6 min read • March 8, 2023
Given the current state of the cryptocurrency landscape, it's unsurprising that a lot has been developed in its wake. With the emergence of new crypto income sources, investors have even more opportunities to earn income. Needless to say, that one aspect of crypto as a whole is the idea of eliminating the middleman from data gathering while bringing decentralization and transparency to the businesses. However, this isn't necessarily the case, as centralized systems still form the majority of platforms.
That said, the decentralized exchange or DEX is another alternative that many should look into. Actually DEXes offer a unique operational method, allowing users to trade without a middleman and safeguarding your transaction. It also helps to ensure that neither the buyers’ or sellers’ assets are at risk. Well, below is a look into the DEX operating, let’s delve into it.
- The rise of DEX or how trading is revolutionizing
- How does it function?
- Using the system
- Pros and cons of the DEX system
- Final thoughts
As opposed to the typical way of doing things, DEXes use tech from the blockchain to facilitate token exchanges via peer-to-peer means. This shows that a middleman isn't required, as stated earlier. Their nature is also such that reliance on smart contracts form to automate the running of orders.
To function, these platforms rely on their investors to provide liquidity. This of course creates the risk of higher payments being made on their part. This, however, is offset by benefits you will see later.
So as it is a game-changing development in the trading landscape, it’ll help transform how individuals purchase and sell digital assets. It also helps to reduce fraud risk and improve transparency. Therefore, you can start using DEX and maintain complete control of your private assets. DEXes have already won favor among those looking for greater control and as the tech evolves, you will quickly see the power of it and how it will develop and change traditional centralized exchanges.
As stated earlier, this model uses smart contracts in place of the typical intermediary. When coupled with pools formed by investors, the code from said contracts allows the trading of assets and other crypto activities. Granted, this is a generalization of how they work as different versions have unique properties. The following are examples of varying DEXes and their unique characteristics:
- The AMM model: as you will see, order books are the main way to keep track of all happenings. This form of a DEX, known as an Automated Market Maker is what depends on smart contracts and pools of liquidity to function. Simultaneously, it will provide information concerning the current state of the market.
- The order book model: an order book is a list of requirements written to attain specific buy and sell orders. When it comes to decentralized exchanges, two ways in which order books are used come to mind, namely the on-chain and the off-chain varieties.
The former uses a collection of crypto miners and nodes to authenticate and guard data on the blockchain. As they aren't owned by an enterprise, they're both incredibly transparent and decentralized.
The latter, while similar to the former in the way the data is stored, has se external servers as the middleman. As such, they don't possess the desired decentralization, something that's offset by the benefit of being cheaper than an on-chain path.
Based on what you are looking for as it pertains to the above versions of exchanges, you will need a plan of use. All DEXes usually work in a similar way that begins with the downloading of a crypto wallet that matches the platform of choice. This is followed by deposits made into the wallet, which can originate from the original account or consist of newly purchased coins. The use of a DEX officially starts once the app is opened. The typical app possesses a button that allows connection between the original and the decentralized accounts.
Once you sign in and the button is tapped, trading can commence through the two default currencies found in the app. You can do whatever you want with the pairs you choose and have any actions confirmed on the primary wallet.
When we speak about the Decentralized Aggregated Data Feeds that can provide real-time information to enhance users DEX trading experience, we're referring to a powerful tool that can help users and investors make better-informed decisions based on up-to-date and accurate data. You can get reliable data to make informed decisions, giving you a competitive advantage in the market. It is important to use live DEX data in real-time streaming within milliseconds or historical data, as it will help to boost your app.
Now that you have an idea of how this approach to crypto plays out, you have to know the good and the bad parts of it. As far as the pros are concerned, the following may come to mind:
- Invisibility: an interesting aspect of DEXes is that they don't require any documentation, as such, no one can know who you are;
- Transparency: the lack of an intermediary is also beneficial as the public nature allows traders better control over investments;
- Altcoins: the lack of regulations on these platforms means that newer more exciting coins can be discovered in their infancy.
On the flip side of the coin, there are some things you should be wary of before deciding to go this route. The following are just a few of the things to be concerned about:
- Liquidity issues: the reliance on pools of liquidity is normal in such exchanges but is risky as fluidity is sorely lacking. As such one end of a trading pair is likely to pay higher than they want to compensate;
- Difficult for beginners: typically centralized exchanges are fairly easy to use for the uninitiated. This isn't the case in a DEX, which requires some knowledge;
- Lack of regulations: the lack of regulations in a DEX is an issue because it allows false coins to enter the system, making them less secure in that regard.
It's pretty fair to say that as it stands, the typical way of handling crypto isn't going anywhere. Despite this, the decentralized model has some clear benefits that many would say stay true to what crypto was created for.
There are quite a few reasons, however, to explain why this way of going about things hasn't quite caught on. One of them is the fact that new users are likely to be on the outside looking in, as DEXes are fairly complex. As we move forward and this path gains more traction, it will be interesting to see how mainstream it gets. Meanwhile you can try the Finage's platform that provides useful daily tools, offering flexibility for immediate use. With the Finage global DEX Coverage and a quick overview of how to use it, you can explore your business opportunities presented by this growing path of decentralized exchanges.
You can get your Real-Time and Historical DEX Data with Finage free DEX Data API key.
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