· BulkTrade Guide · Exchange · 3 min read
BULK Exchange Sub-Accounts: How They Work and When to Use Them
BULK Exchange supports up to 64 sub-accounts per master wallet. Each is independent with its own margin, positions, and PnL. Volume aggregates across all sub-accounts for fee tier purposes. Transfers between accounts are gasless and instant.
BULK Exchange allows up to 64 sub-accounts per master wallet. Each sub-account has fully independent margin, positions, and PnL. Volume from all sub-accounts aggregates under the master wallet for fee tier calculation. Transfers are gasless and instant.
How Sub-Accounts Work
Technical Structure
Sub-accounts are off-curve accounts with deterministically derived public keys. They have no private key — they are owned entirely by the master wallet.
This means:
- Only the master wallet can authorize transfers in or out
- Sub-accounts cannot act independently — all actions require the master wallet’s authorization
- Sub-account addresses are predictable and permanent
Creating Sub-Accounts
In the BULK Exchange interface: Account Settings → Create Sub-Account → Name (1–32 characters, alphanumeric + hyphens + underscores).
Optional: fund the sub-account at creation by specifying a USDC amount. This is an atomic transfer — the creation and funding happen in one step.
Transfers
- Master → Sub-account: Gasless, instant
- Sub-account → Master: Gasless, instant
- Sub-account → Sub-account: Via master account (two steps)
No on-chain transaction fees for internal transfers. This makes reallocating capital between strategies frictionless.
Why 64 Sub-Accounts Matters
Strategy Isolation
Sub-account 1 runs a trend-following strategy. Sub-account 2 runs a mean reversion strategy. Sub-account 3 holds a long-term BTC position.
A losing month on sub-account 2 doesn’t drain the margin on sub-accounts 1 and 3. A liquidation event on sub-account 3 doesn’t affect sub-account 1. Each strategy runs in a fully isolated risk environment.
Volume Aggregation for Fee Tiers
All sub-accounts roll up to the master wallet for fee tier calculation. Volume is aggregated across the full account suite.
Impact: A trader running 10 sub-accounts each trading $1M/day qualifies at $10M/day for fee tier purposes. This is critical for institutional accounts running multiple strategies at scale.
The Testnet Competition Application
In the BULK Exchange paper trading competition, each sub-account was an independent leaderboard entry. The rule: only the single highest-ranked account per master wallet counted.
Running 10 sub-accounts with 10 different strategies gave 10 independent shots at placing. The losing strategies cost nothing. This is the direct application of sub-accounts as optionality.
Use Cases
Retail Trader
- Sub-account 1: Main account, moderate leverage, regular positions
- Sub-account 2: High-leverage experimental positions (isolated risk)
- Sub-account 3: Reserved capital, no active positions
If sub-account 2’s experimental trades go wrong, sub-account 1 and 3 are completely unaffected.
Active Trader
- Sub-accounts 1–5: Different markets (BTC, ETH, SOL, DOGE, GOLD)
- Sub-account 6: Market-neutral pairs strategies
- Sub-account 7: Arbitrage
- Volume aggregates for tier advancement
Market Maker (Alpha Program)
The Alpha Program quality score includes volume as one metric. Running multiple sub-accounts with different quoting strategies while aggregating volume for fee tiers creates a capital-efficient market making operation.
Interaction With Fee Tiers
Fee tiers on BULK Exchange use a 14-day rolling volume window. All sub-accounts under a master wallet count toward this window.
| Daily Volume (All Sub-Accounts) | Fee Tier | Maker Fee (Post-Genesis) |
|---|---|---|
| <$1M | 1 | 2.0 bps |
| $1M–$10M | 2 | 1.5 bps |
| $10M–$50M | 3 | 1.0 bps |
| $50M–$150M | 4 | 0.5 bps |
| $150M–$500M | 5 | 0 bps |
| $500M+ | 6–8 | −0.5 to −2.0 bps (rebate) |
Sub-account volume aggregation means a sophisticated multi-strategy trader can reach higher tiers faster than their individual account volumes would suggest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sub-accounts can I have on BULK Exchange? Up to 64 sub-accounts per master wallet.
Do sub-accounts share margin? No. Each sub-account has fully independent margin and positions. A liquidation in one sub-account does not affect others.
Do sub-accounts share fee tiers? Yes. Volume across all sub-accounts aggregates under the master wallet for fee tier calculation. Higher combined volume qualifies for lower fee tiers across all accounts.
Can I transfer between sub-accounts for free? Yes. Transfers between master and sub-accounts are gasless and instant. Sub-account to sub-account transfers route through the master account but are still free.
Set up sub-accounts → early.bulk.trade
Last updated: June 6, 2026
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