Frequently Asked Questions
About Ostium

Getting started on Ostium is straightforward. Follow these steps:

• 1. Get a Web3 wallet — Install MetaMask, Rabby, or any compatible wallet.
• 2. Connect to Arbitrum — Ostium is deployed on Arbitrum One. Switch your wallet network accordingly.
• 3. Bridge or acquire USDC — You'll need USDC on Arbitrum to use as collateral. Bridge from Ethereum mainnet or buy directly on Arbitrum via a DEX.
• 4. Connect your wallet — Visit the Ostium app and click "Log In" to connect your wallet.
• 5. Open a trade — Navigate to the Trade section, choose a market, set your size and leverage, and confirm your position.

No KYC, no account creation, no waiting period. You can start trading immediately after connecting your wallet.

Ostium supports all major EVM-compatible wallets. Currently supported wallets include:

• MetaMask
• Rabby Wallet
• WalletConnect (supporting hundreds of mobile wallets)
• Coinbase Wallet
• Privy (email and social login for new users)

Ostium operates exclusively on Arbitrum One. Make sure your wallet is connected to Arbitrum before interacting with the protocol. The app will prompt you to switch networks if you are on a different chain.

Ostium offers one of the broadest selections of perpetual markets available on any decentralized exchange. Asset classes include:

• Crypto BTC, ETH, and other major cryptocurrencies
• Forex Major pairs including EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY
• Commodities Gold (XAU), Silver (XAG), Crude Oil (CL), Brent
• Indices US100 (Nasdaq), S&P 500, and other major indices
• Stocks Perpetuals on individual company shares

All markets on Ostium are settled in USDC. New markets are added regularly based on community demand and liquidity conditions.

Ostium charges the following fees:

• Opening fee — A small percentage of the notional position size charged when opening a trade.
• Closing fee — The same rate applied when closing a position.
• Borrowing fee — An ongoing hourly rate charged for holding open positions. This compensates the liquidity vault for the capital being used.
• Network gas fees — Standard Arbitrum transaction fees, which are typically very low (a few cents per transaction).

A significant portion of trading fees collected by Ostium is distributed to OLP vault holders, creating a virtuous cycle between traders and liquidity providers.

Liquidation occurs when a position's collateral falls below the maintenance margin threshold. This happens when losses (including accumulated borrowing fees) erode your collateral to a point where the protocol must close the position to protect the liquidity pool.

To avoid liquidation on Ostium:

• Monitor your positions regularly via the Portfolio page
• Use lower leverage to give your position more room to breathe
• Add more collateral to at-risk positions before they reach the liquidation price
• Set Stop Loss orders to automatically close positions at your desired level

The Ostium portfolio tracker shows your real-time liquidation price for every open position, so you always know your risk exposure.

Ostium supports multiple order types to give traders flexibility in how they execute and manage their positions:

• Market orders — Execute immediately at the current market price.
• Limit orders — Open or close a position when the market reaches your specified price.
• Stop Loss — Automatically close a position if the market moves against you beyond a set threshold.
• Take Profit — Automatically close a profitable position when it reaches your target price.

All pending orders are visible in your Ostium portfolio under the "Orders" tab, and can be modified or cancelled at any time before execution.

The Ostium Vault is the liquidity pool that backs all trades on the platform. When traders open leveraged positions, they trade against the vault's USDC reserves.

OLP (Ostium Liquidity Provider token) is the token you receive when you deposit USDC into the Ostium Vault. OLP represents your proportional share of the vault's assets.

As a vault depositor, you benefit when traders lose and contribute when traders win — meaning OLP performance is essentially the counterpart of aggregate trader performance. In return for bearing this risk, OLP holders earn a share of all trading fees collected by Ostium.

To deposit into the Ostium Vault:

• Navigate to the Vault section in the Ostium app
• Enter the amount of USDC you want to deposit
• Approve the USDC spend and confirm the deposit transaction
• You will receive OLP tokens representing your share

To withdraw from the Ostium Vault:

• Navigate to the Vault section
• Enter the amount of OLP you want to redeem
• Confirm the withdrawal transaction
• You receive USDC back at the current OLP exchange rate

Note that there may be a lock period for vault deposits, and the amount of USDC you receive on withdrawal depends on the current value of OLP, which fluctuates based on trader PnL and fee accrual.

The Ostium Points program is designed to reward active traders and liquidity providers. Points are accumulated based on your activity on the platform.

Ways to earn Ostium Points:

• Trading volume — The more you trade, the more points you earn. Certain markets may offer boosted point multipliers.
• Vault deposits — Providing liquidity to the Ostium Vault earns points proportional to your deposit size and duration.
• Referrals — Referring new users to Ostium may earn bonus points.
• Boosted markets — Ostium occasionally features 2x or higher point boosts on specific markets to incentivize activity.

Points balances and leaderboards can be tracked in the Points section of the Ostium app. Future utility for accumulated points may be announced by the Ostium team.

Trading Points Boosts are temporary multipliers that Ostium applies to specific markets to reward traders who participate in those markets during the boost period.

For example, a 2x boost on the US100/USD market means that trading that pair earns you twice the normal rate of Ostium Points for the same volume.

Boost campaigns are displayed prominently in the Ostium app header, showing which markets are currently boosted and by how much. These campaigns rotate regularly, so check back often to maximize your points accumulation.

The Ostium Portfolio page is a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring all aspects of your trading activity. When your wallet is connected, you can view:

• Realized PnL — Total profit and loss from closed positions
• Unrealized PnL — Current profit and loss on open positions
• Total Volume — Cumulative notional trading volume
• Positions tab — All open trades with entry price, market price, size, and liquidation level
• Orders tab — Pending limit and stop orders
• History tab — Complete trade history
• Asset Distribution — How your exposure is spread across asset classes
• PnL Chart — Historical performance over 7D, 30D, 1Y, and all-time periods

The Portfolio page also shows your Ostium Vault stats including OLP balance, deposited amount, locked tokens, and estimated earnings.

Ostium takes security seriously. The smart contracts powering the protocol have undergone formal security reviews, and the team continuously monitors for potential vulnerabilities.

As with all DeFi protocols, users should be aware of the inherent risks:

• Smart contract risk — Despite audits, no smart contract can be guaranteed 100% bug-free.
• Market risk — Leveraged trading amplifies both gains and losses.
• Oracle risk — Ostium uses price oracles to determine market prices; oracle failures could affect the platform.
• Liquidity risk — In extreme market conditions, vault liquidity may be limited.

Only trade with funds you can afford to lose. Ostium is non-custodial — your private keys remain in your control at all times and Ostium cannot access your wallet without your explicit signature.

No. Ostium is a fully decentralized, non-custodial protocol. There is no account registration, no email required, and no KYC (Know Your Customer) verification needed to trade.

Simply connect your Web3 wallet and you can immediately access all features of Ostium. The protocol interacts with your wallet address directly — your identity is your on-chain address.

Ostium offers optional email login via Privy for users who prefer a simpler onboarding experience, but this is a convenience feature and not a requirement for using the full protocol.