GDAX
What Was GDAX?
GDAX is the former name of the cryptocurrency exchange run by Coinbase, a famous broker for bitcoin and other digital assets. Dissimilar to the in-app purchases accessible through the Coinbase wallet, GDAX was focused on professional traders, with devices to follow price developments and set complex buy and sell orders.
The exchange was sent off in 2015 under the name Coinbase Exchange and later rebranded to GDAX, standing for Global Digital Asset Exchange. In 2018, GDAX was again rebranded to Coinbase Pro however kept its original usefulness. In spite of the fact that GDAX was sent off with just a small bunch of major cryptocurrencies, Coinbase Pro currently permits trading in many different virtual assets.
Understanding GDAX
In 2015, Coinbase, one of the leading bitcoin companies in the United States, started to consider ways of expanding its offerings. While the Coinbase wallet offered a simple interface for buying bitcoin, it had considerably less usefulness than additional traditional exchanges. Moreover, the company charged a wide offered/ask spread that made the Coinbase prices less ideal than market prices.
In order to appeal to the two types of customers, the company set up two separate exchanges. Less experienced buyers could continue to buy bitcoin straightforwardly from Coinbase, with an easy to understand interface tailored for more "relaxed" users. There was likewise another exchange for additional active traders, with sophisticated highlights, for example, price charts and limit orders. Originally called Coinbase Exchange, this was later rebranded to GDAX.
What's more, GDAX additionally started offering new assets. Beginning in 2016, GDAX introduced new assets, for example, litecoin and ethereum that were not yet accessible on the more established Coinbase wallet. The exchange was again rebranded to Coinbase Pro in 2018 yet continued to offer a similar usefulness while serving as a testing ground for new assets before adding them to the Coinbase wallet. Presently many assets are being traded on Coinbase Pro.
Benefits and Disadvantages of GDAX
While GDAX offered further developed trading options than the Coinbase wallet, they accompanied high tradeoffs in usability. Numerous users favor the simple interface of the Coinbase wallet, with only one price to buy and one price to sell.
Then again, Coinbase charges a widespread on wallet purchases, resulting in prices that are several percentage points more terrible than the open market. On the exchange, GDAX (presently Coinbase Pro) works on a creator taker fee model, with the exchange charging up to half a percent from every buyer or seller. Assets can undoubtedly be moved from the wallet to the exchange, allowing traders to access much better prices on the exchange.
Coinbase charges higher than market prices for crypto purchased on the Coinbase app, however just a small fee for trades on the exchange. Since assets can without much of a stretch be moved from the app to the exchange, you can generally get a better price on Coinbase Pro.
GDAX additionally provided Coinbase users with further developed usefulness, for example, price charts, an open order book, and the ability to set market and limit orders. These capabilities made it feasible for traders to anticipate trends through technical analysis, despite the fact that they were probably going to confound less experienced buyers. What's more, the exchange isn't accessible in certain locales.
Finally, GDAX likewise permitted trading in assets that were not yet accessible on the ordinary Coinbase wallet. Starting in 2018, Coinbase announced plans to integrate handfuls or many digital assets. These were added to the exchange first, and a significant number of them were subsequently added to the wallet too.
Highlights
- GDAX was famous as one of a handful of the solid exchanges where U.S. traders could trade bitcoin straightforwardly for fiat currencies.
- Prices on GDAX/Coinbase Pro will quite often be more ideal than buying straightforwardly from Coinbase.
- GDAX was the name of a cryptocurrency exchange sent off by Coinbase in 2015. It is presently known as Coinbase Pro.
- Dissimilar to the Coinbase wallet app, GDAX/Coinbase Pro is tailored for active traders, with sophisticated devices for tracking markets and setting buy/sell orders.
- In 2016, Coinbase started adding new assets to GDAX that were not yet accessible on the Coinbase wallet app. The exchange presently has many digital assets.