Pocket Polymath · Higher or Lower
From zero to your first real swipe
The free game needs nothing — open the deck and play. Money mode needs a one-time setup, because of the very thing that makes it trustworthy: we never hold your money, so you have to hold it yourself. Here is the whole path, honestly, with every minimum and fee. If you already have USDC on Arbitrum this takes about two minutes; starting from nothing, maybe fifteen.
1 · A wallet
Install MetaMask (phone app or browser extension) and write the recovery phrase somewhere real. This wallet is the only thing that controls your money at every later step — not us, not anyone.
2 · Dollars on the right rail: USDC on Arbitrum
Hyperliquid runs on USDC — a token pegged 1:1 to the dollar — and accepts deposits over the Arbitrum network. Two ways to get it:
- In MetaMask: tap Buy, choose USDC and the Arbitrumnetwork, and pay by card. Simplest if you're starting from nothing.
- From an exchange: withdraw USDC to your MetaMask address and pick Arbitrum Oneas the network when it's offered. If your exchange only sends over Ethereum, it will arrive fine but you'll pay more in fees and need one extra bridge hop — MetaMask's built-in Swap/Bridge can move it to Arbitrum.
Make sure it's nativeUSDC, not the “USDC.e” variant — every reputable buy flow defaults to native these days, but it's worth a glance.
3 · Deposit into your own Hyperliquid account
The wallet card in the deck has a depositlink that opens Hyperliquid's deposit page for your address. Two hard rules worth repeating: the minimum deposit is $5 (smaller amounts are not credited — don't test with $1), and it must be USDC on Arbitrum. The money lands in an exchange account that only your wallet controls; you can withdraw it back to MetaMask any time from Hyperliquid's app for a flat $1. Since the minimum position is $10, deposit at least that — $20+ gives you room to actually play.
4 · Connect, sign once, swipe
Back in the deck: Connect MetaMask, then Turn on real money. That second step asks for one signature — it creates a session key that can trade only: it can never withdraw or move your funds anywhere, which is enforced by the exchange itself, not by our promises. From then on every swipe places a real order instantly, no pop-ups.
Pick your stake on any card ($10 minimum — the venue's floor, capped at your balance), optionally add leverage, and swipe. The dashboard in the top bar tracks every position, open and closed, with your running P/L.
The fine print, in plain words
- Positions auto-close on their timers only while the tab is open — close the app and a live position keeps running until you come back, or until you close it on Hyperliquid directly.
- Costs: Hyperliquid's normal trading fee (hundredths of a percent), our 0.05% builder fee, and on leveraged positions the small periodic funding payments longs and shorts exchange — pennies at these sizes.
- These are real markets. You can lose what you stake — play with money you'd spend on a night out, not money you need.
- Hyperliquid isn't available everywhere (the US, Ontario, and sanctioned regions are blocked, and your local rules apply). The free game works everywhere.