How to set up a Stacked Markets account and connect your wallet

Stacked Markets will never ask for your seed phrase. If anything prompts you for it, stop immediately.

Stacked Markets is a non-custodial execution terminal for perpetual futures. Connect a wallet, link a signer address, and trade directly on Hyperliquid's on-chain order book. Your collateral stays on-chain. Stacked Markets holds nothing. This guide covers every setup step, from first connection to your first testnet trade.

Contents

1. Before you start
2. Step 1 — Connect in the header
3. Step 2 — Link an Ethereum signer address
4. Step 3 — Fund testnet and place your first trade
5. Step 4 — Enable an agent wallet (optional)
6. Step 5 — Switch between testnet and mainnet
7. FAQs

Before you start

Perpetual futures use leverage. You can lose all of your margin. Know your position sizing and liquidation price before placing any live trade. The testnet lets you practice with zero mainnet risk — use it first.

What you need:

• An Ethereum-compatible wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet), or an email or social login
• Arbitrum USDC for mainnet deposits (testnet assets are free)
• A few minutes to complete signer setup

Step 1: Connect in the header

Open the terminal at testnet.stackedmarkets.com and click Connect in the top-right corner. Three entry options are available:

• Wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, WalletConnect). Your Ethereum wallet signs approvals directly. You control recovery through your own seed phrase. The right choice if you are already wallet-native and want full self-custody.
• Email login. A wallet is generated and managed by the embedded auth provider. Recovery depends on your email account security. Less friction for new users, but key management sits with the auth provider.
• Social login (Google, etc.). Same mechanics as email — a wallet is generated on your behalf. Recovery is tied to your social account. Easiest entry point, least direct key control.

What you are signing at this step: a connection approval only. No funds move. No transaction is broadcast. You are identifying your address to the interface, nothing more.

Step 2: Link an Ethereum signer address

Once connected, you will be prompted to link a signer address. This is the address Hyperliquid's L1 treats as yours for order submission and margin management.

What this approval does:

• Registers your address with Hyperliquid's on-chain infrastructure
• Authorizes order submission, position management, and withdrawals from that address
• Costs a small gas fee on Hyperliquid's L1 — this is an on-chain action

What this approval does not do:

• Transfer custody of your funds to Stacked Markets
• Give Stacked Markets access to your wallet
• Change who handles matching, margin, or settlement — that is Hyperliquid

Read the plain-language signing prompt before approving. Every approval in the terminal describes exactly what you are authorizing — no vague confirmation dialogs.

Step 3: Fund testnet and place your first trade

Getting testnet assets

On testnet, use the in-terminal faucet to receive test USDC. No real funds required. Click Deposit, then Request Testnet Funds. On mainnet (when live), you deposit native Arbitrum USDC, which bridges into your Hyperliquid margin account. The terminal surfaces the bridge flow directly.

Previewing a trade

Before submitting any order:

1. Select a market from the instrument list
2. Enter your position size in the order ticket
3. Check the liquidation price shown in the order preview — this is the price at which your margin is fully consumed
4. Review the estimated fee — you access Hyperliquid's native fee structure directly (approximately 0.01% maker rebate, 0.035% taker at standard tier)

The halt switch. The positions panel includes a halt switch. Activating it cancels all open orders immediately. Use it when you need to stop all activity fast. It cancels pending orders — it does not close open positions.

Order type note. Orders are submitted as IOC-style slippage-bounded limit orders. Your order fills within your specified slippage tolerance or it does not fill at all. There are no fake market orders executing at arbitrary prices.

Step 4: Enable an agent wallet (optional)

An agent wallet is an optional local browser key that submits orders on your behalf without requiring a manual wallet signature for every trade.

• The agent key is generated locally in your browser
• It is never sent to Stacked Markets' servers
• It is fully revocable from the settings panel at any time
• It cannot withdraw funds — it operates only within the permissions you set

When to use one: you trade frequently and want faster order submission without repeated wallet pop-ups. When to skip it: you prefer every action to require an explicit hardware wallet or MetaMask approval.

Step 5: Switch between testnet and mainnet

The terminal displays a network badge showing whether you are on testnet or mainnet. Check it at the start of every session.

• Testnet badge visible: orders and positions are simulated, no real funds at risk
• Mainnet badge visible: orders execute on Hyperliquid's live order book, real margin is at stake

To switch networks, use the network selector in the header. The terminal will prompt you to reconnect your wallet to the correct network.

Why this matters: the UI looks identical on both networks. The network badge is the only reliable indicator. Do not assume you are on testnet because you were there last session.

FAQs

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Setup takes under five minutes. Connect your wallet, link your signer, request testnet funds, and place a trade with zero mainnet risk.

Start at testnet.stackedmarkets.com →