> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nocktrade.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nocktrade.xyz/getting-started/account.md).

# Your Lighter account

NockTrade does not have accounts. Lighter does — and yours is created by a deposit, not a form.

## How the account comes to exist

Lighter is a zero-knowledge rollup exchange. Depositing USDC into its contracts creates an L2 account bound to your Ethereum address. That account holds your collateral, your positions and your order history. No email, no password, no KYC form on our side.

The deposit itself happens through Lighter's own interface at [app.lighter.xyz](https://app.lighter.xyz) — connect the same wallet you use with NockTrade and deposit USDC from Ethereum mainnet. Bridging and custody flows are deliberately out of NockTrade's scope: the fewer surfaces that touch your funds, the fewer things can go wrong. You will need a small amount of ETH for gas and USDC to deposit.

## How NockTrade finds it

The moment your wallet is connected, the terminal looks up your address on Lighter. Three states are possible:

| State              | What the terminal shows                                                  |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| No account yet     | "No lighter account" — a deposit creates one                             |
| Account found      | Account badge in the rail; blotter streams positions, balances and fills |
| Lookup unavailable | An explicit error, never a silent blank                                  |

Nothing needs to be linked or imported. The account is public state on the rollup; the terminal reads it directly from the venue.

## One account, every market

All 200+ perpetual markets margin against the same USDC balance. One deposit backs a bitcoin long, a gold short and an S\&P position simultaneously. There are no per-market wallets to fund and no internal transfers to manage.

## Withdrawals

Withdrawals are executed on Lighter, subject to the rollup's withdrawal delay, and can only travel to the Ethereum address that owns the account. NockTrade cannot initiate, redirect or accelerate a withdrawal — see [Custody and keys](/concepts/custody.md).


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