DEX-only mode
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Most of the liquidity sources Kotova X connects to are centralised companies. In defined circumstances they can stop processing a swap and hold the deposit until their own review concludes. DEX-only mode removes those sources from consideration entirely, leaving only a route where no operator has that ability.
It is off by default, and this page explains why.
What it does
Section titled “What it does”With the mode on, your browser applies three filters at once:
- Every source that could hold funds is removed from the provider list — not struck through, removed — and from the pool competing for your order.
- Any asset or network covered only by those sources disappears from the picker, on both the send and the receive side.
- The provider your browser submits at confirmation can only be one that survived the filter.
The property it selects for
Section titled “The property it selects for”Each connected source carries a flag for whether an operator is able to hold a deposit mid-swap. A decentralised protocol has none. You set a refund address, a slippage tolerance and a deadline when the order is created; if the swap cannot fill inside those bounds, the protocol returns the deposit to your refund address on its own. There is no desk to appeal to because there is no desk.
That is the whole of it: narrow, and architectural rather than contractual. See Counterparty and freeze risk for what it protects against.
What it means today
Section titled “What it means today”Of the nine sources Kotova connects to, exactly one qualifies: Chainflip. Turning the mode on is therefore closer to selecting a single provider than to narrowing a field.
| Mode off | Mode on | |
|---|---|---|
| Sources competing | Up to nine, per pair | One, when it covers the pair |
| Rate types | Fixed and variable | Variable only |
| Coverage | Hundreds of assets across dozens of networks | A short list of major assets on a handful of networks |
| Refund address | Requested only where the provider needs one | Always required |
The asset picker is the authority on current coverage. If an asset is not there with the mode on, no qualifying source lists it.
What it costs you
Section titled “What it costs you”Assets and networks
Section titled “Assets and networks”The picker shrinks to the intersection of your pair and one provider’s catalogue. Most pairs that work normally on Kotova X do not work at all in this mode.
The fixed rate option
Section titled “The fixed rate option”The qualifying source is an automated market maker and quotes variable rates only. Selecting a fixed rate with DEX-only mode on returns no quotes from anywhere.
The comparison itself
Section titled “The comparison itself”One quote is not a comparison. Aggregation only produces a better number when several sources bid against each other, and this mode removes the other bidders.
It also removes them from view. Switching off a single provider leaves its row visible with its price, so an exclusion that is costing you money stays on screen. DEX-only mode hides those rows completely, so the amount you are giving up is not displayed anywhere.
An extra step at checkout
Section titled “An extra step at checkout”A refund address is mandatory on this route, so you will always be asked for one before the order is created.
If nothing covers your pair, the provider list comes up empty and the exchange button stays disabled with a prompt to enable at least one source. Both that list and the asset picker carry a one-tap link to switch the mode back off.
Turning it on and off
Section titled “Turning it on and off”- Open the Settings panel from the Security control on the swap form, beside the rate type selector.
- Toggle Freeze Protection.
- Close the panel. Quotes, the provider list and the asset picker all update immediately.
The setting is stored in your browser, on the device where you set it. It survives reloads, applies to every later quote, and propagates to your other open tabs. It is not tied to an account, because there is no account: another browser, another device, or a cleared browser data store all start again with the mode off.
The Settings control is hidden once an order is being created, so the mode applies to your next order rather than one already in flight.
What it does not do
Section titled “What it does not do”- It is not enforced by Kotova’s servers. The preference stays on your device and nothing server-side routes on it. Kotova still asks every eligible source for a quote; your browser is what discards the ones that do not qualify. An order created without the mode — from another device, or a link opened elsewhere — is accepted normally.
- It does not change custody. Kotova holds no funds in either mode. You keep control of your funds because they are never with Kotova. See Non-custodial architecture.
- It does not remove risk, it moves it. A decentralised route has no operator to freeze anything, and in exchange carries protocol, bridging and network failure that a centralised desk does not.
- It does not protect the destination. If you receive into an account at a centralised exchange, that operator can still freeze the funds after they arrive. The mode governs the route, not where the route ends.
- It is not a compliance feature. Kotova performs no identity checks and no sanctions screening in either mode. Where those checks happen, they are the connected provider’s.
- It does not protect you from your own mistakes. A wrong address, a wrong network or a missing memo is unrecoverable on any route. See Refunds and emergencies.
- It does not guarantee a better price. With one source quoting instead of several, there is no comparison to win — and on many pairs there is no quote at all.
If your concern is a specific provider rather than centralised providers as a class, switching that one off in the provider list is the cheaper instrument — the next-best quote takes over and the rest of the field keeps competing. See Quoting and routing.