Getting Started
Your First Steps on LiquidClaw
This guide walks you through the basics: connecting your wallet, making your first swap, and providing liquidity. Everything runs on Base (Coinbase's L2), so gas fees are just a few cents.
Connecting Your Wallet
- Visit the LiquidClaw app
- Click Connect Wallet in the top right
- Choose your wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Rainbow, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet)
- Make sure you're connected to Base network
If you don't have Base set up, your wallet should prompt you to add it automatically. Base uses ETH for gas — you'll need a small amount to get started.
Making a Swap
Swapping tokens on LiquidClaw works like any DEX, but with a twist: our router finds the best path across all pools automatically, even if there's no direct pair.
Step by Step
- Go to the Swap page
- Select the token you want to sell (top field)
- Select the token you want to buy (bottom field)
- Enter the amount
- Review the quote — you'll see the exchange rate, price impact, and fee
- Click Swap and confirm in your wallet
What Happens Behind the Scenes
The Router contract checks all available pools and finds the optimal path. If there's no direct VIRTUAL/LCLAW pool, it might route through VIRTUAL → WETH → LCLAW automatically. You always get the best available price.
Things to Know
- Slippage tolerance: Set this in settings. Default is 0.5% — increase it for volatile tokens.
- Deadline: Transactions expire after the deadline to protect you from stale prices.
- Fee-on-transfer tokens: Fully supported. The router handles the tax automatically.
Providing Liquidity
When you provide liquidity, you deposit a pair of tokens into a pool. In return, you receive LP (Liquidity Provider) tokens that represent your share of the pool.
Choosing a Pool
| Pool Type | Best For | Curve | Default Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volatile | Regular pairs (LCLAW/WETH, VIRTUAL/WETH) | x * y = k | 0.30% |
| Stable | Pegged assets (USDC/USDT, stETH/ETH) | x3y + y3x = k | 0.05% |
The stable curve gives 100–1000x better price execution for correlated assets. Choose the right pool type for your pair.
Adding Liquidity
- Go to the Pools page
- Find the pool you want (or create a new one — it's permissionless!)
- Click Add Liquidity
- Enter the amount for one token — the other adjusts automatically based on the current ratio
- Review and confirm
Removing Liquidity
- Go to your pool position
- Click Remove Liquidity
- Choose how much to withdraw (25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%)
- Confirm — you receive both tokens back
Staking in Gauges
After adding liquidity, stake your LP tokens in the pool's Gauge to start earning LCLAW emission rewards.
- Go to your pool position
- Click Stake
- Approve and stake your LP tokens
- LCLAW rewards start accruing immediately
Rewards are distributed every epoch (1 week). You can claim anytime. The amount you earn depends on how much LCLAW emissions are directed to your pool by veLCLAW voters.
Creating a New Pool
Anyone can create a pool on LiquidClaw — no permission needed.
- Go to Pools → Create Pool
- Select your two tokens
- Choose the pool type (volatile or stable)
- Add initial liquidity
Once a pool exists, it can receive a Gauge (which enables LCLAW emission rewards). Gauges are created through governance — veLCLAW voters decide which pools get rewarded.
Quick Tips
- Gas on Base is cheap — transactions typically cost less than $0.01
- Always check price impact before large swaps. Low liquidity pools can have high slippage.
- Stake your LP tokens — unstaked LP earns trading fees but misses out on LCLAW emission rewards
- MEV protection — all functions include deadline parameters to protect your transactions