| FEATURE | NADO | ARCUS |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DEX | DEX |
| Taker Fee | 0.035% | 0.0225% |
| Maker Fee | 0.01% | 0% |
| Max Leverage | 50x | 50x |
| Perp Pairs | 77 | 60 |
| Spot Trading | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Required | No | No |
| Rating | 3.6 | 3.6 |
Nado vs Arcus: key differences
Opening and closing a $10,000 position with market orders costs $4.50 on Arcus and $7.00 on Nado at base-tier taker fees, a difference of $2.50 per round trip.
For limit orders, Nado charges makers 0.01%, while Arcus charges makers nothing.
Nado lists 77 perpetual markets, Arcus lists 60.
Arcus is the more liquid venue, with $238M in 24-hour volume against $128M on Nado. Deeper books mean less slippage on large orders.
Neither exchange requires KYC: both are used by connecting a wallet.
Margin is posted in USDT0, USDC, wETH, kBTC +2 more on Nado 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
| Nado | Arcus | |
|---|---|---|
| Taker round trip on $10,000 | $7.00 | $4.50 |
| Maker round trip on $10,000 | $2.00 | $0 |
| Best-tier taker fee | 0.015% | 0.0095% |
| BTC max leverage | 50x | 40x |
| Margin modes | cross, isolated | cross, isolated |
| 24h volume | $128M | $238M |
| TVL | $53M | $38M |
| Custody | non-custodial | non-custodial |
| Collateral | USDT0, USDC, wETH, kBTC +2 more | USDG |
| Deposit networks | Ink | Robinhood Chain, Ethereum, Arbitrum +3 more |
| Minimum order | $100 | $5 |
| Order types | 8 | 8 |
| Options | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | No |
| Testnet or demo | Yes | Yes |
| Vaults or copy trading | No | No |
| Insurance fund | Yes | No |
| Audited | No | Yes |
| Restricted jurisdictions | 10 | 6 |
| Founded | 2025 | 2026 |
Choose Nado if
- You trade smaller or newer markets: 77 perpetual pairs against 60.
- You want to post margin in more than one asset.
Choose Arcus if
- You mostly use market orders: 0.0225% taker fee against 0.035% on Nado.
- You place limit orders: 0% maker fee against 0.01% on Nado.
- You trade size and need liquidity: $238M in 24-hour volume against $128M.
Nado
PROS
- + Base fees of 0.035% taker and 0.01% maker on perpetual and spot markets, falling to 0.015% taker and a 0.008% maker rebate at VIP 6 (1 billion dollars of 30-day volume)
- + One margin account covers perpetuals, spot, and lending: USDT0, USDC, wETH, kBTC, XAUT0, and tokenized xStocks such as SPYx and QQQx count as collateral, and deposits earn money market interest
- + 77 tradable perpetual markets in the Nado API (October 4, 2026), including US stock and ETF perpetuals such as NVDA, TSLA, SPY, and QQQ, three FX pairs, gold, silver, and WTI oil
CONS
- − The docs and the DeFiLlama listing show no published smart contract audit; the HackenProof bug bounty covers the web app only and pays 50 to 10,000 dollars per finding
- − View-only in the United States and Canada, and blocked in Panama, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine under the Terms of Use dated August 26, 2026 and the Restricted Territories page
- − Deposits work only on Ink, so funds from Ethereum, Arbitrum, or an exchange must first be bridged or withdrawn to Ink, and each USDT0 withdrawal costs 1 USDT0
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 Nado or Arcus better?
Both exchanges are rated 3.6. Arcus offers lower fees (0.0225% vs 0.035%). Choose Nado for its features, and Arcus for lower fees.
What are the fees on Nado vs Arcus?
Nado charges 0.035% taker / 0.01% maker. Arcus charges 0.0225% taker / 0% maker for perpetuals.
Which has higher leverage, Nado or Arcus?
Nado 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 Nado and Arcus require KYC?
Nado does not require KYC. Arcus does not require KYC. Both restrict some jurisdictions (Nado lists 10; Arcus lists 6), so check the terms of service for your country before depositing.
Is Nado or Arcus safer?
Nado has no published audit on record here 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, Nado or Arcus?
Nado recorded $128M in 24-hour volume and Arcus recorded $238M, as of 2026-10-04. Nado lists 77 perpetual markets and Arcus lists 60.