Points vs USDC: What’s the Difference?

Understand the two trading modes: risk-free play with Points or real trading with USDC.

🪙 Points vs USDC: What’s the Difference?

Bayes Market offers two parallel markets — one for beginners and one for experienced traders. You can choose to use Bayes Points or USDC, depending on your goals and risk appetite.

Let’s break it down.

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🧩 What Are Bayes Points?

Bayes Points are free play-money tokens that you earn and use inside the platform. They let you trade, explore, and interact with Bayes — without any financial risk.

• You get 500 Points when you sign up

• You can earn more through daily tasks, newbie missions, and inviting friends

• Points are used in the Play Market, where you trade like real markets, but with no real money involved

It's a simulation with real mechanics — great for learning, experimenting, or just having fun

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💵 What Is USDC?

USDC (USD Coin) is a real stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. When you trade with USDC, you’re trading with real money — and earning real returns.

• This happens in the Real-Money Market

• You’ll need to fund your wallet if you want to trade with USDC

• Profits and losses are real

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⚖️ Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	Bayes Points	USDC (Real Money)
Risk Level	Zero-risk, simulation	Real stakes, real gains/losses
Who It’s For	New users, learners, casual users	Experienced traders, serious users
How to Get It	Free via signup & tasks	On-chain deposit
Use Case	Learn, explore, test ideas	Compete, earn, speculate
Wallet Needed	Created automatically	Same wallet, no extra setup
Gas Fees	Covered by Bayes	Covered by Bayes

Both systems run in parallel — same UI, same events, same interface. You just pick your mode.

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🔁 Can I Switch Between Them?

Yes. At any time, you can toggle between:

• Points Mode

• USDC Mode

Each mode has its own markets and leaderboard, but many events are mirrored across both. This way, you can test your strategies in Points mode, and go real when you’re ready — or stick to one that fits your style.

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🧭 Which One Should I Use?

It depends on your goals:

• 🟦 Use Bayes Points if you’re just getting started, want to learn how prediction markets work, or prefer risk-free fun.

• 🟨 Use USDC if you're confident in your predictions and want to earn real returns.

You can always start with Points, then graduate to USDC later.

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✅ Summary

Bayes gives you full freedom: Start low-risk with Points, go high-stakes with USDC, or switch as you go.

No matter what you choose, the prediction market mechanics remain the same — it’s your beliefs, your choices, your edge.