Transparency

How PlayerETF works

No hidden mechanics. Here’s exactly how prices are set, how trades execute, and how the math works.

The basics

Each player is a tradeable asset

Every NBA and NFL player in our system has a market price — just like a stock. You can buy shares of any player, hold them, and sell them later at whatever the market price is at that time. Prices move continuously based on community trading activity.

IPO prices are anchored to dynasty rankings

When a player is listed, their starting price is set using consensus dynasty fantasy rankings — the same rankings serious fantasy players use to evaluate long-term player value. Elite players like Josh Allen or LeBron James start at higher prices than depth players. The market then evolves from there based entirely on community trading.

Your starting balance is $10,000

Every new account starts with $10,000 in virtual cash. Use it to buy positions in any players you believe are undervalued. Your goal: grow that portfolio by trading smarter than everyone else.

How prices are set

PlayerETF uses an Automated Market Maker (AMM) — the same math that powers decentralized finance protocols. There is no order book. There are no counterparties. Every trade executes instantly at a formula-driven price.

Supply and demand, automated

Every player has a pool of dollars and a pool of shares. When you buy, you add dollars and remove shares — fewer shares available means a higher price. When you sell, you return shares and receive dollars — more shares available pushes the price back down. No human sets the price. No order book. A mathematical formula does it automatically, instantly, on every single trade.

Why this is fair

Because the price formula is public and deterministic, every user sees the same price for the same trade size. There is no front-running, no market maker spread, and no ability to manipulate prices beyond what the math allows. Large buys move the price more than small ones — this is called price impact, and it’s a natural feature of the constant-product model.

Fees

1%transaction fee

A flat 1% fee is applied to the total cost of every trade (buy or sell). The fee is deducted from your cash balance on buys, and from your proceeds on sells. It is shown clearly before you confirm any trade — no surprises.

Why this is a game of skill

Knowledge is your edge

Prices are set by community trading, not random events. If the market has underpriced a breakout rookie or overpriced an aging veteran, a user with better player knowledge can identify that gap and profit from it — the same way skilled investors find mispriced stocks before the crowd catches on.

Price manipulation is self-limiting

The AMM’s constant-product curve makes artificial pumps expensive and self-correcting. A large buy moves the price up significantly due to price impact, but it also creates a profitable opportunity for other users to sell into that inflated price — naturally pulling it back. You can’t hold a manipulated price without paying the full cost of doing so.

Classification

PlayerETF is a skill-based trading game, not gambling, not DFS, and not a securities exchange. Outcomes are determined by player knowledge and trading decisions, not chance — placing it firmly in the skill-game legal category.

Ready to put your knowledge to work?