Options trading in the crypto markets is evolving, offering traders new ways to manage risk and capitalise on market movements. As financial instruments, options provide strategic flexibility, but they come with their unique set of challenges, especially when implemented on decentralised platforms.

What are Options?

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Options are financial derivatives that give buyers the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) an underlying asset at a specified price on or before a certain date. Unlike owning the actual asset, holding an option provides the possibility to leverage market movements with a predefined risk. Options can serve various purposes, from hedging against potential losses to speculating on the price movements of an asset with a relatively small upfront investment.

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The Difference Between Options and Futures

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Options and futures are both derivatives, meaning their value is derived from an underlying asset, but they function differently in key areas. 

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The primary difference lies in the obligations they impose on the buyer and seller. Futures contracts require both parties to fulfill the contract by buying or selling the asset at the agreed-upon price on the specified future date, making them a commitment. In contrast, options grant the holder the right to buy or sell the asset at a predetermined price, providing the flexibility to opt out if the market conditions become unfavorable. This difference makes options a preferred choice for risk management, as they offer the potential for profit while limiting potential losses to the cost of the option premium.

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Challenges in Crypto Options Trading

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Implementing options in the crypto markets, particularly on decentralised exchanges (DEXs), presents several hurdles that are often underestimated. One significant issue is the complex nature of options pricing mechanisms and their integration with required margin levels. Many crypto platforms focus on innovative trading strategies like covered calls or volatility trades, yet they frequently neglect essential backend processes like clearing and settlement. These systems are vital for the stability and functionality of any financial trading system but are often inadequately developed in the crypto context.

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Another challenge is the high capital cost required to establish positions in these derivatives. Without efficient cross-margin capabilities, executing sophisticated trades or managing spread positions can become prohibitively expensive, often erasing the potential gains from such strategies. This situation is exacerbated by the high cost of margin on many platforms, which deters the development of more intricate products like options. The existing margin models in crypto options markets do not sufficiently accommodate the nuances of traditional options trading, hindering the establishment of robust and functional options platforms.

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Our Vision for Crypto Options Trading

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At Crypto Valley Exchange, we recognise the complexities and challenges currently facing the crypto options market and are committed to forging a path toward a more mature, robust platform. 

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Our vision centers on the development of an advanced, on-chain clearing and settlement system that addresses the core issues hindering the growth of decentralised options markets. By focusing on the backend infrastructure as much as the frontend user experience, we aim to create a transparent, efficient, and secure trading environment.

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We believe that a comprehensive clearing and settlement system, integrated seamlessly with smart contract technology, is crucial for supporting sophisticated trading strategies and ensuring market stability. This system will facilitate accurate, timely settlements and provide a solid foundation for market participants to engage confidently in options trading. Additionally, we are dedicated to introducing cross-margin capabilities that enhance capital efficiency, allowing traders to manage multiple positions more effectively and economically.

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It’s a Nice Option!

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The potential of options trading in the cryptocurrency market is vast, yet untapped due to existing limitations in technology and market structure. At Crypto Valley Exchange, we are poised to revolutionise this space by addressing these challenges head-on. By focusing on essential infrastructure and innovative solutions like cross-margining and comprehensive risk management, we aim to unlock the full potential of crypto options trading. Our approach caters to seasoned traders and invites newcomers to participate in a more accessible and equitable financial ecosystem.

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Join us as we pave the way for a new era in decentralised finance, where options trading is no longer encumbered by traditional constraints but empowered by blockchain innovation. Together, we can build a platform that meets the market's current needs.

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Misconceptions and overconfidence can lead to significant misunderstandings and financial missteps. This phenomenon, often observed in discussions around complex trading scenarios like the GameStop saga, echoes the psychological concept known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. Here, individuals with limited knowledge or competence in a specific area overestimate their understanding, leading to misinformation and potentially costly errors. 

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This article, inspired by insights from our CPO James Davies — who brings over 25 years of experience in financial markets — aims to shed light on this cognitive bias and its impact on traders. We encourage our readers to follow James on Twitter (@jlldavies) for more expert insights on trading.

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What is the Dunning-Kruger Effect?

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The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge or ability in a particular area greatly overestimate their own expertise. In trading, this often manifests when individuals with only surface-level information feel overly confident about their understanding of complex financial instruments, market dynamics, or the motivations of market actors. This misplaced confidence can lead to decision-making that isn't just incorrect, but potentially detrimental.

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Misinformation Highlighted by the GameStop Saga

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The GameStop trading frenzy serves as a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action. Many discussions and assertions made during the event showcased profound misunderstandings of market mechanisms and player motivations. For instance, the belief that the plight of a few hedge funds represented a systemic attack on Wall Street, or misconceptions about market practices such as naked short selling and settlement cycles, highlighted a gap between perceived and actual understanding among retail investors.

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The Dunning-Kruger effect can be visualised through a curve that represents confidence against knowledge. Initially, a small amount of learning leads to a significant boost in confidence — a peak of "Mount Stupid", where knowledge is minimal, but confidence is high. As one gains more information and expertise, they realise the complexity of the subject, and their confidence dips, entering the "Valley of Despair". With continued learning and experience, confidence gradually rebuilds based on a more solid foundation of true expertise.

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The Duty to Educate Ourselves

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For DeFi and crypto markets to mature and thrive, participants must move beyond echo chambers and seek comprehensive education on trading mechanisms. Understanding the intricacies of market risk, cascade risk, default waterfalls, and calculating yields and returns with an awareness of counterparty risks is essential. The path to competing effectively with traditional financial systems lies in a well-informed community that prioritises knowledge over noise.

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The future of DeFi holds tremendous potential, but realising this potential requires a community that is well-educated and deeply knowledgeable about how financial markets function. Let us commit to enhancing our understanding of trading principles and market dynamics. By deepening our knowledge, we can foster a more resilient, informed, and competitive ecosystem in DeFi. Let's take up the mantle of education and pave the way for a robust financial future.

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This commitment to self-education and community enlightenment will help mitigate the effects of the Dunning-Kruger effect and empower traders to make more informed and strategic decisions in the increasingly complex world of cryptocurrency and decentralised finance.

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The financial sector has long been dominated by traditional finance systems, which, despite their widespread use, harbor fundamental issues that affect everyday consumers and investors. This article introduces Decentralised Finance (DeFi) as a revolutionary model poised to fix these enduring problems.

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What Are TradFi and DeFi?

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Traditional Finance, or TradFi, encompasses the established systems and institutions—like banks, investment funds, and brokerage firms—that have long been the pillars of the financial world. These institutions act as intermediaries in almost every type of financial transaction, from simple banking services to complex trading and asset management. The reliance on these intermediaries often introduces inefficiencies, including slower transaction times and higher costs for consumers. For example, when sending money overseas, fees can be exorbitant, and processing may take days due to the involvement of multiple banks.

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Moreover, the complexity of products and the opaque nature of TradFi can deter the average consumer from fully engaging with their finances. Products such as mortgage-backed securities and derivative contracts are often difficult to understand without specialised knowledge, creating a barrier to entry for the average person.

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In contrast, Decentralised Finance, or DeFi, eliminates these traditional intermediaries by leveraging blockchain technology. DeFi platforms operate using smart contracts—self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code—which are deployed on blockchains like Ethereum. This setup allows DeFi to operate globally, transparently, and without the need for middlemen. Transactions on DeFi platforms can occur faster and at a lower cost compared to traditional methods.

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An exemplary DeFi platform is CVEX, a decentralised derivatives exchange. CVEX enables users to trade derivatives directly from their digital wallets, eliminating the need for traditional brokerage or clearinghouse intermediaries. This reduces the fees associated with trading and gives traders full control over their funds at all times. The use of smart contracts on CVEX ensures that all trades are executed transparently and that the terms of the contracts are automatically enforced, further enhancing the security and efficiency of trading.

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Additionally, because DeFi platforms are typically open source, they allow for high levels of innovation and rapid development of new financial products and services that can meet the diverse needs of a global user base. This openness also helps in fostering a community of developers who continuously work to improve the platforms and address user needs in real-time, something that is less feasible in the closed ecosystems of traditional finance.

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5 Problems of TradFi

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1. High Fees and Middlemen Costs. Traditional finance systems are notorious for the excessive fees charged at multiple levels of financial transactions. For example, investment management fees, brokerage fees, and bank charges can significantly erode investment returns. Studies suggest that investment management fees alone can consume up to 40% of total returns over 25 years. These costs act as a major drain on wealth accumulation for individual investors.

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2. Regulatory Burdens. While regulations are crucial for maintaining system integrity and protecting consumers, they can also create unintended consequences. The regulatory frameworks often increase operational costs for financial institutions, which, in turn, pass these costs onto consumers through higher service fees. Moreover, these regulations can erect barriers that prevent new entrants from joining the market, thus stifling innovation and competition.

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3. Inefficiencies in Transaction Processing. TradFi is often hampered by outdated systems that lead to inefficiencies in processing transactions. For example, cross-border payments can be slow and entail numerous steps involving several intermediaries, each adding their own fees and time delays. Such inefficiencies are particularly disadvantageous in a global economy where speed and efficiency are paramount.

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4. Economic Disparity and Lack of Social Mobility. The traditional financial system has played a role in widening the economic gap. Wealth and power are increasingly consolidated within the finance sector, predominantly among the top 1% of the population. This consolidation has contributed to stagnation in social mobility and growing economic disparities across different societal segments.

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5. Opaque Practices and Lack of Transparency. TradFi is often criticised for its opaque practices where the true costs, risks, and returns are unclear to consumers. This lack of transparency can lead to misinformed financial decisions and perpetuates a system where only the well-informed or well-connected can navigate successfully.

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How DeFi Can Help

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DeFi, or Decentralised Finance, acts as a potent transformative force within the financial sector, tackling many inefficiencies and inequalities found in traditional finance. By leveraging blockchain technology, DeFi eliminates the need for intermediaries such as banks and brokers. This reduction lowers transaction costs and accelerates financial exchanges globally, enhancing both the speed and accessibility of financial services.

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The use of blockchain ensures that every transaction is recorded on a public ledger, making every process visible and reducing the possibility of fraud. This level of transparency fosters trust among users, who can rely on the integrity of financial activities without traditional audits. Moreover, the public nature of blockchain democratises access to financial services, bringing them within reach of the unbanked and underbanked populations around the world. This is particularly transformative for global financial inclusion, allowing individuals who were previously excluded from the financial system to engage in economic activities and manage their financial futures.

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Furthermore, DeFi promotes a competitive financial ecosystem by reducing barriers to entry, encouraging innovation, and facilitating a broader range of participants. This enriches the market and ensures financial services evolve to meet the needs of today’s digitally-oriented and globally connected population. Unlike traditional finance, where decisions are often centralised, DeFi platforms frequently use governance models that allow users to vote on key issues, empowering them with a direct stake in the platform's development.

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By these means, DeFi challenges the traditional financial model with its advanced, inclusive technologies and promises a more equitable and transparent future for financial markets worldwide.

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Bottom Line

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DeFi represents a significant step forward in creating a more equitable, efficient, and transparent financial system. As this sector matures, it will require continuous innovation, active community engagement, and adaptive regulatory approaches to ensure that its growth aligns with the broader objectives of financial equity and accessibility. The transformative potential of DeFi could redefine the global financial landscape, making it more inclusive and fair for all participants.

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Market makers often get a bad rap, portrayed as shadowy figures manipulating the markets. However, they play an integral role, not as hidden forces but as fundamental pillars ensuring market liquidity and stability. At CVEX, we recognise the pivotal role of market makers in creating a dynamic and efficient trading environment, which is why we are committed to promoting partnerships with them.

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Market makers help bridge the gap between buy and sell orders, ensuring that trades can be executed swiftly, even during periods of significant volatility or when large orders are placed. This is crucial in maintaining an orderly market and preventing price manipulations or extreme fluctuations that could harm the market’s integrity. By providing liquidity, market makers enable other traders to enter and exit positions at competitive prices, enhancing overall market health and trader confidence.

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Our Strategy for Market Maker Engagement

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Market makers are vital in ensuring sufficient liquidity on trading platforms, which is essential for the execution and pricing of trades, especially in derivatives markets. By continuously buying and selling financial instruments, they help fill the order book and enable smoother transactions, reducing slippage and enhancing the trading experience for all platform participants. That’s why we have prepared an attractive strategy to empower your work, our precious MMs:

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Selection of Designated Market Makers (DMMs)

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To optimise our trading environment, we collaborate with DMMs, which are selected based on stringent criteria, including financial robustness, trading expertise, and technological capabilities. Our platform accommodates up to four DMMs at any given time to ensure diversity and competitive market-making activities.

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Incentives and Support

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We understand the need for market makers to have solid incentives. Therefore, 40% of transaction fees collected by CVEX are redistributed to DMMs. This performance-based reward system encourages them to maintain tight spreads and a deep order book. Additionally, we provide DMMs with operational support, such as technical advice and assistance to empower their trading strategies.

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Transparent and Stable Operational Framework

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Regular assessments ensure that our market makers meet pre-defined liquidity and efficiency criteria. We maintain a stable incentive structure to provide a predictable working environment for DMMs, which is crucial for long-term planning and effective market-making.

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Why Market Makers Choose CVEX

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Our platform offers a uniquely supportive environment for market makers:

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• Financial Incentives: Attractive fee redistribution and performance-based rewards.
• Technological Support: Access to advanced trading tools and analytics.
• Transparency: Clear communication and open access to platform developments.
• Governance Participation: Involvement in decentralised governance through our DAO, influencing platform operations and future developments.

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Our collaboration with market makers remains a top priority as we continue to grow and evolve. We are committed to enhancing our platform's features and stability, supporting robust trading strategies and operations. The collective goal is to build an ecosystem that supports current market needs and adapts to future challenges and opportunities.

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We invite market makers looking to impact a leading cryptocurrency trading platform to join us. Together, we will shape the future of decentralised trading, creating a more efficient, transparent, and beneficial market for all participants.

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Join Us!

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If you want to collaborate with us or learn more about our market maker program, please contact our Chief Product Officer, @jlldavies on Twitter. We look forward to forging strong partnerships that drive mutual success and innovation.

Read a part of our Docs about Market Makers.

Derivatives are contracts that derive their value from underlying assets like stocks, cryptocurrencies, or commodities. They enable traders to speculate on future price movements without direct ownership. Common types include futures, options, and swaps.

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Decentralised derivatives transform these traditional instruments using blockchain technology, eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks or brokers. This peer-to-peer setup allows for direct, efficient trading experiences and skips KYC procedures, enhancing privacy and accessibility.

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Traders control their funds directly through cryptocurrency wallets, maintaining custody of assets and reducing third-party risks. CVEX leverages blockchain to support diverse derivative products and introduces features such as cross-chain trading and enhanced leverage options. These innovations provide traders with broader market access and sophisticated strategies underpinned by the security and transparency of blockchain technology, positioning CVEX as a leader in the decentralised derivatives market.

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CVEX’s Implementation and Technological Backbone

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CVEX harnesses a comprehensive technological stack to provide a seamless trading experience in exchanging decentralised derivatives. Ethereum, celebrated for its robust security and broad adoption, forms the foundation of CVEX’s infrastructure. CVEX integrates Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum to boost performance and scalability, which offer quicker transactions and lower gas costs while maintaining Ethereum's security.

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Central to CVEX's operations are smart contracts, which automate the execution of derivative contracts and manage functions from trade settlement to collateral management. Programmed to act when specific conditions are met, these smart contracts ensure transparency and continuous operation without manual intervention, minimising human error.

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For accurate pricing and effective risk management, CVEX utilises blockchain oracles. These services provide real-time data essential for valuing derivatives and managing risks, by feeding external information like asset prices and volatility indices directly to the blockchain. 

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You can read more about Price and Risk Oracles in our recent blog.

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This robust combination of blockchain technology, smart contracts, oracles, and a DAO supports CVEX's complex derivative trading while promoting decentralisation and user empowerment. The infrastructure sets CVEX apart as a cutting-edge platform in the decentralised finance landscape, ready to meet modern traders' needs and define new standards in DeFi.

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Advanced Trading Strategies and Safety Measures

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CVEX is designed to accommodate advanced trading strategies, offering traders the flexibility to hedge and leverage effectively within a secure environment. Hedging on CVEX involves taking positions that offset potential losses in other parts of a trader's portfolio. For example, if a trader expects a downturn in Bitcoin, they might buy a futures contract that profits when Bitcoin's price falls (e.g. some altcoins), thereby mitigating the risk of their spot holdings.

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Leverage is another powerful tool available on CVEX, allowing traders to amplify their market exposure with less capital. For instance, with a 10x leverage, a trader can control a position worth $10,000 using just $1,000. This can significantly increase potential returns but also increase risk, making effective risk management crucial.

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CVEX employs a sophisticated Value at Risk (VaR) model to manage the risks associated with high leverage. This model helps determine the maximum expected loss over a specified period at a given confidence interval, ensuring traders do not exceed their risk capacity. The VaR model is particularly useful in volatile market conditions, providing traders with clear metrics to guide their decision-making and maintain sufficient collateral.

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Looking towards the future, CVEX plans to introduce customisable leverage options to enhance trader autonomy and control. These options will include user-friendly tools like leverage sliders, enabling traders to adjust their leverage levels easily according to their risk tolerance and market conditions. This feature will allow traders to fine-tune their strategies dynamically, adapting to changing market dynamics without compromising security.

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In addition to these trading tools, CVEX is committed to maintaining high safety standards. The platform incorporates multiple safety protocols to protect traders’ investments. These include regular audits, secure smart contract deployment, and continuous monitoring of platform activities to respond to any potential security threats.

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By combining advanced trading functionalities with robust safety measures, CVEX empowers traders to explore complex strategies and ensures a trading environment where they can operate confidently. The upcoming features like customisable leverage sliders further reflect CVEX's commitment to enhancing user experience and providing traders with the tools they need to succeed in the dynamic world of decentralised finance.

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Embrace the Future!

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Discover the power of decentralised derivatives with CVEX. Our platform melds cutting-edge blockchain technology with advanced trading strategies like hedging and leveraging, all within a secure and transparent environment.

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Dive into the future of trading on the CVEX testnet. Experiment with derivatives without financial risk and sharpen your trading skills. Ready to take control? Start trading now on our testnet!

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It's been over a month since the last major update, and we can't wait to share what we've been working on since then. 

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Deployment Success on Sepolia Stylus Testnet

We have successfully deployed a set of our smart contracts to the Stylus Testnet on Sepolia. They will be integrated as soon as Stylus releases as part of Sepolia Testnet.  As we are one of the first to do so, this is a huge step forward for the smooth operation and expansion of the Stylus ecosystem!

You can join us in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible by voting for the Stylus team here: AIP: Activate Stylus and Enable Next-Gen WebAssembly Smart Contracts (ArbOS 30).

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🔔 What’s New on CVEX?

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- Light Theme: By popular demand, we've added a light theme. You can apply this it in the settings to customise your interface.

- 1 connect to use them all: We've reworked the navigation, so switching between Achievements, Affiliate Dashboard, and the Trading Terminal no longer requires reconnecting your wallet.

- Email Sign-In via Wallet Connect: Thanks to @WalletConnect, we now offer an Email Sign-In option, allowing you to create a wallet using your email. This makes accessing your account even more convenient.

- Connection Status Widget: This widget indicates the difference between the last block timestamp received by a user and the user's local machine time, providing insights into blockchain issues or connection stability.

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🛠️ Enhancements

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- Simplified Order Placement: Placing orders is now more intuitive, with automatic amount recalculation. 

- Cancel All Orders Shortcut: We’ve added a shortcut to bulk cancel all orders, making order management more efficient.

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🔧 Fixes

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- We've spent a lot of time researching and fixing various bugs to improve overall performance. Your experience should now be smoother and more reliable.

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Thanks for your continued support. One step closer to becoming your favourite derivatives exchange!