Deep Dive
1. Strategic Pivot to a Fully Decentralized Exchange (11 February 2026)
Overview: Arkham Exchange is undergoing a fundamental architectural shift, moving away from a centralized model to build a fully decentralized trading platform (DEX). This is a strategic reset, not a shutdown, reflecting leadership's belief in an on-chain future.
CEO Miguel Morel stated the move is a response to centralized exchanges becoming "bloated and unresponsive." The transition involves abandoning centralized custody and internal order-matching systems in favor of decentralized frameworks. This aligns with broader industry trends where perpetual DEX volumes surged from $4.1 trillion to $12 trillion in 2025.
What this means: This is bullish for ARKM because it positions the project at the forefront of a major industry trend toward user-controlled, transparent trading. It could attract users seeking cheaper, faster, and more secure self-custody trading, potentially increasing demand for the ARKM token within its own ecosystem. However, the transition carries execution risk and the platform's current daily volume (~$640k) is modest.
(CoinMarketCap)
2. Mobile App Launch for Crypto Exchange (1 December 2025)
Overview: Arkham launched its official "Exchange Mobile App," making its spot and perpetual trading services accessible on iOS and Android. The launch included a $100 trading fee credit incentive for new users.
This release followed earlier mobile browser optimizations and represents a significant investment in user experience and accessibility. It allows trading across several Ethereum-based chains directly from a smartphone, integrating the exchange with the broader Arkham intelligence ecosystem.
What this means: This is neutral to bullish for ARKM because it significantly improves accessibility for retail traders, which could drive user growth and trading volume. A smoother, mobile-native experience makes the platform more competitive. The success of this update depends on user adoption and whether increased convenience translates to sustained ecosystem activity.
(CoinMarketCap)
3. Exchange Fee and API Structure Update (23 February 2025)
Overview: Arkham updated its fee schedule for spot and perpetual trading, including a discount for users paying fees in ARKM tokens. The platform also revised its API rate limits, creating new tiers for developers, and introduced volume caps for its Season 2 points program.
These are backend economic and infrastructure adjustments designed to manage platform growth, incentivize ARKM utility, and provide structured access for automated traders. The changes were announced to take effect at a specific future date (12:00 AM UTC on 23 February 2025).
What this means: This is neutral for ARKM as it represents routine platform governance and optimization. The fee discount promotes token utility, which is a positive. The API updates cater to professional users, which could deepen platform liquidity. These are incremental improvements rather than transformative changes.
(Arkham Intelligence)
Conclusion
Arkham's development trajectory shows a clear evolution from feature updates to a foundational strategic shift toward decentralization, complemented by crucial accessibility improvements via its mobile app. How will the complexity of transitioning to a DEX impact its timeline and user experience compared to established competitors?