UMA (formerly known as Universal Market Access) is a blockchain-based protocol that aims to create a decentralized financial derivatives system. UMA is produced by a team of developers, traders, and academics from Opportunity Financial, John Hopkins University, and BlackRock. UMA is a decentralized platform for creating and trading synthetic assets and derivatives. By using related data sources and collateral mechanisms, UMA’s protocols enable financial contracts for individuals and institutions without the need for an intermediary. The platform provides an open financial system where users can create highly customizable derivatives contracts to hedge risk, arbitrage across exchanges and use UMA tokens to back synthetic assets they can create. UMA will also facilitate decentralized debt issuance, digital asset banking, and tokenized real-world assets. UMA tokens are the native currency on the UMA protocol. They are required to execute certain functions on the platform such as creating and settling synthetic assets. The tokens can be used by developers to pay for services on the network, such as executing smart contracts. They can also be used to pay collateral and fees for trading derivatives contracts. UMA's primary goal is to provide a fair and secure open trading platform, while leveraging the benefits of smart contracts. The protocols are designed to make derivatives and synthetic assets more accessible to users, while providing a low barrier to entry for developers. It also enables users to create custom derivatives contracts based on any data sources that are accessible on the blockchain. UMA is currently listed on top tier exchanges such as Binance, Gate.io, and Huobi. Users can buy and sell UMA tokens on these exchanges using their fiat currencies or cryptocurrencies. Users can also take advantage of peer-to-peer exchanges such as Hodl Hodl and LocalCryptos, which allow individuals to trade UMA tokens directly using their local currencies. UMA is an exciting project for those looking to get started in crypto derivatives trading. The platform is designed to make derivatives trading more accessible by enabling users to create and trade synthetic assets, hedge risk, and arbitrage across exchanges. It also includes innovative approaches that make it easier for developers to build applications and services on top of the protocol. With the recent rise in decentralized finance, UMA is well-positioned to benefit from the growing interest in digital asset banking and the tokenization of real-world assets.