How to start trading on Antarctic

1. Create an account

1. Log in with a wallet (MetaMask, OKX Wallet, Binance Wallet, Ledger or any wallet via WalletConnect) or with a Web2 login. With a Web2 login the system generates a wallet address for you, shown in the upper right corner. source ↗
2. Antarctic currently supports Arbitrum, Ethereum and BNB Chain, and you switch chains in the upper right corner of the site. source ↗
3. The app has two interface modes: CEX Mode, a simpler exchange-style layout, and DEX Mode with more controls. Both use the same matching and risk system. source ↗

2. Deposit collateral

1. Make sure your wallet is on the right chain, then go to the Assets page, click Deposit, select the network and complete the deposit. The minimum deposit is 10 USDT. source ↗
2. Deposits land in your Funding Account, which shows a separate balance per chain. Before trading you transfer funds from the Funding Account to the Trading Account, whose balance is the same whichever chain you are connected to. source ↗
3. Deposits and withdrawals go through Antarctic's smart contracts and must be signed from your own wallet. source ↗

3. Open your first position

1. Contracts are USDT-margined perpetuals; fees are settled in USDT and deducted from your available balance after each fill. source ↗
2. For a limit order the order price is used, or the latest price if you leave it blank. A market long is sized at the best ask and a market short at the best bid. source ↗
3. Some pairs cap position size at high leverage, which is why a 'quantity exceeds leverage limit' message can appear. Lower the leverage or the size if you see it. source ↗
4. At the base tier (under 2.5M USDT of 14-day volume) the taker fee is 0.05% and the maker fee is 0.02%. Tiers are recalculated daily at 07:00 UTC, and trading actions carry no gas fee. source ↗

4. Know how liquidation works

1. Liquidations are charged a fee at the highest taker rate, 0.05%, regardless of your tier. source ↗
2. If the insurance fund is used up and a liquidated position cannot be closed above its bankruptcy price, auto-deleveraging reduces opposing traders' positions by leverage and profit. Your place in that queue is shown in 20% steps. source ↗
3. Unrealized PnL is mark-to-market. Realized PnL after closing also subtracts trading fees and includes funding payments, so the two can differ. source ↗

5. Withdraw

1. Go to the Assets page, click Withdraw, select the network, check the destination address, enter the amount and confirm. There is no minimum withdrawal amount. source ↗
2. Transfers from the Trading Account back to the Funding Account are limited to 20,000 USDT per 24 hours. source ↗

6. Common mistakes

1. A third-party AML system monitors deposits and withdrawals. Large or rapid flows, or deposits and withdrawals with little trading, can trigger a review that delays withdrawals and may ask for the source of funds. source ↗
2. Very frequent opening and closing, wash trading and multiple linked accounts are restricted, and breaking these rules can lead to frozen funds or account limits. source ↗
3. Antarctic says it will never ask for your verification codes, passwords, private keys or seed phrases in private messages, so treat any such request as a scam. source ↗

Before you trade

Perpetual futures use leverage: a small price move against you can liquidate your collateral. Start with a small amount and low leverage, and read the venue’s current fee and margin pages, which can change after this guide was checked.