IDEX has raised $2.5 million to relaunch as a trading platform accessible to market makers and algorithmic traders.
- The Ethereum-based hybrid exchange said Thursday the $2.5 million would go to launching IDEX 2.0, a new, more liquid platform.
- The money came in a seed round led by G1 Ventures and Borderless Capital, with other commits from Collider Ventures and Gnosis.
- IDEX's creator, Panama-based Aurora Labs, raised $6 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) in early 2018.
- Market makers and algorithmic traders (a prominent subset being high-frequency traders, or HFTs) will be able use the new exchange. They have previously been shut out because of high transaction costs.
- In a statement, the exchange said this new group of traders will tighten spreads, making IDEX cheaper and more seamless for its users.
- HFTs use powerful computers to process thousands of transactions in fractions of a second, earning revenue from exploiting minuscule disparities in listed prices. They are controversial: some allege they manipulate markets, but advocates say they improve liquidity and market performance.
- IDEX is a hybrid exchange in that settlement and storage are decentralized, while trade executions and deposits are processed centrally. This makes it fast enough to be usable while offering the security of a fully decentralized exchange.
- The hybrid aspect of IDEX's design will remain unchanged with the IDEX 2.0 launch, expected in the next few weeks.