Methodology

This page describes how TradeOnDEX evaluates and tests decentralized exchanges (DEXs), which sources we use, and how often content gets revisited. The goal is that a judgment is traceable: you can see what it's based on, not just what the verdict is.

Review criteria

Every DEX review is tested against the same fixed framework:

• Fees, trading costs, gas costs, and hidden fees.
• Liquidity depth, how much volume a market can absorb without excessive slippage.
• Security track record and audits, audit history, past exploits, and how they were responded to.
• UX, how accessible and understandable the platform is, including for users who don't work with DeFi daily.
• Supported chains, which networks the platform is actually active and liquid on.
• Custody model, whether users retain continuous control over their assets (non-custodial) and how withdrawals work.

Sources used

We support every judgment with multiple kinds of sources:

• The platform's own official documentation.
• On-chain data (transactions, liquidity, TVL) taken directly from the chain.
• Independent audit reports from external security firms.
• Community and governance discussion (e.g. forums and governance platforms) as a supplementary source, never the only one.

We apply our internal source-verification standard throughout: where possible we look for both confirming and critical sources, rather than only sources that confirm a pre-formed judgment.

Update cycle

Content on TradeOnDEX isn't written once and left alone: we run a monthly review cycle in which existing reviews and explainer articles are checked for accuracy (fees, supported chains, audit status and similar details can change) and updated where needed.

Separation between affiliate income and evaluation

TradeOnDEX may earn a commission through affiliate links (see our disclaimer). This has no bearing on the content of a review: a platform's score and analysis follow the criteria and sourcing framework described above, regardless of whether an affiliate relationship exists. A platform with an affiliate deal gets no preferential treatment, and a platform without one is not penalized.