In today's economy, cryptocurrency continues to develop and flourish. Coinbase's recent initial public offering reaffirms the critical need for solid and efficient infrastructure as the demand for bitcoin adoption increases.
While Coinbase is one of several online exchanges that allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it is not the only one.
What if you were to establish your own cryptocurrency exchange?
Although it may seem like a far-fetched notion, creating and running your own cryptocurrency exchange business is more straightforward than it looks. Today, we'll look at the components required to start a crypto exchange and the legal and efficient ways to utilize one.
The Advantages of Starting a Cryptocurrency Exchange
Before we get into starting a cryptocurrency exchange, it's critical to understand why having an efficient business is advantageous.
Profitability
Successful bitcoin exchanges, even if they are small, are very lucrative for their owners. Exchanges profit through trading fees, which are the difference between the amount paid by a buyer to a seller and the percentage taken by the exchange to connect the two parties.
When you manage an exchange, you get to set the trading rates. For example, particular exchanges feature a cut-off point at which orders above a certain threshold are charged at 2% of the transaction. In comparison, orders below that level are set at 3%.
Blockchain Access
Blockchain technology is gaining more popularity than ever before across a wider range of individuals and organizations. By operating your own cryptocurrency exchange, you will have access to cutting-edge Blockchain technology and will be able to guarantee that the transactions of your customers are securely recorded on the Block Ledger.
Constructing a Business
A cryptocurrency exchange is an online company with an entrepreneur as the proprietor. Once your exchange is operational, it is up to you to develop your company and establish a digital legacy.
Running a company is difficult, but it is rewarding because you receive what you put into it. You'll meet a lot of fascinating people and find satisfaction in a seamless operation.
Technical Components of Exchange Creation
We've covered why establishing a cryptocurrency exchange is very helpful, and now we'll look at how to do so.
Steps of Building the Exchange
1. Development
Because blockchain and financial software are very complex, you must determine how to approach the first development.
If you want to create software in-house, you must possess some technical and programming expertise and experience. Additionally, it would be best to create a team of highly qualified engineers and developers with expertise in developing financial transactions or blockchain applications.
On the other hand, if you lack technical expertise and want to get your exchange up and running fast and securely, you may wish to explore cryptocurrency exchange white label and open-source alternatives.
Certain businesses provide software that enables you to establish an exchange that you may brand and use as you want, a process known as white labeling.
If you have some technical expertise but don't want to go through the effort of creating your exchange from scratch, try open-source alternatives like GitHub, where you can discover pre-written code that will get you where you're going. If you take this path, you may want to conduct an audit of the software and code to verify that no harmful data is used to steal money or user information.
2. Trade engine
Your online crypto-currency exchange will not move unless it has a complex trading engine, similar to how a vehicle works. It is essential to the operation of any online exchange since it matches buy and sell orders, accesses the order book, calculates investor balances, and ultimately performs the transactions between buyers and sellers. The trading engine has many components.
When you're putting together your development team and getting your cryptocurrency exchange software ready, your trading engine should be the first thing you think about.
3. User Interface
Your website's front end is where consumers and users will interact with your business. Therefore, you want your user interface to be intuitive, smooth, and simple to use.
Ascertain that your platform's design is simple and appealing to new consumers and that joining up for the platform is simple. For example, you're generally going to want to incorporate online registration, a clearly defined place for depositing and maintaining account balances in both fiat and cryptocurrency, price charts, and simple trading controls.
4. Maintenance
You want your exchange to be long-lasting and controllable. To assist in guaranteeing the long-term viability of your cryptocurrency exchange, you should create an API that is clear, easy, and developer-friendly in case you need to do further backtesting or hire additional developers to improve your program.
Customer communication solutions are critical for your bitcoin exchange since they enable customers to report problems and malfunctioning features.
Critical Functions
Operating an online cryptocurrency exchange requires you to provide specific critical features that your customers will like.
1. Wallets
Cryptocurrencies are kept in digital wallets until they are withdrawn, invested, or sold. Therefore, when developing your exchange, ensure that you include support for both hot and cold wallets.
Customers use hot wallets to store their cryptocurrency inside the exchange. In contrast, a cold wallet is an offline option such as a USB drive or similar static instrument that cannot be hacked due to its lack of internet connectivity.
2. Transactional Rapidity
Customers want transactions to be completed as quickly as possible. A typical Bitcoin transaction occurs every seven seconds; anything more than that increases the wait, and you may be able to charge a premium for requests that must be fulfilled fast.
When it comes to the speed with which transactions are processed, your reputation is everything. They will be pleased if you consistently deliver orders on time; but, if you struggle to keep up with demand, you run the danger of losing customers altogether.
Cryptocurrency Exchange Management
Finally, once your bitcoin exchange is operational, you must adhere to all applicable regulations and provide a seamless customer experience.
1. Security
Security is critical to ensuring the security of your user data and operating credentials. KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations specify the information and safety that must be collected and maintained for transactions to take place on your platform.
Two-factor authentication, verified accounts, and strong passwords all contribute to the platform's security and user trust.
2. Regulation
Varied nations have different regulations regarding who is permitted to sell cryptocurrency online. Developing a strong target audience will need some legal legwork and, most likely, the help of attorneys.
If you have users in various nations, you must adhere to their respective exchange laws. Therefore, before advertising for service as a worldwide exchange, ensure that you comply with all applicable laws in each nation in which you operate.
3. Banking and Availability of Liquidity
Establishing a connection with a renowned bank simplifies payment processing and depositing money much more than dealing with a tiny bank that has the capabilities to assist and grow your company.
When looking for a financial partner, you may wish to search for institutions and nations that accept crypto payments, such as Scandinavia or the United States.
Liquidity is critical for establishing a strong reputation in the bitcoin industry. One method to encourage trade is to purchase and sell bitcoin using profiles that you control, allowing others to see your platform's trading activity. Another option is to collaborate with a network of other exchanges in order to cooperate with a liquidity provider from all of the network's offerings.
4. Customer Support
Finally, if you want your business to thrive, you must provide exceptional customer service.
Last but not least, your business is sustained by your users, who, if they are happy, will continue to use your exchange and recommend it to others in their network.