What is self-custody trading?
Self-custody trading means your funds stay in a wallet you control — not in an exchange's account. Instead of depositing money into a company's custody, you connect a self-custodial wallet (like MetaMask, Rabby, or an embedded wallet) and trade directly against onchain liquidity.
Your private keys never leave your device. The platform can't move, freeze, or access your funds.
How a non-custodial DEX works
On a non-custodial decentralized exchange, you sign each trade locally with your wallet. Settlement happens onchain in a smart contract. The platform routes your order against liquidity providers but never takes possession of your collateral.
This architecture means there's no company-held balance to hack, freeze, or mismanage. Your trading capital lives in your wallet, with you.
Why self-custody matters
Centralized custody has well-documented failure modes — FTX, Mt. Gox, Celsius. When you hand over custody, you take on counterparty risk on top of market risk.
Self-custody removes that. You control your keys, your funds, your withdrawal timing. There's no withdrawal queue, no support ticket needed, no risk of an exchange insolvency draining your account.
The trade-off is responsibility — you need to keep your keys safe. Most modern wallets handle this with hardware-key support, multi-sig, or social recovery.
How to start trading on Relentless
Connect a self-custodial wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, Phantom) or sign up with email to create an embedded self-custodial wallet. Deposit USDC from any supported chain. Pick a market — stocks, commodities, FX, or crypto — set leverage, and place an order.
Every trade is signed by your wallet. Settlement happens onchain in USDC. Your collateral and positions are visible and verifiable, always.