| FEATURE | DYDX | ARCUS |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.05% | 0.0225% |
| Maker Fee | 0.01% | 0% |
| Max Leverage | 50x | 50x |
| Perp Pairs | 73 | 60 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 4.0 | 3.6 |
dYdX vs Arcus: key differences
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $4.50 on Arcus and $10.00 on dYdX at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $5.50 per round trip.
For limit orders, dYdX charges makers 0.01%, while Arcus charges makers nothing.
dYdX lists 73 perpetual markets, Arcus lists 60.
Arcus is the more liquid venue, with $238M in 24-hour volume against $3M on dYdX (about 79 times more). Deeper books mean less slippage on large orders.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDC on dYdX and in USDG on Arcus.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| dYdX | Arcus | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $10.00 | $4.50 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $2.00 | $0 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.025% | 0.0095% |
| BTC max leverage | 50x | 40x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross, isolated |
| 24h volume | $3M | $238M |
| TVL | $108M | $38M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDC | USDG |
| Deposit networks | Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism +6 more | Robinhood Chain, Ethereum, Arbitrum +3 more |
| Minimum order | $1 | $5 |
| Order types | 6 | 8 |
| Options | No | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | Yes |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | No |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 16 | 6 |
| Founded | 2017 | 2026 |
Choose dYdX if
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 73 perpetual pairs against 60.
- You trade from a phone: dYdX has a mobile app.
Choose Arcus if
- You mostly use market orders: 0.0225% taker fee against 0.05% on dYdX.
- You place limit orders: 0% maker fee against 0.01% on dYdX.
- You trade size and need liquidity: $238M in 24-hour volume against $3M.
dYdX
PROS
- + Base tier perpetuals fees of 0.05% taker and 0.01% maker, falling to 0.025% taker and a -0.011% maker rebate at 200 million USD of 30-day volume
- + Staking discount on trading fees: 3,000 staked DYDX cuts base tier fees by 25%, and 20,000 staked DYDX cuts them by 50%
- + Onchain governance by DYDX token holders controls fees, market listings and rewards, with 75% of protocol fees directed to DYDX buybacks
CONS
- − Low liquidity in 2026: 24-hour perpetuals volume was about 3 million USD on October 4, 2026, and the active market count fell from 114 to 73 in three months as governance wound down low-activity markets
- − 50x leverage is available only on BTC and ETH; SOL is capped at 20x and the other 70 markets at 5x or 10x
- − Perpetuals are restricted in the US, UK and Canada, so US traders can only use the Solana spot product
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dYdX or Arcus better?
dYdX has a higher rating (4 vs 3.6). Arcus offers lower fees (0.0225% vs 0.05%). Choose dYdX for its features, and Arcus for lower fees.
What are the fees on dYdX vs Arcus?
dYdX charges 0.05% taker / 0.01% maker. Arcus charges 0.0225% taker / 0% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, dYdX or Arcus?
dYdX offers up to 50x, and Arcus offers up to 50x (40x on BTC). Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do dYdX and Arcus require KYC?
dYdX does not require KYC. Arcus does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (dYdX lists 16; Arcus lists 6), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is dYdX or Arcus safer?
dYdX has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Arcus 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, dYdX or Arcus?
dYdX recorded $3M in 24-hour volume and Arcus recorded $238M, as of 2026-10-04. dYdX lists 73 perpetual markets and Arcus lists 60.