> 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/uniocean-101.md).

# Uniocean 101

An introduction to Uniocean — the skill-based price forecasting platform.

![UniOcean Forecast Platform Journey](https://2863428870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F80Mih2wy0x6vMgmpFKdI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4e53f662a1596dfd1f075f61ca7196122bcd6af6%2F01-user-journey.png?alt=media)

Uniocean is a skill-based price forecasting platform where users forecast the precise future price of assets and earn rewards based on accuracy.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Core principle:** Outcomes are determined entirely by forecasting skill. The closer your forecast to the actual price, the higher you rank, and the more you earn.
{% endhint %}

***

## What Is Uniocean?

Uniocean forecast platform enables users to forecast the future price of cryptocurrencies, metals, and forex pairs at predefined settlement times. Uniocean forecast platform asks for **precise price forecasts** — every decimal point matters.

| Traditional Prediction Market             | Uniocean Price Forecast                              |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| "Will BTC be above $100,000.52?" (Yes/No) | "What will BTC's probable price be?"                 |
| Pays based on shares held                 | Pays based on forecast accuracy and settlement price |
| Orderbook/AMM pricing                     | Fixed entry fee, skill-based rewards                 |

***

## How It Works

### 1. Markets

A market is a forecasting challenge for a specific asset and time window.

**Examples:**

* BTC/USD (e.g., 1 Hour, 4 Hour, Daily)
* ETH/USD (e.g., 1 Hour, 4 Hour, Daily)
* XAU/USD (e.g., 1 Hour, 4 Hour, Daily)

Markets typically support 1-hour, 4-hour, 8-hour, daily, and weekly durations across crypto, forex, and metals, though available durations may vary by asset class and event configuration.

### 2. Forecasting

While a market is **Live**, users submit their precise price forecast and pay an entry fee. The standard entry fee is **10 USDT/USDC**, though featured events may have a variable entry fee (higher or lower depending on the market or asset pair).

Forecasts are relayed as gasless transactions and recorded permanently on-chain after confirmation.

* Events may set total and per-user forecast limits. The per-user limit is at most 100.
* Cannot be modified or cancelled after submission
* No gas fees ever

### 3. Live Rankings

As the oracle price moves in real time, rankings update every second. Your rank changes continuously until the market settles. The live rankings show exactly where you stand relative to other forecasters.

### 4. Settlement

When a market ends:

1. The final price from the event's applicable oracle is **recorded on the blockchain** (independent, verifiable, immutable)
2. The final ranking is calculated using the recorded on-chain oracle price
3. All forecasts are ranked by distance from the oracle price
4. The event's published reward configuration determines which forecasters are rewarded
5. Rewards are calculated using the Uniocean Community Price Reward Algorithm (UCPRA)
6. Independent validators verify the results
7. Rewards are automatically claimed to winner wallets

### 5. Rewards

An event fee of **3% to 10%** may be deducted from the total entry fees collected. The remaining amount forms the reward pool, which is distributed to winners:

| Group              | Who                                                             | What They Earn                          |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Rankers**        | Top forecasters (count depends on event size and configuration) | Premium top rewards — #1 earns the most |
| **Bucket Winners** | Remaining rewarded forecasts below the Ranker tier              | Sloped payout band defined by the event |
| Non-winners        | Forecasts outside the rewarded range                            | No payout                               |

The standard public event configuration rewards **51%** of forecasts and uses a tighter rewarded range.

Some events may publish custom reward settings with broader distributions. Always use the event's published configuration as the source of truth for the exact payout shape.

Always use the event's published reward configuration as the source of truth for the exact payout shape.

***

## Key Differentiators

### Gasless

Users never pay gas fees. The platform uses meta-transactions to relay all blockchain interactions — forecast submissions, reward claims, and refunds.

### Fully Automated

Everything from settlement to reward delivery is automated. No manual claiming, no waiting, no gas management.

### Provably Fair

* Deterministic algorithm: same inputs always produce the same results
* Independent oracle pricing: the accepted settlement price is recorded on-chain
* Validator consensus: 3 of 5 independent validators must agree before settlement is approved
* Merkle proof verification: anyone can cryptographically verify any reward
* Audit reports: full data published for every settled market

### Multi-Chain

Uniocean operates across multiple blockchain networks. Users interact with one interface; the platform handles chain-specific details in the background.

***

## Platform Architecture

![Platform Architecture Overview](https://2863428870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F80Mih2wy0x6vMgmpFKdI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-1900e5c316508e4b1d61efc6820a833231bbf004%2F02-platform-architecture.png?alt=media)

***

## What Makes Forecasting Skill-Based?

1. **Precision matters** — forecasting $96,342.52 when the price is $96,340.18 is better than forecasting $96,500.73
2. **Research pays off** — understanding market trends, technical analysis, and fundamentals improves accuracy
3. **Deterministic outcomes** — no luck component; same distance from oracle = same rank
4. **Continuous ranking** — rankings shift in real time, rewarding those who read the market best
5. **Tie-breaking is deterministic** — when two forecasts have equal distance, rank is resolved by submission timestamp, then block number, then log index — all immutable on-chain data, no randomness

{% hint style="warning" %}
Some events may use non-regular schedules, durations, or asset combinations. This does not introduce random settlement outcomes: ranking and rewards still use the event's published configuration and deterministic on-chain inputs.
{% endhint %}

***

## Security & Trust

| Layer                   | Protection                                                               |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Authentication          | Privy (enterprise-grade Web3 auth)                                       |
| Settlement verification | Byzantine Fault Tolerant validator consensus (3/5 quorum)                |
| Price independence      | Independent production oracle — platform cannot alter the accepted price |
| On-chain immutability   | All forecasts and settlements permanently recorded                       |
| Smart contract security | Audited by Failsafe Security                                             |
| Reward integrity        | Merkle proof verification — only valid winners can claim                 |

***

## Next Steps

* [Quickstart](/quickstart.md) — create your account and submit your first forecast
* [Markets & Events](/core-concepts/markets-and-events.md) — explore asset categories and market types
* [Reward Distribution](/rewards/reward-distribution.md) — understand exactly how rewards are split
* [Settlement Process](/settlement/settlement-process.md) — learn how results are finalized
* [Paper Trading](/account-and-wallet/paper-trading.md) — practise the workflow on testnet