| FEATURE | EDGEX | LIGHTER |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.045% | 0% |
| Maker Fee | 0.04% | 0% |
| Max Leverage | 100x | 50x |
| Perp Pairs | 182 | 211 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 4.2 | 4.2 |
edgeX vs Lighter: key differences
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $0 on Lighter and $9.00 on edgeX at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $9.00 per round trip.
For limit orders, edgeX charges makers 0.04%, while Lighter charges makers nothing.
edgeX allows up to 100x leverage against 50x on Lighter. The headline figure usually applies to a few markets only, so check the limit on the pair you trade.
Lighter lists 211 perpetual markets, edgeX lists 182.
Lighter is the more liquid venue, with $511M in 24-hour volume against $293M on edgeX. 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 edgeX and in USDC, ETH, XAUT on Lighter.
Figures as of 2026-10-04, from each exchange's documentation, CoinGecko and DeFiLlama.
Costs, liquidity and safety in detail
| edgeX | Lighter | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $9.00 | $0 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $8.00 | $0 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.02% | 0.0196% |
| BTC max leverage | 100x | 50x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross, isolated |
| 24h volume | $293M | $511M |
| TVL | $61M | $768M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDC | USDC, ETH, XAUT |
| Deposit networks | Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base +5 more | Ethereum, Arbitrum One, Base +3 more |
| Minimum order | — | $10 |
| Order types | 12 | 9 |
| Options | No | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | No |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | Yes |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 10 | 11 |
| Founded | 2023 | 2022 |
Choose edgeX if
- You want higher leverage: up to 100x against 50x.
- You want a sign-up discount: 12% off fees through a referral link.
Choose Lighter if
- You mostly use market orders: 0% taker fee against 0.045% on edgeX.
- You place limit orders: 0% maker fee against 0.04% on edgeX.
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 211 perpetual pairs against 182.
- You trade size and need liquidity: $511M in 24-hour volume against $293M.
- You want to post margin in more than one asset.
edgeX
PROS
- + 182 perpetual markets in one USDC-margined account, including 98 stock and ETF perpetuals, commodities (gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas) and FX pairs such as USD/JPY and EUR/USD
- + Up to 100x leverage on BTC and ETH and 75x on SOL, with cross and isolated margin modes
- + No KYC required: connect an EVM wallet or sign in by email, and referred users get a 12% trading fee discount
CONS
- − Base perpetual fees of 0.040% maker and 0.045% taker are higher than the 0.012% maker and 0.038% taker edgeX charged on V1, and VIP 1 requires 10 million dollars in 14-day volume
- − USDC is the only margin asset, with no multi-collateral support
- − Restricted in the US, Canada, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, and the terms prohibit using a VPN to bypass the block
Lighter
PROS
- + Zero maker and taker fees for standard accounts on perpetual and spot markets; premium accounts pay 0.004% maker and 0.028% taker, falling to 0.0028% and 0.0196% with 500,000 LIT staked (30% discount)
- + Every order match, liquidation, and settlement is proven with ZK circuits on Lighter's own Ethereum rollup, and nine audit reports for the contracts and circuits are published in the docs
- + 211 active perpetual markets and 10 spot pairs (October 2026), with up to 50x leverage on BTC, ETH, EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, SPY, and US500
CONS
- − Restricted in the US, Canada, the UK, China, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and Syria under the Terms of Service dated December 29, 2025, a list that includes the UK and Canada
- − Standard accounts trade free but with 300ms taker and cancel latency; the 140ms taker latency requires a premium account that pays 0.028% taker
- − Margin collateral beyond USDC is limited to ETH and XAUT at a 70% loan-to-value ratio, with per-user caps of 2,000 ETH and 500 XAUT
Frequently Asked Questions
Is edgeX or Lighter better?
Both exchanges are rated 4.2. Lighter offers lower fees (0% vs 0.045%). Choose edgeX for higher leverage, and Lighter for lower fees.
What are the fees on edgeX vs Lighter?
edgeX charges 0.045% taker / 0.04% maker. Lighter charges 0% taker / 0% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, edgeX or Lighter?
edgeX offers up to 100x, and Lighter offers up to 50x. Maximum leverage applies to selected markets and falls as position size grows on both exchanges.
Do edgeX and Lighter require KYC?
edgeX does not require KYC. Lighter does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (edgeX lists 10; Lighter lists 11), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is edgeX or Lighter safer?
edgeX has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Lighter has been audited and runs an insurance fund, and custody is non-custodial. Neither audits nor insurance funds remove smart contract risk, so size deposits accordingly.
Which has more trading volume, edgeX or Lighter?
edgeX recorded $293M in 24-hour volume and Lighter recorded $511M, as of 2026-10-04. edgeX lists 182 perpetual markets and Lighter lists 211.