Gains.trade (gTrade) Guide

What Gains.trade is (and what makes it different)

gTrade is a decentralized leveraged trading platform where you keep custody of your funds (no account signup in the traditional sense) and trades execute on-chain. gTrade uses synthetic leverage backed by liquidity vaults (“gToken vaults”) rather than a traditional order book per market.
See the official Gains.trade docs

Key practical implications:

• You trade from your wallet (self-custody)
• Collateral is in supported tokens (commonly stablecoins and a few others), regardless of what market you’re trading.
• You can trade crypto, forex, commodities (and more) with leverage depending on asset class.

Step 1: Pick a supported network (Polygon vs Arbitrum)

Before you do anything else, decide which chain you’ll trade on:

• Polygon: lower gas, supports lower position sizes; requires block confirmations.
• Arbitrum: faster UX; slightly higher transaction cost; typically higher minimum position size requirement.

Step 2: Set up your wallet + the right tokens

To open/close trades on gTrade you need: (1) a Web3 wallet (e.g., MetaMask), (2) gas token for the chain (MATIC on Polygon / ETH on Arbitrum), and (3) collateral token(s) supported by the platform.

Collateral options (what you actually “spend” to trade)

gTrade supports collateral such as USDC, DAI, WETH, APE (and in some contexts also GNS). The important idea: you’re posting collateral and trading price movement synthetically—you’re not spot-buying the underlying asset.

Step 3: Connect your wallet to Gains.trade

1. Go to gains.trade.
2. Click Connect Wallet (top right).
3. If your wallet was locked when the page loaded, refresh so the site detects it.

Step 4: Approve the collateral token (first time only)

The first time you use a given collateral token, you must approve the trading contract to use it. This is a standard on-chain token approval transaction.

Step 5: Choose a market (pair) and set trade direction

In the trading UI:

• Add/select the pair you want (crypto, forex, etc.).
• Choose Long (profit if price rises) or Short (profit if price falls).

Step 6: Choose an order type (Market vs Limit)

gTrade supports common order types:

• Market: opens immediately at market price (plus spread).
• Limit: opens only if price hits your specified level (executed at the set price, plus spread).

Practical tip: If you care about the exact entry, use Limit (and set slippage/constraints appropriately).

Step 7: Set collateral size + leverage (and understand position size)

Your position size is effectively collateral × leverage (simplified view), and gTrade enforces minimum position sizes depending on chain.

Example minimums from the FAQ:

• Polygon minimum position size: 1,500 DAI
• Arbitrum minimum position size: 7,500 DAI

That minimum is calculated from collateral × leverage.

So if you can’t open a small trade, it’s usually because your position size is below the chain minimum.

Step 8: Risk controls (do this before you click “Open”)

At minimum, configure:

• Stop Loss (where you exit if you’re wrong)
• Take Profit (optional)
• Slippage tolerance: protects you from opening if price moves too far while the oracle price is being returned/confirmed.

With leverage, liquidation can happen quickly. Treat stops as mandatory rather than optional.

Step 9: Fees and spread (what you’ll actually pay)

gTrade fees are typically charged as a percentage and are applied to the leveraged amount (not just your raw collateral).
Example from the docs: using 250 USDC at 10× leverage → fee is applied to the 2,500 USDC leveraged amount.

Also note:

• There is a spread component on entry, and it varies by pair; the UI shows it next to price in the trade parameters box.
• Fees are paid in the collateral you use.

Step 10: Open, monitor, and close the trade

Once set:

1. Open the trade (sign the transaction if required).
2. Monitor PnL, liquidation distance, and any stop/limit triggers.
3. Close manually when appropriate, or let SL/TP manage the exit.

The official “opening/closing trades” doc walks through the same lifecycle in the UI flow.

Use the referral link when you trade

If you want the referral attached when you start trading, use this link before placing trades:

Use the cryptowizard Gains.trade referral link.

gTrade has a referral system where referred opening volume is tracked and rewards are tied to trading activity/open interest mechanics.

Risk note

Leveraged trading can liquidate positions fast. Start small, respect minimum position sizes per chain, and always set stops.