How Decibel Is Different
Unlike centralized exchanges, Decibel runs entirely on-chain. You keep control of your assets, and every fill is verifiable on the blockchain.| Decibel | Centralized Exchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Custody | You hold your keys | Exchange holds your funds |
| Order matching | On-chain, transparent | Off-chain, opaque |
| Settlement | On-chain, verifiable | Internal ledger |
| Ecosystem | Composable with Aptos DeFi | Isolated |
Why Aptos?
Decibel needs a blockchain fast enough to run an on-chain order book:- Parallel execution via Block-STM. Block times under 20ms.
- Sub-second finality. Settlement in roughly 0.125 seconds.
- Move VM for type-safe contracts with formal verification support.
- Global validator set, not a handful of nodes run by one team.
Key Features
Vaults with Customizable Fees
Run your own on-chain managed fund. Create a vault, set your performance fee (0–10%), and let depositors earn from your strategy. Vault shares are fungible tokens you can use elsewhere in DeFi. Fees are calculated per interval (30–365 days): if the vault profits, you receive a percentage as newly minted shares. If it loses, you get nothing. Create a vault →Bulk Orders for Market Making
Other decentralized exchanges require you to cancel orders before replacing them. On Decibel, bulk orders are stateful updates. Send your new desired order state and it overwrites the previous one. No cancel transaction. No waiting. This cuts latency for market makers and saves gas. Place bulk orders →Continuous Funding
Funding rates accrue continuously instead of settling every few hours. This keeps perpetual prices tighter to spot and closes the window for manipulation that periodic funding creates. Learn more about continuous funding.Transparent Liquidations
Liquidation state is monitored off-chain by keepers, but execution happens on-chain. Every liquidation is verifiable, unlike some exchanges that just “turn off” your account.Multi-Collateral (Coming Soon)
Use APT, USDC, BTC, ETH, or SOL as margin from a single unified account.Who Built This?
The team includes engineers who built the Aptos blockchain, the Move language, and core Aptos infrastructure. That’s why Decibel can do things other DEXes can’t.Next Steps
Try the Platform
Trade on testnet with free funds
TypeScript Quick Start
Place orders via REST API and stream market data via WebSocket. Under 10 minutes to your first trade.
Account Model Deep Dive
How login, API wallets, and trading accounts work together