What is a unified account?

A unified account is a groundbreaking all-in-one account crafted by OKX to empower you with streamlined, simultaneous trading strategies across spot markets and derivatives like perpetual swaps, futures, and options. Beyond simplifying trades, it paves the way for enhanced capital efficiency across various account modes — margin free, single-currency margin, multi-currency margin, and portfolio margin — all without the trouble of transferring funds between multiple accounts.With a unified account, you can:

  1. Consolidate margin for instruments with the same settlement currency and offset PnL in single-currency margin mode.

  2. Share margin and risks for instruments with the same/different settlement currencies and offset PnL in multi-currency margin mode.

  3. Share margin and risks for instruments with the same/different settlement currencies, offset PnL, and offset risks in portfolio margin mode.

Benefits of a unified account

  • A simple, streamlined trading experience

    • You can trade spots and derivatives simultaneously in multiple currencies within one account without transferring funds back and forth between multiple accounts.

  • Better capital efficiency

    • Your gains and losses generated from different trading markets can offset each other.

  • Better risk management

    • Your margin requirements are based on overall positions and total liabilities held in your account

Understanding account modes

OKX offers four different account modes to meet the various needs of trader: simple mode, single-currency margin mode, multi-currency margin mode and portfolio margin mode.

Simple mode will be activated by default for new users, and margin trading is not available in this mode. You may switch the account modes via the trade settings page.

Cross and isolated margin mode

Single-currency cross margin mode allows all trading products that are settled with the same currency to share margin across positions, and the generated earnings and losses can offset each other.  

Multi-currency cross margin mode allows you to share margin and offset earnings and losses across all positions.  

Portfolio margin cross mode allows you to share margin and offset earnings and losses between derivatives. The margin for derivatives under the same index can be offset by each other.  

In the isolated margin mode of single currency, multi-currency, or portfolio margin account mode, the risks of isolated positions in different business lines are measured separately, and the risks of isolated positions are segregated from that of cross positions.

How does unified account differ from the traditional account mode?

You can trade spot and derivatives simultaneously in multiple currencies within a single account without the need to transfer funds between multiple accounts. The PnL generated from different instruments can offset each other, significantly improving the use of funds. It helps with risk management as you can offset risks across various positions, improving the utilization of capital, especially when executing more advanced trading strategies.

Getting started

  1. Go to Trade

  2. Select "…" on the top right hand corner

  3. Select Settings

  4. Select Account mode

  5. Select the preferred account mode

Quick tips

  • If the selected account mode hasn't been activated, you'll need to finish the relevant steps, such as taking a trading knowledge quiz, to activate the mode.

  • If there are any pending orders or positions in your current account, you can't switch modes until all pending orders are canceled and all positions are closed.

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