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Perpetual Market Parameters

This page explains the parameters that define each perpetual market (perp) on the DEX. These parameters control risk, margin, funding, and trading behavior for each contract.

Perpetual Market Parameters Explained

ParameterDescriptionExample (BTC-PERP)
nameMarket name (symbol).BTC-USD
price_indexOracle price index used for mark price and funding.BTC
margin_stepsTiered margin brackets: initial/maintenance margin ratios and position size cutoffs.See below
liquidation_penaltyPenalty (as % of maintenance margin) applied to collateral when liquidated.0.005 (0.5%)
lot_sizeSize of one contract (in base asset, e.g. BTC).0.000001 BTC
tick_sizeMinimum price increment (in quote asset, e.g. USD).0.0001 USD
statusMarket status: Live, Halted, ReduceOnly, PostOnly.Live
funding_rateFunding rate settings: enabled, interest rate, clamp, max/min funding, etc.See below

Example: BTC-USD Perpetual Market Configuration

text
name: BTC-USD
price_index: BTC
margin_steps:
  - Tier 1: 0 - 50,000 USD      | Initial: 1%   | Maintenance: 0.8%
  - Tier 2: 50,000 - 250,000    | Initial: 2%   | Maintenance: 1%
  - Tier 3: 250,000 - 1,000,000 | Initial: 5%   | Maintenance: 2%
  - Tier 4: 1M - 10M            | Initial: 10%  | Maintenance: 5%
  - Tier 5: 10M - 100M          | Initial: 50%  | Maintenance: 10%
liquidation_penalty: 0.005
lot_size: 0.000001 BTC
tick_size: 0.0001 USD
status: Live
funding_rate:
  enabled: true
  interest_rate_hourly: 0.00125% (0.0000125)
  clamp_min: -0.0005
  clamp_max: 0.0005
  max_funding_rate: 0.005
  min_funding_rate: -0.005

Margin Steps (Tiered Margin System)

Each perp market uses a progressive margin system. As your position size increases, you move into higher tiers with higher margin requirements.

TierPosition Bracket (USD)Initial MarginMaintenance Margin
10 - 50,0001%0.8%
250,000 - 250,0002%1%
3250,000 - 1,000,0005%2%
41,000,000 - 10,000,00010%5%
510,000,000 - 100,000,00050%10%
  • Initial margin is required to open a position.
  • Maintenance margin is required to keep a position open.
  • If your margin falls below maintenance, your position may be liquidated.

Funding Rate Settings

Each market has its own funding rate configuration:

  • enabled: Whether funding is active for this market.
  • interest_rate_hourly: The base interest rate (e.g., 0.00125% per hour).
  • clamp_min / clamp_max: Limits on the funding rate adjustment.
  • max_funding_rate / min_funding_rate: Absolute caps on the funding rate.

See the Funding page for the full formula and examples.


Worked Example: Margin Calculation

Suppose you open a $800,000 position in BTC-USD Perp:

  • The first $50,000 uses Tier 1 (1% initial, 0.8% maintenance)
  • The next $200,000 uses Tier 2 (2% initial, 1% maintenance)
  • The next $750,000 uses Tier 3 (5% initial, 2% maintenance)

Initial Margin:

  • Tier 1: $50,000 × 1% = $500
  • Tier 2: ($250,000 - $50,000) × 2% = $4,000
  • Tier 3: ($800,000 - $250,000) × 5% = $27,500
  • Total Initial Margin = $500 + $4,000 + $27,500 = $32,000

Maintenance Margin:

  • Tier 1: $50,000 × 0.8% = $400
  • Tier 2: ($250,000 - $50,000) × 1% = $2,000
  • Tier 3: ($800,000 - $250,000) × 2% = $11,000
  • Total Maintenance Margin = $400 + $2,000 + $11,000 = $13,400

Summary

  • Perpetual market parameters control risk, margin, and funding for each contract.
  • Margin steps (tiers) ensure larger positions require more margin.
  • Funding rate settings keep perp prices in line with spot.
  • See Margining and Funding for more details and examples.