Orca cryptocurrency exchange is a decentralized exchange built on the Solana blockchain. It is one of the first Automated Market Maker (AMM) protocols designed for the Solana ecosystem, and it provides an easy way for its users to trade, swap tokens, farm, and invest in liquidity pools. The platform was launched in 2021 and it is based in New York.
As a decentralized platform, there are no listed countries where its services have either been restricted or banned. It is, however, advisable for intending users to check the laws of their countries surrounding cryptocurrencies and their trading. Furthermore, there are no KYC requirements needed before you can make use of the platform. By simply connecting your existing crypto wallet, you can begin taking advantage of the various features listed on the Orca crypto exchange. Some of the supported wallets include Phantom, Ledger, Sollet, SafePal, Slope, Trust Wallet, Exodus, and more.
Markets
There are over 300 Orca trading pairs available for its users, with the major markets being USDT, SOL, and USDC. The platform supports major cryptocurrencies and altcoins such as WETH, DUST, USDH, ATLAS, ETH, and more. There is no Orca spot trading, neither does the platform support margin, futures, or derivatives trading.
In terms of Orca exchange fees for trading, the platform charges different fees depending on how the user makes use of the AMM protocol. For Stable whirlpools, a 0.01% charge is imposed, while for the whirlpool, there is a 0.2% charge incurred during transactions. For pools and stable pools, the charges are 0.3% and 0.07% respectively. There is also an Orca crypto price paid for users who wish to perform a double hop trade. For example, converting from SOL to USDT to ETH. This would mean that the user will pay 0.3% for the first transaction (SOL to USDT) and 0.3% for the second transaction (USDT to ETH).
For deposits and withdrawals, there are no charges incurred, since such transactions made on the platform are crypto-based. However, the user will pay blockchain fees to the network in question.
The ORCA token is the native token of the Orca ecosystem. It was launched with an initial circulating supply of 5.25 million ORCA. The tokens were airdropped based on the activities of Liquidity Providers as follows: 4 million ORCA tokens to Liquidity Providers, 500 thousand ORCA tokens to average traders, another 500 thousand ORCA tokens for heavy traders, and 250 thousand ORCA tokens to advisors and ventures that enabled early liquidity for the Orca protocol.
If you care to see the current Orca trade volume, take a look above.
About the Company
Orca crypto exchange was founded by two entrepreneurs – Grace Kwan and Yutaro Mori.
Grace Kwan, also known as Ori (her preferred title), is a co-founder at Orca and the main product leader. With experience in engineering, design, and writing, she excels in turning complicated technical systems into products that people enjoy. She earned both her B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University then went on to work as a software engineer for Coursera and an interaction designer for IDEO Tokyo. When not creating smart contracts or user-friendly designs she spends time writing about food.
Yutaro Mori, also known as rawfalafel, is one of the creators of Orca and a crypto expert. He has experience in software engineering and an interest in both cryptography and economics. In 2017 when the cryptocurrency market was doing well, he left his usual job to take advantage of this opportunity. After that, he worked on Eth 2.0 Golang client and UMA before deciding to invest in Solana. When not working on ways to make capital more efficient, Mori can be found researching macroeconomics.
In December 2022, Orca integrated with Swipe, one of the biggest payment processors in the world to allow its users to purchase crypto with fiat from the platform. Users are now able to make fiat purchases for tokens such as USDC and SOL via an onramp built inside Orca using Stripe's fiat-to-crypto system.
Make sure to check out the Orca volume chart above.
