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October 3, 2026

CRYPTO·COINBEAT

Journalism for the digital-asset economy

Best Perpetual DEXs · Rank 06 of 8

Gains Network review

Traders who want high leverage on non-crypto markets

Last verified August 16, 20264 scored axes

Score7.6

Self-reported only

The short answer

Gains Network scores 7.6 out of 10 and ranks #6 of 8 in the best perpetual dexs table, strongest on funding & fees (8.0) and weakest on depth at size (7.0).

A synthetic model backed by a single collateral vault that supports forex and equity indices alongside crypto, at leverage no other on-chain venue offers. The vault is both the innovation and the concentration risk.

Key facts on record

Launched
2021
Model
Synthetic, vault-backed
Markets
Crypto, forex, indices

What the record shows

4 axes, weighted as published in the table’s methodology. Each score below is read from the fact printed under it.

Gains Network on risk engine

7.6/ 35% of the score

All trades settle against a single collateral vault with published liquidation parameters and spread-based price impact; the vault has run at a temporary deficit during drawdowns but no insolvency event is on record since 2021.

Gains Network on depth at size

7.0/ 25% of the score

There is no order book: maximum position size per market is set by published vault parameters rather than by resting depth.

Gains Network on funding & fees

8.0/ 20% of the score

Published open and close fees plus a rollover fee charged while a position is held; leverage caps are published per market.

Gains Network on decentralisation

8.0/ 20% of the score

Contracts on Arbitrum and Polygon with upgrade rights held under governance; pricing depends entirely on the designated oracle set.

Quick answers

What is Gains Network best for?
Traders who want high leverage on non-crypto markets. A synthetic model backed by a single collateral vault that supports forex and equity indices alongside crypto, at leverage no other on-chain venue offers.
Where does Gains Network rank among best perpetual dexs?
#6 of 8, scoring 7.6 out of 10 — self-reported only on our band scale.
What is the weakest part of Gains Network?
Depth at size at 7.0. There is no order book: maximum position size per market is set by published vault parameters rather than by resting depth.

Strengths and weaknesses

In its favour

  • Forex, commodities and index markets on-chain
  • Very high leverage available on major pairs
  • Long-running deployment with transparent vault accounting

Against it

  • All counterparty risk concentrates in one collateral vault
  • Synthetic pricing depends entirely on oracle integrity

Markets nobody else puts on-chain

Forex pairs, commodities and equity indices trade here alongside crypto, at leverage multiples other on-chain venues do not offer. There is no order book: every trade settles against a single collateral vault, and maximum position size per market is set by published vault parameters rather than by resting depth.

One vault, all the risk

The design's elegance is also its concentration. Trader profit is paid by the vault and trader loss accrues to it; the vault has run at a temporary deficit during drawdowns without an insolvency event since 2021. Pricing depends entirely on the designated oracle set, which is the same dependency that has broken other synthetic venues.

Cost of carry

Open and close fees plus a rollover fee charged while a position is held, with spread-based price impact. At the leverage this venue enables, a position held through a quiet week can lose money to fees alone, which is worth modelling before it is worth trading.

Oracles are the whole design

With no order book, there is no market price to fall back on: the oracle set is the price. That makes oracle quality the single point of failure worth studying before depositing, and it is the mechanism behind most synthetic-venue failures elsewhere in this sector.

Who it suits

Traders who specifically want non-crypto markets on-chain and understand that they are trading against a vault rather than a counterparty.

Frequently asked questions

Can you trade forex on Gains Network?+

Yes. Forex pairs, commodities and equity indices trade alongside crypto, settled synthetically against the protocol's collateral vault at prices supplied by its oracle set.

How risky is the gTrade vault model?+

All counterparty risk sits in one vault rather than being spread across market makers. It has run at a temporary deficit during drawdowns but has not become insolvent since 2021, and pricing depends entirely on the oracle set.

What leverage does Gains Network offer?+

Higher multiples than any other on-chain venue on major pairs, with caps published per market. High leverage plus a rollover fee makes holding periods expensive.

How Gains Network compares

8 services in best perpetual dexs

  1. 01dYdXTraders who prioritise a conservative, well-tested risk engine8.6
  2. 02HyperliquidTraders who want centralised-venue execution without a custodian8.4
  3. 03GMXTraders who want a model they can fully understand8.2
  4. 04AevoTraders who want on-chain options alongside perps8.0
  5. 05VertexArbitrum traders who want a unified book and AMM8.0
  6. 06Gains Networkyou are hereTraders who want high leverage on non-crypto markets7.6
  7. 07ApeX ProtocolTraders who want an elastic-margin venue with low fees7.5
  8. 08DriftNobody yet — not until the relaunch lands and users are repaid4.5