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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.