Gold has been the ultimate store of value for thousands of years. But in 2026, owning physical gold in South Africa comes with a heavy "security tax": vaults, insurance, and the physical risk of transport.

What if you could own the world's most stable asset with the same ease as sending a WhatsApp message? Enter Tether Gold (XAUt)—now trading on ChainEX.

What is XAUt?

XAUt is a digital asset that represents ownership of one troy fine ounce of gold on a physical gold bar. Unlike generic "digital gold" products, XAUt is backed by actual, identifiable gold bars held in a secure Swiss vault.

Why Trade Gold on ChainEX?

While the crypto market sees high volatility, gold remains the "stabilizer." By trading XAUt on ChainEX, you get the best of both worlds:

• Swiss Security, Local Access: Your gold is vaulted in Switzerland, but you trade it right here in ZAR on South Africa’s homegrown exchange.
• Instant Liquidity: No need to find a specialized gold dealer to sell your physical coins. Sell your XAUt for ZAR or USDT instantly on our order books.
• No Vault Fees: Forget about monthly storage costs or the insurance premiums associated with physical Krugerrands.
• The Maker Reward Edge: Just like our other markets, providing liquidity on the XAUt/ZAR book allows you to earn our 15% Maker Reward.

The "Gold Anchor" Strategy

Many experienced traders use gold as an "anchor" during times of high market uncertainty. When crypto volatility gets too high or the Rand starts to slide, moving your ZAR into XAUt allows you to park your wealth in a "hard" asset without leaving the digital ecosystem.

Start Your Digital Gold Stack

You don't need to buy a whole bar. On ChainEX, you can start with small amounts and build your gold portfolio over time.

Check the XAUt markets and start trading digital gold today: https://chainex.io/markets/XAUT/ZAR

Are you just "HODLing"? If your Bitcoin or USDT is sitting in a wallet doing nothing, you are missing out on one of the most powerful features of the ChainEX ecosystem: The Earn Portal.

In the traditional world, your ZAR in a savings account might earn a few percent (if you're lucky). In the crypto world, your assets should be working 24/7.

What can you earn on?

Currently, ChainEX supports two heavy-hitters in the Earn Portal:

1. Bitcoin (BTC): The king of crypto.
2. Tether (USDT): The world's most liquid stablecoin.

Why use the ChainEX Earn Portal?

• Compound Your Stack: Instead of just waiting for the BTC price to go up, you can increase the actual amount of BTC you own.
• Beat Inflation with USDT: Holding USDT protects you from ZAR devaluation; putting that USDT in the Earn Portal adds a layer of yield on top of that protection.
• Homegrown Security: Your assets stay within a fully-licensed, South African regulated environment. No need to bridge to risky offshore DeFi protocols.

How to Start Earning

1. Deposit or trade for BTC/USDT on ChainEX.
2. Navigate to the Earn section in your dashboard: https://chainex.io/earn
3. Choose your plan and start watching your balance grow.

The crypto market never sleeps. The ChainEX Earn Portal is built to help our users maximize their holdings over the long term. Start putting your digital assets to work today and enjoy the benefits of passive accumulation on a secure, local platform.

The Rand is a rollercoaster. We all know it.

Whether it's global macro shifts or local volatility, South African investors are constantly looking for a way to protect their purchasing power without moving their money offshore and dealing with complex forex regulations.

Enter USDC (USD Coin) on ChainEX.

What is USDC?

USDC is a "stablecoin" fully backed by US dollars and highly regulated, transparent assets. 1 USDC is designed to always equal 1 USD.

The Opportunity: The USDC/ZAR Pair

By listing USDC with a direct ZAR pairing, ChainEX has created a "Digital Forex Desk" for you.

1. Instant Hedging: When the ZAR starts to look shaky, you can instantly move your ZAR into USDC. You are now effectively holding US Dollars on a South African exchange.
2. Yield Potential: While we currently offer Earn products for USDT and BTC, the USDC market is the "on-ramp" for the next generation of digital finance.
3. Arbitrage & Spread: Because the USDC/ZAR market is still growing, there are frequent opportunities to "make the market" (see our previous post on Maker Rewards!) and earn rebates while you hedge.

Why use USDC instead of USDT?

While we love USDT (and our USDT Earn product is pumping!), USDC is often preferred by institutional and high-transparency-focused traders due to its monthly public audits.

Pro Tip: If you see the USDC/ZAR book is thin, use that to your advantage. Place your limit orders, earn your Maker Rewards, and hold your value in the world's strongest currency.

Howzit ChainEX community!

We’re going to be blunt: Most cryptocurrency exchanges view their users as a source of fees. At ChainEX, we view our traders as partners in liquidity.

If you’ve been looking at our order books and noticed some "thin" areas, especially in pairings like USDC/ZAR, you aren't looking at a problem—you’re looking at a profit opportunity.

What is the Maker Reward?

ChainEX is one of the only exchanges in the world that offers Negative Maker Fees.

In plain English: When you place a "Maker" order (a limit order that doesn't fill instantly but adds liquidity to the book), we don't charge you a fee. In fact, we pay you.

When a "Taker" fills your order, you receive a reward of up to 15% of the fee paid by that taker.

Why the USDC/ZAR Book is a "Maker’s Paradise" Right Now

Currently, our USDC/ZAR volume has plenty of room for growth. For a savvy trader, this is a goldmine:

1. Set the Spread: By placing limit orders within the gap, you provide the liquidity the market needs.
2. Collect the Rebate: Because you are "Making" the market, you aren't just trading; you're earning a 15% share of the fees on every single fill.
3. Compound Your Gains: Combine your trading strategy with the Maker Reward to pad your margins on every trade.

How to Start

You don't need a massive trading desk to benefit.

• Step 1: Head to the ChainEX Markets: https://chainex.io/markets
• Step 2: Look for markets with a spread (like USDC/ZAR).
• Step 3: Use Limit Orders to place your buys slightly lower or sells slightly higher than the current price.
• Step 4: Wait for the fill and watch the rewards reflect in your account.

Stop paying for the privilege of trading. Start getting paid to provide liquidity to South Africa's homegrown exchange.

2024/2025 has been a defining period for ChainEX. As South Africa’s home-grown cryptocurrency exchange, we’ve spent the last seven years building a platform that puts security, compliance, and user trust first. This past year has been one of consolidation, strengthening our foundations, and preparing for a much bigger future.

Who We Are

ChainEX is South Africa’s only locally built, locally owned digital asset exchange. Founded with the goal of giving South Africans a safe and reliable way to trade cryptocurrencies, we’ve grown into a fully-licensed exchange committed to meeting global standards.

Our platform serves retail traders, long-term investors, OTC clients, and businesses seeking dependable crypto rails. In a space often dominated by offshore giants, we pride ourselves on being accessible, transparent, and committed to our local community.

Where We’re Based

Our roots are proudly South African. ChainEX is headquartered in Jeffreys Bay / Kouga, with team members operating across the country. This distributed approach lets us work with top technical and compliance talent while staying connected to the communities and markets that matter to us.

What’s Been Happening Over the Past Year

The last 12 months have been busy, focused on strengthening the core of the exchange and building the foundation for long-term scale. Key milestones include:

1. Stronger Compliance and Licensing

We’ve continued aligning with FSCA requirements and international VASP standards. During 2024/2025:

We tightened our KYC, risk, and AML processes.

Integrated new blockchain analytics tools.

Completed a deep internal audit of balances, cold storage, and multi-wallet infrastructure.

Began the TRISA Envoy implementation to support Travel Rule compliance for global interoperability.

2. Platform Stability & Infrastructure Upgrades

We invested heavily in backend performance and security:

Improved wallet management across BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, DOT, and more.

Upgraded our matching engine efficiencies.

Continued refining our liquidity strategies

Enhanced monitoring, rapid incident response, and operational resilience.

3. Better Support & Community Engagement

We expanded our helpdesk coverage, improved response times, and are rebuilding parts of our knowledge base. ChainEX was also present in industry discussions, local businesses forums, and the broader South African fintech space, helping educate and advocate for responsible crypto adoption.

4. A Stronger Financial Position

This year, we stabilised recurring revenue, optimised operational costs, and hit multiple break-even months. After seven years, this foundation puts us in a solid position for responsible expansion.

What’s Next: 2025 and Beyond

The next 12-24 months are about building outward - expanding our footprint, improving our offering, and creating real value for users.

1. Expanding Into Africa

Crypto demand across Africa is growing rapidly. Throughout 2025, ChainEX will begin expanding into our neighbouring countries.

Our focus is on compliant, country-specific roll-outs with strong local partnerships, bringing a trusted South African platform to new markets.

2. Exploring Entry Into Asia

We are engaging early with potential partners in Southeast Asia, exploring:

Custody and liquidity partnerships

Market access

Fiat on/off-ramps

Joint licensing opportunities

We’ll only move when the regulatory and operational requirements are fully aligned, but Asia is firmly part of our future strategy.

3. A Modernised Referral & Rewards Program

Our referral system needs a major upgrade, and 2025 is the year we rebuild it properly.
We’re designing a new program that will be:

Transparent

Easy to use

Rewarding for both sides

Competitive with global exchanges

This includes tiered rewards, affiliate options, and better real-time analytics.

Closing Thoughts

ChainEX was built in South Africa for South Africans, but our vision has always been bigger than our borders. We’ve weathered multiple market cycles, tightened our operations, and built a resilient, compliant exchange with seven years of real-world battle scars.

Now, we’re ready for the next chapter.

2025 will be a year of growth, expansion, and renewed energy-and we’re excited to continue building the future of digital asset trading for Africa and beyond.

Howzit, fellow South African crypto enthusiasts! If you're interested in trading altcoins and looking for a reliable South African exchange to do it on, then you're in the right place. In this guide, we'll be showing you how to trade altcoins on ChainEX, one of the best cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. Whether you're new to crypto trading or a seasoned pro, we've got you covered with all the information you need to get started.

But first, let's talk about altcoins. They're becoming increasingly popular among traders, as they offer different features and potential benefits compared to Bitcoin. And with ChainEX's wide range of altcoins available to trade, you're sure to find something that suits your interests and trading style.

So, grab yourself a lekker cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and let's dive into the world of altcoin trading with ChainEX!

What are altcoins?

So, if you're interested in trading altcoins, ChainEX is a great place to start. In the next section, we'll show you how to get started trading on ChainEX.

If you're new to the world of cryptocurrency, you may be wondering what exactly altcoins are? In short, they are any cryptocurrency that's not Bitcoin. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to gain mainstream attention, but since then, many cryptocurrencies have been created.

Altcoins can have many different characteristics and benefits, for example - some altcoins offer better transaction speeds, better privacy, or advanced smart contract capabilities. Some popular altcoins on ChainEX include Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and Tether.

Whilst Bitcoin is the most well-known cryptocurrency, altcoins are becoming increasingly popular among people around the globe. Tether, USDC and other stablecoins are gaining traction with increased adoption daily. Trading altcoins can offer opportunities for profit and diversification beyond Bitcoin. With ChainEX's range of available altcoins, you can explore different cryptocurrencies and potentially find new opportunities.

So, if you're interested in trading altcoins, ChainEX is a great place to start. In the next section, we'll show you how to get started trading on ChainEX.

Getting started with ChainEX

Ready to start trading altcoins on ChainEX? Here's how: head to ChainEX's website or download our app for Android from the Google Play Store or our app for iOS from the Apple App Store. Click on the "Sign Up" button and follow the prompts to create and verify your account. Once verified, fund your account by depositing ZAR (South African Rands) or cryptocurrency. ChainEX supports several cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple. To deposit, go to the "Wallets" section of the platform and follow the instructions.

With your account funded, start trading on ChainEX's user-friendly dashboard. Select the cryptocurrency you want to buy or sell and enter the amount want to spend, buy or sell. You can keep it simple and just buy/sell, or choose from several order types, including limit, market, and stop-limit orders. Confirm the order and wait for the trade to be successful. The cryptocurrency will then be added to your account.

Risks and Considerations

While trading on ChainEX can be an exciting and potentially profitable experience, it's important to be aware of the risks involved. Here are a few things to consider before you start trading:

1. Volatility: Altcoins can be highly volatile, and their prices can fluctuate rapidly. Make sure you're comfortable with the risks involved and that you're not investing more than you can afford to lose.
2. Security: While ChainEX takes security seriously and employs multiple measures to protect its users, there is always a risk of hacking and theft in the world of cryptocurrency. Make sure you're taking appropriate measures to secure your account and your funds.
3. Regulations: Cryptocurrency regulations in South Africa are still evolving, and it's important to stay up-to-date on any changes that may affect your trading activities.
4. Taxes: Trading cryptocurrency can have tax implications, and it's important to understand your tax obligations and to keep accurate records of your trades.

By considering these risks and taking appropriate measures to mitigate them, you can trade altcoins on ChainEX with confidence. Always do your own research and stay informed about the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world. With the right mindset and strategy, trading on ChainEX can be a rewarding experience.

Conclusion: Join the ChainEX Community and Start Trading Altcoins Today!

In conclusion, trading on ChainEX is an awesome way to enter the world of cryptocurrency trading in South Africa. With our user-friendly platform, extensive range of altcoins, and great support, ChainEX makes it easy for anyone to start trading today.

Remember to always DYOR (do your own research) before making any trades and to never invest more than you can afford to lose. With the right mindset and strategy, trading altcoins on ChainEX can be a profitable and exciting experience.

So why not join the ChainEX community today and start trading altcoins? With an easy-to-use platform, fast transactions, and a dedicated support team, you'll be trading like a pro in no time. Sign up now and experience the world of cryptocurrency trading for yourself!

We are excited to announce that ChainEX has listed USDC, a prominent stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, with a South African Rand (ZAR) pairing. This listing is a major step forward for the South African crypto market, providing traders with a stable and reliable trading option.

USDC is widely accepted on many international exchanges and platforms, making it easy for South African traders to participate in global crypto trading. The ZAR pairing allows for more convenient and cost-effective trading, as it eliminates the need for currency conversions.

We understand that security and user-friendliness are top priorities for our traders. That's why we have taken all necessary measures to ensure that USDC trading on ChainEX is safe and secure. Our platform utilises state-of-the-art security protocols and is constantly monitored to protect against any potential threats. We also offer a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it easy for anyone to buy and sell USDC.

In addition to the USDC listing, we also offer a range of other features to help traders make informed decisions. For example, our exchange offers detailed market data and charts, as well as advanced order types such as stop loss and take profit orders. We also offer a wide range of trading pairs, including BTC, ETH, LTC, and XRP, as well as several other cryptocurrencies. Our negative maker fee helps traders earn while trading and you can access all of this through the ChainEX App which is available on the App store as well as the Google play store.

We are committed to providing our traders with the best possible experience. That's why we are constantly working to expand our offerings and improve our platform. The listing of USDC with a ZAR pairing is just the beginning, and we are excited to continue to grow and evolve with the crypto market.

We are confident that the listing of USDC on ChainEX will be a valuable addition to our platform and we look forward to helping our traders take advantage of the many opportunities that USDC trading offers.

So go ahead and create an account with ChainEX and start trading USDC now!

Download the ChainEX App now and have all of this at the touch of a button!

We have upgraded our verification process to make it easier and simpler to verify your account.

In the spirit of the festive season and the upgrade to our verification process we are running a competition where you can win your share of R10 000 in BTC by simply verifying your account.

For Existing users to enter our competition, all you need to do is fully verify your account by logging into your ChainEX account and you will automatically be entered into our competition.

For new users to enter our competition, all you need to do is register and fully verify an account on ChainEX and you will automatically be entered into our competition. Do so now by clicking here.

The competition will run from 16 Dec 2022 until 31 January 2023 with winners being selected at the end of December 2022 and again at the end of January 2023.

Complete your verification now and stand a chance to win your share of R10 000 in BTC.

For easy Buying, Selling and Trading anywhere you are, go download the New ChainEX App on the Apple store and Google Play store now!

Wishing you all a very festive season ahead.

Who is Unstoppable Domains and what is Web3? The world of cryptocurrency is ever-growing, and adoption is happening at an unprecedented rate. There is data that suggests the adoption of cryptocurrency is happening at a faster rate than that of the internet when comparing the number of users with the number of years since its inception. That is crazy to think, and it is only increasing in speed as each day passes. What does this mean and why should it be important to you?

Firstly, we will start with who Unstoppable Domains are. Besides having a fantastic company name, they are one of the most exciting Web3-focused companies out there. Unstoppable Domains at its very core is a company that simplifies the cryptocurrency and Web3 experience. From beginners to DeFi wizards, everyone will have a Web3 identity, so instead of entering a long, complicated crypto wallet address, such as 0x7b31f4g0…. that is immensely difficult to read and identify for humans, users are able to simply enter their Unstoppable Domain name, like Jack.crypto. One of their main objectives is to make crypto transactions as simple as sending an email. They offer a large variety of crypto domain names which enables you to build a more personalised identity on Web3 platforms without having to disclose Know-Your-Customer (KYC) information.

So Web3, sounds cool right? The “Web” part is something we are all familiar with, it is short for World Wide Web or WWW, the 3 is to indicate that we are busy with the third generation of the World Wide Web. To help you understand what Web3 is, we need to look at what Web2 is. Some examples of Web2 websites are Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia. What made Web2 popular is that users were encouraged to provide content and not just consume it, like in Web1. Web3 on the other hand is more concerned with decentralization, privacy and security. Web3 can achieve this due to blockchain technology and token-based economics, this has opened up an entirely new world of gaming, living and interacting.

ChainEX has been working closely with Unstoppable Domains to launch an exciting new partnership that will benefit thousands of African users that want to enter the Web3 space. Unstoppable Domains is providing ChainEX users with a best-in-class Web3 experience by replacing 275+ coin and token addresses with one easily readable name, allowing the ability to manage separate addresses for Ethereum, Bitcoin, and everyone’s other favourite cryptos. They are offering a free domain name worth up to $40 to thousands of ChainEX users, all you have to do to receive your free domain name is to sign up with ChainEX.

“Cryptocurrency is a tool for creating economic freedom in Africa. As African people, we have been behind on so many trends and revolutionary technologies that we simply cannot afford to miss out again. That is why we are intentional in educating our user base, as well as welcome partnerships such as this one where we lower the barrier of entry to a new and quite complex industry. ChainEX is the most affordable exchange headquartered in Africa, and we are doing our very best to get the African people involved in the crypto industry.” said ChainEX CEO Henco Vorstman.

This partnership is a major step in the direction of fulfilling our shared vision - to see the entire world involved in crypto and Web3! Unstoppable Domains is working to onboard the world to Web3, and that means making it easier for people to use crypto. Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re partnering with Unstoppable domains, one of the world’s leading web3 companies. Users can now buy any of the 37 cryptocurrencies we have listed on ChainEX and easily send it to their wallet using their Unstoppable domain. Multiple coin address simplified into one easy to read address, now that is revolutionary!

Don’t waste any more time, sign up with ChainEX today and claim your free domain name, Web3 awaits!

On 19 October the FSCA updated their position on cryptocurrency regulation in South Africa. According to the update, cryptocurrency will now be treated as a financial product in South Africa and those offering it will have to play by stricter rules. The FSCA has published the declaration of crypto assets as a financial product under the FAIS Act, which was gazetted on the 19^th of October 2022.

What does this mean for ChainEX and other cryptocurrency exchanges? In the short term, not a lot, but in the long term it means cryptocurrency exchanges will have to apply to be registered Financial Service Providers. This will change operations not only for ChainEX but for all CASP’s (Crypto Asset Service Providers) operating within the South African Jurisdiction. To operate legitimately in the future, all exchanges or “CASP’s” would need to obtain a license to operate and service customers within South Africa.

This does not come as a surprise as South Africa was well aware that this was in the pipeline as the FSCA published a draft Declaration of crypto assets as a financial product under the FAIS Act, on 20 November 2020. Most role players in South Africa have been preparing for this outcome and ChainEX will be ready to apply for their licenses when the applications open.

When will these regulations start?

They have already started in a way, as cryptocurrency will now officially be treated as a financial product. This has an effect on quite a few things namely; advising, reporting, compliance and offering. The latter being the biggest change, as offering cryptocurrency in South Africa will now require the party offering the financial product to be a registered FSP. The exchanges in South Africa will have to apply for FSP licenses with applications opening on the 1^st of June in 2023, until then, exchanges are free to operate as normal.

Some have said that this period of time is too short for these exchanges to put in place the necessary processes and mechanisms, but feedback from the industry has been somewhat positive as most of the exchanges have already implemented systems and processes that large financial institutions use to operate. This is due to exchanges in South Africa needing to be compliant with the FIC Act which was required by third party service providers. Being FIC Act compliant means that there has to be adequate systems in place to comply with suspicious activity reporting, proper KYC onboarding and AML (Anti Money Laundering) measures. These measures have been put in place by most major exchanges like ChainEX and it will form the foundation on which the exchanges build anything else required to get their FSP licenses.

How will this impact traditional financial institutions?

It is believed that crypto is going to filter into every aspect of people’s lives just like the internet did. It is hard to recall a time when we used faxes to send messages and had to go to the library for information, however this was not that long ago and in the same way soon your fridge will order your milk for you using the internet, crypto will engrain itself in every aspect of our lives. As one gains a greater understanding of crypto and the potential that lies within, it is inevitable that financial institutions will move into the space. Regulations not only protect consumers but at the same time legitimise that which it regulates.

Regulation further opens the doors for financial players to gain legitimate exposure to crypto and expand services to their massive client base. In fact, we are already seeing some big financial institutions advertising crypto and crypto related positions and one does not advertise roles for a sector you are not moving into, so it was inevitable.

This opens doors for traditional institutions to start offering crypto and crypto related products, it will eventually lead to these institutions also being able to advise clients on these products and ultimately lead to large corporations adding cryptocurrency into their traditional product offerings such as can be seen in the United States in companies such as the Fidelity investment group.

Will we see acquisitions and mergers?

Crypto has been on the radar of big financial institutions for a long time. This regulation now opens the doors for the banking and financial institutions to become players in the game. Many of the banks have already been building their systems to cater for crypto services and if this is the case, then the need to buy up a smaller exchange is not necessary. However, we are all aware of the importance of being first to market and the huge advantage that gives you over your competitors. So, with that being said, a robust and tested system, which most of the large exchanges have, that is compliant and built by crypto and blockchain experts will most definitely be desirable to these institutions.

The existing crypto players do not only have knowledge and understanding of the space but were also able to build a unique system from the ground up and had the luxury of being able to resolve system bugs as they came up along the way. Like with any business some things can only be learnt and uncovered when operating and as most of the existing exchanges have been operating for a few years, in a space that is only 12 years old, time has been on their side.

To build a brand-new system and foresee all the potential pitfalls before you start operating in a space is near impossible for anyone and any organisation, it will always take time and time is a resource that is in short supply when trying to be first to market or at the very least getting to market within a reasonable time after your competitors. It would not be surprising if we see some mergers or acquisitions taking place in the time until license applications open.

Are these regulations good or bad for the everyday investor?

We often hear it being said in the crypto space that the value of crypto, specifically the altcoins, is derived from its utility. If regulation enables utility in the crypto space, then that is a positive outcome and with increased utility there should be further adoption by everyday South Africans, which in turn leads to a higher level of crypto education and in the long term could potentially lead to a positive impact on the price of crypto.

Regulation in countries like South Africa where almost 5 million people have already invested in crypto in some shape or form will hopefully lead to the expansion of services and products since there is a definite demand for it. This should bring about larger players entering the market and adding crypto to their existing business models, which increases the demand for crypto. The prices of cryptocurrencies are very much linked to demand and should therefore impact the price positively in the long term as more people become comfortable with buying crypto, large firms start offering crypto related services and scams struggling to get off the ground due to the strict regulations in place.

If you are looking for a reputable exchange that has been around for a while, look no further than ChainEX, who has been operating since the start of 2018 and has thousands of satisfied clients. ChainEX offers the lowest fees, the most tradeable coins, a negative maker fee of up to 15% and gives 16% of the trading fees away to you when you refer someone to ChainEX. There are countless more reasons to use ChainEX as your preferred crypto exchange, it is as easy as downloading their App on the App store or Google play store to get started.

If you haven’t noticed yet, there is an entirely new ChainEX right now. What makes it new you might ask; we recap some of the biggest moments at ChainEX over the last six months.

1. App App and away!

Now that ChainEX has a brand-new App on both major app stores, it has never been easier to trade, transact, get market updates and monitor your portfolio. The new apps have been hailed as the best-looking apps on the South African market right now with their vibrant colors and super easy to use layout. We are not done yet! There are incredibly useful features coming and we know that it will ensure ChainEX stays the absolute best place to buy, sell, transact, stake, and earn crypto. If you haven’t downloaded our app yet, what are you waiting for? Get it on the Apple App store or on the Google Play store.

2. Why so Negative?

At ChainEX we have turned a negative into a positive with our negative maker fee! This makes being a profitable trader a whole lot easier, when you place a maker order on the exchange you will get up to 15% of the fee ChainEX receives when the order is filled. This makes it very lucrative to place maker orders rather than buying or selling at market prices. ChainEX has the highest paying negative maker fee on the African continent and we have paid out boatloads of money to market makers! We are set on giving the most value possible to our clients, if you want to know more about the negative maker program then read our blog here.

3. ChainEX is more affordable than who?

In short, everyone. On the African continent, ChainEX wears the belt for being the most affordable exchange overall, here is the proof. It is one of our key focus points, and that’s why we dropped our fees to lower than low. Our aim is to make your crypto journey as affordable as possible. With our scaling fees you can easily reach the fee bracket where you only pay 0,03%, many traders make it to this bracket without massive amounts of capital because of how low the threshold is to reach our highest tier. We also don’t want to be like the traditional financial institutions that charge you for every single thing you do on your account, so throughout the exchange there are minimal charges and loads you can do for free.

4. That’s not all we did!

During the last few months, we become fully FIC Act compliant and built the foundation for any future regulation that may come. This is essential as the regulatory framework in South Africa is busy developing at a lightning pace. We rebranded the company and breathed some new life into our brand positioning, we know South Africa has a rich culture so we have opted to honor that by not using colors associated with traditional financial institutions, South Africa is vibrant and so are we!

We gave free normal ZAR withdrawals for the month of August as a thank you to our clients that stuck with us during our system upgrades. As always, we had to give our clients a proper giveaway, so we gave R10 000 in Bitcoin to 1 lucky winner in August and we are currently running another giveaway with our sign-up competition where new users can win some more Bitcoin!

5. What’s next?

With our new apps running smoothly we will be focusing on making the user experience the best it can be, with that we will also be implementing some features that will make buying crypto easier than ever before. We are continually innovating to make sure that you stay ahead of the curve in the cryptocurrency environment. Our innovation team is busy working on something that will blow your socks off, we can’t say much yet but it is revolutionary. We are working extra hard to make sure ChainEX stays the best place for all your crypto needs, be on the lookout for our social media posts where we will update you on what we are busy with. ChainEX is here to make your crypto journey as easy as possible!

Download our app now and leave a review!

• Apple iOS Store
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The long awaited Ethereum Merge is set to take place on or around the 14th - 15th of September. We take a closer look at what this means for ETH holders, expectations around the Merge and how institutions are preparing for the Merge.

What is the ETH Merge?

The Ethereum network has been running on a proof-of-work consensus method since its inception. After the merge is complete the Ethereum network will switch to a proof-of-stake consensus method. One last upgrade was done in preparation for the Merge, this upgrade is called the Bellatrix upgrade. Bellatrix is an update to the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the Bellatrix update will improve security, bring higher scalability and improve performance to the part of the network that hosts the decentralized apps.

The ETH Merge has been a long awaited event and with the Bellatrix upgrade done it is time for the Paris execution layer upgrade, which is the final step in completing the Merge. Vitalik Buterin tweeted that Bellatrix was implemented, confirming that the network’s Proof-of-Stake transition is next. Once completed, ETH miners won’t be able to validate transactions and reap block rewards anymore.

Not to get too technical, but the Paris upgrade will take place once it hits a Total Terminal Difficulty (TTD) value on the new execution layer. The Ethereum Foundation confirmed that the subsequent block after the completion of the merge will be produced by a Beacon Chain validator. They also added that “The Merge transition is considered complete once the Beacon Chain finalizes this block. Under normal network conditions, this will happen 2 epochs (or ~13 minutes) after the first post-TTD block is produced.”

There is no doubt that the transition will bring an interesting spin to the current bear market conditions. What can we expect going forward?

Expectations and ETH history

Ethereum holders are no longer surprised when a deadline is missed, as this very upgrade has been dragged out over multiple years. This time however, it looks like we are going to see it happen. The expectations around the merge were very high in the months leading up to this point, this started fading as news came out that the network fees on the Ethereum network would not decrease after the merge. This has always been the achilles heal of Ethereum as many projects have decided to move over to or start on a different network such as Cardano, Solana or Avalanche due to affordability.

One thing is certain, there will be a positive effect on energy consumption by the network after transitioning to a proof-of-stake consensus method. There has been wide spread criticism of the Bitcoin blockchain using the proof-of-work consensus method and has resulted in bans in multiple countries around the world, in light of this, there has not been a better time for ETH to transition to PoS.

Time for the golden question, what will happen to the price of ETH? In short, majority of the market feels positive about the merge as can be seen by the recent rally in the price of ETH. Over the last 2 months we have seen the price of ETH go from roughly $1000 all the way to $1700 in anticipation over the Merge. We are in a bear market and it will be interesting to see if ETH can keep this momentum it has built up, or if it was another hype jump fueled by unrealistic expectations for the Merge. Interested in trading ETH ahead of the merge? Open a ChainEX account here.

What will happen to your coins?

After the merge has been completed, most centralized exchanges will treat your Ethereum as proof-of-stake ETH. Announcements show that most exchanges will be suspending ETH and ERC-20 token deposits and withdrawals around the time of the merge for at least a few hours before the completion of the merge. Deposits and withdrawals will be enabled again after confirmation that the merge was successful.

There is a possibility that a hard fork may arise, which will bring a newly forked ETH token. Majority of exchanges will be taking a snapshot of the ETH balances and should there be a hard fork, the forked token will be distributed at a 1:1 ratio in most cases, even though it is up to each individual exchange. If a PoW token forms it will be at the discretion of each exchange whether they want to list the token for trading, keep an eye on your preferred exchange as they should announce their plans shortly after the Merge is completed. The Merge will have no affect on trading for ChainEX users, who are free to buy and sell ETH and any other ERC-20 tokens throughout the merge.

Want to buy, sell or move your ETH coins? Download the ChainEX App now and start investing!

Please note: there are risks when a blockchain forks. It is your responsibility to understand the risks involved with the Ethereum merge. ChainEX does not accept responsibility for any losses that may result from the Ethereum merge.

At ChainEX we know you’ve been asking for an IOS app, and we’ve been listening. Our IOS app is finally here! You can head over to the Apple App store to download our ChainEX App and enjoy seamless trading at your fingertips.  

What does this mean for you? Well, simply put: the online platform you know and love is now on a mobile app and will make accessing your account so much easier. All functionality is now packaged in our free IOS mobile app, use quick trade, exchange orders, the earn portal and easily check your balances anywhere, anytime. The lowest fees in Africa and the highest paying negative maker fee is now only a few clicks away.

Having launched our android app on November 13, 2020, our team has been putting in the time and effort to bring you a new experience on Apple as well as an updated and upgraded android app! We have not only released an IOS version, we have made a totally new Android App as well! We want every ChainEX user to experience the best crypto platform in Africa!

The past decade or so has changed the crypto landscape significantly. Traders, investors and users now rely heavily on technology to initiate and complete transactions without needing to head to a browser and punch in the website URL of their favourite exchange.

With the increasing pace of technological advancement, traders and investor’s expectations also grow. By going mobile and downloading our app, you’re sure to see an increased and improved user experience and trader journey!

Download our new iOS and Android Apps now:

• Apple iOS Store
• Google Play Store

What’s so special about the ChainEX app?

For starters, our user experience is unmatched. We’ve made it easier and simpler for you to navigate the app, easily moving between your favourite assets, making trades and sending your crypto.

With so many wallets on offer at ChainEX, depositing, withdrawing, buying, selling & trading cryptocurrencies just got easier. Our quick buy & sell feature makes it easier and faster for you to execute trades and orders.

We offer free wallets for each of our coins! You don’t trade? No problem. If you’re a hodler, you can transact using our wallets. Send and receive coins from any wallet that ChainEX offers and make secure withdrawals within the app!

As per the crypto market sizing report, the number of global crypto owners is expected to reach 1 billion by the end of 2022. The global crypto population has increased by +178% in 2021, rising from 106 million in January to 295 million in December. The majority of which make use of mobile apps in order to trade and execute orders. Now ChainEX users can be part of the fun!

ChainEX Security

Your security as a ChainEX user is our utmost priority. Your digital assets are safely held in hot and cold storage. Your account is secured with 2FA. Plus we have a simple KYC & verification process when you sign up. Your data and information is encrypted.

Sign up to ChainEX

Well, now you download the App and register your ChainEX account or login if you are already part of the ChainEX community. Invite a friend to ChainEX and earn more rewards! Plus you’ll be partnering with the best cryptocurrency exchange in Africa.

ChainEX is a South African digital asset exchange that provides a platform for clients in more than 113 countries to buy, sell, or trade a variety of different digital assets using the South African rand as the default fiat-buying currency.

ChainEX provides you with a secure, online platform from which you can purchase and trade with different digital assets. Being the most affordable exchange in Africa and offering a negative maker fee of up to 15%, why would you trade anywhere else?

Disclaimer

All content and topics covered are mere opinions and do not constitute investment advice. Trading and investing in Bitcoin carries a high level of risk. We do not assume any responsibility for actions taken upon reading any of our articles. ChainEX is not a financial advisory firm, nor are we an investment manager.

We are excited to introduce our new Market Maker Program! Our Market Maker Program aims to reward our loyal and new traders by providing them with the means to increase their trading profit. Market maker traders will get paid for trading on ChainEX and ChainEX is one of the very few exchanges in the world that offers a program like this!

With our Market Maker Program, traders will not only benefit from our low trading fees, but will also be given the ability to earn fees instead of paying them on their trades. That’s right! Instead of paying fees on their trades, they will receive a reward simply for trading.

How Negative Maker Fees Work

As a market maker, you can now earn fees instead of paying them when trading on our markets. What this means is,  you will not pay a fee when placing an order as a maker and when your maker order is traded, you will receive up to 15% of the total fee paid by the taker.

Please note that these negative fees will only apply to the placement of maker orders, i.e. the placement of taker orders does not apply. A maker order is when you place an order on a market which does not match against an existing order on the market’s order book, but is made available for trading on the market.

For BUY orders, a maker order will therefore have a price which is lower than the lowest priced SELL order currently on the order book, while a maker SELL order will have a higher price than the highest priced buy order currently on a market’s order book.

Click here to learn more about maker and taker orders and here to see the negative maker fees per market.

Why is the ChainEX Market Maker Program revolutionary?

The ChainEX Market Maker Program is revolutionary, firstly, because it rewards traders for trading by giving them the opportunity to share in the fees. Secondly, the Program is revolutionary due to the reward size that is being offered. A whopping 15% of the taker fee can be earned, which is substantially more than any of the competitors at the time of writing. This program is sure to see a large number of traders come over to ChainEX and increase their earnings while trading.

Who else has a Market Maker Program and how does it compare?

There are a few exchanges that also run similar market maker programs, that rewards traders for placing maker orders. The main difference being the reward amount. ChainEX has come into the market, making a statement by offering a much higher reward than competitors. This will most definitely be a big draw for traders, both locally and internationally, who are constantly looking for ways to maximise their returns.

What is the ideal trading style to benefit from the Market Maker Program?

Traders that have adopted any of the trading styles can benefit from our market marker program. So whether your trading style is Scalp trading, Day trading, Swing trading or Position trading you can benefit from the ChainEX Market Maker Program. The rewards are percentage based, thus it does not matter which trading style you follow. A trader executing a high volume of maker order trades of high value, will result in greater rewards than low value maker order trades made less frequently. A user will earn up to 15% of the trading fee of the order, when the order placed is a market order.

For a trader to maximise the rewards they can earn, they would need to ensure they are placing as many market marker orders as possible, while still keeping to their trading strategy. Thus should there be an opportunity to place an order within the spread, the trader will need to weigh up the overall benefit of placing a taker order at the desired price vs placing a maker order at a different price, while factoring in the benefit of the reward, in determining what the best approach would be.

Start earning rewards now

Our Market Maker Program is up and running right now! Head over to our fees page to see our new Trading Fee structure and how you can benefit from our negative maker fees and scaling fee structure.

To start benefiting from the Program, all you need to do is login and start trading your favourite coins right now!

Before you say anything, there are a lot of cryptocurrency exchanges in South Africa. So why should you use ChainEX?

Aside from security, education and an active community, why else should you partner with the best crypto exchange in South Africa? It’s simple, we are the most affordable exchange in the whole of Africa. Check our fees.

Crypto trading fees in South Africa

Our maker fees are non-existent. Literally. Our maker fees are 0%. Plus we give you an opportunity to earn referral rewards when you refer a friend to ChainEX.

But the highlight of this article is our new scaling fees, with the price of everything going up, our fees have come down!

What are scaling fees?

ChainEX, like all other crypto exchanges in South Africa, charges a transaction fee on each completed trade.

The percentage fee charged per trade depends on your trading volume.

Scaling fees are a widely known and used concept, it is a reward for increasing the amount of trading done on the exchange. Here are the scaling fees on ChainEX.

We’ve changed our fee to 0.1%, and our scaling fees are as follows:

• Between 0.00 BTC and 0.99 BTC in the past 30 days = 0.1%
• Between 1.00 BTC and 2.99 BTC in the past 30 days = 0.08%
• Between 3.00 BTC and 5.99 BTC in the past 30 days = 0.06%
• Between 6.00 BTC and 9.99 BTC in the past 30 days = 0.04%
• More than 10 BTC volume in the past 30 days = 0.03%

So, how does this stack up against the other exchanges in South Africa?

How do scaling fees work?

The best way to describe how scaling fees work is to use an example: You trade with R20,000 and buy a coin as a taker - someone that fills an existing order on the orderbook - you will pay a 0.1% trading fee.

If you were to continue trading that R20,000 as the coin goes up and down, your trading volume will increase with each buy and sell.

When you have a trading volume of more than 1 BTC in a 30 day period, the fee you will pay on your taker trades will go to 0.08%.

That is a 20% drop in your trading fee, if you trade up to 3 BTC in the 30 day period, your trading fee on taker orders will go to 0.06%.

That’s a 40% drop in trading fees because you had an increase in volume traded up to a certain amount.

That is what makes scaling fees so attractive to traders all around the world, because the more you trade, the more you save!

R10 000 in BTC up for grabs

If the best fees in Africa haven't convinced you to use ChainEX, maybe a R10 000 Bitcoin giveaway will convince you?

We’re always looking to give our traders and users the best possible experience and reward you for constantly supporting us. Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

1. Head to our social media page, like and follow us
2. Find our giveaway post and like it
3. Share the giveaway post to your story and timeline
4. Tag 3 friends that should start using ChainEX

So what's next?

Now you’ve learned about ChainEX, our fees, and more. So what’s next? Sign up and start trading!

Invite a friend to ChainEX and earn more free cryptocurrencies! Plus you’ll be partnering with the best cryptocurrency exchange in South Africa.

ChainEX is a South African cryptocurrency exchange that provides a platform for South Africans to buy, sell, or trade Bitcoin, Ethereum and a variety of other different cryptocurrencies using the South African rand as the default fiat-buying currency.