A futures curve where later contracts trade above spot or nearer maturities, creating a potential roll cost for long exposure.
Contango is best understood as part of a system rather than as an isolated definition. Its related coordinates show the mechanisms, incentives and historical records that give the term practical meaning.
Contango describes how participants value, trade or obtain exposure to bitcoin. Market behavior can affect adoption and mining economics, but it does not rewrite consensus rules. Price evidence and protocol evidence answer different questions.
Understanding Contango helps distinguish a verifiable Bitcoin mechanism or historical record from slogans, products and market narratives.
For the clearest picture, read this entry together with Bitcoin futures, Backwardation, Roll yield, Bitcoin basis trade, Bitcoin futures ETF. The reverse links also lead from ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), Bitcoin futures, Bitcoin futures ETF, Bitcoin basis trade.
Linked to related atlas coordinates
Grounded in a source record
Explains function and trade-offs
Part of the open Bitcoin knowledge graph