THORChain vs Pdax: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between THORChain and Pdax This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 7, 2025

THORChain

Pdax

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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THORChain is ideal if:

You value native cross-chain swaps — ideal if you're seeking seamless, non-custodial swaps between different blockchains without wrapped tokens.
You're experienced with DeFi mechanics — a great match if you're comfortable navigating liquidity pools, impermanent loss, and node operations.
You prioritize decentralization and control — perfect if you prefer trustless networks and retaining custody of your assets throughout trading.

Pdax is ideal if:

Locally integrated experience Enables seamless PHP deposits and withdrawals through banks and e-wallets, making it highly convenient for users in the Philippines.
Regulated and secure Operates under the supervision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, with features like two-factor authentication and cold storage to protect your assets.
User-friendly and inclusive Offers an intuitive interface, low minimum deposits, and access to crypto, bonds, and collectibles—perfect for both beginners and everyday investors.

THORChain isn’t ideal if:

You're new to DeFi — its cross-chain mechanics and impermanent loss dynamics can be technically challenging for beginners.
You prefer institutional certainty — recent financial strains and paused lending services signal an unstable risk profile.
You favor strong traditional governance — decentralized decision-making has shown delays and controversy under stress.

Pdax isn’t ideal if:

Not ideal for advanced traders Lacks access to derivatives, margin trading, staking, or passive income tools—so seasoned traders may find its offerings too limited.
Highly localized to the Philippines Designed for Filipino residents with PHP-only support and local IDs, making it inconvenient for international users.
Potential technical hiccups Historical reports of service outages during peak activity suggest possible reliability concerns for time-sensitive trades.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

THORChain uses a single swap fee model that replaces traditional maker/taker pricing; fees adjust dynamically based on pool depth and trade size, with occasional affiliate fee options but no separate native token discounts.

Maker orders cost around 0.4 % while taker orders are about 0.5 %, and there are no volume-based discount tiers or native-token rebates.

Futures/Derivatives

THORChain doesn’t offer derivatives or futures trading—its focus remains on native, non-custodial cross-chain swaps within liquidity pools.

PDAX currently does not offer derivatives or futures trading, so maker/taker fees and funding rates are not applicable.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

As a decentralized protocol rather than an order-book exchange, THORChain does not quote fixed spreads; the effective cost emerges from slip-based fees tied to trade size and liquidity depth instead.

Specific spread data isn’t publicly listed, though local liquidity suggests competitive spreads similar to other regional spot-only platforms.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

THORChain operates purely on-chain with crypto-to-crypto swaps and doesn’t support direct fiat deposits or withdrawals through traditional methods like bank transfers.

Fiat transactions are available via bank transfers, e-wallets, and over-the-counter options; PDAX itself charges little to no platform fee, though third-party processing fees may apply, and settlements typically complete within hours to a day.

On-chain Withdrawals

Outbound withdrawal costs vary by chain—users pay what amounts to a markup over typical on-chain “fast” fees (sometimes one-and-a-half to three times), and there’s also slip-based pricing and protocol network fees embedded in the trade.

Withdrawal fees vary by cryptocurrency and blockchain—for example, BTC withdrawals cost around 0.0004 BTC, while other tokens each have set blockchain-based fee rates adjusted dynamically by network conditions.

Hidden Costs

Beyond obvious transaction fees, users may face slip-based costs, optional affiliate charges, and on-chain gas variations—but there are no inactivity or expedited KYC fees built into the protocol.

There are no known inactivity or express KYC fees, but users should account for potential currency conversion charges and third-party processing fees that may not be explicitly itemized.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

In a typical scenario, swapping the equivalent of €500 into BTC would involve paying on-chain gas to send funds in, a slip-based swap fee, and an outbound gas-based fee deducted from the output—resulting in a slightly lower BTC amount, all embedded seamlessly in the transaction.

If you were to convert €500 (equivalent to PHP), you’d incur roughly a 0.5 % trading fee plus any spread embedded in the quote, and then pay a blockchain withdrawal fee—like 0.0004 BTC—if you choose to withdraw, though exact totals depend on the real-time exchange rate and network conditions.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

THORChain supports around 29 native cryptocurrencies across approximately 39 trading pairs, with its top pairs by volume—including BTC/RUNE, ETH/RUNE, and USDT/RUNE—comprising the vast majority of activity, making them the most liquid and active trading options.

PDAX offers over 64 cryptocurrencies overall, including the top 20 by volume—major names like BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, BNB, SOL and ADA—paired primarily with PHP for easy access.

Product Range

THORChain primarily provides spot cross-chain swaps and liquidity provision, alongside staking (via RUNE), but it does not offer margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, lending services, copy-trading, grid bots, or auto DCA features.

The platform focuses on spot trading and also provides tokenized government bonds, collectibles, and access via an OTC desk for Prime users, but does not support margin, perps, options, ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA.

Liquidity

While exact figures change constantly, THORChain’s 24-hour trading volume reaches into the tens of millions, and its book depth is essentially represented by pool liquidity rather than traditional order books—meaning deeper pools yield smoother swaps for BTC and ETH pairs.

While exact 24-hour volumes and order-book depth data aren’t public, PDAX is known to maintain solid local liquidity, especially for major pairs like BTC/PHP and ETH/PHP, backed by visible order-book depth in Pro mode.

Tools

As a decentralized AMM protocol, THORChain does not offer typical order types like limit or stop, nor OCO, charting tools, alerts, API/WebSocket, or native TradingView—its interface is designed for simple, immediate swaps rather than advanced trading strategies.

PDAX supports basic tools such as limit, market, and stop-limit orders, Pro mode with order book and depth chart, advanced TradingView charts (with indicators like RSI and MACD), and offers API/WebSocket access for developers.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

There are no explicit geographical product limitations like those seen in centralized exchanges—since THORChain is permissionless and non-custodial, its services are technically accessible anywhere, subject only to local crypto regulations in user jurisdictions.

All trading services, including spot markets, are strictly limited to the Philippines—there is no availability for residents elsewhere, and derivative products are not offered in any region.

Innovation

THORChain delivers continuous innovation via native cross-chain swaps and staking pools, with features like flexible staking through liquidity provision; however, it doesn’t include traditional launchpads, locked vs flexible earn products, or centralized-style launchpool mechanisms.

PDAX includes features like an OTC Prime trading desk for institutional-level access, tokenized “Hold & Earn” bonds, and collectible offerings, but does not currently feature launchpads, launchpools, or flexible vs locked earn programs.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

THORChain operates as a decentralized protocol without a single corporate entity; node operators collectively secure the network via bonded RUNE, and there is no clear legal headquarters or formal incorporation year.

Operated by Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, Inc., founded in 2017 and headquartered in Taguig (Greater Metro Manila), the platform is incorporated under Philippine law.

Licenses/Registration

THORChain is fully permissionless and non-custodial, meaning it doesn’t hold licenses like VASP or MiCA registrations—its decentralized nature places it outside typical regulatory regimes.

PDAX is licensed by and fully compliant with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a virtual currency exchange, operating under BSP Circular guidelines.

Custody

Funds are secured using a threshold-signature (TSS) vault architecture involving many node operators; there’s no centralized custodian, no formal proof-of-reserves or third-party audits beyond early smart contract reviews, and no mention of cold-storage percentage.

PDAX uses custodial wallets (holding private keys for users), and while there’s no public proof-of-reserves or audit reports, they emphasize internal security protocols for asset protection.

Insurance & Protection Funds

The protocol does not offer insurance or dedicated protection funds; users rely on decentralized design and economic security (bonded RUNE) for protection from losses or insolvency.

Digital assets on PDAX are not insured under any deposit protection scheme, as crypto holdings are not classified as insured deposits by Philippine regulators.

Incident History

To date, THORChain has not experienced major hacks or forced fund freezes; there is no known record of suspensions or regulatory penalties, underscoring a clean operational track record.

There are no publicly known major hacks, platform-wide freezes, or regulatory penalties affecting PDAX.

Risk Controls

As a pure on-chain protocol, THORChain doesn’t provide user access controls like 2FA, whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions—security is rooted in user-side custody and key management.

The platform supports strong security features such as two-factor authentication, anti-phishing measures, and a dedicated risk and compliance team to enforce AML and safeguard operations.

Transparency

The protocol offers transparent public access to node and pool activity via block explorers and dashboards; there are no formal monthly reports or SLA guarantees, but network status is openly viewable in real-time.

PDAX does not currently publish monthly proof-of-reserve reports or maintain publicly visible wallets, though they do communicate via their Help Center and Learning Hub on security topics.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

THORChain itself is purely crypto-first and doesn’t support fiat deposit methods, but via THORWallet’s THORCash on-ramp you can use debit or credit cards—with no KYC up to certain limits—and bank transfers or local payment methods are coming soon, with rapid processing times.

Deposits in PHP are available via bank transfers, e-wallets, online channels, and OTC partners; minimums and fees vary by channel, and processing times range from near-instant to a few hours or up to a day depending on method.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Through THORCash, users can access purchase services with no KYC up to specific weekly and monthly thresholds; above those limits, verified KYC is required, although THORChain itself never requires any user-level identity verification.

PDAX offers four account tiers—Basic, Verified, Premium, and Prime—with escalating daily, monthly, and annual transaction limits tied to each level.

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing & Networks

Crypto withdrawals are subject to tiered daily limits based on your account level, typically processed within minutes but occasionally taking up to an hour; networks such as ERC-20, TRC-20, and others are supported with fees assigned per token.

Customer Support

Support comes via integrated interfaces—THORCash offers 24/7 support in its app, while broader guidance is available through community channels like Discord, docs, and FAQs; email support and help pages aid with troubleshooting.

Support is available by email and support tickets with variable response times; there is no live 24/7 chat, but users can access a knowledge base for self-help.

Languages & Localization

THORWallet app and THORCash on-ramp offer localized experiences including Spanish, display fiat amounts in €, and integrate with regional fiat networks where supported—making the user experience more regionally tailored.

The platform is fully localized for the Philippines, with a native English/PHP interface, showing fees only in PHP and tailored to compliant local regulation.

App Quality & Stability

THORWallet is actively maintained with a focus on stability, native DeFi integration, and frequent updates; its design emphasizes reliability, though precise crash statistics aren’t published publicly.

The PDAX mobile app is generally stable and user-friendly, with regular updates visible in app stores and few reports of crashes among regular users.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Learning Curve & Modes THORWallet delivers a clean, mobile-first interface tailored for both newcomers and DeFi practitioners; while there’s no explicit “Lite” or “Pro” mode, the intuitive design layers advanced features like multisig and cross-chain swaps in a way that keeps the core experience user-friendly.

PDAX offers a gentle learning curve with its toggleable Lite (Convert) mode for beginners and Pro mode showcasing order books and depth charts, enabling users to seamlessly transition from simplified to more advanced tools

Performance

Latency & Volatility Resilience Swap transactions execute with minimal delay due to THORChain’s high-throughput infrastructure, and the protocol infrastructure scales automatically to handle volatility surges—resulting in smooth operations even during high-demand periods.

Users generally enjoy responsive order execution under normal market conditions, though occasional reports hint at brief downtime or slower processing during sharp volatility spikes—typical of regional exchanges with growing demand

Education

Learning Resources & Spanish Content THORChain’s ecosystem offers educational support through THORChain University (via YouTube), developer documentation, and multilingual resources, though there is no fully featured demo, simulator, or Spanish-specific academy yet beyond community material.

The platform includes a rich “PDAX Learn” section featuring crypto basics, market insights, and educational content; however, there’s no dedicated demo or simulated trading environment, and Spanish-language content is currently absent

Community

Forums, Chat & Referral Program A robust community thrives through THORChain’s Discord, developer Discord, and active forums; THORWallet also includes a referral mechanism that rewards affiliate activity and invites strategic growth.

PDAX maintains official presence on Discord, Telegram, and Facebook, and runs engaging referral and reward programs—like PDAX Quests and influencer promos—to encourage peer participation and user-driven growth

Integrations

Tools & Tax Support The ecosystem integrates seamlessly with wallets like Ledger, SwapKit-powered platforms, and interfaces such as Rujira and Defispot; however, there’s no native TradingView, tax-tool integration, or external bot support built-in.

The platform comes equipped with TradingView-powered charts but currently lacks direct integrations for external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting services, limiting advanced automation and financial tracking options

Who Each One Is Best For

THORChain shines for DeFi and self-custody enthusiasts who value cross-chain flexibility and emergent DeFi integrations; it’s less suited to users seeking demo trading, advanced charting, or automated strategies.

PDAX is ideal for everyday Filipino users and crypto newcomers seeking a familiar, regulated, PHP-based experience; seasoned traders seeking derivative trading or deep automation may find its ecosystem less aligned with their advanced strategies.