# what crypto can i deposit on lighter

Lighter's Deposit window takes USDC (Perps), USDC (Spot), ETH and XAUT as collateral, plus AAVE, LDO, LINK, SKY, UNI, AZTEC and LIT without the Collateral tag. Want to trade perps straight away? Pick USDC (Perps).

## the destination tokens

This is what you pick under Select destination token, and the window's title changes with it ("Deposit USDC Perps", "Deposit ETH Spot").

| Destination token | Tag |
|---|---|
| USDC (Perps) | Collateral |
| USDC (Spot) | Collateral |
| ETH | Collateral |
| XAUT | Collateral |
| AAVE, LDO, LINK, SKY, UNI, AZTEC, LIT | none |

![Lighter's Deposit window with Select destination token open: USDC (Perps), USDC (Spot), ETH and XAUT tagged Collateral, then AAVE, LDO, LINK, SKY, UNI, AZTEC and LIT.](https://apebrief.com/assets/media/lighter-destination-tokens.png)

USDC (Perps) is the plain route: it lands where perps margin lives. Depositing ETH to ETH Spot works too, since ETH is collateral. The next section is how it counts.

## ETH as margin

Lighter calls it Multi-Asset Margin. Your ETH's value, less a haircut, counts toward your margin, so you can open perps without selling it for USDC first.

- It needs a Unified Trading Account, which for now you turn on in the web app.
- Without one (a Simple Trading Account), perp and spot balances stay separate and perps only use settlement assets as collateral.
- It covers perps only for now. Spot trading in USDC against ETH collateral isn't in yet.

## sending from another chain: Transfer Crypto

Funds not in the connected wallet? Use Crypto has Transfer Crypto, which gives you a deposit address. It takes USDC, USDT, ARB, BNB, BTC, BTCB, BUSD, cbBTC, DAI, ETH, HYPE, MATIC, MON, POL, SOL, TRUMP, UBTC, USDC.e, USDe, USDG, WBNB and WETH.

Every chain has a minimum. Send at least that much.

| Minimum | Chains |
|---|---|
| $3 | Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Optimism, Robinhood |
| $10 | Ethereum, Solana, BSC, Tron, Bitcoin, HyperEVM, Monad |

![Lighter's Transfer Crypto window, USDC picked, with the Chains list open: Arbitrum Min $3, Ethereum Min $10, Solana Min $10, BSC Min $10, Base Min $3, Tron Min $10, Bitcoin Min $10, Polygon Min $3, HyperEVM Min $10, Robinhood Min $3, Optimism Min $3. Deposit address and QR code masked.](https://apebrief.com/assets/media/lighter-transfer-chains.png)

With ETH as the destination token, Transfer Crypto starts on ETH on Ethereum, the $10 row.

Coming from an exchange, Connect Exchange lists Bybit Pay and Coinbase. With no crypto at all, Use Cash takes Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. [how to deposit on lighter](/lighter/deposit/) walks the window and what comes after the first deposit.

Your first deposit opens the account, and a referral code only counts at sign-up. [the lighter referral](/lighter/referral/) has what ours gets you. If you haven't deposited yet, the link below is our referral link.

> **code apebrief.** Open Lighter through https://go.apebrief.com/lighter/deposit-crypto-001-end?src=md&asset=lighter%2Fdeposit-crypto&cta=after-resolution and paste the code where the signup shows a code field. Signing up through this link gets you your first week of Lighter Premium free: the fees you pay that week are rebated to you in USDC, which signing up without one does not. We get a commission from Lighter, which helps support our work, at no extra cost to you.

## how we know: every number on this page

- the Deposit window's destination tokens, in order, and which carry the Collateral tag **Collateral** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, 'Select destination token': USDC (Perps) Collateral, USDC (Spot) Collateral, ETH Collateral, XAUT Collateral, then AAVE, LDO, LINK, SKY, UNI, AZTEC, LIT (no Collateral tag).), checked 2026-09-28
- the window's title follows the destination token **Deposit** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026: 'Deposit USDC Perps' by default, 'Deposit ETH Spot' with ETH picked.), checked 2026-09-28
- Transfer Crypto's token list **USDC** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, Transfer Crypto, Tokens: USDC, USDT, ARB, BNB, BTC, BTCB, BUSD, cbBTC, DAI, ETH, HYPE, MATIC, MON, POL, SOL, TRUMP, UBTC, USDC.e, USDe, USDG, WBNB, WETH.), checked 2026-09-28
- Transfer Crypto's chains and each one's minimum **$3** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, Transfer Crypto, Chains: Arbitrum $3, Ethereum $10, Solana $10, BSC $10, Base $3, Tron $10, Bitcoin $10, Polygon $3, HyperEVM $10, Robinhood $3, Optimism $3, Monad $10. With ETH as the destination token, Transfer Crypto defaults to ETH on Ethereum.), checked 2026-09-28
- Multi-Asset Margin lets non-USDC assets such as ETH count as margin, discounted by a haircut; only on accounts with Unified Trading Accounts enabled; perps only at release **haircut** (https://docs.lighter.xyz/trading/multi-asset-margin), checked 2026-09-28
- Unified Trading Accounts can only be enabled on the web for now; on a Simple Trading Account perp and spot balances are separate and perps use only settlement assets as collateral **web** (https://docs.lighter.xyz/trading/unified-trading-accounts), checked 2026-09-28
- Connect Exchange lists Bybit Pay and Coinbase; Use Cash offers Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay **Bybit** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026: Connect Exchange, 'Select an exchange': Bybit Pay, Coinbase; Binance, Kraken, Gate marked 'Coming Soon'. Use Cash: Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay.), checked 2026-09-28
- a user who joins through a Lighter referral link can activate one week of Premium free; the trial week's trading fees are rebated every Monday, on the first $10M of volume **one** (https://docs.lighter.xyz/referral-program), checked 2026-09-28

## next

- [lighter standard vs plus vs premium](https://apebrief.com/lighter/account-types/): Standard is free: 0% maker, 0% taker, 300 ms taker latency. Plus charges 0.005% on both sides for higher API limits.
- [lighter referral code: apebrief, and the free premium week](https://apebrief.com/lighter/referral/): Our Lighter referral code is apebrief.
- [how to deposit on lighter](https://apebrief.com/lighter/deposit/): Deposit on Lighter from the Deposit button. With a wallet connected and nothing deposited, the positions panel says your first deposit opens the account.
- [lighter fees: free on standard, and what costs money](https://apebrief.com/lighter/fees/): Lighter charges Standard accounts 0% maker and 0% taker on perps and spot.
- [hyperliquid vs lighter: fees, the code and getting money in](https://apebrief.com/vs/hyperliquid-lighter/): Hyperliquid for most perp traders: it's the more established venue, a code takes 4% off your fees for your first $25M of volume, and the code can go on after sign-up.

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HTML version: https://apebrief.com/lighter/deposit-crypto/ · figures checked 2026-09-28