exchanges – Variation margin generation for perpetual futures

Let’s try to understand the structure of perpetual futures using the example of the BTC USDT pair. I think I understand how this tool works theoretically. But in reality, there was a nuance that I hadn’t even thought of. And they confuse me.

To figure this out, I created a mock trading account on Binance. I wanted 0.01 BTC/USDT perpetual futures with x1 leverage (on Binance this means no leverage).

In theory, funding fees should be paid three times a day (UTC 00:00, 08:00, 16:00). If the funding rate is positive, the longs pay the shorts and vice versa.

But in this demo mode, there is also an inscription at the bottom right with the fields “Margin Percentage”, “Maintenance Margin” and “Margin Balance”. location). And this number always changes slightly (less than $100).

Additionally, in this simulated trading regime, there is an amount remaining after purchasing futures, and this amount changes slightly every few seconds (although funds are only distributed once every 8 hours).

Related to this, I have a question regarding the placement of perpetual futures (no leverage!). Can changes in the balance of my demo account be associated with a contract revaluation (similar to mark-to-market)? Or is perpetual futures also using variation margin in addition to the funding fee?

Please help me figure out these exercises.