Self-custody Fund Account

Overview:

Antarctic uses a non-custodial, on-chain account model for user funds. Deposits and withdrawals are executed through auditable smart contracts, and users retain control of assets via their own wallets. This design aims to provide self-custody by default, while enabling trading and settlement through the protocol’s core infrastructure.

User Control:

Users interact directly with Antarctic’s smart contracts using their wallet private keys. All fund movements (e.g., deposits, withdrawals) require user-initiated, cryptographically authorized transactions. At no point does the platform require users to transfer custody of assets to a centralized entity.

Security Model:

Because funds remain under user custody, the model reduces exposure to custodial failure modes commonly seen in centralized systems. Security relies on (i) the correctness of the deployed smart contracts and (ii) the user’s ability to securely manage private keys. Antarctic applies rules-based operational controls at the protocol level; specific risk and compliance controls are described in the dedicated Risk Management section.

Multichain Deposits:

Antarctic supports deposits from approved networks compatible with the protocol’s settlement and accounting system. Supported networks may evolve over time as infrastructure, security reviews, and operational requirements change. The current list of supported networks is published in the product interface and documentation.