At 7 PM in India, something strange happens.
The Indian workday is mostly over. Dinner plans begin. WhatsApp groups wake up. And 12,500 kilometres away, New York opens for business.
For decades, this moment belonged to trading desks, global funds, and those with access to US brokers. Indian traders watched the US stock market move, followed US stock headlines, and tracked names like Apple, Amazon, Tesla, and Nvidia. However, taking a directional view on these global names was still a little out of reach.
With US stock-linked perpetual futures, or US perps, now available on Mudrex, that’s changing.
US perps are trading contracts linked to popular US stocks; the Apples, Amazons, Nvidias, and Teslas of the world.
But you are not buying the actual US share. Instead, you are trading a contract that follows the price movement of that US stock-linked market.
So if you think Nvidia will go up, you can take a long position. If you think Tesla may fall after a weak update, you can take a short position.
The biggest difference between regular US stock investing and US perps is that you can trade both directions! :))
Tesla is a household name for its vehicles, but traders watch it for AI, energy, robotaxis, and big price swings.
Amazon stays exciting because of its massive e-commerce engine, AWS cloud business, and AI-powered growth story.
Apple is one of the world’s most tracked stocks, with traders watching every move around iPhone sales, services, and AI updates.
Google attracts attention because of Search, YouTube, cloud, and its growing AI race with other tech giants.
Meta is a key stock for traders tracking social media, ads, AI, and the next phase of digital platforms.
Microsoft is closely watched for cloud, enterprise software, AI, and its strong position across global tech.
Oracle is gaining trader interest because of its cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and AI-linked demand.
Nvidia remains one of the biggest AI market names, making it a favourite for traders looking at high-functioning tech moves.
Traditional futures usually come with an expiry date. A perpetual future does not have a fixed expiry.
That means you can open a position and hold it as long as your margin supports it. You do not need to worry about contract expiry or rolling over to the next contract.
If you are just starting out with US perps, here’s what you need to know:
That’s it!
The US stock market often moves when India is done with its trading day. For Indian traders, this creates a second trading window.
You can finish your day, open the app in the evening, and take a view on global names that are already part of the conversation.
Instead of only reading about US stock moves the next morning, US perps allow you to trade price movements in real time.
Many users search for how to invest in US stocks from India because they want access to global names like Tesla, Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. Traditionally, that meant opening an international brokerage account, converting INR to USD, buying shares, and holding them for the long term.
But ownership is not the only way to participate in US market moves.
If your goal is long-term investing, then learning how to invest in US stocks from India through direct shares may make sense. But if your goal is to trade short-term price movements, US stock-linked perpetual futures offer a different route.
On Mudrex, US perps let you take a view on popular US stock-linked markets without directly owning the underlying shares. You can go long if you expect prices to rise, or short if you expect prices to fall.
Many Indian users search for how to invest in US stocks because they want exposure to global companies. But investing in US stocks and trading US perps are not the same thing.
Buying US stocks is more like investing. You own shares, and your return depends on long-term price movement. US stock-linked perpetual futures are built more for trading short-term price moves in the US stock market.
| Feature | US Stocks | US Stock-Linked Perpetual Futures / US Perps |
| Ownership | You own shares | You do not own shares |
| Direction | Mostly profit when price rises | Trade both up and down |
| Expiry | No expiry | No fixed expiry |
| Leverage | Usually limited | Available on supported contracts |
| Use case | Long-term investing | Short-term directional trading |
Remember: US perps are not a replacement for owning US stocks.
If your goal is to understand how to invest in US stocks for long-term ownership, then direct stock investing may be a different route. But if your goal is to trade short-term moves in the US stock market, US stock-linked perpetual futures offer a different kind of access.
US perps are powerful, but they are not beginner-proof.
If the market moves against your position, losses can build quickly. With leverage, this happens even faster. If your margin falls too low, your position can be liquidated.
So the basic rules are simple:
Do not trade only because a US stock is trending on social media.
You may like this asset class if you:
At 7 PM in India, the US stock market story begins. And now, with US perps on Mudrex, you can participate in it too!
For a better understanding of US perps and crypto trading, you can explore more blogs on Mudrex Learn or check out the Mudrex YouTube channel.
US perps are perpetual futures contracts linked to US stocks. They allow traders to take long or short positions without owning the actual shares.
Yes, US perps let Indian traders access price movements linked to the US stock market after Indian market hours.
No, investing in US stocks means owning shares, while trading US perps means taking a position on price movement without ownership.
You can invest in US stocks through international brokers, ETFs, or mutual funds. You can also trade US stock-linked futures on Mudrex!
