Subaccounts are nested within a main account and within certain limitations act like an independent account.
Subaccounts are independent instances directly connected to the main account. As subaccounts are independent they will not share margin and/or portfolios with the main account or other subaccounts. Subaccounts can be utilized with or without setting a separate login. Subaccounts do not require a separate verification.
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Feature |
Details |
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Separate Access |
Each subaccount can have its own login setup, but main accounts will always have access to all of their subaccounts. The login of a subaccount will have:
The subaccount login will only have access to the specified subaccount, it will not be possible to access the main account or other subaccounts. Multiple logins to the same subaccount will require a multiple security key set up or providing API keys for logging in. |
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Separate Collateral |
Collateral located on the subaccount will not be used as margin for the main account or other subaccounts. |
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Separate Positions |
Positions on the subaccount will not be in the same portfolio as the main or other subaccounts. As the portfolio of the subaccount is not part of the main or other subaccounts it will neither affect or be affected by positions in the main or other subaccounts. |
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Separate API keys |
Each subaccount can set up to 8 API keys. These API keys can only be used on the subaccount itself and not on the main or other subaccounts. However, main account API keys do have access to all subaccounts. |
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Separate API limits |
API rate limits are based on the volume traded on an account, and each subaccount has its own limits. |
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Security Keys |
Subaccounts can have their own security keys enabled. You can also manage (add, remove, reset) security keys directly from within each subaccount, giving you full control over two-factor authentication settings inside subaccounts. |
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Configurable instruments |
Subaccounts can be restricted from accessing specific instrument types. |
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Instant Transfers |
Transfers from and to subaccounts are instant and without any fees. |
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No Withdrawals |
Withdrawals can only be initiated from the main account. |
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Maximum number of subaccounts |
20 (+ main account) |
Subaccounts can be created in the user interface or by API.
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Click on the My account icon on the top right of the user interface and select Subaccounts or head to this link.
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Click on the button '+ Add a new subaccount'
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Subaccounts can be created using the following endpoint: https://docs.deribit.com/api-reference/account-management/private-create_subaccount
Notice
To create a subaccount using the API, your main account must have the
account:read_writescope enabled.
The settings of a subaccount can only be changed from within the main account, and changes will need to be approved with the security key with the scope 'Account'.
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Subaccount settings |
Description |
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Type |
Account type (non editable), shows the account type as either Main or Subaccount |
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This shows the current active email on the subaccount. Unless a separate email has been added for the subaccount, this field will show the email associated with the main account. To add a separate email to the subaccount:
The newly added email address will receive a confirmation link to activate the account. If the added email has not yet been confirmed, there will be two emails shown in the field. NoteAll emails need to be unique, an email can not be used for several subaccounts or a combination of main and subaccount logins. |
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Nick / Alias |
The current username of the (sub)account. Name change:
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Can login to subaccount |
The current status of logins on the subaccount: Disabled/Enabled To enable subaccount login:
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Password |
The password will not be shown. If there is no password set it shows as Undefined, if there is a password set is shows as ******. To set a new password on the subaccount:
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Send all notifications to the main email |
Specifies whether email notifications from a specific subaccount should also be forwarded to the main account’s email address. Possible values: Enabled or Disabled (default).
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Security keys |
The current status Disabled/Enabled Subaccounts can have their own security keys enabled. This is available for subaccounts with or without seperate logins. To reset the security keys on a subacocunt:
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Products disabled for trading |
The currently restricted instruments. If no instruments are restricted it will show 'None'. To restrict instrument types:
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A separate subaccount login can be created in the subaccount settings dialog. This is accessible from the subaccounts page while logged into the main account.
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Set a new email for the subaccount.
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Activate the subaccount email by clicking on the confirmation link send to the email.
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Set a password for the subaccount.
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(Optional) Ensure that all instrument types are restricted as intended.
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Enable subaccount login.
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(Optional) Edit the nickname/alias for the subaccount.
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(Optional) Enable sending email confirmations to the email associated with the main account.
If a login for a subaccount needs to be removed, this can be done temporary or completely. This must be done from the subaccounts page while logged into the main account.
For temporary Disabling the access:
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Click "Disable" for the subaccount login setting.
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If required, change the password and disable the security keys.
For a complete removal:
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Change the email back to the email associated with the main account. This does not require any email confirmation.
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Disable subaccount login.
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If you do not have access to the set security keys, disable the security keys.
Subaccounts can be accessed directly from the main account or (if enabled) accessed directly with a separate login.
If logged into the main account, a different subaccount can be selected in two manners.
The quickest method is to select the subaccount directly from the user interface.
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Click on the username of your account in the top right of the user interface
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Select the subaccount to be opened.
Alternatively the subaccount can be selected on the subaccount page.
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Click on the my account icon in the top right of the user interface, and click Subaccounts.
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Click on the squared arrow of the subaccount to be opened.
Tip
You can open multiple subaccounts in separate browser tabs if you access them from the main account interface (e.g. via the account menu or Subaccounts page).
Note
This does not work if you try to log into different subaccounts separately using their email credentials.
Logging in to a subaccount that has a separate login activated is similar to logging into the main account.
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Fill in the email.
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Fill in the password.
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Choose the security key.
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If an Authenticator is setup, select "2FA Code" and fill in the authenticator key.
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If a passkey is enabled, select "Passkey", the passkey will be prompted to confirm after pressing the "Continue" button.
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Press "Continue" to log into your Deribit account.
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If a passkey is enabled a pop up will appear and require confirmation.
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Transfers of funds and fee balances between main and subaccounts are supported and can be performed instantly and without fees.
When logged in via the main account, users can:
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Transfer funds to and from any subaccount.
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Transfer funds between subaccounts.
When logged in directly via a subaccount, users can only transfer funds to the main account.
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Subaccounts cannot initiate transfers to other subaccounts.
For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to perform these actions in the user interface, including balance visibility and transfer types, please refer to our Transfers article.
Transfers can also be automated via the API using private/submit_transfer_to_subaccount and /private/submit_transfer_between_subaccounts. Please refer to API documentation for more details.
Caution
If a subaccount is deleted the transaction logs become unavailable. These logs can not be accessed or downloaded. It is important to download these prior to removing the subaccounts from the following link. The balance and position snapshots at the end of each month will remain available in the monthly reports.
A subaccount can be removed on the subaccount page. Subaccount removals can only be performed while logged into the main account, and have to be approved with a security key with the scope "Account".
To remove a subaccount:
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While logged into the main account, navigate to the subaccounts page, which can be found in the menu, or at this link.
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Click on the red cross next to the subaccount to be deleted.
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Confirm the request.
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Provide approval with a security key.
Q: How independent are subaccounts from each other and from the main account?
A: Subaccounts are structurally independent from the main account and from one another. They have their own margin, balances, positions, API keys, login credentials, and rate limits. Activity on one subaccount does not affect the risk profile or positions of other subaccounts or the main account.
Q: Are orders from different subaccounts ever queued or matched together?
A: Subaccounts are structurally and operationally independent, and their orders are handled separately by the matching engine. However, self-matching between subaccounts under the same main account (UID) is technically possible unless explicitly prevented via self-match prevention settings.
Deribit provides three levels of self-match prevention:
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Self-Match Prevention – This setting prevents your own orders from executing against each other. When enabled:
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If a self-match is detected, the maker (passive) order is automatically cancelled.
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If disabled, the taker (aggressive) order is rejected instead.
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Account-Level Self-Match Prevention – This additional setting ensures that orders from different subaccounts or from the subaccount and main account do not match each other. If enabled, Deribit will block such trades and cancel one of the conflicting orders based on your preference.
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Block RFQ Self-Match Prevention
This setting applies specifically to Block RFQ trades. When enabled, it prevents your Block RFQ quotes from matching against accounts that belong to the same Block RFQ Identity.
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If activated, your account’s Identity is excluded from the available maker list.
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If you “Select all” makers or target your Parent Identity, accounts sharing your Identity will not be matched.
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You can configure all self-match prevention settings via your account settings or API.
Tip
Learn more about self-match prevention here: Trading Account settings
Q: Is there a benefit to submitting orders from different main accounts rather than just using different subaccounts (e.g., for latency arbitrage or queue priority)?
A: No. Subaccounts are treated similarly to independent main accounts in terms of trading infrastructure. There is no advantage to using separate main accounts over using subaccounts for purposes like latency racing or queue positioning.
Q: Do subaccounts share API rate limits or connection limits with the main account?
A: No. Each subaccount has its own API keys and operates with independent rate limits, separate from the main account and other subaccounts. This allows for isolated API usage and more granular control over trading systems.
However, note that connection limits are enforced per IP address, not per account. This means the total number of simultaneous connections from a single IP (across all your accounts and subaccounts) is subject to a shared cap.
For detailed information, see:
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Rate Limits – to understand how rate limits are calculated and applied per account
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Connection Management - Best Practices – to learn about connection scopes and session limits
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Account Structure and Ownership - to learn more details on account ownership