Differences Between Account Modes
| Classic Spot Mode | Single-Currency Margin Mode | Multi-Currency Margin Mode | Portfolio Margin Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Users | General Traders | General Traders | Professional Traders | Advanced Hedging Traders |
| Scope of Services | - Spot | - Spot - USDT-M Perpetual Futures - Options |
- Spot - Cross Margin - USDT-M Perpetual Futures - Options |
- Spot - Cross Margin - USDT-M Perpetual Futures (8 Markets) - Options (8 Markets) |
| Support Using Simple Earn Funds as Margin |
No | Yes |
Yes | Yes |
| Support Spot Hedging |
No | No | No | Yes |
| Requirements | None | None | Total Account Asset Value ≥ 500 USD |
Total Account Asset Value ≥ 10,000 USD |
| Risk Control Rules | Positions and risks across different businesses are independent. Profit and loss in one account does not affect other accounts, and unrealized PnL across different businesses cannot offset each other. |
USDT assets are isolated from other currencies. In liquidation, only USDT margin assets will be lost. |
Positions across multiple businesses may offset each other's PnL. During liquidation, all margin assets in the account may be lost. |
Positions across multiple businesses may offset each other's PnL. During liquidation, all margin assets in the account may be lost |
| Futures Mode | USDT-M Perpetual Futures Support Cross/Isolated Margin |
USDT-M Perpetual Futures Support Cross/Isolated Margin |
USDT-M Perpetual Futures Support Cross/Isolated Margin |
USDT-M Perpetual Futures Support Cross Margin Only |
| Contract Positions Mode |
One-Way Mode Hedge Mode |
One-Way Mode Hedge Mode |
One-Way Mode Hedge Mode |
One-Way Mode Only |
| Borrowing Scope | Borrowing Not Supported | Borrowing Not Supported | Manual Borrowing Auto Borrowing |
Manual Borrowing Auto Borrowing |
| Margin Details |
—— | - USDT assets serve as margin for futures and options - Unrealized futures profits and USDT flexible Simple Earn funds can be used to open positions |
- Multi-currency assets converted to USD value serve as margin for Cross Margin, futures , and options- Unrealized futures profits and flexible Simple Earn funds can be used to open positions |
- Multi-currency assets converted to USD value serve as margin for Cross Margin, futures, and options - Unrealized futures profits and flexible Simple Earn funds can be used to open positions - All positions under the same underlying asset are grouped into one risk unit, and margin is calculated after full risk offset within each unit |
Differences in Margin and Risk Control Rules Across Modes
1. Single-Currency Margin Mode
Single-Currency Margin Mode – Margin Requirements and Risk Control Rules | Gate.com
2. Multi-Currency Margin Mode
Multi-Currency Margin Mode – Asset Concepts and Margin Explanation | Gate.com
Multi-Currency Margin Mode – Risk Control Mechanism | Gate.com
3. Portfolio Margin Mode
Portfolio Margin Mode – Margin and Risk Control Rules | Gate.com
Functional Differences Across Modes
1. Classic Spot Mode
Classic Spot Mode functions the same as before the upgrade. The asset page and trading page display asset balances under each business line, and the assets shown in the Unified Account correspond to the original Spot balances.
2. Single-Currency Margin Mode
At the Unified Account level, key fields include IMR, MMR, and Margin Balance. Since only USDT is accepted as margin in this mode, IMR represents the initial margin ratio for USDT, MMR represents the maintenance margin ratio for USDT, and the margin balance also reflects USDT margin. Liquidation affects only USDT assets.
Single-Currency Margin Mode supports enabling Simple Earn funds as margin. When enabled, USDT assets in Simple Earn flexible investment are included in the Unified Account margin, helping reduce liquidation risk caused by derivatives market volatility.
3. Multi-Currency Margin Mode
Multi-Currency Margin Mode supports converting multiple assets into USD value as margin. IMR becomes the total initial margin ratio, MMR becomes the total maintenance margin ratio, and the margin balance reflects the total margin value. Liquidation may involve clearing all assets used as margin across multiple currencies.
This mode supports enabling Simple Earn funds as margin. When enabled, all eligible Simple Earn flexible assets are automatically included in the Unified Account margin, further reducing liquidation risks caused by market fluctuations.
Multi-Currency Margin Mode also supports customizing which assets are used as margin. If you do not want all currency assets to serve as margin, you may freely select specific currencies for inclusion.
This mode includes Cross Margin and supports both manual and automatic borrowing/repayment. Liabilities can be viewed on both the asset page and the trading page.
4. Portfolio Margin Mode
Portfolio Margin Mode also supports converting multiple assets into USD value as margin. Liquidation may involve clearing all assets used as margin across all currencies.
Like Multi-Currency Margin Mode, Simple Earn funds can also be used as margin. When enabled, all applicable Simple Earn flexible assets are included in the Unified Account margin, further reducing the risk of liquidation during market volatility.
Portfolio Margin Mode supports Spot Hedging. When Spot Hedging is enabled, coin equity participates in the risk unit hedging mechanism, helping offset risks across correlated positions.
This mode includes Cross Margin and supports both manual and automatic borrowing/repayment. Liabilities can be viewed on both the asset page and the trading page.
