What is a DEX (Decentralized Exchange)?
The short answer
A crypto exchange that runs on smart contracts rather than a company matching buyers and sellers.
DEXs typically don’t require identity verification and let you trade directly from your own wallet, but they also come without the customer support and regulatory protections a centralised exchange might offer.
Related terms
Full glossaryGwei
A tiny unit of ETH used to price gas fees — one gwei is one billionth of one…
All-Time High (ATH)
The highest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached.
Layer 2
A network built on top of a layer 1 blockchain to make transactions faster and cheaper.
Altcoin
Informal shorthand for any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin.
Mining
The process, used by Bitcoin and similar networks, of using computing power to validate transactions and earn new…
Peg
The target value a stablecoin is designed to maintain, typically $1 for dollar-pegged coins.
Still unclear? That is worth knowing — tell us and we will rewrite this entry.