> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ryft.market/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quick start

> From nothing to an open position. Four steps, roughly five minutes — most of which is waiting for a Solana transfer to confirm.

<Info>
  **You'll need** a Solana wallet (Phantom, Solflare, or any wallet that can sign a message) and some
  **USDC on Solana**.
</Info>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect your wallet">
    Click **Connect Wallet**. Your wallet asks you to **sign a message** — not a transaction. It
    costs nothing, moves nothing, and grants no spending permission. That signature is your entire
    login.

    On first sign-in, ryft provisions your MPC custody wallet. It's ready immediately.

    [Full detail →](/guides/logging-in)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deposit USDC">
    Go to **Deposit**. ryft shows **one Solana address** with a QR code. Send **USDC on Solana** to
    it. That's the whole deposit step — one address funds every exchange.

    Your balance updates as soon as the transfer confirms, usually within seconds.

    [Full detail →](/guides/depositing)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Place a trade">
    Pick a market, choose **Long** or **Short**, your size and leverage. Before you commit, ryft
    shows a **preview**: expected fill price and fee, which venue(s) it routes to, whether funds are
    already there, and an ETA.

    Read the preview, then confirm.

    [Full detail →](/guides/trading)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch and close">
    The **Positions** tab shows every open position across every venue, with entry price, unrealized
    P\&L, leverage, and liquidation price. Close from the same panel.

    [Full detail →](/guides/portfolio)
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to expect the first time

| Step                           | How long  | Note                                      |
| ------------------------------ | --------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Connect wallet                 | instant   | a signature, not a transaction — no gas   |
| Deposit USDC                   | seconds   | standard Solana confirmation              |
| First trade on a Solana venue  | \~5–10s   | no bridge needed                          |
| First trade on another chain   | \~25–60s  | funds bridge first; the preview tells you |
| Later trades on a funded venue | immediate | collateral is already there               |

The first trade on any given venue is the slow one, because that's when your funds travel there.
After that, it's warm.

<Danger>
  **Before you size up.** Perpetuals are leveraged. A position can be **liquidated** — closed at a
  loss, automatically — if the market moves against you far enough. Start small enough that a
  liquidation would be an annoyance rather than a problem, and read
  [Perps explained](/concepts/perps-explained) before increasing size.
</Danger>