# Trading Interface Overview
In this section, we will explain the main elements of the Astra Terminal trading workspace and how to use them for more efficient and informed trading.
The trading interface is designed to help you select assets, analyze charts, place orders, manage risk, monitor positions, and track your trading history in one place.
***
## 1. Asset Selection Panel
At the top of the screen, you can see information about the currently selected asset.
To choose another asset, click on the asset name. In the example, this may look like **ANTHROPIC-USDH**.
***
### 1.1. Asset Selection Menu
The asset selection menu allows you to switch between different market types:
* **Futures**
* **Spot**
* **Prediction Markets**
Inside each market type, assets may be grouped into categories for easier navigation.
***
### 1.1.1. Asset Search
Use the search bar to quickly find the asset you want to trade.
You can search by asset name, ticker, or market pair.
***
### 1.2. Switching Between Futures, Spot, and Prediction Markets
Astra Terminal allows you to switch between different types of markets directly from the asset selection menu.
Available sections may include:
* **Futures**
* **Spot**
* **Prediction Markets**
Each section has its own instruments, trading logic, and risk profile.
***
### 1.3. Asset Categories
Depending on the selected market type, assets may be grouped into categories such as:
* **All**
* **Favorites**
* **Crypto**
* **Pre-IPO**
* **Stocks**
* **Currency Pairs**
* **Commodities**
Categories help you quickly find the type of instrument you are interested in.
***
## 2. Asset Information
The top panel may display key information about the selected asset, including:
* current price;
* 24-hour volume;
* open interest;
* funding rate.
***
### Open Interest
**Open Interest** is the total number of active open positions in the market at the current moment.
It helps traders understand how much capital is currently involved in open positions for a specific asset.
High open interest may indicate increased market activity, but it does not show the direction of the market by itself.
***
### Funding
**Funding** is a mechanism designed to keep the futures price close to the spot price of the underlying asset.
In simple terms, funding is a periodic payment between long and short traders.
How it works:
* If most traders are in **Long** positions, funding may become positive. In this case, long traders pay a small percentage to short traders.
* If most traders are in **Short** positions, funding may become negative. In this case, short traders pay long traders.
Funding can affect the final result of a trade, especially if a position is held for a long time.
***
## 3. Tabs: Chart, Order Book, Trades
The central part of the trading interface contains key market data tabs.
***
### 3.1. Chart
The chart is a visual representation of the asset’s price movement.
Astra Terminal uses **TradingView charts**, allowing users to:
* analyze price history;
* switch between timeframes;
* apply technical indicators;
* draw levels;
* identify market structure;
* analyze trends and volatility.
Charts are useful for technical analysis, but they do not guarantee future price movement.
***
### 3.2. Order Book
The order book shows active limit orders from buyers and sellers.
Usually, it is divided into two parts:
* **Upper red section:** sell orders.
* **Lower green section:** buy orders.
The order book helps you see supply and demand at different price levels.
Large orders may form so-called “walls,” where price movement can slow down or react. However, order book data can change quickly and should not be treated as a guarantee of future price behavior.
***
### 3.3. Trades
The **Trades** tab shows a real-time stream of executed trades.
It usually includes:
* trade price;
* trade size;
* execution time.
Unlike the order book, which shows active intentions to buy or sell, the trades feed shows real transactions that have already happened.
This can help you understand current market activity and identify aggressive buying or selling at the current price.
***
## 4. Order Type
Astra Terminal supports different order types depending on the selected market and trading mode.
***
### Market Order
A **Market Order** buys or sells immediately at the best available market price.
Use it when you want to enter or exit a position as quickly as possible.
Important: market orders may involve slippage, especially during high volatility or low liquidity.
***
### Limit Order
A **Limit Order** allows you to set a specific price at which you are willing to buy or sell.
The order will be executed only if the market reaches your selected price.
Limit orders give more price control, but execution is not guaranteed.
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## 5. Margin Mode
Margin mode determines how your capital is used to support a position.
***
### Cross Margin
With **Cross Margin**, your entire available account balance may be used as collateral for the position.
If the position moves against you, it may use funds from your available balance to reduce liquidation risk.
This may help keep a position open longer, but it can also put a larger portion of your balance at risk.
***
### Isolated Margin
With **Isolated Margin**, a fixed amount of funds is allocated to a specific position.
If the position moves against you, only the margin assigned to that position is at risk.
This helps limit risk to a specific trade, but the position may be liquidated faster if the allocated margin is insufficient.
***
## 6. Leverage
Leverage allows you to open positions larger than your own capital.
For example, with **10x leverage**, you can open a **$1,000** position while using only **$100** of your own margin.
Important warning: leverage increases both potential profit and potential loss.
The higher the leverage, the higher the liquidation risk. Even a small price movement against your position may lead to significant losses or liquidation.
New users are strongly encouraged to use low leverage and understand the risks before opening leveraged positions.
***
## 7. Long Position
A **Long** position is used when you expect the asset price to increase.
If the price rises after you open a Long position, the position may become profitable.
If the price falls, the position may generate a loss.
***
## 8. Short Position
A **Short** position is used when you expect the asset price to decrease.
If the price falls after you open a Short position, the position may become profitable.
If the price rises, the position may generate a loss.
***
## 9. Position Size
In the order form, enter the amount for which you want to open a position.
This value determines the size of your trade.
Before opening a position, make sure you understand:
* how much margin will be used;
* what leverage is selected;
* what the liquidation price is;
* how much you may lose if the market moves against you.
***
## 10. Choosing the Amount Display Currency
For convenience, Astra Terminal may allow you to choose the unit in which you enter the position amount.
For example, in the case of **ANTHROPIC-USDH**, you may be able to choose between:
* **ANTHROPIC**
* **USDH**
If you select **ANTHROPIC** and enter, for example, **1**, the terminal will automatically calculate the approximate trade value based on the amount of ANTHROPIC.
If you select **USDH**, the terminal will calculate the position size based on the dollar value you enter.
This is designed for convenience and easier position sizing.
***
## 11. Reduce Only
**Reduce Only** is a special order mode that ensures your order can only reduce or close an existing position.
It cannot open a new position in the opposite direction.
***
### Why Is Reduce Only Useful?
Imagine you have an open Long position and place a limit sell order to take profit.
If the price reaches your target, the order may close your position.
However, if you manually close the position earlier and the limit order remains active, it may later execute and open an unwanted Short position.
With **Reduce Only** enabled, the order will only reduce or close your existing position. If there is no position to reduce, the order should not open a new opposite position.
***
### Main Benefits
#### Protection from unwanted trades
The order may be automatically canceled or adjusted if there is no open position to reduce.
#### Better capital control
Reduce Only helps avoid accidentally opening a position in the opposite direction.
#### Useful for Take Profit orders
Reduce Only is especially useful when placing Take Profit orders, because it helps ensure the order is used only to close or reduce an existing position.
***
## 12. Stop Loss & Take Profit
Stop Loss and Take Profit are key tools for trade automation and risk management.
They allow you to decide in advance when to exit a trade, so you do not need to monitor the chart constantly.
***
### 12.1. Take Profit
**Take Profit** is an order designed to lock in profit.
How it works:
You set a price at which the position should close if the market moves in your favor.
Purpose:
Take Profit helps secure profits before the market potentially reverses.
***
### 12.2. Stop Loss
**Stop Loss** is an order designed to limit losses.
How it works:
You set a price at which the position should close if the market moves against you.
Purpose:
Stop Loss helps protect your balance from larger losses or liquidation.
It is often better to close a trade with a controlled loss than to risk losing the entire position.
Recommendation: consider setting a Stop Loss when opening a trade.
Important: Stop Loss helps manage risk, but it does not guarantee execution at the exact selected price during sharp volatility, low liquidity, slippage, or technical delays.
***
## 13. Main Trade Parameters
Before placing an order, pay close attention to the main trade parameters.
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### Liquidation Price
The **Liquidation Price** is the price level at which your position may be automatically closed due to insufficient margin.
This happens when the loss on the trade becomes too large relative to your collateral.
Liquidation can result in the loss of the margin allocated to the position.
***
### Order Value
**Order Value** is the total value of the position, including leverage.
For example, if you have **$100** and use **10x leverage**, your order value may be **$1,000**.
This represents the total size of your trade.
***
### Margin
**Margin** is your own collateral locked from your balance to support the open position.
It is the actual amount of your funds allocated to the trade.
***
### Slippage
**Slippage** is the difference between the price you expected when clicking the button and the actual price at which the order was executed.
Slippage often occurs during high volatility, low liquidity, or fast market movement.
***
## 14. “Start Trading” Button
The **“Start Trading”** button is the final step of placing an order.
When you click this button, your selected parameters, such as order type, leverage, and position size, are submitted for processing.
What happens next depends on the selected order type:
* If you selected a **Market Order**, the position may open immediately at the best available market price.
* If you selected a **Limit Order**, your order will be placed in the order book and will wait for execution at the selected price.
Before clicking the button, carefully check:
* order type;
* direction: Long or Short;
* position size;
* leverage;
* margin mode;
* liquidation price;
* Stop Loss;
* Take Profit;
* fees;
* slippage.
Once the order is submitted, you are responsible for the trade parameters you selected.
***
## 15. Tabs: Balances, Positions, Predictions, Orders, History
The lower part of the interface is your asset and activity management panel.
It allows you to monitor your portfolio and active trading actions in real time.
***
### Balances
The **Balances** tab displays your available assets, such as USDC and other supported tokens.
Here you can see:
* available funds;
* funds used in Spot;
* funds available for trading;
* asset distribution.
***
### Positions
The **Positions** tab displays your active futures positions.
It usually shows key information such as:
* entry price;
* position size;
* leverage;
* liquidation price;
* unrealized PnL, meaning floating profit or loss in real time.
This tab helps you monitor risk and manage open trades.
***
### Predictions
The **Predictions** tab displays your open positions in prediction markets.
Here you can track event-based positions and monitor how probabilities may change before the event is resolved.
***
### Orders
The **Orders** tab shows your active pending orders.
This may include:
* limit orders;
* Take Profit orders;
* Stop Loss orders;
* Stop-Limit orders;
* other active requests that have not yet been executed.
You can review, modify, or cancel active orders if the interface and market conditions allow it.
***
### History
The **History** tab contains a detailed record of completed trades.
It allows you to review:
* previous trades;
* closed positions;
* executed orders;
* paid fees;
* final results for each trade.
Trading history helps analyze your past decisions and improve your trading discipline.
***
## Final Note
{% hint style="success" %}
The Astra Terminal team wishes you responsible and well-considered trading.
Remember that markets reward patience and discipline. Avoid rushing, follow risk management, check every order before submitting it, and make decisions carefully.
Trading digital assets, futures, and leveraged instruments involves high risk. Always trade with a clear plan and never risk funds you cannot afford to lose.
{% endhint %}
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