Perpetual Trading

Perpetual trading is dYdX’s flagship offering, enabling users to trade open markets with non-expirable contracts. Unlike traditional futures contracts with a time limit on every order, perpetual contracts have no expiry date. This allows investors to hold their buy or sell positions indefinitely until the predetermined trade conditions are met.

Key Features of Perpetual Trading

dYdX’s perpetual trading stands out from spot trading, where cryptocurrencies are bought or sold instantaneously based on the market price. The non-custodial, decentralized margin product offers synthetic exposure to various crypto assets built on Ethereum-based ERC-20 tokens. This unique feature facilitates the creation of new asset classes deriving value from underlying blockchain-based assets.

Governance and Staking

DYDX, the governance token of the dYdX protocol, was introduced a year after the platform’s debut. Users can earn DYDX tokens through their trading activity on the DEX, with all fees and open interest paid. Staking cryptocurrency holdings through the community arm of the exchange allows users to earn yield in DYDX.

Community Empowerment through Governance

Users holding DYDX tokens can actively participate in voting on community suggestions for module upgrades, grants, and restorations. This feature empowers users to contribute to the development of the platform and its products and services.

Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs)

dYdX’s latest product offering is the Hedgies NFT collection, created by digital artists Anna and Arek Kajda. Launched in February 2022, this collection consists of 4,200 NFTs minted over the Ethereum blockchain. Owners of Hedgies NFTs enjoy specific benefits while trading on dYdX, providing a unique experience for collectors.

Unique Benefits of Hedgies NFTs

Minting Hedgies is a cost-effective process, requiring only petrol expenses. This feature allows users to collect unique digital assets and enjoy exclusive benefits while actively trading on the platform.

Comparison with Centralized Exchanges

Spot and margin trading were initially offered over the Ethereum layer-1 blockchain protocol by dYdX, but the exchange transitioned to layer-2 everlasting items on November 1, 2021. The upcoming dYdX v4 aims to be an open-source, decentralized, and community-controlled trading platform, with full decentralization of the orderbook and matching engine.

Decentralization for Community Empowerment

Despite the dominance of centralized exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, dYdX aims to become a truly community-controlled trading platform, aligning with the inherent goal of decentralizing finance. The upcoming dYdX v4 will mark a significant shift, as the community gains control, and revenue collection on trading fees ceases upon community approval.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dYdX offers a range of innovative products and services that differentiate it from traditional futures contracts and centralized exchanges. Perpetual trading, governance and staking, and the Hedgies NFT collection collectively position dYdX as a standout platform in the decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape. With dYdX v4 on the horizon, the platform is poised to become a true community-controlled trading platform, fostering transparency and empowering users in the world of cryptocurrency trading.