| FEATURE | ARCUS | PACIFICA |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.0225% | 0.04% |
| Maker Fee | 0% | 0.015% |
| Max Leverage | 50x | 50x |
| Perp Pairs | 60 | 77 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 3.6 | 3.6 |
Arcus vs Pacifica: key differences
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $4.50 on Arcus and $8.00 on Pacifica at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $3.50 per round trip.
For limit orders, Arcus charges makers nothing, while Pacifica charges makers 0.015%.
Pacifica lists 77 perpetual markets, Arcus lists 60.
Pacifica is the more liquid venue, with $297M in 24-hour volume against $238M on Arcus. Deeper books mean less slippage on large orders.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDG on Arcus and in USDC, SOL on Pacifica.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| Arcus | Pacifica | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $4.50 | $8.00 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $0 | $3.00 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.0095% | 0.028% |
| BTC max leverage | 40x | 50x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross, isolated |
| 24h volume | $238M | $297M |
| TVL | $38M | $27M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDG | USDC, SOL |
| Deposit networks | Robinhood Chain, Ethereum, Arbitrum +3 more | Solana |
| Minimum order | $5 | $10 |
| Order types | 8 | 12 |
| Options | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | Yes |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | Yes |
| Insurance fund | No | No |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 6 | 13 |
| Founded | 2026 | 2025 |
Choose Arcus if
- You mostly use market orders: 0.0225% taker fee against 0.04% on Pacifica.
- You place limit orders: 0% maker fee against 0.015% on Pacifica.
Choose Pacifica if
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 77 perpetual pairs against 60.
- You trade size and need liquidity: $297M in 24-hour volume against $238M.
- You trade from a phone: Pacifica has a mobile app.
- You want to post margin in more than one asset.
Arcus
PROS
- + 0% maker and 0.0225% taker fee on perpetuals at the base tier, falling to 0.0095% taker with a 0.003% maker rebate at 3 billion dollars of 30-day volume
- + 30 single-stock perpetuals plus SPY, QQQ, gold, silver, copper, and oil markets trade 24/7 next to 24 crypto perpetuals, all from one USDG balance
- + Spot trading of tokenized stocks costs 0% in fees, and Stock Tokens stay in the user's own wallet
CONS
- − Perpetuals are in beta: new users need a waitlist cohort or a single-use invite code, and the iOS and Android apps were still in pre-order on October 4, 2026
- − Not available in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom under the Terms of Use dated May 28, 2026
- − USDG is the only collateral asset, and 54 of the 60 online markets are capped at 20x leverage or less, with most single stocks at 5x or 10x
Pacifica
PROS
- + Base perpetual fees of 0.015% maker and 0.04% taker, falling to 0% maker above 100 million dollars and 0.028% taker above 500 million dollars of 30-day volume
- + 77 perpetual markets in the API on October 4, 2026, including FX (EURUSD, USDJPY), commodities, US stocks, and SP500, with 50x leverage on BTC, ETH, EURUSD, and USDJPY
- + Wide order type set documented: market, limit, stop market, stop limit, TWAP from 1 minute to 24 hours, scale orders of up to 100 limit orders, OCO, and trailing stop
CONS
- − Restricted in the US, Canada, the UK, China, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, North Korea, and the Philippines under the Terms of Use dated June 11, 2026, and VPN use to bypass the block is prohibited
- − The docs still describe a Closed Beta: account equity for deposits is capped at 500,000 dollars and withdrawals at 500,000 dollars per 24 hours
- − The docs publish one audit report (BlockSec, April 2025) and describe no insurance fund; losses beyond the backstop liquidator are covered by auto-deleveraging of profitable traders
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arcus or Pacifica better?
Both exchanges are rated 3.6. Arcus offers lower fees (0.0225% vs 0.04%). Choose Arcus for lower fees, and Pacifica for its features.
What are the fees on Arcus vs Pacifica?
Arcus charges 0.0225% taker / 0% maker. Pacifica charges 0.04% taker / 0.015% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, Arcus or Pacifica?
Arcus offers up to 50x (40x on BTC), and Pacifica offers up to 50x. Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do Arcus and Pacifica require KYC?
Arcus does not require KYC. Pacifica does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (Arcus lists 6; Pacifica lists 13), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is Arcus or Pacifica safer?
Arcus has been audited and has no insurance fund on record here, and custody is non-custodial. Pacifica has been audited and has no insurance fund on record here, and custody is non-custodial. Neither audits nor insurance funds remove smart contract risk, so size deposits accordingly.
Which has more trading volume, Arcus or Pacifica?
Arcus recorded $238M in 24-hour volume and Pacifica recorded $297M, as of 2026-10-04. Arcus lists 60 perpetual markets and Pacifica lists 77.