you can use Nitro one-click close, or you can treat the two legs as normal positions and close them manually in the order book. To check whether the close was successful, do not look at the Nitro interface. Instead, check whether both legs have disappeared from the positions page.
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What Two-Leg Execution Actually Guarantees
A spread strategy consists of two legs in opposite directions, such as "buy BTC spot + sell BTC perpetual contract". In a normal order book, you need to open two positions manually. If only one fills and the other does not, you are briefly exposed to one-sided price movement.
Nitro removes this risk. When you place an order, the system automatically calculates the fill price for both legs. The price difference between the two legs exactly equals the spread price you see. You do not need to manually calculate what price each leg should fill at. After the fill, the two legs appear in different position pages: the spot leg is on the "Assets" page, and the contract leg is on the "Positions" page.
Closing Positions: Two Paths, Same Result
Path 1: Close by trading the Nitro spread again
If you want to keep the protection of atomic execution, go back to the Nitro page and choose the opposite spread direction. If you previously bought the spread, choose sell now. After placing the order, both legs close at the same time. This is the easiest method, especially if you do not want to manually check each leg.
Path 2: Close each leg separately in the normal order book
In the system, the two legs are essentially two independent positions. You can go to the contract trading page to close the contract leg, then go to the spot page to sell or buy back the spot leg. This is more flexible. For example, you may want to close one leg first, or use different price strategies for each leg. The cost is that you need to check yourself whether both legs are fully closed.
Close Verification: Check Positions, Not the Nitro Interface
After closing, do not only look at the position status on the Nitro page, and do not only look at the trade records in "Order History". Go to the "Positions" page and the "Assets" page to confirm that both legs are gone.
If you closed using a Nitro reverse trade, atomic execution guarantees that both legs disappear at the same time, so you usually do not need extra verification. If you closed the legs manually, you need to confirm yourself: the contract leg quantity is zero, and the spot leg balance for that coin has returned to your expected state.
Order history shows the spread, direction, and fee details for each leg of every trade, but history only shows "what happened", not "what the current state is". The current state is always based on the positions page.
What If a Pending Order Does Not Fill
If a Nitro limit order price does not cross the order book, it enters the order book as a pending order and waits to fill. Pending orders are automatically cancelled after 7 days.
If you do not want to wait, you have two choices: cancel the pending order, or select Send as RFQ in "Open Orders" to request an instant quote and execution directly from market makers. The latter is suitable when you are willing to accept a slightly worse price in exchange for immediate execution.
Fees and Closing Costs
Nitro trading fees are calculated separately for each leg. The fee for each leg is 50% of the normal order book fee rate for that trade type. In other words, you enjoy the convenience of spread trading while paying less in fees than if you operated separately.
The fee rules for closing are the same: if you close via Nitro, both legs are charged at the Nitro discounted rate. If you close each leg separately in the normal order book, you pay the normal rate. From a cost perspective, opening with Nitro and closing with Nitro is more cost-effective on fees.
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New user benefit: 20% off trading fees upon registration!！
One-Sentence Judgment
The two-leg execution guarantee only applies when placing an order and when closing with a Nitro reverse trade. If you split the position into the normal order book and close manually, you are back to managing two legs yourself. To verify whether the close is complete, check the position quantity on the positions page. Do not rely on the Nitro interface or order history.
