Deposit Funds

Complete guide to depositing USDC and managing your Metalos portfolio allocation.

Metalos makes DeFi deposits simple. Start with USDC, choose your allocation, and the Metalos automation layer handles all required swaps and vault interactions on your behalf. This guide walks through the full process, expected confirmation steps, and how to resolve common issues.

How Deposits Work

USDC In, Vault Shares Out

You deposit USDC from your Base wallet
Metalos automation acquires the correct assets for each selected strategy
Vault contracts issue share tokens representing your position
Share tokens automatically accumulate yield inside each vault

You never need to perform manual token conversions or interact directly with liquidity pools. Metalos coordinates the entire process through audited vault contracts.

Deposit Process

Choose Your Allocation

Select how much of your USDC you want in each strategy tier:

Quick Allocation Presets

Conservative: 70% Extremely Safe, 20% Not Very Risky, 10% Moderately Risky
Balanced: 40% Extremely Safe, 40% Not Very Risky, 20% Moderately Risky
Growth: 20% Extremely Safe, 30% Not Very Risky, 50% Moderately Risky
Custom: Adjust each slider manually

Start with a preset that matches your risk tolerance. You can rebalance at any time.

Enter Deposit Amount

Specify the total USDC you want to deploy:

Minimum recommended deposit: $25 USDC (per strategy tier)
Larger deposits reduce the percentage impact of gas fees
Keep a small amount of ETH on Base for transaction costs ($2-8 worth)

Review Transaction Details

Confirm the summary panel before proceeding:

Allocation by strategy tier
Expected share tokens issued by each vault
Estimated gas fees and confirmation count
Projected annualized yield based on current vault performance

If everything looks correct, click Deposit to proceed.

Approve & Execute

Your wallet will guide you through the required confirmations:

Single-asset strategies typically require 1-2 confirmations (approval + deposit)
Multi-asset strategies may require 4-6 confirmations as assets are acquired and deposited
Wallets with batched transaction support (EIP-5792) can combine multiple steps into a single approval

Never approve unlimited spending amounts. Use the suggested allowance that Metalos provides for each transaction set.

Wait for Confirmation

Base network confirmations typically complete within 10-30 seconds
The dashboard shows a success toast and updates your portfolio automatically
You can view each transaction hash on BaseScan for transparency

Transaction Costs & Timing

Estimated Gas Usage

Strategy Category	Typical Confirmations	Est. Gas Cost	Time to Complete
Extremely Safe	2	$0.50-$2.00	30-60 seconds
Not Very Risky	4-5	$2.00-$5.00	60-120 seconds
Moderately Risky	3-4	$1.50-$4.00	45-90 seconds

Managing Slippage & Volatility

Metalos automation monitors pool pricing to minimize slippage
During high volatility, deposits may temporarily pause until markets stabilize
If a transaction is re-submitted, only the incomplete step will rerun

If market conditions change mid-transaction, Metalos will revert the process to avoid undesirable fills. You can retry when prices stabilize.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Transaction failed due to insufficient funds

What happened: You may not have enough USDC or ETH for the selected allocation.

Fixes:

Ensure you have the full deposit amount available in USDC
Keep at least $5 of ETH on Base for gas fees
Reduce the deposit amount or adjust allocations to fewer tiers

Deposit stalled part-way through

What happened: Network congestion or a market change interrupted the automation.

Fixes:

Wait for pending transactions to settle, then retry the remaining steps
Refresh the dashboard and reconnect your wallet
If multiple retries fail, contact support with the transaction hash

Vault share tokens not visible in wallet

What happened: Vault share tokens are custom ERC-20s and might not display automatically.

Fixes:

View your positions directly in the Metalos portfolio dashboard
Add the vault share token address manually in your wallet if desired
Remember that the share token balance grows automatically as yield accrues

Gas estimate seems high

Why it occurs: Multi-asset strategies require several on-chain actions.

Optimizations:

Combine deposits into fewer, larger transactions
Deposit during off-peak times when Base fees are lower
Use a wallet that supports batched transactions to reduce confirmations

Advanced Options

Batched Transaction Support (EIP-5792)

Wallets that support batched intent signing can compress the approval and deposit sequence into a single confirmation. Metalos automatically detects compatibility and offers the streamlined flow when available.

Look for the "Batched" badge in the confirmation dialog to know when this feature is active.

Recurring Deposits & DCA

Schedule recurring USDC purchases through your preferred on-ramp
Deposit on a weekly or monthly cadence to average into market conditions
Monitor allocations quarterly and rebalance when your targets drift by >5%

Custom Allocation Presets

80% Extremely Safe, 15% Not Very Risky, 5% Moderately Risky
Prioritizes capital preservation and predictable yield

45% Extremely Safe, 30% Not Very Risky, 20% Moderately Risky, 5% Super Risky
Blends stability with meaningful upside

15% Extremely Safe, 25% Not Very Risky, 35% Moderately Risky, 25% Super Risky
Suited for advanced users comfortable with volatility

Security Considerations

Best Practices

Double-check contract addresses before approving any transaction
Start with smaller deposits to validate the flow
Never sign transactions you don’t understand—use the chat agent for clarification
Monitor your transaction history on BaseScan for transparency

Vault Risk Awareness

Each vault has distinct risk factors (market, smart contract, liquidity)
Diversify across tiers to reduce concentrated exposure
Withdraw or rebalance if a vault no longer fits your risk tolerance

Next Steps

After your deposit confirms:

Monitor Portfolio — Track performance, yields, and risk alerts
Choose a Strategy — Learn how each strategy tier operates
Talk to the AI Agent — Ask for optimization tips based on your new allocation

The Metalos automation layer continuously evaluates opportunities and risk signals. When it acts on your behalf, you’ll receive notifications and can review all activity in the dashboard.