Explaining The CEX Landscape: An Analysis of 2023 H1

[Megamind]

Introduction:

Following the demise of FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange (CEX) landscape underwent a significant transformation that raised questions about the legitimacy and security of such platforms. As a result, consumers are now demanding greater transparency and protective measures from exchanges to regain their faith. The post-FTX CEX landscape is examined in this paper, with a focus on significant exchanges' actions while also noting important trends.

After FTX failed, consumers demanded more openness from CEX, which brought credibility once again into the spotlight. Proof of Reserves (PoR) gained popularity as exchanges tried to convince users that their assets were secure. Although PoR by itself does not ensure solvency, Bitget, OKX, Binance, and other CEX were forced to adopt this approach. Additionally, it became crucial to provide protection funds to give users trust, especially in the event of losses or breaches. Binance upped its protection funds from $735 million to $1 billion, underscoring their dedication to protecting user funds, while Bitget expanded their fund from $200 million to over $300 million.

Bitget Shines in the CEX Landscape:

Bitget distinguished itself by growing its derivatives volume at the time of FTX's collapse, showing resilience in a challenging market. This exchange's ability to adapt and thrive post-FTX demonstrates its strength in the CEX landscape. Binance retained its dominance, maintaining stable trading volumes despite the FTX fallout, but still faced with regulatory challenges in some regions, forcing it to close its services there. Other exchanges, like OKX, also managed to maintain strong derivatives businesses. However, there was a slight decrease in spot trading volume, with DEX trading remaining relatively stable.

 

Trends, Legal Landscape, and the Road Ahead: 

Most CEXs experienced a decline in derivatives trading volume post-FTX, except for Bitget, which increased its trading volume slightly. This growth highlights Bitget's ability to capture additional volume in a challenging environment. Regulatory challenges, especially in the US, pose significant hurdles for CEXs. Compliance with KYC and AML measures is important, as inadequate safeguards can harm an exchange's reputation. CEXs that actively contribute to the ecosystem gain favour and trust from users.

In conclusion, as successful exchanges will continue to adapt, innovate, and prioritize user trust in this evolving and competitive cryptocurrency landscape, which exchange do you think will stand out strong in the coming years?

https://research.nansen.ai/articles/decoding-the-cex-landscape-an-in-depth-analysis-of-2023-h1

Edited October 4 by Megamind

[Sureforex]

I will say Bitget because the exchange has  implemented  a segregation approach for cold and hot wallets. This process helps minimize the risk of unauthorized access and ensures that a significant portion of user assets remains securely stored offline, the exchange also  launched a fund custody service in January 2023 for users who have combined assets of 100,000 USDT or more to apply for a dedicated custodial wallet. The separate wallet address lets qualified users check and withdraw funds separated from the main reserve, avoiding funds from being affected in case of emergencies such as loss, theft and other cybersecurity threats, I like when an exchange places security as its top priority.

[Jaja24]

I only opened an account with bitget after the press release of bybit leaving Uk, quite an easy UI and other features I find interesting