A decentralized exchange (DEX) is a decentralized application (dApp) that enables the exchange of funds and offers opportunities for passive income through liquidity provision. By leveraging smart contracts and adopting an Automated Market Maker (AMM) model, decentralized exchanges facilitate trading activities. Some futures decentralized exchanges may also extend their support to futures markets in addition to traditional trading options.
At the core of a decentralized exchange lies the AMM concept. Unlike traditional exchanges that rely on an order book to manage buy and sell orders, decentralized exchanges powered by smart contracts do not employ an order book. Instead, they utilize smart contracts as “liquidity pools” (LPs). These liquidity pools consist of two equal halves representing different cryptocurrencies, each having an equivalent dollar value. This design ensures that the decentralized exchange can provide liquidity without creating any imbalances within the trading pair.
Let’s consider an example where you are trading Ethereum on Uniswap and possess USDT in your MetaMask account. To swap USDT for ETH, you would interact with the ETH/USDT liquidity pool, which is essentially a smart contract accessible through platforms like Etherscan or a DEX explorer. Uniswap would provide you with sufficient ETH to cover the dollar value of your USDT tokens.
In certain iterations of decentralized exchanges, you may encounter platforms that incorporate an order book. These dApps feature an open and public order book that operates based on smart contracts. The order book contains all the active orders placed by investors on the decentralized exchange. Order book DEXs are commonly used to facilitate futures trading alongside other functionalities.
Types of Decentralized Exchanges
AMM-based DEX: Automated Market Maker (AMM) decentralized exchanges offer instant liquidity by storing crypto assets in smart contracts. AMMs provide an alternative to traditional order book systems, where orders must be matched with corresponding orders. Instead of matching orders, AMMs allow investors to swap tokens instantly by accessing liquidity from liquidity pools (LPs).
AMMs are most effective when they have high liquidity and a substantial Total Value Locked (TVL). Insufficient liquidity can lead to issues like slippage, which occurs when there is not enough liquidity available at a specific price level, resulting in investors receiving fewer tokens than expected during trades.
One notable advantage of AMMs is that they enable investors to contribute liquidity to the platform. In return, liquidity providers receive rewards based on a flexible Annual Percentage Yield (APY) interest rate. However, it’s important to note that liquidity provision is most beneficial when prices remain stable, as significant price fluctuations can lead to impermanent loss.
Orderbook-based DEX: This type of decentralized exchange incorporates a traditional order book system, similar to what you would find on centralized exchanges. These DEXs employ on-chain order books based on smart contract technology, which store information about the orders placed by investors.
In some cases, a DEX might utilize an off-chain order book. Off-chain order books offer advantages such as privacy and faster processing. However, they also impact the level of decentralization that a DEX can achieve. In this model, the blockchain is primarily used for trade settlement purposes.
DEX Aggregators: DEX aggregators function by consolidating liquidity from various liquidity pools across the crypto market. For instance, platforms like 1Inch provide a list of trading opportunities sourced from multiple DEXs. As a DEX aggregator, 1Inch helps users locate the most efficient liquidity pools, minimizing slippage and optimizing trading outcomes.
By leveraging DEX aggregators, traders can access a broader range of liquidity options and enjoy enhanced trading efficiency. These platforms aggregate liquidity from various sources, allowing users to tap into multiple DEXs through a single interface.
On-Chain Order Books: In certain decentralized exchanges, transactions are executed directly on the blockchain, encompassing the modification and cancellation of orders. From a philosophical standpoint, this approach is considered the most decentralized and transparent, as it eliminates the reliance on a third party to handle orders at any given time. However, in practice, this method faces practical challenges.
When all stages of an order are recorded on the blockchain, DEXs undergo a time-consuming process of soliciting every node in the network to permanently store the order through miners, which also incurs fees.
Critics of the decentralized crypto exchange model highlight its slower transaction times, which create opportunities for front-running. Front-running occurs when an investor closely monitors the price of an asset and executes a buy or sell order just before they anticipate the price movement. It’s important to note that this form of front-running differs from traditional stock front-running, which involves using insider information to purchase a security based on future events impacting stock prices.
On the other hand, proponents argue that since all orders are published on a public ledger, there are no exclusive opportunities for select individuals to engage in front-running from a traditional perspective. Nevertheless, questions have been raised regarding the possibility of miners front-running by observing an order before its confirmation and prioritizing their own order to be added to the blockchain first.
Best futures decentralized exchange to buy crypto
GMX
Decentralized Exchange Protocol GMX is a decentralized exchange protocol available on two EVM chains, Arbitrum and Avalanche. Its utility and governance token for the Arbitrum ecosystem is GMX, providing users with a 13% annual percentage rate (APR). For the Avalanche ecosystem, the token is GLP, offering approximately 21% APR. Developers can also leverage GMX’s infrastructure through its API.
Mitigate Liquidation Risks: Liquidations are triggered based on a collection of reliable price feeds to ensure the safety of your positions, protecting them from temporary market fluctuations.
Cost-Efficient Trading: Access positions with minimal spreads and zero price impact, allowing you to enter and exit trades at optimal prices without incurring unnecessary expenses.
User-Friendly Swaps: Easily open positions through a straightforward swap interface. Swap between any supported assets and seamlessly transition into the position of your choice.
HXRO
HXRO is an innovative, top-tier option trading platform that simplifies the trading experience. With HXRO, users can conveniently trade option contracts for bitcoin, ethereum, and solana, among other cryptocurrencies. The platform offers a sophisticated three-tiered options system designed to enhance the probability of profitable trades. Additionally, users can leverage the built-in de-risking trading bots, which provide valuable guidance for making well-informed trading decisions.
Being a multi-chain platform, HXRO enables users to trade a diverse range of cryptocurrencies, including Solana, ETH, and Bitcoin. Whether you’re an experienced trader or just starting out, HXRO provides a streamlined and accessible trading environment to cater to your needs.
Cope
Cope is a decentralized application (DApp) built on the Solana blockchain, offering a play-to-earn platform that brings together a dynamic community of gamers. At its core, Cope allows community members to earn rewards and climb the leaderboard by providing accurate trading calls for the community.
One of the key features of Cope is its staking provision across the Solana network. Users have two staking options available to them. First, they can stake their COPE tokens in Solana-native liquidity pool protocols like Raydium, which allows them to participate in the liquidity provision and earn additional rewards. Alternatively, users can stake their COPE tokens in a Solana-native wallet such as Sollet or Phantom, which are popular choices among the community.
By staking their COPE tokens, users can actively participate in the Cope ecosystem, benefit from potential rewards, and contribute to the growth and success of the platform. Cope aims to provide an engaging and rewarding experience for gamers within the vibrant Solana community.
Drift
Drift is a prominent trading protocol making waves on the Solana blockchain, known for its enticing incentives and features. Traders on Drift can take advantage of the opportunity to gain up to 10 times leverage in their trades, thanks to the availability of perpetual swaps. This allows traders to amplify their potential profits while managing their risk effectively.
In addition to trading, users of Drift can participate in the lending and borrowing of blockchain-based assets, enabling them to earn rewards in return for providing liquidity to the protocol. This opens up opportunities for users to generate passive income and maximize the potential of their assets.
Developers can leverage Drift’s software development kit (SDK) to build bots or access historical data, providing them with the tools to create customized trading strategies and enhance their trading experience.
Drift also offers built-in trading bots designed to assist traders in their decision-making process. These bots provide valuable insights and guidance, aiding traders in making informed trading decisions based on real-time market conditions.
With its comprehensive set of features and user-centric incentives, Drift has established itself as a notable trading protocol on the Solana blockchain, catering to the needs of both traders and developers alike.
Rage Trade
Rage Trade is an innovative double-legged trading protocol available on both the Ethereum and Arbitrum mainnet. One of Rage’s standout features is its ability to recycle liquidity utilized on other protocols within its platform, offering users a unique opportunity to maximize the efficiency of their assets.
The protocol provides a perpetual swapping product deployed on the Ethereum network, allowing users to engage in perpetual swaps with ease and flexibility. This feature enables traders to enter into long or short positions on various assets without any fixed expiry date, providing them with enhanced trading opportunities.
On the other hand, Rage Trade also offers a USDC yield-farming product specifically deployed on the Arbitrum network. This enables users to participate in yield farming activities using USDC, earning rewards and additional income based on their deposited funds.
By bridging the functionalities between Ethereum and Arbitrum, Rage Trade offers users the benefits of both networks, catering to different trading and yield farming needs. This allows for a diverse range of opportunities and strategies to be explored, providing users with greater flexibility and potential returns.
Rage Trade’s double-legged trading protocol provides a comprehensive ecosystem that encompasses both perpetual swaps and yield farming, creating a robust platform for users to engage in efficient and profitable trading activities across multiple networks.
BarnBridge
BarnBridge is a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol founded by Troy Murray and Tyler Ward in 2019. It operates as an open-source Ethereum-based platform that focuses on risk tokenization.
The primary objective of BarnBridge is to provide a solution for hedging interest rate volatility in DeFi markets such as Compound and Aave.
Users of the protocol have the ability to swap variable yield for a fixed rate, allowing them to manage and mitigate risks associated with fluctuating interest rates. Moreover, BarnBridge enables users to borrow against the fixed rate, providing additional flexibility in utilizing their assets.
To govern the protocol and make decisions regarding its development and operation, BarnBridge utilizes a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) called BarnBridge DAO. The governance of the protocol is facilitated through its native ERC-20 token, BOND, which allows token holders to participate in the decision-making process.
In September 2022, BarnBridge officially deployed version 2 of its protocol, known as BarnBridge v2. This updated version incorporates enhancements and improvements to the protocol’s functionality and features.
Final Thoughts
When selecting a futures decentralized exchange, there are several factors to consider. The foremost consideration is security, as it is crucial to choose a reputable exchange with robust encryption measures. Additionally, fees can differ significantly between these DEXs, so it is essential to compare and identify the option that suits your requirements best.
Finally, take into account the geographical limitations of the exchanges you are evaluating, as some operate only in specific countries or regions. By taking these factors into consideration, you will be able to identify the most suitable cryptocurrency exchange to meet your needs.
