edgeX vs HTX

How each exchange is built

edgeX is a decentralized exchange (DEX) that runs on edgeX L2. You log in with a self-custody wallet or MPC login. It matches orders on a central limit order book.

HTX is a centralized exchange (CEX): you open an account with the company, and the account holds your funds. It also matches orders on a central limit order book.

Both exchanges match orders on a central limit order book, so the matching model does not separate them. Custody does. On edgeX you trade from your own wallet. On HTX the account holds your funds.

Fees and what they mean

edgeX's base tier is 4 bp maker and 4.5 bp taker, per edgeX's fee page. HTX's base tier is 2 bp maker and 6 bp taker, per HTX's fee page. One basis point (bp) is 0.01% of the position.

A taker fee is paid when an order takes liquidity, such as a market order. A round trip pays it twice: 9 bp on edgeX and 12 bp on HTX. A maker fee is paid when an order rests on the book and is filled later, 4 bp on edgeX and 2 bp on HTX. So market orders cost less in fees on edgeX, and resting limit orders cost less in fees on HTX.

Fees are only part of a trade's cost. Slippage is the price you move by eating through the order book, and it grows with size. The cost table above adds the taker fee twice and the measured slippage at each size from $1k to $5M. Trading cost on every exchange is compared on one page.

Markets and leverage

As of 1 October 2026 edgeX has 179 active perpetual markets, 107 of them stocks, commodities, FX or other real-world assets. HTX has 370, 251 of them real-world assets. Both list perps on stocks, gold and other real-world assets, and HTX has the larger count of each.

edgeX goes up to 100x and HTX up to 200x on their highest-leverage markets. Most markets allow less on both. HTX accounts opened since 2026-03-30 and without ID are held to 5x on futures, covered under access below.

edgeX pays funding every 4 hours on every market. HTX pays every 1 hour, 4 hours or 8 hours depending on the market. Funding is the periodic payment between longs and shorts, and a positive rate means longs pay shorts. An hourly market settles 24 times a day, a 4-hour market 6 times and an 8-hour market 3 times. Check a market's interval before you hold a position through several settlements. The list further down this page shows the markets both exchanges have, each one's funding rate and the Net 7d figure for your position size.

Who can use them

edgeX asks for no ID: a wallet or MPC login works. It is closed to US and Ontario residents and to sanctioned countries, and it forbids VPNs.

HTX is limited without ID. Trading starts without ID, inside limits that verification lifts. For accounts opened since 2026-03-30 with no ID, futures are capped at 5x and API trading is off. More leverage and the API need level-2 KYC. If you run bots through an API on HTX, plan for that verification step.

Vaults, tokens and points

edgeX runs no vault that arb.sh tracks. Its token is $EDGE, and as of 19 September 2026 its points and airdrop program was Active. The points programs running and tokens launched are listed on one page. HTX's token is $HTX.

Reading the numbers on this page

Both exchanges publish open interest as one side of open positions, so the open interest row and chart above compare like with like. Some exchanges publish longs plus shorts, about twice a one-side count, but neither of these does.

HTX is centralized and publishes no TVL, so the TVL row and chart show edgeX alone. That figure is DefiLlama's number for the deposits the edgeX bridge holds. It is not a measure of HTX's size, and a missing HTX figure does not mean zero.

Volume, the cost table and funding are live and refresh every minute. For the funding gap between the two on a given coin, use the funding spread ranking, which ranks pairs by Paid 7d and Net 7d.

Which one fits you

• Pick edgeX if you want to keep funds in your own wallet and trade without ID.
• Pick edgeX if you trade mostly with market orders: 4.5 bp taker against 6 bp.
• Pick edgeX if you want every market on one 4-hour funding schedule.
• Pick edgeX if you follow points programs: its status was Active as of 19 September 2026.
• Pick HTX if you rest limit orders on the book and want the 2 bp maker rate.
• Pick HTX if you want a wider list of markets, 370 against 179, with 251 real-world asset perps.
• Pick HTX if you need more than 100x and will complete level-2 KYC.
• Pick HTX if you prefer an exchange account and accept identity verification for higher limits and the API.