Overview
Atomic has no account, no KYC, and no deposit step. You only need an EVM wallet and some funds on Arbitrum.
An EVM wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, or any WalletConnect client) plus USDC.e or ETH on Arbitrum.
1. Install a wallet
Any EVM wallet works. The ones we test against most often:
- MetaMask - the default for most people.
- Rabby - better transaction previews, nicer multi-chain UX.
- WalletConnect - pick this in the app if you're using a mobile wallet (Rainbow, Trust, etc.).
2. Bridge funds to Arbitrum
Atomic runs on Arbitrum One. Margin is paid in the quote currency of the pair you trade (USDC.e for the USDC pairs, WETH for the WETH pairs); you only need ETH for gas. ETH wraps to WETH in the app when you need it.
| Bridge | Notes |
|---|---|
| bridge.arbitrum.io | Official. Slowest if you ever bridge back to L1. |
| Stargate | Fast, lots of source chains. |
| Across | Cheapest for small transfers. |
| Orbiter | Low latency for L2-to-L2 moves. |
A few dollars of ETH on Arbitrum cover hundreds of transactions.
3. Swap USDC to USDC.e
Atomic settles in USDC.e - the bridged version of USDC. Most bridges hand you native USDC (Circle's CCTP token), which is a different ERC-20 with a different contract address. You need USDC.e to open positions and to lend.
If your bridge gave you native USDC, swap to USDC.e on any DEX before continuing.
| DEX | Notes |
|---|---|
| Uniswap | Deepest USDC ↔ USDC.e pool on Arbitrum. |
| Camelot | Native Arbitrum DEX. Often the best route for size. |
| 1inch / ParaSwap | Aggregators. Will pick the best path for you. |
The two trade at parity under normal conditions, so the swap is effectively a token-format conversion.
4. Connect to the app
- Open app.atomic.green.
- Click Connect Wallet in the top right.
- Pick your wallet, approve the connection.
- Check you're on Arbitrum. The app prompts to switch if you aren't.
On your first visit you'll be asked to sign a one-time agreement. It's a gasless signature - nothing is broadcast and no fee is paid.
5. Approve the asset (one-time per market)
The first time you trade a given market, the app will ask you to approve the token spend. Standard ERC-20 approval, happens once per asset.
6. Open your first position
- Pick a market at the top of the trading view.
- Choose Long or Short.
- Enter the margin in the pair's quote currency (USDC.e for USDC pairs, WETH for WETH pairs).
- Set the leverage (1x–20x; see Leverage & margin).
- Look at the order panel. The number that matters most is the liquidation price.
- Click Buy (or Sell for a short) and sign.
The position shows up in Open Positions as soon as the transaction confirms.
7. Manage the position
- Take Profit / Stop Loss - click Edit on the open position to set or change targets. Setting, editing, and cancelling are free.
- Close - click Close and sign. Margin, minus fees and PnL, lands back in your wallet in the same block.
What's next
- Open a position - the order panel in detail.
- Liquidations - interactive calculator for your liquidation price.
- How it works - what's happening on-chain when you click Buy.