> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.uniocean.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.uniocean.io/forecast-platform/introduction/how-it-works.md).

# How Uniocean Works

Uniocean follows a simple user journey: choose a market, submit a forecast, wait for settlement, and receive rewards if your forecast ranks in the rewarded group.

## Big Picture

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[Market Opens] --> B[Submit Forecast]
    B --> C[Market Locks]
    C --> D[Oracle Price Fetched]
    D --> E[Forecasts Ranked]
    E --> F[Rewards Calculated]
    F --> G[Auto Claim]
```

## Step 1: Market Opens

A market is created for a specific asset and time window.

Examples:

* BTC/USD — 1 Hour
* ETH/USD — Daily
* XAU/USD — Weekly

Users can view the market details and prepare their forecast.

## Step 2: User Submits a Forecast

While the market is live, users enter the exact price they believe the asset will reach at settlement.

Each forecast requires an entry fee of at least 10 USDC/USDT.

The forecast is recorded permanently on-chain through a gasless meta-transaction. Users never need to hold gas tokens, approve contracts, or wait for blockchain confirmations. The platform batches and relays forecast transactions on behalf of users within milliseconds.

Users can submit multiple forecasts per market (up to 100), each with its own entry fee. Once submitted, forecasts cannot be modified or cancelled.

## Step 3: Market Locks

The entry window closes before settlement.

The guide describes the entry window as approximately **70% of the market's total duration**, followed by a **30% cooling period**.

During the locked period:

* No new predictions can be submitted
* Existing predictions cannot be changed
* Users can still watch the market

## Step 4: Oracle Settlement

When the market ends, Uniocean fetches the actual asset price from Pyth Network.

This price becomes the settlement price.

## Step 5: Ranking

All forecasts are ranked by accuracy using a deterministic algorithm.

Ranking priority:

1. **Distance** — Closest distance to settlement price ranks higher
2. **Deterministic tie-breaker** — When two forecasts have identical distance, a cryptographic hash based on submission order determines rank

The tie-breaker uses on-chain data (block number, block hash, and log position) to produce a unique, tamper-resistant ordering. This means:

* The same inputs always produce the same ranking
* No one can influence tie-breaking after submission
* Results are independently verifiable

Rankings are computed in under 100 milliseconds, even for markets with 10,000+ participants.

## Step 6: Rewards

The UCPRA reward algorithm distributes the reward pool to the top 51% of participants.

Rewarded participants are divided into:

* Rankers
* Bucket Winners

## Step 7: Auto Claim

Rewards are automatically distributed to rewarded wallets. Users do not need to manually claim or pay gas fees. The platform handles batch claiming for all rewarded participants.

If network congestion or temporary issues delay delivery, the system retries automatically until successful. Claims never expire.

Rewards are automatically claimed and sent to rewarded wallets.

Users do not need to manually claim rewards or pay gas fees for claims.

## Full Lifecycle

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Upcoming Market] --> B[Live Market]
    B --> C[Forecast Submitted]
    C --> D[Forecast Recorded On-Chain]
    D --> E[Market Locked]
    E --> F{Can Settle?}
    F -->|Yes| G[Oracle Price Retrieved]
    G --> H[Rankings Finalized]
    H --> I[Rewards Calculated]
    I --> J[Auto Claim]
    F -->|No| K[Market Cancelled]
    K --> L[Auto Refund]
```

## Related Pages

* [Market Lifecycle](/forecast-platform/markets/market-lifecycle.md)
* [Submitting Forecasts](/forecast-platform/markets/making-predictions.md)
* [Settlement Process](/forecast-platform/settlement/settlement-process.md)