This discussion offers a comprehensive overview of decentralized perpetual swaps, highlighting their evolution from traditional futures contracts and their unique operational mechanics within the cryptocurrency market. It explains how funding rates are crucial for aligning perpetual contract prices with spot prices, detailing various calculation methodologies used by leading decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like dYdX, GMX, Perpetual Protocol, and Kwenta/Synthetix. The document also meticulously outlines margin mechanics and liquidation processes, including initial and maintenance margin requirements, collateral management, and the role of insurance funds and Auto-Deleveraging (ADL) as critical risk mitigation tools. Furthermore, the text examines the distinct architectural models of prominent DEXs, such as dYdX's Layer 1 blockchain, GMX's liquidity pools, Perpetual Protocol's Virtual Automated Market Maker (vAMM), and Synthetix's synthetic asset framework. Finally, it discusses the operational challenges faced by DEXs, like gas fees and oracle manipulation, and explores innovative solutions like concentrated liquidity, hybrid order book/AMM models, intent-based architectures, and advanced oracle designs that are shaping the future of decentralized derivatives trading.
