Write down the product before comparing its price
A short symbol is a convenient label, but it is a poor join key across products. Two records can display similar text while referring to different venues, market types, collateral arrangements or contract specifications. The first useful output is therefore a comparison sheet with unresolved fields, not a merged price series.
Use this checklist when preparing your own records. It does not connect an exchange account, obtain live metadata or establish whether a platform or product is available to a Singapore resident. The official API references below illustrate how one provider separates instrument fields; they are examples of a schema, not a recommendation to use that provider.
Keep identity fields separate
Record the venue and the exact endpoint or export type first. Then retain the original symbol, base asset, quote asset and market type. For a derivative, add contract type, the documented margin asset and any separately documented settlement or delivery details. Do not populate a settlement field merely by copying the quote or margin field.
The cited futures exchange-information reference exposes baseAsset, quoteAsset, marginAsset and contractType as separate fields. Its sample schema demonstrates why collapsing these into one currency column loses information. The spot exchange-information reference has its own symbol and trading-rule fields; a spot row is not evidence of a derivative's collateral or expiry terms.
| Field | Fictional spot row | Fictional derivative row | Audit decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue / source | DEMO-A spot export | DEMO-A derivatives export | Retain both source types |
| Symbol | COINXUSDY | COINXUSDY | Text matches only |
| Base / quote | COINX / USDY | COINX / USDY | Pair fields match as entered |
| Market / contract | Spot / not applicable | Derivative / perpetual | Products differ |
| Margin asset | Not applicable to this spot row | USDY, supplied metadata | Do not erase the distinction |
| Settlement details | Not a derivative field here | No source supplied | Unresolved; do not infer |
A Singapore midnight capture needs its UTC date too
Consider an invented capture made at 00:10 on 22 October 2026 in Singapore. That instant is 16:10 UTC on 21 October. Save the full timestamp, such as 2026-10-22T00:10:00+08:00, alongside the original source timestamp. A file named only 22-October can otherwise be mistaken for a different UTC snapshot.
If the spot export was captured at that instant but the derivative specification came from an older saved file, preserve the two ages. Matching identity fields do not make the records simultaneous. When a contract is renamed, delivered or reconfigured, the relevant specification version can matter even if the text of the short symbol is unchanged.
This date-boundary example is the local context for the worksheet. It is not a claim about local exchange opening hours, regulatory permission or a trading session. Keep SGD, US dollars and any quote token as separately labelled units whenever they appear in your own evidence; similar names do not establish equivalent value.
Use three audit outcomes instead of forcing a match
Label a field consistent as entered only when both supplied sources identify the same thing at the level you need. Label a conflict when the values disagree. Label it unresolved when one side lacks evidence or when the field's meaning is unclear. An empty cell is not an invitation to guess from the ticker.
For the fictional matrix, the base and quote labels match, but the product types differ and settlement details remain missing. The appropriate output is a linked comparison with those distinctions intact. It is not a single fungible instrument, a hedge ratio, an arbitrage opportunity or a statement that either product is tradable.
Before any later calculation, separately check the contract's quantity unit, price increment, minimum size and applicable specification date. Copy each rule from its own documented field rather than using display precision as a substitute. Preserve the original response or export and a reference to its documentation. No account key or private trading history is needed for a local metadata checklist.
The optional landing-page link is for this site's separate crypto signals and Telegram updates offer. The identity comparison is complete without joining it; the offer does not supply missing exchange metadata or validate the evidence entered into your own records.
Primary sources and scope
- Binance Developer Docs: USD-M Futures Exchange Information
Separate baseAsset, quoteAsset, marginAsset and contractType fields in Exchange Information; illustrative schema only, no local eligibility claim. Checked 2026-10-21. - Binance Developer Docs: Spot General Endpoints
Spot exchange-information metadata and trading-rule fields; does not establish derivative terms. Checked 2026-10-21.