👀Ostium, Explained (For Traders)
Trade global markets from your wallet — no broker account required.
This page is a plain‑English overview for non‑crypto natives and TradFi traders. It skips protocol math and focuses on what you can do and why it matters. Links at the end point to the deeper docs.
TL;DR
One account for everything: Go long/short on FX, commodities, indices, stocks, and crypto from the same interface.
Perpetuals ("perps"), not options: Linear P&L, no expiries. Set TP/SL, use market/limit/stop orders.
Self‑custody: You control your funds. Instant deposits/withdrawals in stablecoins; no broker approvals.
Fast start: Email or wallet login. Built‑in deposit flow converts/bridges to USDC on Arbitrum.
Transparent fees: Simple opening fee, no closing fee. Ongoing costs are either funding (crypto) or rollover (non‑crypto).
Serious leverage: Up to 200× on supported markets with guardrails (liquidations, caps, day‑trade rules for stocks).
What is Ostium?
Ostium is a decentralized trading venue that lets you express views on the world’s markets directly from a crypto wallet or email‑based smart account. Instead of opening accounts at multiple brokers or exchanges, you trade synthetic perpetual contracts that track the price of the underlying asset (EUR/USD, Gold, S&P 500, BTC, etc.).
Synthetic = price exposure only; you are not taking delivery of the asset.
Perpetual = no fixed expiry; you can hold as long as you like (subject to margin and fees).
Onchain = orders, positions, margin, and PnL settle via smart contracts you can verify.
What you can trade
FX (e.g., EUR/USD, USD/JPY)
Commodities (e.g., Gold, WTI)
Indices & stocks (e.g., S&P 500; day‑trade rules apply to single stocks)
Crypto (e.g., BTC, ETH)
For a live list of markets and current leverage caps, see the in‑app market selector.
Why traders choose Ostium vs. a broker or CEX
Self‑custody & speed: Fund with stablecoins, trade immediately, withdraw on demand.
Everything in one place: Macro and crypto on the same blotter (SPX, CL, EUR, BTC…).
Execution model you know: Market, limit, and stop orders; TP/SL; automation for liquidations and triggers.
Transparent pricing: Fees are on the page; liquidity, OI, and volume are observable.
High leverage (with guardrails): Up to 200× on supported pairs; stock day‑trades allow higher intraday leverage and auto‑close before the bell.
How it works (without the weeds)
Ostium uses price oracles to pull quotes from traditional and crypto markets and a shared liquidity layer to settle PnL.
Oracles:
Real‑world assets (FX/commodities/indices/stocks) use a purpose‑built feed operated with a decentralized oracle network partner. Designed for market hours, holidays, contract rolls, and top‑of‑book bid/ask.
Crypto uses Chainlink’s low‑latency feeds.
Shared Liquidity Layer (SLL): Two components work together so most PnL settles from a Liquidity Buffer; an LP Market‑Making Vault backstops only when needed. This aims to keep funding/rollover fair and make LP rewards come primarily from volume, not trader losses.
You don’t have to manage any of this—think of it as an always‑on clearinghouse with transparent rules.
Fees in plain English
There are two buckets of costs:
Trade once (open):
Opening fee when you open a position.
No closing fee for manual/TP/SL exits and non‑liquidated closes.
Hold over time:
Crypto pairs: a funding payment periodically transfers between longs and shorts based on open‑interest imbalance (zero‑sum between traders).
Non‑crypto pairs (FX/commodities/indices/stocks): a rollover fee that reflects recent volatility (non‑zero‑sum; paid into the protocol).
The app shows current net rate (funding/rollover) on every market. See the full fee table in the Docs.
Risk & safeguards
Trading with leverage can be risky. A few things to know:
Liquidation: Positions can be liquidated if equity falls below maintenance margin; remaining collateral is used to pay liquidation rewards to LPs.
Market hours: Non‑crypto markets follow regular open/close schedules; limit/stop orders queue when markets are closed and execute on reopen.
Smart‑contract & oracle risk: Ostium is audited and uses established oracle providers, but onchain systems can fail—only risk capital you can afford to lose.
Day‑trading rules for stocks: Higher intraday leverage auto‑closes before the bell; overnight leverage is lower.
Getting started (2 minutes)
Connect: Click Connect and choose Email (smart account, gasless) or a Web3 wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, etc.).
Fund: Deposit via the built‑in flow (converts/bridges your asset to USDC on Arbitrum), or send Arbitrum‑USDC directly.
Pick a market: Choose the asset, side (long/short), size, and leverage. Optionally set TP/SL.
Place the order: Market, limit, or stop. You’ll see exact opening fee and the current funding/rollover estimate before confirming.
Manage the position: Add/remove collateral, edit TP/SL, or partially close anytime (subject to market hours for RWAs).
Withdraw: Close positions and withdraw back to your wallet.
Who is Ostium for?
CFD/FX traders who want faster funding/withdrawals and transparent rules.
Crypto perps traders who want to trade macro and crypto from one screen.
Systematic & intraday traders who benefit from higher intraday leverage on stocks and programmable order logic.
FAQs
Do I own the underlying asset? No. These are synthetic perpetuals—you’re trading price exposure, not taking delivery.
How do I onboard? You trade through a decentralized interface with self‑custody. Always follow your local laws—some regions may restrict access.
What collateral do I use? USDC on Arbitrum. The deposit flow can convert/bridge from other chains and tokens for you.
What’s the max leverage? Up to 200× on supported markets (caps may differ by asset and time of day).
When are markets open? Crypto is 24/7. RWAs follow their native market hours; you can queue limit/stop orders while closed.
Do you have 0DTE‑style perps for stocks? Yes—on supported names, with intraday rules and auto‑close before the bell.
Where to go next
Step‑by‑Step Tutorial (connect, fund, open/edit/close)
Order Types (market/limit/stop, TP/SL, liquidation)
Fee Breakdown (opening, funding vs. rollover; by asset class)
Stocks: Day Trading (intraday leverage & timing rules)
Security (audits, oracle design, economic research)
Prefer the short pitch? Trade global markets onchain with self‑custody, zero sign‑up friction, transparent fees, and up to 200× leverage.
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