# Overview Bound is a self-custodial exchange that brings investing, borrowing, and Bitcoin-native assets into one unified account. Bound gives users one account to trade, borrow, and access Bitcoin-native assets while keeping control of their keys. Instead of relying on pooled liquidity, wrapped assets, or custodial intermediaries, Bound uses RFQ-powered markets and atomic settlement so trades and loans execute all-or-nothing with clear terms before signing. ## What you can do with Bound ### Trade BTC Trade BTC at competitive, market-set rates. Execution requires your signature, and settlement happens directly on Bitcoin. ### Swap across chains Swap major assets into BTC without relying on bridges, wrapped tokens, or custodial intermediaries. Bound is designed around atomic, onchain settlement. ### Borrow against BTC Access fixed-rate, fixed-term bUSD liquidity using BTC collateral. Bound loans are designed with no price-based liquidation and no margin calls. Your BTC remains locked on Bitcoin and is never pooled or rehypothecated. ### Access Bitcoin-native assets Use one self-custodial account to access stablecoins, tokens, and collectibles issued on Bitcoin. ## How Bound works Bound is powered by a request-for-quote network. When you trade or borrow, professional solvers compete in real time to provide pricing. This creates peer-to-peer execution instead of routing users through shared liquidity pools. Every transaction is designed to settle atomically: either every leg completes together, or nothing executes. ## Why Bound is different * **Self-custodial by design** - users hold their keys, and Bound cannot access or rehypothecate funds. * **Built for Bitcoin** - BTC stays native, with settlement designed around Bitcoin's security model. * **No pooled funds** - user assets are not concentrated in a shared contract or pool. * **RFQ-powered pricing** - solvers compete to quote trades and loans. * **Unified account experience** - one account for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana wallets, with passkey-based authentication and account recovery support. --- # 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://bound-1.gitbook.io/bound-docs/getting-started/readme.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.