Trade any token on-chain — without leaving Wealthsimple

^{DEX Trading is offered by Wealthsimple Web3 Inc. DEX assets are purchased and held in a self-custody wallet separate from any other tokens held in Wealthsimple's custodial crypto offering. All DEX assets are held and owned by you. Trade at your own risk.}

If you've ever held your listed crypto in one app and your on-chain tokens in another, you know the drill: two logins, two balances, a wallet to back up, and a network fee every time you transfer between them. DEX trading collapses all of that. You can now search and swap millions of tokens on the Ethereum decentralized exchange (with Solana coming soon) directly inside Wealthsimple — funded by your cash or your existing crypto, secured by the same infrastructure that protects billions in client assets. Now you can trade both listed crypto and any token on a decentralized exchange, in one place.

What is DEX trading?

A decentralized exchange (DEX) is a marketplace where tokens trade directly on the blockchain, peer-to-peer, without a central intermediary holding the order book. It's how the vast majority of new and long-tail tokens first become tradable — long before they ever reach a listed exchange.

The catch has always been the setup. Trading on a DEX normally means running your own wallet, safeguarding a seed phrase, holding the right network token to cover gas fees, and manually moving funds back and forth from wherever your other money lives. DEX trading on Wealthsimple removes that friction: the decentralized exchange is embedded in the app you already use, so you get on-chain access without the on-chain housekeeping.

How DEX trading works

You're trading the same on-chain markets you'd reach through a standalone wallet — just without managing one yourself. There are three things you can do:

Because it lives inside Wealthsimple, you can fund a trade with your cash or balances of USDC and move between them instantly — so you're always ready when something catches your eye. (Receiving tokens from an external wallet isn't supported yet.)

What this means for you

Say you've been holding your listed crypto with us but keeping a separate wallet elsewhere just to reach on-chain tokens. With DEX trading, you can consolidate: one app, one view of everything you hold, and one place to act.

Imagine you want to buy $500 of a token trending on-chain. Instead of transferring funds to an external wallet, topping up a network token to cover gas, and hoping you got the address right, you search the token, review the purchase, and confirm — funded straight from your Wealthsimple cash balances (CAD, USD) in crypto account or chequing account, or your USDC, with no separate network fee to think about. Your crypto stays yours.

For most people the real win is quieter: not logging into a second app, and seeing your DEX tokens sitting alongside your stocks, ETFs, listed crypto, and savings.

How much does DEX trading cost?

DEX trading carries a straightforward, competitive flat fee of 0.85% per trade, with $0 network fees. The structure is designed so the more you trade, the more crypto you keep — and it compares favourably with what you'd typically pay routing the same trades through an external wallet, where network fees alone can add up fast.

How Wealthsimple keeps DEX trading secure

The on-chain world is vast and having the right safeguards in place can help reduce the risks. Wealthsimple automatically filters out known malicious and fraudulent tokens before they reach you, and every DEX trade is secured by the same infrastructure that protects billions in client assets. That infrastructure is built on globally recognized security standards.

That said, security tooling can't catch everything. New tokens appear constantly, and some carry risks that no filter can detect in advance.

The risks, plainly

On-chain trading is genuinely high-risk. Many tokens are illiquid, volatile, or outright scams, and prices can move sharply or go to zero. Filtering reduces exposure to known bad actors, but it is not a guarantee of safety or quality — you may still encounter assets that lose most or all of their value. Crypto is not protected by CDIC, and completed transactions are irreversible. Always do your own research before making a trade, and only commit what you're prepared to lose.

Ready to trade on-chain?

If your on-chain life and the rest of your money have been living in different apps, you can bring them together. Open the Wealthsimple app, fund your crypto account, and make your first DEX trade.

Disclaimers

Network fees currently covered by Wealthsimple Web3 Inc. Subject to change or removal at any time without notice.

Wealthsimple does not charge additional network fees. However, transactions may be subject to a fee charged by other providers.