Altcoins News

Story: OTC Crypto Trading Jumps 109% While Major Exchanges Struggle

By Steven Anderson

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Crypto trading patterns shifted hard. Over-the-counter spot trading exploded 109% year-over-year in 2025, according to Finery Markets data, while the top 20 centralized exchanges…

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CoinGecko's numbers back up what traders already suspected - the big exchanges aren't dominating like they used to. The top-10 centralized platforms saw spot volume rise 7.

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The numbers don't lie. Institutional money hasn't vanished from centralized platforms.

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Instead, the market's breaking apart into different pieces. Multiple channels are emerging - OTC desks, derivatives platforms, and hybrid execution models that didn't exist a few…

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That suggests OTC's explosive growth came mostly from large-cap block trades, not some broad expansion across every cryptocurrency out there.

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CoinGecko reported something pretty wild. Decentralized exchange perpetual volume surged 346% to reach $6.7 trillion.

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The DEX-to-CEX perpetual ratio now sits at 7.8%, which shows institutions are definitely exploring on-chain venues alongside OTC networks.

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Finery Markets' report spelled out how institutional players use OTC platforms to execute large trades without moving markets or revealing their positions.

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CoinGecko highlighted growing interest in DeFi protocols among institutional traders. On February 15, 2025, major financial institutions started integrating DeFi into their…

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Binance reported in January 2025 that its institutional trading volume had surged, particularly in futures contracts.

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Some industry insiders expressed caution about the rapid pace of change.

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Alex Mashinsky from Celsius Network noted in a December 2025 interview that while diversification benefits traders, it also brings new challenges in managing counterparty risks…

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Coinbase reported a notable shift in its trading volumes in a January 2025 financial update.

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The Chicago Mercantile Exchange disclosed plans in December 2025 to expand its crypto derivatives offerings following increased demand from institutional clients.

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Fidelity Digital Assets announced plans on February 25, 2025, to expand its crypto custody services to include a broader range of altcoins.

The Currency Analytics

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