Aevo is a decentralized derivatives exchange offering options, perpetual futures and structured products inside a single margin account. It uses off-chain order matching with on-chain settlement for fast execution backed by Ethereum security.

How do I deposit funds on Aevo?

Connect an Ethereum compatible wallet, deposit assets such as USDC, then convert that USDC to aeUSD in the portfolio area. aeUSD serves as collateral with full collateralization and can also earn yield while it backs your trades.

How are options different from perps on Aevo?

Buying an option gives you a defined maximum loss equal to the premium and no liquidation risk. Perpetual futures track the underlying price, use hourly funding payments and can be liquidated if your margin runs out.

What expiries and strikes can I choose for Aevo options?

You can design contracts to match your strategy by selecting any strike price and choosing an expiry up to three months out, then scaling your position size to fit your plan.

What fees does Aevo charge?

Options charge a small maker and taker percentage that is capped relative to the option price. Perp funding is a peer to peer transfer between longs and shorts rather than an exchange fee. Always confirm current rates in the app.

How to Use Aevo: Options and Perps Tutorial 2026

May 31, 2026 — By Tony Rabbit in Tutorials

Learn how to use Aevo to trade options, perpetual futures and structured products from a single margin account in 2026.

Aevo is a decentralized derivatives exchange that brings options, perpetual futures and structured products together inside one margin account. It combines off-chain order matching with on-chain settlement, which gives it fast, low latency execution while still inheriting Ethereum security. This guide walks you through what Aevo offers and how to place your first trade.

The platform has been operating since 2020 and has processed more than 10 billion USD in options trading volume. If you have used a centralized derivatives exchange before, the interface will feel familiar, but here you stay in control of your funds through a self custodial wallet.

What is Aevo

Aevo is a high performance decentralized exchange focused on derivatives. Instead of forcing you to choose between separate venues for each instrument, it lets you trade options, perps and yield strategies from a single unified margin account. That shared collateral model is one of the main reasons traders use it.

The architecture is a hybrid. Orders are matched off-chain for speed, while settlement happens on-chain so that balances and positions are verifiable. The result is execution that feels close to a centralized exchange, paired with the transparency and security guarantees of a blockchain.

Aevo decentralized derivatives exchange interface showing options and perps markets

Products on Aevo

Aevo groups its instruments into three main categories. Understanding the difference helps you pick the right tool for your view on the market.

Options

Design contracts to fit your strategy. You can select any strike price, choose an expiry up to three months out and scale your position size.
Defined maximum loss. When you buy an option, your maximum loss is known at entry, which is the premium you pay.
Leverage without liquidation risk. Long option buyers get leveraged exposure without the liquidation risk that perpetual positions carry.

Perpetual futures

Perps are available on ETH, BTC and a growing list of other assets. They track the underlying price and use a funding rate mechanism to keep the contract aligned with spot. Funding payments are exchanged peer to peer between longs and shorts, typically every hour, so your cost of holding depends on which side of the market you are on.

Structured and yield products

Beyond directional trading, Aevo offers structured products and vault style strategies that automate options based yield. These let you put collateral to work without manually managing every leg of a position. OTC trading is also available for larger size that you may not want to route through the order book.

Aevo options order ticket showing strike price expiry and position size selection

Getting started and depositing

Before you can trade, you need to fund your account. Aevo uses aeUSD as its primary collateral asset, so the first steps revolve around getting funds onto the platform and converting them.

Connect a wallet. Open the Aevo app and connect an Ethereum compatible wallet such as MetaMask. Approve the signature request to create your trading account.
Deposit funds. Bridge or deposit assets like USDC into your Aevo balance. Always confirm you are on the official site before approving any transaction.
Convert to aeUSD. In the portfolio area, deposit your USDC to receive aeUSD in return. aeUSD acts as collateral with a full collateralization factor, so you can trade with it just as you would with USDC, while it can also earn yield in the background.

Once aeUSD is sitting in your account as collateral, you are ready to open positions across any of the supported products.

How to trade options on Aevo

Options are where Aevo stands out, so here is a clear sequence for placing a trade. Take your time on the first one and start small.

Pick the underlying. Choose the asset you want exposure to, for example ETH or BTC, from the options section.
Choose calls or puts. Select a call if you expect the price to rise or a put if you expect it to fall. You can also build spreads by combining contracts.
Select the expiry. Pick an expiration date up to three months out. Shorter expiries cost less premium but decay faster.
Set the strike price. Choose the strike that matches your target. Strikes closer to the current price cost more but have a higher chance of finishing in the money.
Size the position. Enter the number of contracts. The order ticket shows your premium and, for buyers, your defined maximum loss.
Review and confirm. Check the premium, strike, expiry and total cost, then submit the order and sign the transaction.

After the trade fills, your position appears in the portfolio view, where you can monitor profit and loss and close early by selling the contract back into the order book before expiry.

A note on perps

Trading perps follows a similar flow but with key differences. You select the market, choose long or short, set your leverage and size, then place a market or limit order. Because perps carry liquidation risk, keep an eye on your margin and the funding rate, since funding can add to or subtract from your running cost each hour. Unlike a long option, a perp position can be forcibly closed if the price moves against you and your margin runs out.

Fees and margin

Knowing the cost structure helps you size trades sensibly. The numbers below reflect Aevo documentation and can change, so confirm current rates in the app.

Options fees. Makers and takers pay a small percentage of notional, and the fee is capped at a fraction of the option price so it never becomes disproportionate to the premium.
Perp funding. Funding is a peer to peer transfer between longs and shorts rather than a fee paid to the exchange, settled on a regular schedule.
Margin types. Standard margin checks each account has enough equity to open and maintain positions. Portfolio margin uses a risk model across your whole book, which can lower requirements and increase capital efficiency for hedged portfolios.

There is also an AEVO token tied to the ecosystem and its governance. Treat any token activity as separate from your trading risk and research it independently.

Risks and safety

Derivatives are powerful but unforgiving if used carelessly. Keep these points in mind before committing real size.

Perps can be liquidated. Leverage cuts both ways. A move against your position can wipe out your margin, so use sizing and stops you are comfortable with.
Options can expire worthless. If your option finishes out of the money, you lose the premium. That loss is defined in advance, but it is still a real cost.
Verify the official site. Always reach Aevo through the official domain and double check wallet prompts to avoid phishing and approval scams.
Smart contract and market risk. All on-chain platforms carry contract risk, and derivatives add volatility and funding risk on top of that.

None of this is financial advice. Only trade with capital you can afford to lose and make sure you understand each product before using it.

Conclusion

Aevo packages options, perpetual futures and structured products into one self custodial venue with a shared margin account and an execution model built for speed. For traders who want defined risk through options or directional exposure through perps, it offers a flexible toolkit in a single place. Start with a small deposit in aeUSD, place a modest first trade to learn the interface, and scale up only once you are confident in how each instrument behaves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aevo used for?

Aevo is a derivatives platform for trading instruments like options and perpetual futures. It is designed to let traders access multiple product types from one account.

What is the difference between options and perpetual futures?

Options give the right but not the obligation to buy or sell at a set price, while perpetual futures are leveraged contracts that track an asset's price without expiry. They suit different strategies and risk profiles.

How do you start trading on Aevo?

Generally you connect a wallet and deposit collateral into a margin account before placing trades. From there you can choose a market and order type for options or perps.

What is a margin account in derivatives trading?

A margin account holds collateral that backs leveraged positions and absorbs potential losses. Using one shared account can let traders apply collateral across different products.