> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decibel.trade/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Decibel?

> A fully on-chain perpetual futures exchange with cross-chain deposits

Decibel is a perpetual futures exchange where every order is placed, matched, and settled on-chain. If you have traded perps before, you already know how to use Decibel.

## Get Started

1. **Connect any wallet.** EVM (MetaMask, OKX, Ledger), Solana (Phantom, Solflare), or Aptos (Petra, Aptos Connect).
2. **Deposit USDC.** Click Deposit and select the chain your USDC is on. Decibel bridges it automatically.
3. **Trade.** Perps with up to 40x leverage, cross-margin by default.
4. **Withdraw.** Send USDC back to the chain your wallet is connected to.

## Supported Chains

Deposit and withdraw USDC from any of these chains:

| Chain    | Wallets                                    |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Ethereum | MetaMask, OKX, Ledger, any EIP-1193 wallet |
| Arbitrum | Same as Ethereum                           |
| Base     | Same as Ethereum                           |
| Solana   | Phantom, Solflare, Magic Eden              |
| Aptos    | Petra, Aptos Connect (Google login)        |

Bridging uses [Wormhole](https://wormhole.com) with Circle's [CCTP](https://www.circle.com/cross-chain-transfer-protocol) for USDC transfers. You do not need to bridge manually.

## Fees

Trading fees decrease as your 30-day volume grows. Maker fees drop to zero at higher tiers.

| Tier | 30D Volume | Taker   | Maker       |
| ---- | ---------- | ------- | ----------- |
| 0    | \< \$10M   | 0.0340% | 0.0110%     |
| 1    | > \$10M    | 0.0300% | 0.0090%     |
| 2    | > \$50M    | 0.0250% | 0.0060%     |
| 3    | > \$200M   | 0.0220% | 0.0030%     |
| 4    | > \$1B     | 0.0210% | **0.0000%** |
| 5    | > \$4B     | 0.0190% | **0.0000%** |
| 6    | > \$15B    | 0.0180% | **0.0000%** |

Fees are a percentage of notional value (`Position Size x Fill Price`). For maker/taker definitions, funding fees, and builder code fees, see the [full fee breakdown](/for-traders/fees).

No protocol fees on deposits or withdrawals (only gas).

## What Makes Decibel Different?

* **Fully on-chain.** The orderbook lives on-chain, not just settlement. Every order, match, and fill is a transaction you can verify.
* **Cross-chain deposits.** Connect your existing wallet from Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, or Solana. No manual bridging.
* **Continuous funding.** Funding accrues continuously instead of resetting every 8 hours, reducing the manipulation windows common on other exchanges.
* **Builder Codes.** Third-party apps and bots can earn a share of trading fees through [Builder Codes](/quickstart/builder-codes).

## Vaults

Not trading directly? Deposit into a vault and let a professional manager trade on your behalf.

* **Fungible vault shares.** Your share of the vault is a token you can hold or use elsewhere in DeFi.
* **Skin in the game.** Vault managers deposit their own capital alongside contributors.
* **Interval-based performance fees.** Managers charge 0-10%, crystallized every 30-365 days. If the vault loses money in an interval, no fees are charged for that period.
* **Fully on-chain.** Vault creation, deposits, redemptions, and fee logic all execute as on-chain transactions.

Want to run a vault yourself? See the [Vault Launch Guide](/developer-hub/guides/vaults) for developers, or [Vaults](/for-traders/vaults) for how they work as a contributor.

## What Can You Trade?

Decibel launched with perpetual futures. More products are on the roadmap.

| Product                  | Status      |
| ------------------------ | ----------- |
| Perpetual Futures        | Live        |
| Multi-Collateral Support | Coming Soon |
| Spot Trading             | Planned     |

For min order sizes, tick sizes, and lot sizes for all live markets, see [Market Parameters](/developer-hub/on-chain/overview/market-parameters).

## Under the Hood

Decibel runs natively on Aptos Layer 1. For traders this means fast execution and low gas, but you do not need to know anything about Aptos to use Decibel. Connect your existing wallet, and the cross-chain infrastructure handles the rest.

For the technically curious:

* **Block-STM parallel execution.** Transactions process in parallel, not sequentially.
* **Sub-second finality.** Settlement in roughly 0.125 seconds.
* **Move VM.** Smart contracts written in Move, a language designed for safe asset handling.
* **No bridges or rollups.** All liquidity lives on a single L1. No fragmentation, no bridge risk.

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Perpetuals vs Spot" href="/for-traders/perps-vs-spot">
    How perps differ from spot trading
  </Card>

  <Card title="Fees" href="/for-traders/fees">
    Full fee schedule, maker/taker rules, and builder code fees
  </Card>

  <Card title="How Margin Works" href="/for-traders/margin">
    Cross-margin, leverage, and liquidation thresholds
  </Card>

  <Card title="Vault System" href="/for-traders/vaults">
    Delegating capital to professional vault managers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>