What Is the Primary Account in Vest Capital?
Updated · 3 min read
The primary account is your own personal account on Vest Markets, essentially your personal wallet. It's created when you sign up, it holds your own USDC, and Vest says you keep full custody of it. Your Vest Capital funded account is separate: when you withdraw profits, your 90% share is sent to your primary account. From there you can withdraw it to Coinbase or any wallet, trade with it on Vest like any normal account, or deposit more USDC into it directly.
- Primary account = your personal Vest account and wallet. Funded account = Vest's capital you trade under the program's rules.
- Funded-account payouts always go to the primary account first, never straight to your bank or an outside wallet.
- The primary account is a normal Vest trading account: you can trade your own money there, with no prop rules.
- You can fund it directly: Coinbase onramp (Apple Pay, card, Coinbase balance) or a USDC transfer on Base.
- Withdraw from it to an external address on Base or Arbitrum One (minimum $1, ~24h processing).
Primary account vs funded account
| Primary account | Funded account (Vest Capital) | |
|---|---|---|
| Whose money | Yours | Vest's capital |
| How you get it | Created automatically when you sign up | Pass the evaluation (or buy instant funding) |
| Rules | None beyond normal exchange margin and liquidation | Daily loss limit and max drawdown; breach ends the account |
| Profits | 100% yours | 90% yours, paid out to the primary account |
| Deposits | Yes: Coinbase onramp or USDC on Base | No: you can't add your own funds |
| Withdrawals | To any external address (Base or Arbitrum One) | Only to your primary account |
You switch between them with Vest's account selector. Vest's docs describe payouts landing in your 'Primary Vest account, accessible via account selection'.
Is it really a wallet?
Yes. Vest creates accounts through Privy, a wallet-infrastructure provider, and says users 'retain full custody over their funds'. If you sign up with email or Google, Privy creates a wallet for you behind the scenes. That's why your primary account has its own USDC deposit address, and why Vest's API calls it your 'primary address', the account that holds your balances. If you sign up by connecting an existing wallet, that wallet is your primary account.
Vest Capital needs email or Google
You can only buy a Vest Capital plan if you signed up with email or Google. Wallet-only accounts can trade on Vest but can't access Vest Capital.
Three things you can do with your primary account
- Receive payouts. Request a withdrawal from your funded account; your 90% arrives here as USDC (up to 24 hours).
- Cash out. Withdraw USDC to Coinbase, Kraken or your own wallet on Base or Arbitrum One. See how to withdraw from Vest Capital.
- Trade or keep a balance. It's a full Vest Markets account: equities, ETFs, FX and crypto perps with up to 50x leverage (no fees on ES and NQ). This is your own money, so there's no daily loss limit to breach, but positions can be liquidated.
Depositing directly into your primary account
| Method | How | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coinbase onramp | Deposit → Apple Pay, credit/debit card, or your Coinbase balance | Email and Google accounts |
| USDC transfer | 'Receive funds' → copy your Vest address → send USDC on Base | Base is the only network for direct USDC transfers on email accounts |
| Connected wallet | Send USDC from your wallet on a supported chain | Wallet-login accounts |
Depositing to your primary account doesn't add money to your funded account. Funded account balances come only from Vest's capital and your trading on it.
Frequently asked questions
Where does my Vest Capital payout go?
To your primary Vest account, as USDC. From there you withdraw it to an exchange or wallet yourself.
Can I trade with the money in my primary account?
Yes. The primary account is a normal Vest Markets trading account. Trading there uses your own money with no prop firm rules, but normal margin and liquidation apply.
Can I deposit into my Vest primary account?
Yes, through the Coinbase onramp (Apple Pay, card or Coinbase balance) or by sending USDC on Base to your Vest deposit address.
Does Vest hold my primary account funds?
Vest says accounts are created with Privy and users retain full custody over their funds. Vest Capital funded-account capital belongs to Vest until it's paid out to you.
Sources
- Vest Capital docs — Withdrawals
- Vest docs — Deposits & Withdrawals
- Vest docs — Create an account
- Vest Capital docs — Funded accounts
Educational content, not financial advice. Perps and prop evaluations are high-risk; firm rules change, so check each firm's current terms.