Community Pools
What is a Community Pool?
A Community Pool is a shared pool — funded by a token's community — that provides the capital required to launch a perpetuals market on Overlay. Instead of a project paying a listing fee upfront, the community collectively fills the pool, and in return, earns a share of every trading fee generated by that market, permanently.
It's a way for a token's holders to back their own market and get paid for it.
How it works
- A pool is created for a specific token, with a funding target ($10,000 USDT).
- Community members contribute any amount — there is no minimum.
- Once the target is reached, Overlay deploys the perps market, typically within a few days.
- Trading fees begin accruing to the pool from the moment the market goes live.
- Payouts are distributed weekly to contributors, proportional to their share of the pool.
Revenue Share
Community Pool contributors collectively earn 30% of all trading fees generated by their market. Payouts are distributed weekly, pro-rata based on each contributor's share of the total pool.
Overlay charges a flat 0.1% trading fee on all volume. At 30% rev-share to the pool, contributors earn $0.0003 per dollar traded.
For example, if you contributed 10% of the pool and the pool distributed $1,000 in fees that week, your cut is $100 — automatically, for as long as the market exists.
Projected Earnings by Volume
The table below shows cumulative pool earnings at different total volume milestones, based on a fully funded $10,000 pool.
| Total Volume | Trading Fees (0.1%) | Pool Earnings (30%) | % of Pool Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1M | $1,000 | $300 | 3% |
| $10M | $10,000 | $3,000 | 30% |
| $33.3M | $33,300 | ~$10,000 | 100% ✓ Break-even |
| $100M | $100,000 | $30,000 | 300% |
| $1B | $1,000,000 | $300,000 | 3,000% |
A contributor who puts in $1,000 (10% of the pool) recoups their full contribution at ~$33M in cumulative volume — and earns $30,000 at $1B.
Why contribute?
- Earn real yield from a market you helped create
- Fees accrue whether you trade or not
- Permanent rev-share for as long as the market exists
- Direct stake in the success of your token's perps market
What happens if the pool target isn't reached?
- Refunds will happen automatically (within 48 hours) if the target is not reached after the pool countdown is over.
- Once the pool target is reached, the market is deployed and contributions are non-refundable after market listing.
For questions about launching a Community Pool for your token, fill in this form and we will reach out.
Last updated on May 2026