Fees & Pricing on Dexetera
This guide explains all the costs associated with trading on Dexetera.
Fee Structure Overview
Dexetera charges fees at three points in your trading journey:
| Action | Fee Type | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Position | Trading Fee | When you enter trade | [FEE_OPEN]% |
| Close Position | Trading Fee | When you exit trade | [FEE_CLOSE]% |
| Roll Over | Roll-over Fee | When extending contract | [FEE_ROLLOVER]% |
| Create Contract | Creation Fee | When you create market | [FEE_CREATE] USDC |
Trading Fees (Open & Close)
Opening Position Fee
When you open a position, you pay a fee immediately.
Calculation:
Fee = Position Value × Fee Percentage
Position Value = Amount × Leverage
Example:
Amount: 100 USDC
Leverage: 5x
Position Value: 500 USDC
Fee Percentage: [FEE_OPEN]%
Fee Amount: 500 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE_AMOUNT] USDC
Impact on your trade:
- You deposit 100 USDC
- Fee deducted: [FEE_AMOUNT] USDC
- Actual collateral working: 100 - [FEE_AMOUNT] = [NET] USDC
- Your liquidation price is calculated on NET amount
Closing Position Fee
When you close (sell) your position, you pay another fee.
Calculation:
Fee = Notional Value × Fee Percentage
Example:
Opened at: 100 USDC
Currently worth: 115 USDC (you made profit)
Leverage: 5x
Closing notional: 115 × 5 = 575 USDC
Fee: 575 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE_AMOUNT] USDC
Impact on profit:
- Your position made +15 USDC gross profit
- Closing fee: -[FEE_AMOUNT] USDC
- Net profit: 15 - [FEE_AMOUNT] = [NET_PROFIT] USDC
Fee Examples
Example 1: Winning Trade
Setup:
- Deposit: 50 USDC
- Leverage: 2x
- Entry price: Bitcoin $50,000
- Exit price: Bitcoin $52,000
Fees at opening:
- Position value: 50 × 2 = 100 USDC
- Opening fee: 100 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE1] USDC
- Actual collateral: 50 - [FEE1] = [COL] USDC
Trade result:
- Price moved from $50,000 to $52,000
- Profit: 100 × ($2,000/$50,000) = 4 USDC
Fees at closing:
- Closing position value: (50 + 4) × 2 = 108 USDC
- Closing fee: 108 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE2] USDC
Final result:
- Gross profit: 4 USDC
- Total fees: [FEE1] + [FEE2] = [TOTAL_FEES] USDC
- Net profit: 4 - [TOTAL_FEES] = [NET] USDC
Example 2: Losing Trade
Setup:
- Deposit: 100 USDC
- Leverage: 3x
- Entry price: Ethereum $3,000
- Exit price: Ethereum $2,900
Fees at opening:
- Position value: 100 × 3 = 300 USDC
- Opening fee: 300 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE1] USDC
- Actual collateral: 100 - [FEE1] = [COL] USDC
Trade result:
- Price moved from $3,000 to $2,900
- Loss: 300 × (-$100/$3,000) = -10 USDC
Fees at closing:
- Closing position value: (100 - 10) × 3 = 270 USDC
- Closing fee: 270 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE2] USDC
Final result:
- Gross loss: -10 USDC
- Total fees: [FEE1] + [FEE2] = [TOTAL_FEES] USDC
- Net loss: -10 - [TOTAL_FEES] = [NET_LOSS] USDC
- Remaining: 100 - [NET_LOSS] = [REMAINING] USDC
Roll-Over Fee
If you extend your position before contract expiration using roll-over:
Fee calculation:
Fee = Position Value × Roll-over Percentage
Example:
Position: 100 USDC at 2x leverage
Position Value: 200 USDC
Roll-over Fee: 200 × [FEE_ROLLOVER]% = [AMOUNT] USDC
When charged: When you click "Roll Over"
What happens:
- Fee deducted from your account
- Position moved to next contract
- New liquidation price calculated
Example:
Current position value: 50 USDC at 3x leverage
Rolling over 60 days before expiration
Roll-over fee: 150 × [FEE_ROLLOVER]% = [AMOUNT] USDC
New position: Same 50 USDC, now on 2027 contract
Contract Creation Fee
If you create a new contract (optional):
One-time fee: [FEE_CREATE] USDC
Paid: When you submit the contract creation form
Refunded: Never (non-refundable)
Value: Your contract earns fees from traders, so creation fee is an investment
Example:
You create: Bitcoin/USD 2026
Creation fee: [FEE_CREATE] USDC paid upfront
First month:
- 100 traders open positions on your contract
- Total position value: 5,000 USDC
- Creator fee (from trading): 5,000 × [CREATOR_FEE]% = [EARNINGS] USDC
- Net benefit: [EARNINGS] - [FEE_CREATE] = [PROFIT] USDC
Gas Fees (Blockchain Costs)
Beyond Dexetera fees, all transactions incur gas fees (Arbitrum network costs):
Typical gas costs:
- Open position: $0.50 - $2
- Close position: $0.50 - $2
- Roll over: $0.30 - $1
- Create contract: $1 - $5
Paid in: ETH (Ethereum, not USDC)
Not controlled by: Dexetera (set by Arbitrum network)
What includes gas:
- Blockchain transaction recording
- Smart contract execution
- Data storage on-chain
Total Cost Examples
Example: Complete Trade Lifecycle
OPEN POSITION:
- Deposit: 100 USDC
- Opening fee: [FEE_OPEN] USDC
- Gas: 1 USDC worth of ETH
- Total cost to open: 100 + [FEE_OPEN] + 1 ETH = ~101 + ETH
POSITION ACTIVE:
- Position value increases to 120 USDC (profit)
CLOSE POSITION:
- Closing fee: [FEE_CLOSE] USDC
- Gas: 1 USDC worth of ETH
- Net after close: 120 - [FEE_CLOSE] - 1 ETH = ~119 - ETH
FINAL RESULT:
- Started with: 100 USDC + 2 ETH (for gas)
- Ended with: 119 USDC (profit!)
- Net profit: 19 USDC (minus ETH gas costs)
Fee Comparison: Different Leverage
Same Deposit, Different Leverage
Deposit: 100 USDC
1x Leverage:
- Position value: 100 USDC
- Opening fee: 100 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE1]
- Closing fee: 100 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE1]
- Total fees: [FEE1] × 2 = [FEE_TOTAL]
5x Leverage:
- Position value: 500 USDC
- Opening fee: 500 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE5]
- Closing fee: 500 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE5]
- Total fees: [FEE5] × 2 = [FEE_TOTAL5]
10x Leverage:
- Position value: 1000 USDC
- Opening fee: 1000 × [FEE_OPEN]% = [FEE10]
- Closing fee: 1000 × [FEE_CLOSE]% = [FEE10]
- Total fees: [FEE10] × 2 = [FEE_TOTAL10]
Key insight: Higher leverage = Higher fees (proportional to position size)
When Fees Are Deducted
Opening Fee
Deducted immediately when position opens:
- From your USDC balance in wallet
- Reflected in your collateral amount
- Affects liquidation price
Closing Fee
Deducted at closing:
- From your profit if you made money
- Added to your loss if you lost money
- Reduces net P&L
Roll-over Fee
Deducted when rolling over:
- From your account
- Before new contract begins
- Reduces your collateral on new contract
Strategies to Minimize Fees
1. Hold Longer
More holding time = Fewer trades = Fewer fees
Strategy A: Day trade (open/close same day)
Fees: [FEE_A] USDC per day
Yearly fees: [FEE_A] × 365 = [FEE_YEAR_A]
Strategy B: Hold 1 month (open, hold 30 days, close)
Fees: [FEE_B] USDC total
Yearly fees: [FEE_B] × 12 = [FEE_YEAR_B]
Strategy B is much cheaper!
2. Use Lower Leverage
Lower leverage = Smaller position value = Lower fees
100 USDC at 1x:
Fees: 100 × [FEE]% × 2 = [FEE_LOW]
100 USDC at 10x:
Fees: 1000 × [FEE]% × 2 = [FEE_HIGH]
FEE_HIGH is 10x more than FEE_LOW!
3. Bundle Positions
Consolidate multiple small trades into fewer large trades:
Bad: Open 10 different 10-USDC trades
Total fees: 10 × (10 × [FEE]% × 2) = High
Good: Open 1 position of 100 USDC
Total fees: 100 × [FEE]% × 2 = Lower per unit
4. Avoid Frequent Roll-overs
Each roll-over costs fees. Plan ahead:
Bad: Roll over multiple times per contract year
Fees: [FEE_RO] × (number of roll-overs)
Good: Hold until expiration (if winning)
Fees: [FEE_RO] × 0 (no roll-over fee)
Fee Transparency
Dexetera shows you all fees before confirming:
When opening position:
✓ Opening fee (showing exact amount)
✓ Estimated liquidation price
✓ Total cost breakdown
✓ Gas estimate
When closing position:
✓ Closing fee (showing exact amount)
✓ Gross profit/loss
✓ Net profit/loss (after fees)
✓ Gas estimate
Never: Hidden fees, surprise charges, or undisclosed costs.
Fee Allocation (Where Your Money Goes)
When you pay fees, money goes to:
| Use | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Platform development | [SPEC]% |
| Infrastructure/servers | [SPEC]% |
| Contract creators | [SPEC]% (if trading their contract) |
| Risk management | [SPEC]% |
Note: Exact breakdown available in Dexetera documentation.
Next Steps
- Estimate your costs: Use Fee Calculator
- Understand liquidation: Risk & Liquidation
- Plan your trades: Trading Basics
Pro tip: Factor fees into your profit target. If you plan to make 5% profit, ensure fees are less than 2% to keep 3% net gain.