Add liquidity
This guide explains how to add liquidity to existing pools on our platform. Adding liquidity allows you to earn trading fees from the pool's activity.
What is Adding Liquidity?
When you add liquidity, you are depositing your tokens into a shared pool. These tokens are then used by traders to swap one asset for another.
In return for providing your assets, you become a Liquidity Provider (LP) and receive special tokens (LP tokens for AMM/Stable pools or a Position NFT for CLMM pools) that represent your share or specific position within the pool.
As traders make swaps in the pool, they pay a small fee. A portion of these fees is distributed proportionally to all liquidity providers, allowing you to earn passive income on your deposited assets.
Prerequisites
Before adding liquidity, ensure you have:
A connected Aptos wallet: Your wallet (e.g., Petra, Martian) must be connected to our platform. If you haven't connected your wallet yet, please see our Connect Wallet Guide.
Sufficient token balances: You'll need enough of the specific tokens required by the pool, plus a small amount of APT for gas fees to cover transaction costs on the Aptos network.
Familiarity with the pool type: Understand the basics of the pool you're adding to:
General Steps to Add Liquidity
The process for adding liquidity is similar across pool types, with key differences in how you configure your deposit:
Navigate to the Pool: Go to the "Pools" page (you can find a link in the top navigation bar). Browse or search for the pool you're interested in. Click on the pool to go to its detailed information page.
Initiate "Add Liquidity": On the pool's detail page, you'll find an "Add Liquidity" button. Clicking this will take you to the dedicated interface for adding liquidity. The system will often pre-fill details like the token pair and fee tier based on the pool you selected.
Configure Your Deposit: This is where the steps vary significantly based on whether it's an AMM, CLMM, or Stable Swap pool. Follow the specific instructions for your chosen pool type below.
Approve & Confirm: Once you've configured your deposit amounts (and price range for CLMM), you'll need to approve the transaction in your connected wallet. After approval, the transaction is submitted to the Aptos blockchain for confirmation.
Adding Liquidity to Specific Pool Types
1. AMM (Automated Market Maker) / Volatile Pools
AMM pools, also known as Volatile pools, are the standard for token pairs where prices are expected to fluctuate. Liquidity is typically provided across the entire price range.
Reference: For a deeper understanding of how AMM pools work, see the AMM Pools Guide.
Key Characteristics When Adding Liquidity to AMMs:
You usually need to deposit both tokens in the pair.
The deposit amounts must be proportional to the current ratio of assets in the pool to maintain its price. If you enter an amount for one token, the interface will typically calculate and display the required amount for the other.
Step-by-Step Guide:
After navigating to the desired AMM pool's detail page, click the "Add Liquidity" button. You will be redirected to the "Create Pool" interface, but it will be in "Add Liquidity" mode with the pool's details (tokens, fee tier, pool type) pre-filled.
Verify Pool Details: The token pair and fee tier for the existing AMM pool will be displayed and usually cannot be changed.
Enter Deposit Amounts:
Locate the "Deposit" or "Amount" section.
Input the amount for one of the tokens. The interface should automatically calculate the corresponding amount for the other token based on the current pool ratio.
You can also use the "Max" button to deposit the maximum available balance for a token (the other token's amount will adjust accordingly).
Review your estimated share of the pool.
Confirm Deposit: Click the "Add Liquidity" (or similarly named) button.
Wallet Approval: A transaction prompt will appear in your connected wallet. Review the details and approve the transaction.
Confirmation: Wait for the transaction to be confirmed on the Aptos blockchain. You should receive a success notification, and your new liquidity position will be visible in the "Portfolio" section.
2. CLMM (Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker) Pools
CLMMs allow LPs to "concentrate" their liquidity within specific price ranges, which can lead to higher capital efficiency and potentially more fees if the pool's trading activity occurs within that chosen range.
Reference: For comprehensive details on CLMM mechanics, refer to the CLMM Pools Guide.
Key Characteristics When Adding Liquidity to CLMMs:
Price Range Selection: You must define a minimum and maximum price for your liquidity. Your liquidity will only be active and earn fees when the pool's current price is within your selected range.
Token Amounts: The amounts of each token you need to deposit depend on your chosen price range relative to the current market price of the assets in the pool.
If your range brackets the current price, you'll deposit both tokens.
If your range is entirely above or below the current price, you might only need to deposit one of the tokens (the less valuable one if below, the more valuable one if above). The interface will guide you.
Step-by-Step Guide:
From the CLMM pool's detail page, click "Add Liquidity". This will take you to the "Add Liquidity" interface with the pool's details pre-filled.
Verify Pool Details: The token pair and fee tier are typically fixed. The current pool price will be displayed as a reference.
Set Your Price Range:
In the "Price Range" or "Set Range" section, you'll define the min and max prices for your liquidity.
You may see options like "Full Range" (which mimics an AMM position) or inputs to set custom min and max prices.
A visual chart might help you see how your range compares to the current price.
Enter Deposit Amounts:
Once your price range is set, move to the "Deposit Amounts" section.
Enter the amount for one of the tokens. The system will calculate the required amount for the other token (if any) based on your range and the current price.
Pay attention to the UI cues, as you might only need to deposit one asset if your range is out-of-the-money.
Preview and Confirm: Review the details of your position, including the chosen range, deposit amounts, and any estimates of your pool share.
Confirm Deposit: Click the "Add Liquidity" button.
Wallet Approval: Approve the transaction in your wallet.
Confirmation: Wait for blockchain confirmation. Your CLMM position (usually an NFT) will appear in your portfolio.
3. Stable Swap Pools
Stable Swap pools are optimized for assets that are expected to maintain a very tight price peg, such as different stablecoins (e.g., USDC-USDT) or wrapped versions of the same asset.
Reference: Learn more about the mechanics of these pools in the Stable Swap Pools Guide.
Key Characteristics When Adding Liquidity to Stable Swaps:
These pools use a special mathematical curve (leveraging an Amplification Factor) that allows for very low slippage trades between the pegged assets.
When adding liquidity, you can often deposit one or more of the tokens in the pool's basket.
The deposit doesn't need to be as strictly proportional as in AMM pools, but very large, imbalanced deposits might still incur some price impact for the LP.
Step-by-Step Guide:
On the Stable Swap pool's detail page, click "Add Liquidity". The interface will load with the pool's details.
Verify Pool Details: The tokens in the pool and the fee tier will be shown.
Enter Deposit Amounts:
Input the amounts for the token(s) you wish to deposit. The interface may allow you to deposit a single token or multiple tokens from the pool's composition.
Review any information provided about your expected share or any minor price impact.
Confirm Deposit: Click the "Add Liquidity" button.
Wallet Approval: Approve the transaction in your wallet.
Confirmation: Wait for the transaction to be confirmed. Your LP tokens representing your share in the stable pool will be in your portfolio.
Understanding Your Liquidity Position
Viewing Your Position: You can typically see your active liquidity positions in the "Portfolio" section of the platform. This will show your share in different pools and any accrued fees.
Impermanent Loss: Be aware of the concept of Impermanent Loss, especially for AMM and CLMM pools where asset prices can diverge. It's a potential risk where the value of your withdrawn assets might be less than if you had simply held them in your wallet.
Removing Liquidity: When you want to withdraw your tokens (and any earned fees), you'll use the "Remove Liquidity" function. See the Remove Liquidity Guide for instructions.
Troubleshooting
Transaction Failed: If a transaction fails, your wallet might provide an error message. Common reasons include insufficient APT for gas, network congestion, or slippage tolerance being too tight (though less common for adding liquidity).
Tokens Not Appearing: Ensure the transaction was confirmed on a block explorer. Sometimes there's a slight delay in UI updates.
For further assistance, please reach out to our community channels or support.
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