With the resurgence of trading activity in the cryptocurrency markets, trading volumes on centralized exchanges have increased significantly in a short period. Daily trading volume, which doubled in five days last week, has recovered from its annual lows and surpassed $37 billion. However, despite this increase, volume remains well below the 12-month peak of $105 billion seen after the large liquidations on October 10th.
Total trading volume in August also reflects the recovery in market activity. According to the data, approximately $490 billion worth of transactions took place on centralized exchanges in the first part of the month. In July, this figure was $670 billion.
Analysts point out that in the current cycle, spot CEX volumes are having to compete with spot crypto ETFs, unlike in previous periods. While in the past, a large portion of investor demand was met directly through centralized exchanges, with the proliferation of ETF products, some of the capital for major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum is shifting towards traditional financial channels.
It is noted that the proliferation of crypto ETFs and digital asset treasury companies (DATs) could put long-term pressure on centralized exchange volumes. Conversely, demand in the altcoin market is expected to remain largely on CEX platforms. Fast listing, a wide range of trading pairs, and advanced trading tools for small market cap tokens are among the advantages that ETF and DAT structures cannot easily offer.
The strong rally in the market also supported trading volumes. Bitcoin gained over 23% last week, while Ethereum rose over 30%. The altcoin market, which represents the total cryptocurrency market capitalization excluding BTC and ETH, also increased by approximately 13% during the same period.
On the other hand, the rapid adoption of decentralized exchanges like Hyperliquid and Lighter stands out as a third significant factor that could draw trading volume away from CEX platforms. Nevertheless, it is estimated that all different trading infrastructures could benefit from the increasing token demand if the market continues to grow.
*This is not investment advice.
