On The Quality Of Cryptocurrency Markets: Centralized Versus Decentralized Exchanges

We compare the market quality of centralized crypto exchanges (CEXs) such as Binance and Kraken to decentralized blockchain-based venues (DEXs) such as Uniswap v2 and v3.

After discussing the microstructure of such exchanges, we analyze two key aspects of market quality: transaction costs and deviations from the no-arbitrage condition.

We find that CEXs and DEXs operate on roughly equal footing in terms of transaction costs, particularly in light of recent innovations in DEX protocols.

Moreover, while CEXs provide superior price efficiency, DEXs eliminate custodian risk. These complementary advantages may explain why both market structures coexist.

Keywords: Decentralized Exchanges, Automated Market Making, Blockchain, Decentralized Finance, Market Quality, Limit Order Book, Uniswap

JEL Classification: G14

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Barbon, Andrea and Ranaldo, Angelo, On The Quality Of Cryptocurrency Markets: Centralized Versus Decentralized Exchanges (July 12, 2023). University of St.Gallen, School of Finance Research Paper Forthcoming, Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper No. 22-38, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3984897 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3984897