What is a perpetual DEX?
A perpetual DEX (perp DEX) is a decentralized exchange for trading perpetual futures: derivatives that track an asset's price with no expiry date. Unlike a traditional futures contract, a perpetual can be held indefinitely, with a periodic funding rate keeping its price aligned to the underlying spot market.
"Decentralized" means you trade from your own wallet or account rather than handing custody to a centralized company. Settlement happens on-chain, and you keep control of your funds.
How is it different from a CEX?
On a centralized exchange (CEX) you deposit funds into the platform's custody and trust it to hold them. On a perp DEX, your funds stay in your own account, and trades settle on-chain. The tradeoff is that you manage your own keys or wallet approvals.
Popular perp DEXs include dYdX and Hyperliquid, with newer venues like Aster and Arcus adding trade-only agent access that lets tools trade on your behalf while you keep custody. Arcus goes further than crypto, listing tokenized stock and ETF perps that stay open 24/7.
What is perpetual funding?
Because a perpetual never expires, exchanges use a funding rate to tether its price to spot. When the perp trades above spot, longs pay shorts; when it trades below, shorts pay longs. Funding is exchanged periodically and is an important cost to factor into any strategy that holds positions for a long time.
Why use trading bots on a perp DEX?
Markets run 24/7, and reacting by hand is slow and emotional. Bots execute a defined strategy automatically and consistently:
- Grid bots profit from volatility inside a price range.
- DCA bots build or unwind positions gradually to smooth your average price.
- Copy bots mirror proven on-chain traders automatically.
- TradingView bots turn your alerts into live orders through a webhook.
- Market maker bots quote both sides of the book, earning the gap between them or leaning with the trend. They need post-only orders and a dead man's switch, so on Coinner they run on Arcus and Aster.
How Coinner fits in
Coinner is an automation layer on top of perp DEXs. You connect your own account with trade-only access: API keys on dYdX and Arcus, or a trade-only agent approval on Hyperliquid and Aster. Coinner then runs your bots in the cloud around the clock. Your funds never leave your account, and there is no subscription: Coinner earns a small share of exchange fees through referral and builder-code programs only when you trade.
Ready to try it? Explore the bot guides or explore perp DEX platforms.