Perpetual Trading

Master leveraged trading on DPerp, DI Network's perpetual futures platform offering up to 50x leverage on synthetic assets with no expiration dates.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Connected wallet with DUSD for collateral

  • Understanding of leverage and margin trading

  • Familiarity with perpetual futures concepts

Account Setup

  1. Connect your wallet to DPerp

  2. Deposit DUSD as collateral

  3. Review risk parameters and position limits

  4. Start with small positions to learn the platform

Opening Your First Position

Step 1: Choose Market

Select from available perpetual markets:

  • Crypto: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD

  • Commodities: GOLD/USD, OIL/USD

  • Equities: AAPL/USD, TSLA/USD

  • Forex: EUR/USD, GBP/USD

Step 2: Set Position Parameters

Step 3: Risk Management

  • Set stop-loss levels

  • Define take-profit targets

  • Monitor liquidation price

  • Understand funding costs

Step 4: Execute Trade

  1. Review all parameters

  2. Click "Open Position"

  3. Confirm transaction in wallet

  4. Monitor position in dashboard

Position Management

Monitoring Positions

Your position dashboard shows:

  • Current P&L: Unrealized profit/loss

  • Entry Price: Average entry price

  • Mark Price: Current market price

  • Liquidation Price: Price at which position gets liquidated

  • Funding Rate: Current funding rate

  • Margin Ratio: Remaining margin percentage

Adjusting Positions

Add Collateral:

Increase Size:

Partial Close:

Leverage and Margin

Leverage Levels

Asset Category
Max Leverage
Recommended for Beginners

Major Crypto

50x

2-5x

Minor Crypto

25x

2-3x

Commodities

20x

2-4x

Equities

10x

2-3x

Forex

100x

5-10x

Margin Requirements

Initial Margin: Minimum collateral to open position

Maintenance Margin: Minimum to avoid liquidation

Liquidation Protection

  • Monitor health factor (should stay > 1.2)

  • Add collateral when approaching liquidation

  • Use stop-losses to limit downside

  • Consider reducing leverage during volatility

Funding Rates

Understanding Funding

Funding payments occur every 8 hours between long and short traders:

  • Positive Rate: Longs pay shorts

  • Negative Rate: Shorts pay longs

  • Rate Based On: Market demand and utilization

Funding Schedule

Time (UTC)
Funding Payment

00:00

8-hour funding

08:00

8-hour funding

16:00

8-hour funding

Funding Calculation

Funding Strategies

  • Funding Arbitrage: Collect funding when rates are high

  • Rate Monitoring: Close positions before expensive funding

  • Delta Hedging: Hedge spot positions to collect funding

Trading Strategies

Trend Following

  1. Identify strong trends using technical analysis

  2. Enter positions in trend direction

  3. Use trailing stops to protect profits

  4. Scale out of positions gradually

Mean Reversion

  1. Identify overbought/oversold conditions

  2. Enter counter-trend positions

  3. Target return to mean prices

  4. Use tight stops due to trend risk

Scalping

  1. Make many small, quick trades

  2. Target small price movements

  3. Use high leverage for amplified returns

  4. Requires constant monitoring

Hedging

  1. Hedge existing spot positions

  2. Reduce portfolio volatility

  3. Protect against adverse moves

  4. Maintain market exposure

Risk Management

Position Sizing

Kelly Criterion: Optimal position size based on win rate

Fixed Percentage: Risk fixed percentage per trade

Stop Losses

Percentage-Based:

Technical-Based:

  • Support/resistance levels

  • Moving averages

  • Trend lines

  • Previous highs/lows

Portfolio Limits

  • Maximum 20% of portfolio in perpetuals

  • No more than 5 open positions simultaneously

  • Diversify across asset categories

  • Monitor correlation between positions

Advanced Features

Order Types

Market Orders: Execute immediately at current price Limit Orders: Execute at specific price or better Stop Orders: Trigger market order at stop price Take Profit: Close position at profit target

Conditional Orders

Set up automated trading rules:

  1. If-Then Orders: Execute based on conditions

  2. Trailing Stops: Dynamic stop-loss levels

  3. OCO Orders: One-cancels-other orders

  4. Time-Based: Execute at specific times

Portfolio Margin

Advanced users can use portfolio margin:

  • Cross-margin multiple positions

  • Offset long/short positions

  • Improved capital efficiency

  • Higher complexity and risk

Performance Tracking

Key Metrics

  • Total P&L: Overall profit/loss

  • Win Rate: Percentage of profitable trades

  • Average Win/Loss: Size of wins vs losses

  • Sharpe Ratio: Risk-adjusted returns

  • Maximum Drawdown: Largest peak-to-trough decline

Trade Journal

Record for each trade:

  • Entry/exit prices and times

  • Position size and leverage

  • Reasoning for trade

  • Outcome and lessons learned

Common Mistakes

Overleveraging

  • Using maximum leverage available

  • Not accounting for volatility

  • Ignoring liquidation risk

  • Chasing losses with higher leverage

Poor Risk Management

  • No stop-losses

  • Position sizes too large

  • Ignoring correlation

  • Emotional decision making

Funding Ignorance

  • Not understanding funding costs

  • Holding positions through expensive funding

  • Ignoring funding rate trends

  • Not factoring funding into strategy

Mobile Trading

Mobile App Features

  • Full trading functionality

  • Real-time price alerts

  • Position monitoring

  • Quick order execution

Mobile Best Practices

  • Use limit orders for better execution

  • Set up price alerts for key levels

  • Monitor positions regularly

  • Have backup internet connection

Troubleshooting

Position Not Opening

  • Check collateral balance

  • Verify leverage limits

  • Ensure market is active

  • Check for system maintenance

Unexpected Liquidation

  • Monitor health factor closely

  • Add collateral proactively

  • Understand funding impact

  • Use position size calculator

Funding Confusion

  • Check funding rate history

  • Understand 8-hour schedule

  • Calculate funding costs

  • Consider funding in strategy

Getting Advanced

API Trading

  • Automated trading strategies

  • Real-time data feeds

  • Programmatic order management

  • Backtesting capabilities

Institutional Features

  • Higher position limits

  • Dedicated support

  • Custom fee structures

  • Advanced reporting

Community

  • Join trading discussions

  • Share strategies and insights

  • Learn from experienced traders

  • Participate in competitions

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