1inch Exchange Review: A Leading DEX Aggregator
DEX ‘aggregators’ are one of the latest developments in the thriving digital currency market. Such providers allow you to tap into high liquidity while at the same time – benefit from better pricing.
1inch Exchange is a non-custodial DEX aggregator that rolls these advantages into a single platform.
In this review, we take a close look at the ins and outs of what 1inch Exchange offers.
What is 1inch Exchange?
While 2020 left the larger share of the financial sector in disarray, the decentralized finance (Defi) market has had a propitious year. Traders from across the globe ventured into this alternative financial industry – in hopes of benefiting from ever-increasing market volatility.
Not only have we seen an increase in fund inflow, but a range of new and exciting trading innovations have since entered the space. One such example is that of DEX aggregators.
At the forefront of this is 1inch Exchange. The platform sources liquidity from various exchanges and uses smart contract technology to enable the optimization of trades.
The platform was established in 2019 by two Russian developers – Sergej Kunz and Anton Bukov. 1inch Exchange integrates seamlessly with many popular DEX’s such as the Balancer, Kyber Network, Uniswap, Oasis, Mooniswap, and more.
In other words, you will find it easy to swap any kind of ERC-20 token at the click of a button. At the moment, the exchange currently supports over 250+ digital currencies.
The aim of 1inch Exchange is simple and straightforward – to offer the best rates for its users by discovering the most efficient swapping routes from leading DEX providers.
To ensure this, the platform displays the price and liquidity available on each exchange so that you can make an informed decision after comparing what is on the table.
This eliminates the need for you to check multiple exchanges simultaneously to verify whether you are getting the best rate. All in all, 1inch Exchange makes the process much easier and time-efficient.
How Does 1inch Exchange Work?
1inch Exchange uses its API technology to locate the best possible routes for a token swap, subsequently dividing a trade across several exchanges.
As a result – the rate you have at your disposal is often much better than what you will get by sticking with a single cryptocurrency exchange.
In effect, 1inch Exchange intends to address the drawbacks of the wider DEX marketplace. That is to say, expensive transaction cancellations and high slippage that results from thin order books.
How to Start Using 1inch Exchange
The most notable feature of 1inch Exchange is that you do not have to create an account to begin trading. Instead, you link your ETH wallet, and can begin swaping currencies straight away.
1inch Exchange offers integration with numerous cryptocurrency wallets that will store your digital coins. This means that 1inch Exchange does not have access to your token.
In other words – you are in complete control over your crypto-assets. This is crucial from a safety perspective.
How to Swap on 1inch Exchange
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough on how you can start swapping coins on 1inch Exchange:
Step 1: Connect your ETH Wallet
You have the option to connect your ETH wallet right from the homepage.
1inch Exchange currently supports the following cryptocurrency wallets:
- Web3
- WalletConnect
- WalletLink
- Ledger
- Portis
- MEW
- Torus
- Fortmatic
- Authereum
- Bitski
Once you have accepted the terms and conditions, you can simply scan the QR code to connect the platform with your wallet.
Step 2: Select the Token
With your wallet linked, you can choose which digital tokens you want to exchange. 1inch Exchange will show you a comparison chart with exchange rates from different DEX’s.
You will also be able to compare individual rates to the best rate available. To give you a clearer picture, 1inch Exchange also includes a few centralized exchanges and their respective rates.
Note: If you are not able to find your required token from the menu, it is because the asset has not been whitelisted yet. In this case, you can apply for the coin to be whitelisted or add it as a custom token by entering the respective address.
Step 3: Swap Tokens
When you are ready, you can proceed by clicking ‘Swap Now.’
1inch Exchange will once again present you with all the required details so that you can verify and confirm the transaction.
You can approve the corresponding transaction in your wallet, and the trade will be executed on the blockchain.
And that’s it! – You have just placed your first trade on 1inch Exchange at the best rates possible.
Note: 1inch Exchange also allows you to enter your swap position at a price favorable to you via a limit order. You simply have to place the limit order at your target entry price and it will be filled by whichever DEX meets that price. The only thing to remember is that the limit order feature only works with ER20 standard tokens.
As 1inch Exchange is non-custodial, it will constantly need to interact with your cryptocurrency wallets. If you’re looking for a handy shortcut, you can simply enable the ‘infinity unlock‘ gesture.
Once selected, all trading activities will be executed without interacting with the app – essentially reducing your gas fees.
1inch Exchange Features
As a DEX aggregator, 1inch Exchange seems to be performing well – delivering on all its promises. That said, the platform has much more in stock for cryptocurrency traders.
Take a look at what 1inch Exchange offers other than its core aggregator service.
1inch Exchange Token
The 1inch Exchange token is one of the latest endeavors of the platform. It can serve as both a utility token and a governance token.
The token runs on the Ethereum blockchain and will be distributed across wallets that have previously interacted with the 1inch Exchange platform – under certain conditions.
At the moment, there is a total supply of 1.5 million 1inch Exchange tokens. As of 26th December 2020, 6% of the total supply is in circulation. The next 30% will be distributed within the next four years, and the remainder at various intervals.
As a trader, you are eligible for a 1inch Exchange token if you meet one of the three conditions set by the platform.
- You should have executed at least one trade before 15th September 2020
- You should have completed at least four trades in total
- These trades should be worth a total of at least $20.
If you fulfill the above requirements, you can redeem the token directly from your cryptocurrency wallet that is connected to the 1inch Exchange platform.
Any tokens available for you to claim will be displayed under ‘your 1INCH breakdown’ from the wallet.
1inch Exchange CHI Gas Token
When sending and receiving Ethereum, ‘gas’ is the fee charged by ETH blockchain platforms. In simple words, you can compare gas to a transaction fee.
Gas is calculated based on the computational effort it takes to execute a trade on the DEX. The more complex the operation, the more gas it will require. As such, it is impracticable to predict specifically what gas fee you will pay.
The CHI Gas Token, otherwise known as “CHI,” is an ERC20 token that will help you reduce this transaction fee on 1inch Exchange.
The value of CHI is pegged to the gas price set by the ETH network. Meaning – when the ETH gas price declines, as will the value of CHI (and vice versa).
But, there is one key difference that will help you save money when using CHI. When you are buying CHI, you get to save 1% in fees compared to GST2 (ETH GasToken).
And, if you are selling (burning) CHI, you can save 10% in comparison to GST2.
You can mint or buy CHI Gas Token directly on the 1inch Exchange platform. Once you have the token available in your wallet, you can activate it to reduce the gas cost of future transactions.
1inch Exchange Mooniswap
Mooniswap is 1inch Exchange’s answer to the popular Automated Market Maker (AMM)- Uniswap.
These are smart contracts that are responsible for the liquidity pool of ERC20 tokens. In simple terms, this can effectively prevent slippage, allowing you more control over how you enter cryptocurrency trades.
1inch Exchange Fees
1inch Exchange, as an exchange platform, does not charge you any fees or commission to use its services. However, as we mentioned, you are liable to pay for the gas cost of your transactions.
That said, if you activate CHI Gas Tokens, it is likely that your gas fee will be considerably reduced.
Note: 1inch Exchange is a DEX aggregator, so your trading fees will largely depend on which DEX you use to fill your order. It is best to refer to the fee structure of these individual platforms before executing your trades.
According to 1inch Exchange, their main aim is to ensure the best swap rates for its users. As such, adding any additional charges on top of the DEX fee will not serve that goal.
1inch Exchange Deposit and Withdrawal fees
Apart from trading fees, 1inch Exchange also relieves its customers from paying any deposit or withdrawal fee.
This means that you only have to concern yourself with the charges that come with your wallet and the respective DEX platform(s).
Moreover, we should note that 1inch Exchange has no relationship with fiat currency. As such, novice crypto-investors with limited crypto-assets will find the platform somewhat restrictive.
In other words, you will first have to acquire cryptocurrency and deposit the coins in one of the platform’s integrated wallets. Only then can you take advantage of the swap rates offered by 1inch Exchange.
1inch Exchange Security
As for most DeFi solutions – safety is the primary concern for all traders.
At the risk of repetition, 1inch Exchange is a non-custodial DEX aggregator so it does not have access to your cryptocurrencies. This means that your assets are not held on the platform – unlike other centralized exchanges where you have to deposit funds for trading.
In addition, you will be pleased to hear that 1inch Exchange so far has a reputation of not suffering from security threats or hacks. As you are not providing any personal information, you need not worry about data breaches.
1inch Exchange Customer Support
The exchange platform has made sure that you can reach the customer support team through multiple channels. If in need of support, you can try one of the following:
- Email support
- 1inch Exchange Help Center
- Live Chat
- 1inch Exchange support group
- Telegram group
Furthermore, the platform is also active on social media channels such as Twitter and YouTube.
1inch Exchange Exchange Pros & Cons
To help your decision-making process, we have created a list of pros and cons based on our user experience.
Pros
- 1inch Exchange maintains a good track record of no security breaches or hacking incidents.
- The interface of the platform is clear and easy to navigate.
- There are no additional fees involved in using the service – you only have to pay the network fee.
- As a DEX aggregator, 1inch Exchange ensures high liquidity on your cryptocurrency trades while limiting the exchanges to a single transaction.
- The CHI Gas Tokens are beneficial if you want to reduce your transaction costs further.
- The novel AMM Mooniswap allows you to avoid slippage and subsequently take control of your entry price.
Cons
- The platform is not accessible for traders who do not own cryptocurrencies.
- Though there are numerous tutorials, beginner traders might still find the platform somewhat challenging.
- While being a non-custodial platform, some traders might find the lack of fiat deposit methods discouraging.
- The “Infinity Unlock” might turn out to be a potential point of attack in the future. Unlocking each transaction separately could be both time-consuming and expensive – but it is more secure in comparison.
Why Should You Choose 1inch Exchange?
Overall, we find that the innovative tools and features offered by 1inch Exchange certainly outweigh the drawbacks. The platform has done an excellent job in tackling some of the pressing issues that are currently downgrading the growth of the Defi ecosystem.
For one, it makes way for more liquidity, as this is something that the DEX space has suffered from in recent times. This lack of liquidity is largely a result of a fragmented DEX arena.
As such, large-volume trades suffer from significant slippage – resulting in high costs for trade execution.
1inch Exchange solves this by splitting the orders across multiple exchanges – yet keeping the trade to one transaction.
But above all, it gives you an easy solution to compare the rates offered across different decentralized exchanges. You can review the price and liquidity on each platform, along with the respective gas fee.
For a seasoned trader, this can save a significant amount of time wasted by assessing multiple exchanges and their order books.
1inch Exchange Exchange: The Verdict?
As we have discussed in this review, liquidity continues to be a significant concern on decentralized exchanges. 1inch Exchange has done an excellent job in solving this issue.
Additional endeavors, such as the CHI Gas Token and the Mooniswap tool, are also notable.
That said, the platform is more suited for traders with a bit of experience in the DEX scene.
Ultimately, if the platform adapts itself to investors across all levels, THEN 1inch Exchange could emerge as one of the leading trading platforms for the rapidly evolving DEX ecosystem.
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