Is Gains Network (gTrade) legit and safe?
Yes, Gains Network is a real, operating perp dex, checked Oct 29, 2026 against docs.gains.trade and 13 other sources. We found no reported hacks or fund losses. Sign up with code dexsheet. Legit is not low-risk: coins traded on it can still go to zero.
Checked 2026-10-29 · 14 sourcesGains Network is a real, operating perp dex. It is non-custodial, KYC: none. We found no reported hacks or fund losses in our sources. Legit is not the same as low-risk: the coins traded on it can still go to zero.
dexsheetYou get: None documented. The referral docs describe no fee discount or bonus for referred traders; the Gains Credits and GNS-staking fee discounts apply to every trader.
The checklist
| Check | Finding |
|---|---|
| Operating status | live |
| Custody | Self-custody |
| Identity check (KYC) | none |
| Known backers | none found |
| Reported incidents | none found |
| Published fees | yes |
| US availability | restricted |
Custody: who holds your money
You trade from your own wallet; the docs say money stays there until you open a trade and comes back when you close. Open-trade collateral sits in the Gains smart contracts, and the gToken vaults are the counterparty. The optional instant wallet (Google or email login) is a self-custodial Privy wallet, and Gains pays its gas.
Incidents
No reported hacks, exploits or frozen withdrawals in the sources we checked.
Real downsides
- US persons are barred by the Terms of Service, and some asset classes are geoblocked by region.
- Closing a trade in profit within minutes of opening can multiply the price impact by up to 20x on most Arbitrum pairs.
- Borrowing fees always apply to the dominant side and pull the liquidation price closer the longer you hold.
- Referral codes give the referred trader no documented discount and cannot be added after a wallet's first trade.
Can you use it where you live?
| Region | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Not available |
| United Kingdom | Unverified |
| European Union | Unverified |
The Terms of Service say use of the site 'from or in the United States or United States territories, or by persons who are US persons ... is strictly prohibited, regardless of the user's IP address', and bar using a VPN to hide a US residence. Persons on Panama, UN, US or EU sanctions lists are also barred. The UK and EU are not named. The app also geoblocks asset categories by region; the docs give stocks and indices in the US and OFAC-sanctioned regions as an example. (source)
We report what the venue's own terms say. Don't use a VPN to get around restrictions; venues can freeze accounts that do.
How to use Gains Network without getting scammed
- Only open gains.trade — fake lookalike sites and "support" DMs are the most common way people lose funds on any trading venue.
- Never share a seed phrase or private key. No real support agent will ask for one.
- A referral code only changes your fee and who gets a share of it. It never needs your keys.
- Treat every new memecoin as able to go to zero. A legit venue does not make the coins on it safe.
Comparing options? See the full Gains Network sheet or Lighter, Paradex, trade.xyz.
More on Gains Network (gTrade): Overview · Referral code · Fees · Is it legit? · News · Alternatives · US alternatives · Available in the US? · KYC required? · Mobile app? · Custodial? · Supported chains
FAQ
Is Gains Network (gTrade) safe?
Gains Network is self-custody: your funds stay in a wallet you control, so your own key security matters most. We found no reported hacks or fund losses in our sources. No platform makes the coins you trade on it safe.
Is Gains Network legit?
Gains Network is a live onchain leveraged trading protocol on Arbitrum, Base, Polygon and Solana, tracked by DefiLlama since December 2021. Its docs say the contracts were audited by Halborn, earlier versions by CertiK, and upgrades run through timelocks. We found no reported exploit of Gains itself; a 2026-09-28 pause covers MegaETH only.
What are gTrade's trading fees?
Gains charges an opening and a closing fee on position size: 0.035% each on BTC and ETH, 0.05% to 0.06% on other crypto, 0.012% on forex majors, 0.03% to 0.05% on stocks and 0.05% on indices. Spread, price impact, funding and borrowing fees come on top.
Can US users trade on Gains Network?
No. The Terms of Service prohibit use from the United States or its territories, or by US persons, regardless of IP address, and prohibit using a VPN to hide a US location. The app also blocks stocks and indices in the US and OFAC-sanctioned regions.
What is the maximum leverage on gTrade?
It depends on the pair. The docs' pair list shows 200x on BTC and ETH, 150x on most other crypto, 500x on degen pairs such as BTCDEGEN/USD, 1000x on forex majors, 250x on gold and silver, 100x on indices and 50x on most stocks.
Does Gains Network have a referral program?
Yes. Anyone can create a code; referrers earn 10% of referees' net fees plus 5% at a second level, paid daily in USDC. The docs list no discount for referred traders, and a code must be applied before the wallet's first trade.
Sources
Last checked . Fees and terms change often; the venue's own page wins if it disagrees with ours.
- Gains docs: Fees & Spread — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Pair List (max leverage per pair) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Start trading on Gains — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Trade Collaterals — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: FAQ (chains, audits, vault counterparty) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Eligibility and Restricted Regions — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains Terms of Service (Ingenium Labs Foundation, Panama) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Moving to the new referral program — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Referrals API (binding before first trade, ref link cookie) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Gains Credits fee-discount tiers — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Gasless trading (instant wallet) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: How Orders Execute (Chainlink oracle network) — checked 2026-10-29
- Gains docs: Changelog (MegaETH pause 2026-09-28, referral system 2026-08-06) — checked 2026-10-29
- DefiLlama: Gains Network (fees, chains, listing date) — checked 2026-10-29