Find Your Perfect Crypto Exchange
Compare features, fees, and security to find the best cryptocurrency exchange for your needs.
Top Cryptocurrency Exchanges
We've analyzed the most popular exchanges to help beginners find the right platform to start their crypto journey.
Lighter
Lighter is a decentralized perpetual futures exchange built as a specialized zk-rollup on Ethereum, offering CEX-like performance with verifiable matching and liquidations. It supports up to 10,000 orders per second with 5ms soft finality, full self-custody, and deep liquidity for crypto perpetuals. Currently invite-only, Lighter has surged to the second-largest perp DEX by volume at over $5B daily, behind Hyperliquid, with features like low-latency trading, points farming for potential airdrops, and transparent, auditable executions. The platform emphasizes security, scalability, and fairness through cryptographic proofs.
KEY FEATURES
- •10,000+ TPS Performance
- •Verifiable Trading
MAKER FEE
0.00%
TAKER FEE
0.00%
TRADING PAIRS
50+
BLOCKCHAINS
Ethereum
Extended
Extended is a hybrid perpetual DEX built by an ex-Revolut team, offering non-custodial trading of perpetual contracts on crypto and TradFi assets with USDC collateral and up to 100x leverage. It combines CEX-like workflow with DEX security, leveraging the team's expertise in high-performance trading infrastructure for TradFi and CeFi. Raised $6.5M to fill the post-FTX void, Extended provides a trustless 10x better experience for retail and institutional traders.
KEY FEATURES
- •Hybrid Architecture
- •100x Leverage
MAKER FEE
0.02%
TAKER FEE
0.05%
TRADING PAIRS
100+
BLOCKCHAINS
Ethereum
edgeX
edgeX is a high-performance, orderbook-based perpetual DEX incubated by Amber Group, offering a native trading experience for derivatives. It features professional UX/UI, web and mobile apps, 20,000 TPS with low match latency, sub-accounts for advanced position modes, and seamless onboarding via MPC social logins. Led by a team with expertise in derivatives markets, edgeX focuses on onboarding new traders to DeFi, with support for 147 trading pairs across Ethereum, BSC, and Arbitrum.
KEY FEATURES
- •High Performance
- •Multi-Chain Support
MAKER FEE
0.02%
TAKER FEE
0.05%
TRADING PAIRS
147+
BLOCKCHAINS
Ethereum, BSC, Arbitrum
Pacifica
Pacifica is a next-generation hybrid perpetual exchange built on Solana, founded by ex-FTX COO Constance Wang and NFTperp founder Jose. It offers a decentralized trading experience with high performance, focusing on perpetual markets. The team includes alumni from Binance, Coinbase, Jane Street, Fidelity, OpenAI, and DeepMind, with academic backgrounds from MIT and Stanford. Currently in closed alpha, Pacifica aims to compete in the competitive perp DEX space with superior stability, efficiency, and user experience.
KEY FEATURES
- •Elite Team
- •High Performance
MAKER FEE
0.015%
TAKER FEE
0.04%
TRADING PAIRS
50+
BLOCKCHAINS
Solana
Variational
Variational is a peer-to-peer trading protocol on Arbitrum for perpetuals and generalized derivatives, enabling safe bilateral trading of options, futures, exotics, and more. Its flagship app, Omni, is a retail platform for leveraged perpetual futures on thousands of markets, including memecoins and pre-launch tokens, with 0% fees, deep liquidity aggregated from CEXs, DEXs, DeFi, and OTC, plus trading rewards like loss refunds. Backed by Bain Capital Crypto, Coinbase Ventures, and Dragonfly, it addresses inefficiencies in crypto OTC derivatives.
KEY FEATURES
- •0% Trading Fees
- •Deep Liquidity
MAKER FEE
0%
TAKER FEE
0%
TRADING PAIRS
1000+
BLOCKCHAINS
Arbitrum
Vest
Vest is an options trading platform on Solana, enabling users to trade crypto options with up to 100x leverage in a decentralized manner. It offers covered calls, cash-secured puts, and spreads for strategies like income generation and hedging. Vest features low fees, fast execution via Solana's high throughput, and tools for both retail and advanced traders. The platform emphasizes self-custody and transparency, with integrations for yield farming and automated strategies.
KEY FEATURES
- •Options Trading
- •Advanced Strategies
MAKER FEE
0.03%
TAKER FEE
0.07%
TRADING PAIRS
75+
BLOCKCHAINS
Solana
Ostium
Ostium is a leveraged trading platform for currencies, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies that uses an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain (Arbitrum) for settlement while enabling full self-custody. Unlike traditional FX platforms, Ostium offers instant trading with no sign-up requirements, access to up to 200x leverage, and transparent fee structures. The platform allows traders to access global markets with the speed and accessibility of decentralized finance, with support for trading S&P 500, Gold, Euros, Silver, Yen, and various cryptocurrencies all from a single interface. Ostium also offers additional features like staking with yields on USDC, automated trading strategies, and a Telegram bot for trade automation.
KEY FEATURES
- •200x Leverage
- •Multi-Asset Trading
MAKER FEE
0.02%
TAKER FEE
0.05%
TRADING PAIRS
100+
BLOCKCHAINS
Arbitrum
Paradex
Paradex is a high-performance perpetuals exchange built on a Starknet Appchain, offering zero-fee trading on 250+ markets with better-than-CEX liquidity, institutional-grade privacy, and full self-custody. Features include deep liquidity, lightning-fast UI, mobile experience, Xperience Points (XP) rewards, VIP affiliate program, and XUSD synthetic dollar. Powered by $DIME, it ensures blazing-fast execution and portfolio control.
KEY FEATURES
- •Zero-Fee Trading
- •Institutional Privacy
MAKER FEE
0%
TAKER FEE
0%
TRADING PAIRS
250+
BLOCKCHAINS
Starknet
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about DEX airdrops, perpetual trading, and choosing the right exchange for your needs.
What is a DEX Airdrop and Why Should I Care?
A DEX airdrop is when a decentralized exchange distributes free tokens to early users, traders, or liquidity providers as a reward for using their platform before the official token launch. These airdrops can be extremely lucrative—historical examples like Uniswap ($UNI), dYdX ($DYDX), and Arbitrum ($ARB) have given users thousands of dollars in free tokens.
Our DEX Airdrop category features promising new exchanges that haven't launched their tokens yet but show strong potential for future airdrops based on their funding, team, and early traction.
What is a Perpetual DEX and How Does it Work?
A Perpetual DEX is a decentralized exchange that supports perpetual futures contracts—derivatives with no fixed expiration date. Unlike centralized exchanges, you retain full control of your private keys using a Web3 wallet like MetaMask, Phantom, or Rabby. Perp DEXes allow traders to go long or short on various assets with leverage, just like centralized platforms, but with on-chain transparency and self-custody.
Key benefits include no KYC requirements, transparent on-chain operations, and often zero or minimal gas fees thanks to Layer 2 solutions.
How Do DEX Exchanges Compare to CEX Platforms?
• Fund Ownership: DEXes let you keep your private keys; CEXes hold your funds (counterparty risk)
• No KYC: Most DEXes operate via permissionless smart contracts without identity verification
• Transparency: DEXes are fully on-chain and verifiable, unlike CEX platforms with opaque ledgers (remember FTX?)
• Lower Fees: Many DEXes operate on Layer 2 solutions, drastically reducing trading costs
• Performance: Modern DEXes now offer near-instant finality and CEX-like user experiences
Do I Need a Web3 Wallet to Trade on DEXes?
Yes, traditionally you need a Web3 wallet like MetaMask, Phantom, or Rabby to interact with DEX smart contracts. However, many modern DEXes now offer simplified email or social logins (custodial or semi-custodial solutions) that lower the barrier to entry if you're not ready to manage your own wallet keys.
For maximum security and decentralization benefits, we recommend using a self-custody wallet, but social logins can be a good starting point for beginners.
What Are Maker and Taker Fees? How Do Rebates Work?
• Maker Fee: Charged when you place orders that don't fill immediately (adding liquidity). Some DEXes offer rebates—they actually pay you for providing liquidity!
• Taker Fee: Charged when your order matches immediately (removing liquidity). Generally higher than maker fees.
• Rebates: When platforms offer maker rebates, fees go back to liquidity providers, encouraging better order book depth and reducing slippage for all users.
What Are the Main Risks and How Do I Choose a Safe Exchange?
• Smart Contract Risk: Look for platforms with robust audits, bug bounty programs, and no exploit history
• Liquidity Risk: Low liquidity leads to slippage and volatile price movements
• Team & Governance: Reputable teams or strong DAO communities instill confidence
• Transparency: Verify that metrics (TVL, volume, reserves) are checkable on-chain
• User Protection: Insurance funds or backstop liquidity for extreme market events
What About Geographic Restrictions and KYC?
• No KYC: Most DEXes don't require Know Your Customer procedures since they operate via permissionless smart contracts.
• Regional Restrictions: Some DEXes may restrict access for users in certain jurisdictions (e.g., the United States) due to regulatory compliance.
• Compliance: We don't advise using VPNs or other workarounds. Always check and comply with local regulations in your area.
How Often is Your Exchange Data Updated?
Our data is updated daily using automated scripts that fetch information from on-chain data providers (like DeFiLlama) and individual exchange APIs. We track metrics including volume, TVL (Total Value Locked), open interest, and trading fees to provide the most accurate side-by-side comparisons.
All data aims to be as current and transparent as possible, helping you make informed decisions about which platforms to try for potential airdrops or regular trading.
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