Build a compliant exchange regulators and traders both trust
We build centralized, decentralized, and P2P exchanges for licensed VASPs, scaling operators, and super-apps. Matching engines, custody, liquidity, and KYC/AML, engineered to fit your license.
Let's be honest about who should build an exchange now
A brand-new retail exchange in the US or EU rarely makes sense in 2026; licensing cost alone makes it a bad bet. The exchanges worth building now belong to three groups, and these are the teams we work with.
Licensed VASPs
In MENA, LATAM, and Southeast Asia, building under a real regulatory framework.
Existing exchanges
Adding margin, derivatives, an OTC desk, or new markets.
Wallets and super-apps
Adding a swap or trading layer to an existing user base.
If you are pre-license and pre-revenue, we will tell you so on the call. We would rather lose the project than build you something you cannot legally run.
CEX, DEX, or P2P?
| Centralized (CEX) | Decentralized (DEX) | Peer-to-peer (P2P) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Matching engine, custody | AMM or onchain orderbook | Escrow and dispute resolution |
| Custody | You hold funds | Users hold funds | Users hold, escrow on trade |
| Build time | 4 to 6 months | 2 to 3 months | 3 to 5 months |
| Best for | Licensed operators, high volume | Web3-native, permissionless | Emerging markets, fiat on/off via users |
Centralized exchange
A performant matching engine (Go or Rust), hot and cold custody architecture with defined ratios, deep liquidity through market-maker and aggregator integration, and a full KYC/AML stack. We design the custody split and the operational runbook, not just the UI.
Decentralized exchange
AMM (Uniswap v3/v4 style) or onchain orderbook, liquidity-pool and LP-token design, and contracts audited before mainnet, because DEXs are the number-one hack target. Security here is the build, not a step in it.
Peer-to-peer exchange
Escrow contract design, a clear dispute-resolution flow, reputation and risk scoring, and a compliance model that adapts to each jurisdiction, since P2P rules vary sharply by country.
What separates a real exchange from a template
Built for your license, not against it
| Region | Framework we build to fit |
|---|---|
| UAE | VARA, ADGM |
| Singapore | MAS (Payment Services Act, DPT) |
| Bahrain | CBB crypto-asset rules |
| El Salvador | Digital Assets framework |
| Other | We adapt to your licensed jurisdiction |
We are engineers, not your compliance officer. We build the controls your license requires and work alongside your legal and compliance team.
Audited before launch, monitored after
Exchanges and DEXs are the most-attacked systems in crypto. Every contract we ship is audited before mainnet using our five-layer process, and custody and withdrawal logic gets a dedicated security review. After launch, we monitor onchain and operational activity and respond to incidents fast.
See our smart contract audit process →Recent work
References available under NDA
We share exchange type, region, and real outcomes from launched white-label and operating exchanges under NDA on the architecture review. We do not publish numbers we cannot verify.
Frequently asked questions
For a CEX or fiat-handling exchange, you need a clear licensing path before launch. We can build during licensing, but we will not help you operate something you cannot legally run, and we will say so early.
We integrate market makers and liquidity aggregators so your order book is not empty at launch. We connect the liquidity; we do not provide capital.
Hot and cold architecture with defined ratios, MPC signing, and withdrawal controls. We document the key ceremony and the operational runbook.
It depends on your license, your users, and your custody appetite. We work through it in the architecture review.
Yes. Contracts are audited before mainnet, and custody and withdrawal logic get a dedicated review.
You do. NDA on request.
Building a wallet or DeFi layer alongside the exchange? See crypto wallet development → and DeFi protocol engineering →
Bring us your license and your market. We will build to fit
Book a compliance-and-architecture review. We will map the right exchange type, the custody and compliance stack for your jurisdiction, and a written scope and budget. Straight talk on feasibility included.
We build to fit your license and work alongside your compliance team. NDA on request.