# FAQs ### Why do I need USDC / USDH for some markets? The Ventuals app lets you trade perpetual futures (perps) markets on Hyperliquid. Some markets are deployed by Ventuals, and others are deployed by different projects. Different market deployers may use different stablecoins (e.g. USDH or USDC). The market deployer is indicated next to the market's name. Ventuals markets are indicated by `vntl`. You can easily swap between stablecoins using the "Swap Stablecoins" feature. ### What is a perp? Perpetual futures are a type of derivative contract that enables traders to speculate on the price of an asset without needing to buy or own the underlying asset itself. Unlike traditional futures contracts, perpetual futures don’t have an expiration date, meaning traders can hold their positions indefinitely, as long as they maintain the required margin. ### How do perpetual futures work? Perpetual futures are designed to mirror the underlying reference price of an asset. To keep perp prices closely aligned with the reference price, perpetual futures use a funding rate mechanism – a unique feature that sets them apart from traditional futures. The funding rate is a small periodic payment that traders on one side of the contract (long or short) pay to the traders on the other side. This rate incentivizes traders to balance demand, ensuring that perpetual futures prices don’t deviate significantly from the asset’s underlying reference price. * **Positive funding rate:** When perpetual futures are priced higher than the reference price (indicating more demand for long positions), traders holding long positions pay a funding fee to those with short positions. * **Negative funding rate:** When perpetual futures are priced lower than the reference price, traders holding short positions pay the funding fee to those with long positions. The funding rate fluctuates based on market conditions, helping perpetual futures stay as close to the asset’s underlying reference price as possible. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.ventuals.com/resources/faqs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.