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Crypto perpetual futures volume hits 31-month low on CEXs

Created at 7 Aug · 12:31 PM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

Perpetual futures trading volume on centralized crypto exchanges (CEXs) dropped to $4 trillion in July, the lowest since December 2023. Trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) also neared a one-year low, with volumes falling to $531 billion.

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Key Numbers

$4 trillionCEX perpetual futures volume in July
31 monthslowest CEX volume period
$1.4 trillionBinance monthly perpetual futures volume
$607 billionOKX monthly perpetual futures volume
$300 billionBybit monthly perpetual futures volume
23.6%daily spot crypto trading volume decline in July
$531 billionDEX perpetual futures volume in July
one yearlowest DEX volume period
$17.9 billionDEX open interest in July
$199 billionHyperliquid trading volume over 30 days
32%Hyperliquid's Q2 trading volume from RWAs
6.6%Hyperliquid's quarterly revenue from RWAs
52%Hyperliquid's weekly trading volume from RWAs

Who's Involved

CryptoRank
analytics platform providing CEX volume data
Coinglass
analytics provider for spot crypto trading volume
DefiLlama
data aggregator for DEX perpetual trading volume
Hyperliquid
leading DEX by trading volume

↳ Why This Matters

The sharp decline in perpetual futures trading volume on both centralized and decentralized exchanges suggests a potential cooling of speculative interest in the crypto market. This trend could indicate reduced investor confidence or a shift in market sentiment, impacting liquidity and volatility across various digital assets.

Key facts

  • Centralized crypto exchange perpetual futures volume fell to $4 trillion in July.
  • This is the lowest volume recorded on CEXs in 31 months.
  • Binance, OKX, and Bybit were the top CEXs by perpetual futures volume.
  • Decentralized exchange perpetual futures volume reached $531 billion in July.
  • This marks the lowest DEX volume in approximately one year.
  • Open interest on DEXs also declined in July.

Perpetual futures trading volume on centralized cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs) experienced a significant decline in July, reaching $4 trillion, its lowest point in 31 months. This downturn follows a brief recovery period between April and June. Binance remained the leader among CEXs, recording $1.4 trillion in monthly volume, with OKX and Bybit following at $607 billion and $300 billion, respectively. The decrease in perpetual futures activity coincided with a 23.6% drop in daily spot crypto trading volume during July. Meanwhile, perpetual trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) also approached a one-year low, falling to $531 billion in July, a 21% decrease from June. Open interest on DEXs has also trended downwards, settling at $17.9 billion in July. Hyperliquid emerged as the top DEX, generating $199 billion in trading volume over the past 30 days, with tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) increasingly contributing to its activity, accounting for 52% of its weekly trading volume in mid-July.

Frequently asked questions

Perpetual futures are a type of derivative contract that allows traders to speculate on the future price of an asset without an expiry date. They are commonly traded in cryptocurrency markets.

CEXs (Centralized Exchanges) are operated by a single company, offering a platform for trading digital assets. DEXs (Decentralized Exchanges) operate on blockchain technology, allowing peer-to-peer trading without a central intermediary.

Open interest represents the total value of all outstanding derivative contracts that have not been settled. An increase in open interest typically suggests new money is entering the market, while a decrease indicates capital is exiting.

Tokenized real-world assets are traditional assets, such as real estate, commodities, or bonds, that have been converted into digital tokens on a blockchain, enabling them to be traded more easily.

What Happens Next

01Monitor August trading volumes for CEXs and DEXs.
02Observe trends in open interest for further signs of capital entering or exiting the market.
03Track the growth of tokenized real-world assets on DEXs like Hyperliquid.

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How It Developed

Perpetual futures trading volume on CEXs fell to $4 trillion in July.
This marks the lowest volume since December 2023.
Binance led CEXs with $1.4 trillion in volume, followed by OKX and Bybit.
Perpetual futures volumes had briefly recovered between April and June.
Daily spot crypto trading volume fell 23.6% in July.
Perpetual trading volume on DEXs fell to $531 billion in July.
This is the lowest DEX volume since June 2025.
Open interest on DEXs fell to $17.9 billion in July.

Sources

T1
CEX perpetual futures volume falls to $4T, lowest since late 2023Perpetual futures trading volume on crypto exchanges fell to its lowest level in 31 months, while perpetual trading on decentralized platforms neared a one-year low.Cointelegraph

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