According to a recent OKX survey, centralized platforms continue to dominate trading activity, with 52% of respondents exclusively using centralized platforms.
Notably, the study showed that the next stage of cryptocurrency growth will not be fully centralized or fully decentralized. Built on an infrastructure that combines the best of both worlds.
OKX finds CeDeFi’s appeal surging among US crypto users
OKX surveyed 1,000 active U.S. traders to assess how market participants are approaching on-chain trading and what conditions may encourage broader participation. More than half of respondents used only centralized platforms, while the remaining 48% used a combination of both centralized and decentralized tools.
When presented with the CeDeFi model (centralized exchange + on-chain execution), over 90% expressed positive attraction. Additionally, more than a third expect centralized exchanges to become the primary gateway to on-chain markets.
“These findings suggest that users do not want to migrate away from centralized platforms. Rather, we expect them to evolve with integrated tools like CeDeFi that bridge centralized and decentralized markets,” OKX wrote.
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The report found that revenue-generating strategies are a “meaningful entry point” into on-chain activity. More than 65% of respondents say they use on-chain tools to earn stablecoin yield at least sometimes, and more than a quarter say they use them regularly.
The most common approaches are:
- Providing liquidity to stablecoin pools ranked No. 1, garnering interest from nearly 40% of respondents.
- Stablecoin staking on centralized platforms continues at just over 36%.
- Lending through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols appealed to nearly one in five users.
“Yield activity indicates that users are willing to engage on-chain when opportunities are clear and risks are perceived to be manageable. On-chain acts as a bridge between centralized infrastructure and decentralized markets,” the report says.
What crypto traders actually want to automate
When it comes to custody and control, 51% of respondents said they want to manage most aspects of trading themselves and automate some aspects of execution. A further 38% prefer to take full personal responsibility.
Only 8% want to retain strategic decisions while delegating execution, and just 2% are okay with minimal involvement.
Automation is also gaining momentum, with users expressing strong openness to automation. Respondents were most interested in features such as best price routing (24%), fraud detection (21%), and trade execution timing optimization (16%).
“Data suggests there is widespread acceptance of automation that improves performance, reduces risk, and simplifies the on-chain experience,” OKX wrote.
Security and fraud concerns top the list of on-chain barriers
OKX also found that security concerns remain a major barrier to adoption. Approximately 29% of respondents cited fraud and security risks as the main barriers to on-chain participation.
A further 22% cited unpredictable fees and pricing. Almost half of users said they expect the platform to proactively help prevent fraud.
Other friction points include handling multiple wallets, bridging assets between chains, and handling unfamiliar interfaces. Combined, these challenges have led to widespread recognition that on-chain trading is operationally demanding, even for experienced traders.
“Active traders have expressed strong interest in on-chain access, with safety nets, execution quality, and simplified workflows built into the experience. Platforms that combine centralized infrastructure and on-chain execution are closely aligned with current user expectations,” the report added.
Overall, this study suggests that the next phase of the crypto market will be driven by greater consolidation rather than fragmentation.
Centralized or decentralized? Most US traders want both and the post OKX Research appeared first on BeInCrypto.
