When you trade crypto on a decentralized exchange like Matcha or Radar Relay, you’re often using 0x Protocol, an open-source blockchain infrastructure that lets users trade tokens directly without intermediaries. Also known as ZRX, it’s the engine behind peer-to-peer trading on Ethereum and other chains. Unlike centralized exchanges, 0x doesn’t hold your funds or set prices. Instead, it provides the rules and tools for wallets and apps to match buy and sell orders off-chain, then settle them securely on-chain.
This matters because it cuts fees, reduces slippage, and lets developers build trading features without starting from scratch. The ZRX token, the native token of the 0x ecosystem used for governance and fee discounts gives holders a say in upgrades—like whether to support new blockchains or change how relayers earn. Relayers, which are services that broadcast orders, compete to offer the best prices, keeping trading efficient. Meanwhile, decentralized exchanges, platforms that let users trade crypto without a middleman like 1inch or dYdX plug into 0x to offer deeper liquidity and lower costs than they could alone.
What you’ll find here are real breakdowns of how 0x works under the hood, how it compares to other DeFi infrastructure, and which projects rely on it most. You’ll also see how traders use it to spot better prices across DEXs, why ZRX’s role changed over time, and what happens when new chains like Polygon or Arbitrum integrate 0x’s tech. No fluff—just clear, practical insights from posts that dig into trading pairs, exchange mechanics, and the real-world use of blockchain protocols like this one.
Bamboo Relay is a decentralized exchange built on Ethereum that lets you trade crypto without KYC. It offers margin trading via bZx and credit card deposits via Carbon. But with low liquidity and no updates since 2022, is it still worth using in 2025?
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