> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ascendlaunch.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ascendlaunch.gitbook.io/docs/fees-and-revenue/trading-and-creator-fees.md).

# Trading and creator fees

Ascend's trading fees are divided between the token creator, support for the token's own liquidity, and the protocol. The base trading fee is **1%**. Any additional fee charged above the base is assigned to the token's **creator allocation**, alongside its share of the base fee. How that allocation is used depends on the fee configuration chosen by the deployer at launch.

Higher market-cap bands increase the creator allocation and reduce the protocol allocation within the base fee. Within a given band, a higher selected total trading fee increases only the creator allocation; it does not change the coin-support or protocol rates.

## How to read the fee tables

Every percentage in the tables below is a **percentage of the amount traded**. It is not a percentage of the collected fee. Market-cap bands use the coin's moving average. Their lines are fixed in the pair asset when the pair is added, so for HYPE and KNTQ pairs the dollar value of each line moves with that asset's price.

For example, a 0.50% creator allocation on a $1,000 trade is $5. If the total trading fee is 1%, the trader pays $10 in fees and $5 is allocated to the creator.

The trading fee is divided into three components:

| Component           | Purpose                                                                                    |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Creator allocation  | Fees assigned to the creator's chosen payout configuration, subject to release conditions. |
| Coin support        | A standing bid that buys the token in its own pool.                                        |
| Protocol allocation | Revenue allocated by Ascend under its protocol revenue model.                              |

## Creator allocation

The following table shows the creator allocation at trading fees from 1% through 10%, in increments of one percentage point.

| Total trading fee | Under $40k | $40k–$1M | $1M–$10M | $10M–$50M | $50M+ |
| ----------------- | ---------: | -------: | -------: | --------: | ----: |
| **1% base**       |      0.35% |    0.50% |    0.55% |     0.60% | 0.75% |
| **2%**            |      1.35% |    1.50% |    1.55% |     1.60% | 1.75% |
| **3%**            |      2.35% |    2.50% |    2.55% |     2.60% | 2.75% |
| **4%**            |      3.35% |    3.50% |    3.55% |     3.60% | 3.75% |
| **5%**            |      4.35% |    4.50% |    4.55% |     4.60% | 4.75% |
| **6%**            |      5.35% |    5.50% |    5.55% |     5.60% | 5.75% |
| **7%**            |      6.35% |    6.50% |    6.55% |     6.60% | 6.75% |
| **8%**            |      7.35% |    7.50% |    7.55% |     7.60% | 7.75% |
| **9%**            |      8.35% |    8.50% |    8.55% |     8.60% | 8.75% |
| **10%**           |      9.35% |    9.50% |    9.55% |     9.60% | 9.75% |

The percentages above are **the total creator allocation**, not necessarily an amount paid directly to the deployer's wallet. Below a $40,000 market cap, **10% of the total trading fee becomes available under the chosen creator-fee configuration as trades occur**, while the remainder of that allocation is held. At a 3% trading fee, 0.30% of the traded amount is available through the selected configuration and 2.05% remains held, totaling the 2.35% creator allocation. See [Creator fee release and takeovers](/docs/fees-and-revenue/creator-fee-release-and-takeovers.md) for the release conditions.

## How creators use their allocation

Deployers choose how the creator allocation is directed when launching a token. Supported configurations include **Vanilla (direct recipient payouts)**, **Holder Rewards**, **Buyback**, and **Custom mix**.

A project can therefore use its creator allocation for its team or designated recipients, rewards to eligible token holders, purchases of its own token, or a combination. **The payout choice does not alter the separate protocol and coin-support allocations.** Settings for the coin type, payout split, and buyback treatment are selected during launch.

Custom mix is a standard coin-type option for combining these uses. It is separate from the approved-partner Custom launch process.

See [Launching on Ascend](/docs/launching-on-ascend.md) for the complete launch flow, payout rules, and examples.

## Coin support and protocol allocations

The following percentages apply at every trading fee tier within the corresponding market-cap band.

| Component    | Under $40k | $40k–$1M | $1M–$10M | $10M–$50M | $50M+ |
| ------------ | ---------: | -------: | -------: | --------: | ----: |
| Coin support |          — |    0.05% |    0.05% |     0.05% | 0.05% |
| **Protocol** |      0.65% |    0.45% |    0.40% |     0.35% | 0.20% |

The dash indicates no coin-support allocation below $40,000. In the higher bands, 0.05% of the traded amount funds a standing bid that buys the coin in its own pool.

In the **$50M+ band**, the updated 1% base fee is split into **0.75% for the creator, 0.05% for coin support, and 0.20% for the protocol**. Any trading fee above 1% increases the creator allocation by the additional amount.

Coin support is a separate allocation from protocol revenue. It is not included in the protocol revenue split between the treasury, KNTQ purchases, and HYPE purchases.

## Choosing a higher trading fee

The creator allocation at a higher fee follows this relationship:

**Creator allocation = creator allocation at the 1% base fee + the fee charged above 1%.**

For example, in the $40k–$1M band, the creator allocation at the base fee is 0.50%. A 3% total trading fee adds 2 percentage points to that allocation, bringing it to 2.50%. Coin support remains 0.05%, and the protocol allocation remains 0.45%.

The three allocations always add up to the total trading fee:

**2.50% creator + 0.05% coin support + 0.45% protocol = 3.00%.**

## Example: $100,000 of trading volume

Assume a token remains in the $40k–$1M market-cap band throughout $100,000 of traded volume.

| Allocation             | At a 1% trading fee | At a 3% trading fee |
| ---------------------- | ------------------: | ------------------: |
| Creator allocation     |                $500 |              $2,500 |
| Coin support           |                 $50 |                 $50 |
| Protocol               |                $450 |                $450 |
| **Total trading fees** |          **$1,000** |          **$3,000** |

The additional $2,000 generated by the higher trading fee is assigned entirely to the **creator-fee configuration** selected at launch. The protocol receives the same $450 in both cases because the trading volume and market-cap band are unchanged.

For the next step in the fee flow, see [Protocol revenue allocation](/docs/protocol-economics/protocol-revenue-allocation.md).