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Futures explainer · BloFin, Bitunix, MEXC

Stock perpetual futures and dividends: what happens to your long or short

By Alexander F., Portfolio Manager @ LiquidityFlow.ioUpdated 2026-11-01Published 2026-10-29

Short answer

A stock perpetual future doesn't pay a real dividend, because you never own the share. MEXC and Bitunix copy the dividend with a one-time funding fee adjustment at settlement. Longs open at the snapshot receive the dividend amount based on position size, and shorts pay it. A short with thin margin can be liquidated by the deduction.

Last checked: November 1, 2026 (ET). Official notices: MEXC, TXN/COST/MS (Oct 25, 2026) and Bitunix, COSTUSDT/TXNUSDT (Oct 27, 2026). All times UTC.

New to the product? Start with stock perpetual futures explained.

Why a stock perp needs a dividend adjustment

When a company pays a cash dividend, its share price usually falls on the ex-dividend date by roughly the amount paid out, because that cash has left the company. A shareholder doesn't lose anything, since the dividend makes up for the lower price.

A perpetual future that tracks the stock follows the price down, but nobody holding the contract gets the cash. Without a fix, every long would take the drop with nothing in return, and every short would get a windfall that has nothing to do with their trade.

MEXC describes its fix as a one-time special funding fee settlement "to eliminate the price gap caused by the natural decline in the underlying asset price on the ex-dividend date." Bitunix runs the same kind of settlement through a "funding fee adjustment." Because it goes through the funding system, it shows up as a funding entry, not as a dividend. For the regular version of that mechanism, see how funding rates work and live funding rates.

How it works on MEXC

MEXC publishes a separate notice for each dividend event. The October 25, 2026 notice for TXN, COST and MS stock futures shows the pattern:

Reduce-Only, 30 minutes before. From October 29, 2026, 23:30 UTC, the affected contracts are Reduce-Only. You can close or reduce positions but can't open new ones.
Settlement at the snapshot. At October 30, 2026, 00:00 UTC, MEXC takes a position snapshot and runs the settlement.
Back to normal one minute later. Normal trading and regular funding resume at 00:01 UTC.

The rules, per the notice:

Longs receive the dividend amount based on position size, credited as a funding fee adjustment.
Shorts pay the dividend amount based on position size, deducted as a funding fee adjustment.
Eligibility comes from the snapshot at settlement time. If you have no open position then, you're not included.
Opting out means closing before the settlement time. Closing stays available during the settlement period.
The entry shows in your transaction history right after settlement.
The amounts are approximate. MEXC marks them with "≈" and says they follow the official figures announced on the ex-dividend date. The amount actually credited is final, and any changes are announced separately.

Example: MEXC's October 25, 2026 notice

Stock future	Dividend per share (USD)	Estimated yield (non-annualized), per MEXC
TXNUSDT	≈ 1.52	≈ 0.54%
COSTUSDT	≈ 1.47	≈ 0.15%
MSUSDT	≈ 1.15	≈ 0.64%

These figures apply only to that event. Settlement times aren't fixed either. MEXC's next notice, for BX, CSTOCK (Citigroup), AON and KMI, has Reduce-Only from November 2, 2026, 00:30 UTC and settlement at 01:00 UTC.

How it works on Bitunix

Bitunix also publishes a notice per event. Its October 27, 2026 notice covers COSTUSDT (1.47 USD per share) and TXNUSDT (1.52 USD per share). Both have an ex-dividend date of October 30, 2026 (ET) and settle at October 30, 2026, 00:00 UTC.

Longs receive the dividend amount based on position size, "through a funding fee adjustment."
Shorts have the dividend amount deducted based on position size, the same way.
Eligibility comes from the snapshot at settlement time. If you have no position, you're not included.
Netting. "Long and short positions under the same UID will be netted against each other." Only your net position settles.
No trading pause. The settlement "will not affect normal position opening or closing," and the pairs stay tradable during settlement. Bitunix's notice describes no Reduce-Only window.
Opting out means closing before the settlement time.
The entry shows in your transaction history right after settlement.
The amounts follow the company's final dividend information, and Bitunix announces any changes separately.

Bitunix has published similar notices for other stock perps, including DELLUSDT, ASMLUSDT and GEVUSDT.

Side by side: what each exchange states

Question	MEXC	Bitunix	BloFin
Longs	Receive the dividend amount as a funding fee adjustment	Receive the dividend amount as a funding fee adjustment	Not stated by the exchange
Shorts	Pay the dividend amount as a funding fee adjustment	Pay the dividend amount as a funding fee adjustment	Not stated by the exchange
Who's included	Positions open at the settlement snapshot	Positions open at the settlement snapshot	Not stated by the exchange
Trading around settlement	Reduce-Only from 30 minutes before; closing allowed	Opening and closing unaffected	Not stated by the exchange
Long/short netting in one account	Not stated by the exchange	Netted per UID	Not stated by the exchange
Where it shows	Transaction history, right after settlement	Transaction history, right after settlement	Not stated by the exchange
Final amount	Official figures on the ex-dividend date; changes announced separately	The company's final dividend information; changes announced separately	Not stated by the exchange
Dividend rights	Settled by notice per event	Settled by notice per event	Terms say stock futures carry no right to dividends; corporate actions (splits, reverse splits, mergers, spin-offs) handled by separate notice

On BloFin, the stock-futures disclaimer says the contracts "do not entitle you to any dividends." Its listing notices say splits, reverse splits, mergers and spin-offs get separate market notices. We found no BloFin notice describing a dividend funding adjustment. Whether BloFin adjusts for dividends is not stated by the exchange. Check BloFin's announcements for the contract you hold.

Splits work differently. For CRWDUSDT, Bitunix handled a July 2026 stock split by settling and delisting the contract, which force-closed open positions, then relisting it with a new contract size. MEXC says it may apply early settlement or position adjustments for splits and reverse splits.

What neither MEXC nor Bitunix states: the exact per-contract formula beyond "based on position size", whether special dividends are treated differently from regular ones, and how any of this is taxed. For each of these, the answer is not stated by the exchange.

The liquidation risk for shorts, and the price-drop risk for longs

The real danger is margin, not the dividend itself.

Shorts. The dividend comes straight out of your account. MEXC warns this "may result in insufficient margin" and that highly leveraged shorts could "in extreme cases" face liquidation. Bitunix says the deduction "may result in insufficient margin and trigger forced liquidation." The higher your leverage, the larger the deduction is compared with the margin behind the position. If you're near your maintenance margin, even a deduction you expected can push you over.

Longs. You receive the dividend, but MEXC warns the ex-dividend date "may cause a natural market price decline, which could lower the margin ratio and trigger the risk of liquidation." The credit and the price drop don't necessarily land at the same moment or in the same size. Bitunix's notice doesn't include a separate warning for longs.

Both exchanges give the same advice: check and top up margin before settlement, or close the position in advance if you don't want the exposure.

How to avoid it or prepare

Watch the announcements. Notices usually appear a few days before settlement, and each one has its own time.
On MEXC, act before the Reduce-Only window. In the last 30 minutes you can close but can't add.
Close before the snapshot if you don't want to take part. No position at settlement means no credit and no deduction.
Add margin if you're staying in, especially on a high-leverage short. Isolated margin limits the damage to one position, but that position also has less buffer.
Hedged on Bitunix? Only your net position settles, because long and short under the same UID are netted.
Check your transaction history afterwards for the funding fee adjustment, and compare it with the exchange's final figure.

FAQ

Do I get the dividend if I'm long a stock perp?

On MEXC and Bitunix, a long open at the settlement snapshot is credited the dividend amount, based on position size, as a funding fee adjustment. You only need enough margin. On BloFin, it's not stated by the exchange.

Why was money taken from my short position?

That's the dividend settlement. MEXC and Bitunix deduct the dividend amount from shorts as a funding fee adjustment to offset the stock's ex-dividend price drop. It shows in your transaction history right after settlement.

Can a dividend get my short liquidated?

Yes. Both exchanges warn that the deduction can leave you with too little margin and trigger liquidation, especially at high leverage.

Why can't I open a new position right before settlement?

On MEXC, the affected contracts go Reduce-Only 30 minutes before settlement. Closing is still allowed, and normal trading resumes one minute after settlement. Bitunix says its settlement doesn't affect opening or closing.

If I'm hedged long and short, do I pay and receive both?

On Bitunix, no: long and short positions under the same UID are netted, so only the net position settles. MEXC doesn't say whether it nets positions; that's not stated by the exchange.

How do I avoid the dividend settlement?

Close the position before the settlement time in the exchange's notice. For example, that was 00:00 UTC on October 30, 2026 for the MEXC and Bitunix TXN and COST events.

This article is educational. It is not investment or tax advice.