DLMM explainers

Orbit Finance: why it's different and how you earn

Orbit Finance is Cipher's liquidity engine: a bin-based DLMM with transparent fee splits. This guide explains what makes it different and how you can earn extra fees by staking $CIPHER or Cipher Owls NFTs.

In this guide: Why it's different, How Orbit works, Staking $CIPHER, Staking Cipher Owls.

Why Orbit Finance is different

Many DEXs use a single curve for liquidity or keep fee distribution opaque. Orbit Finance is a bin-based DLMM with precise control over price ranges and transparent, on-chain fee splits. Here's what that means in practice.

Concentrated liquidity

Bins, not one curve

Liquidity sits in price bins instead of spread across one curve. You put tokens only where trading happens. That means better capital efficiency and often better prices for traders (less slippage).

Transparent splits

Fees split on-chain

Every swap generates fees that are split on-chain. A protocol share is taken first; the rest goes to Creator, Holders, NFT stakers, and DAO. No black box.

Custom fees

Different fee tiers

Pools can have different fee structures and incentives. Orbit supports both permissionless and permissioned pools so builders can tailor pools to their needs.

Community share

Fees go to stakers and NFTs

A portion of fees goes to the community: token stakers, NFT stakers, and the DAO. You don't have to provide liquidity to earn. Other DEXs often keep rewards only for LPs; Orbit shares with holders and NFT stakers too.

How Orbit works

Orbit Finance is a DLMM. You can trade (swap tokens) and provide liquidity (add tokens to bins and earn a share of swap fees) just like on any DLMM. If you've read our guides on how a DLMM works and trade and earn, the same ideas apply: bins, active price, LPs earn when traders use their bins.

On top of that, Orbit gives you another way to earn: a share of swap fees is allocated to the community, and you can earn from that share by staking $CIPHER or by staking Cipher Owls NFTs. You don't have to be an LP.

Earning by staking $CIPHER

A share of every swap on Orbit is set aside for the community. Of that share, 75% goes to $CIPHER stakers. The more volume, the more fees, the more you can earn.

In the Cipher/USDC pool, 1% of swap volume goes to the community; 75% of that goes to holders. In ecosystem pools, 15% of all fees go to the community, and again 75% of that goes to $CIPHER stakers.

How it works for you

  1. 1. Stake $CIPHER. Lock your tokens (for example via a supported staking service).
  2. 2. Sync your position. When you add or change your stake, you sync so the system knows your stake amount.
  3. 3. Fees accrue. Your share of the community pool grows on-chain as people trade.
  4. 4. Claim. When you're ready, you claim your rewards.

Only staked $CIPHER counts. The more you stake and the more volume there is, the more you earn.

Earning by staking Cipher Owls

Of the community share of fees, 15% goes to NFT stakers. If you hold Cipher Owls NFTs, you can stake them on the Orbit Finance platform and earn a portion of the fees from swap volume.

You don't need to provide liquidity or trade. Stake your Cipher Owls, and you participate in the same fee stream that rewards $CIPHER stakers. The remaining 10% of the community share goes to the DAO treasury.

In short

Orbit Finance is Cipher's bin-based DLMM: concentrated liquidity, transparent fee splits, and a real community share. You can trade and provide liquidity like on any DLMM, and you can also earn extra fees by staking $CIPHER (75% of the community share) or by staking Cipher Owls NFTs (15% of the community share).

More on the basics: How a DLMM works, Trade and earn with a DLMM.