> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bulk.trade/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Challenger Series

> A seasonal ranked league for BULK traders.

The Challenger Series is BULK's weekly trading competition: **trade → climb leagues → earn rewards → qualify for the Playoffs.**

Season 1 started on **October 10, 2026** and runs for **8 weeks**. Each week runs Saturday to Saturday.

## Who can participate

All BULK traders with Trading AURA are automatically entered. No sign-up is needed.

Market makers are excluded: accounts receiving tier 2+ maker rebates on any market during a week are not eligible for that week's leagues, prize pool or Gauntlet rewards.

## Leagues

Every week, active traders are ranked by Trading AURA and placed into a league:

| League | Who's in it | Rewards |
| - | - | - |
| **Challenger** | Top 25 traders | AURA + 45% of the prize pool + Playoffs qualification |
| **Diamond** | Ranks 26–100 | AURA + 25% of the prize pool |
| **Platinum** | Rank 101 down to the top 10% | AURA + prize pool share (2× Gold) |
| **Gold** | Down to the top 25% | AURA + prize pool share |
| **Silver** | Top 25–50% | AURA |
| **Bronze** | Everyone else with Trading AURA | AURA |
| **Unranked** | No Trading AURA this week | — |

The league you finish the week in determines your rewards for that week. No spot is safe. Don't get too comfortable.

## Weekly prize pool

Each week, **12.5% of BULK's net revenue** (trading fees minus maker rebates) goes into the prize pool:

* **Challenger:** 45%
* **Diamond:** 25%
* **Platinum and Gold:** 30%, shared so that each Platinum trader earns 2× what each Gold trader earns

Within each league, rewards are split pro-rata by Trading AURA.

The minimum claimable reward is **\$5**. Smaller rewards stay on your balance and add up until you reach it.

## Weekly Gauntlets

Every week has one Gauntlet with **50,000 points** (5% of the weekly AURA supply). All active traders are entered automatically.

Gauntlet rewards and Trading AURA both come from the fixed weekly supply of **1,000,000 AURA**. Nothing extra is minted.

The current Gauntlet is announced every Saturday on The Challenger Series page.

Rewards are pro-rata: **your points = 50,000 × your contribution / total contribution of all participants.**

*Example: if the Gauntlet counts taker volume, total taker volume for the week is $500M and you traded $5M, you get 1%, or 500 points.*

Gauntlet rewards don't count toward referral points.

## Fair play

All rewards are subject to wash-trading and Sybil checks. Flagged accounts are excluded.

## Playoffs

The top traders of the regular season qualify for the Playoffs, the final stage of the Challenger Series, with a separate prize pool. The regular season ends on **December 5, 2026**. The Playoff format will be announced closer to the date.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Who can join?">
    All traders on BULK with Trading AURA. No invitation or affiliate agreement is needed. Market makers receiving tier 2+ maker rebates are excluded.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I climb the ladder?">
    Trade. Your trading activity earns Trading AURA, and Trading AURA determines your league.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I lose my league?">
    Yes. Leagues are updated weekly, and you can move down as well as up.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does this affect my current AURA?">
    No. Only AURA earned from trading activity on BULK counts toward your league.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where are the playoffs?">
    Playoffs will be played online. The format will be announced before the regular season ends.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Consider your game plan, steady your nerves, and get to battle.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.