Paul, instinctively, thinks about fiat currency exchanges- where you go with a certain amount of currency A, and exchange it for currency B, according to set rates. The problem with cryptocurrency coming into the mix, however, is that it is not widely accepted as a mode of standardized payment, as fiat currencies are. So if Paul possesses BTC that he wants to spend on some commodity, chances are that he will need to exchange it for fiat currency first (unless the dealer accepts BTC, which is a rare occurrence even these days). Paul, being a businessman, is more interested in the revenue side of things when it comes to how to make a cryptocurrency exchange. Earning money through trading cryptocurrency isn’t all that different from fiat currency trading in principle, but the very nature of cryptocurrencies make it something to be studied in depth before diving in headfirst (another reason why exchange development is best left to the experts at a cryptocurrency exchange development company). Another fact he needs to keep in mind while planning on how to make a cryptocurrency exchange- the development cost of making a cryptocurrency exchange. Cryptocurrency exchanges can be of two types- centralized and decentralized. We discuss what they are, and why should a business delve in one, in the next section. CEX, DEX, and why your business should look into them Centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, or CEXs, have been on top of the crypto exchange world for some time now. They are owned and operated by a central entity, which can be a single organization, a government, or even a group of individuals. They are easy to use, provide features like margin trading, and are generally a preferred bet for individuals looking to trade cryptocurrency. Decentralized exchanges, however, solve a major problem that exists with CEXs- that of security. Hacks on centralized exchanges like Bitfinex and Mt. Gox has led to users losing millions of dollars, and this seems to be a recurring problem with centralized exchanges, owing to their very nature. With a major characteristic of the blockchain being its decentralized nature, it makes total sense from both a security and logistics point of view that the exchange on which cryptocurrency is traded embodies the principles of the network itself. Privacy, anonymity, and hacking resistance are what differentiate DEXs from CEXs. The question of “how to make a cryptocurrency exchange” is generally going to refer to DEXs, in the near future (at least hopefully!). Now, coming to the burning question- why would your business benefit from diving into the world of cryptocurrency exchanges and discovering the answers to the question “how to make a cryptocurrency exchange?” - Exchanges like these can act as direct trade platforms between users, where the pre-established market price that is a common feature of fiat exchanges is absent. If both users agree on the exchange price, the deal goes ahead, and exchanges net a commission for being the middleman. - Cryptocurrency exchanges also fund platforms which are investment pools for management of the business to buy and hold virtual assets. With the world moving towards digitization every second of each day, holding virtual assets can do wonders for your business as a whole. A splendid business opportunity is being offered up. Why would Paul, or any other sensible businessman choose to let it pass?
A cryptocurrency exchange embodies some salient features which are a must-have for any platform dealing with cryptocurrency in such a large volume. These include having a sound trading engine, UI/UX considerations, wallet functionality, security considerations, and liquidity handling. If you’re looking over information on how to make a cryptocurrency exchange, consider the following features a must-have. - Trading engine The trading logic is the backbone of any currency exchange, and this is one of the most important features to get right. There are certain requirements that are needed to get the trading engine up and running, including but not limited to order lists (list of transactions made by the players), live update charts that display prices of cryptocurrencies and volatility index, and any analytical tools that you may desire. For decentralized exchanges, smart contract logics are one of the most popular trading logic choices, and those familiar with how Ethereum works will already know about smart contracts. Basically, they represent an agreement between two customers looking to trade on the exchange, with the conditions being coded directly into the blockchain.
When you’re dealing with people’s money, one thing needs to be top notch, no excuses- security. Money is something that people literally kill over (no, this isn’t an invitation to do the same!). Cryptocurrency exchanges store and transfer currency, which has monetary value, therefore, it needs to be kept safe and secure. There. We said it. Even a 5 year old can understand the importance of security for a cryptocurrency exchange now! Taking this opportunity to talk a little bit more about decentralized exchanges. As compared to CEXs, DEXs are many orders of magnitude more secure. This is because of their decentralized nature- an attacker looking to steal funds or compromise the system must take control of more than half the nodes on the network, since there is no single point of entry for a decentralized exchange. Even if hackers manage to take down a few nodes, the entire exchange keeps functioning as intended, because the network’s fault tolerance is built on decentralization. Further, anonymity and privacy of users is also ensured on a decentralized exchange network. This means that users are not forced to provide personal details to the exchange or to other participants, whereas in CEXs, such information may be gathered by the governing body for administrative purposes. Moving on to the next major aspect of anything that deals with cryptocurrency- compliance with regulations. As stated before, cryptocurrencies are not yet accepted as global modes of payment, therefore governments and central bodies do not have control over them as they do over fiat currencies. This is something that governments do not tend to accept. Thus, when you look up on how to make a cryptocurrency exchange, make sure to research all regulations that apply to your business depending on sector and geographical location. However, in an effort to encourage development in this sector, and maintain a foothold over the currency and economic factors related to crypto, governments often have regulations that businesses must comply with in order to work with cryptocurrencies. Similar to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS for credit or debit cards, cryptocurrencies have their own set of standards and rules, called the CCSS, or cryptocurrency security standards. The main purpose of CCSS is to ensure secure storage and management of cryptocurrency. It is applicable to all businesses and applications that have a wallet functionality to store funds of the user. Therefore, it is imperative that you as a cryptocurrency exchange owner remain compliant with CCSS as far as your wallet integrations and capabilities are concerned.