IDEX & IDXM: The Tokens of IDEX Explained

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IDEX

5 min readDec 3, 2018

UPDATE: The AURA token has been transitioned to IDEX, please go here to learn more.

IDEX has been live for just over a year, breaking records as the #1 Ethereum Dapp for 8 months and counting. However, there is still some confusion around the two unique utility tokens that support our current and future ecosystem — IDEX & IDXM. Let’s take a step back and look at each token’s utility and benefits.

TL;DR

IDEX — The primary utility token of IDEX. Users will soon be able to stake IDEX and earn fees collected by IDEX in return for helping secure components of our decentralized architecture. IDEX token also incentivizes platform adoption and trading volume through IDEX trading rewards which are automatically distributed to users’ wallets based on their monthly trading volume.

IDXM — The “IDEX Membership” token. IDXM grants holders the ability to reduce their trading fees, increase their trading rewards, or a mixture of both. The maximum benefits (zero trading fees or 2x IDEX trading rewards) are realized at 1 IDXM and can be allocated according to users’ preferences. Those with less than 1 IDXM enjoy prorated benefits (e.g. a user with 0.5 IDXM is entitled to ½ off trading fees). Additional IDEX Membership benefits will be added as the trading platform and its functionality grows.

What is IDEX?

IDEX is the Proof-of- Stake (PoS) utility token of IDEX. It currently serves two primary functions:

IDEX Trading Rewards

To incentivize early adoption and increased trading activity, 200M IDEX tokens (20% of the total supply of 1B AURA) have been allocated to the IDEX trading rewards program. Each month, 1% of the total amount is distributed to users based on their trading volume. For example, 2M was distributed the first month, 1.98M was distributed the second month etc. ad infinitum. There is no special sign up required to earn the rewards — every wallet that has orders filled will automatically be rewarded with IDEX. Simply put…the more you trade on IDEX the more IDEX tokens you earn!

Note: Users can increase their IDEX trading reward earnings with the IDXM (“IDEX Membership”) token which is described in detail below.

IDEX Staking

The IDEX token will soon allow users to earn fees collected by IDEX through our upcoming PoS network. By staking IDEX and helping to further decentralize and secure IDEX, node operators will be rewarded based on their percent stake and tier (more computationally intensive tiers earn larger rewards). As volume on IDEX increases, node operators will secure an increasingly large network and therefore be able to claim larger rewards, allowing the community to share in the continued success of the IDEX trading platform.

Tier 3 (Trade History) alpha staking is scheduled to launch in Q4 2018. Users will be required to stake a minimum of 10,000 IDEX to run a node. During the Tier 3 alpha stage, IDEX stakers will be rewarded with 25% of all IDEX fees. This percentage will be adjusted throughout time as more tiers and functionality are added to the staking system.

Additionally, all IDEX customers will have the ability to opt in to receive trade history from node operators during the Alpha phase. Customers who opt in will receive 2x IDEX trading rewards and are not required to run a node. Those who opt in and hold IDXM (token details below) are eligible to receive stacked trading rewards. In other words, users can combine their 2x opt-in rewards with 2x IDXM trading rewards to receive up to a 4x multiplier on IDEX trading rewards

AURA Token details

Ticker: IDEX
Current supply (11/28): 152,217,511
Total Supply: 1,000,000,000
Token Address: 0xb705268213d593b8fd88d3fdeff93aff5cbdcfae

What is IDXM?

IDXM stands for “IDEX Membership.” As the name suggests, IDXM grants token holders unique membership-style benefits on IDEX, which are accessible after the token incubates in one’s IDEX trading wallet for 1 week. These benefits include:

Reduced IDEX Trading Fees Until 2021

Users holding 1 IDXM can choose to enjoy up to 100% off their IDEX trading fees until 2021. When holding less than 1 IDXM, these reduced fees are prorated accordingly (e.g. holding 0.5 IDXM entitles members up to 50% off trading fees). It is important to note that this does not apply to the gas fees collected by blockchain miners.

Increased IDEX Trading rewards

Users holding 1 IDXM can also choose to receive up to 2x IDEX trading rewards for life. Again, when holding less than a full IDXM, this benefit is prorated accordingly.

IDXM Benefit Allocation

Users can choose how to allocate IDXM benefits according to their preferences by using the slider in the “Benefits” tab within the IDEX platform. While more than 1 IDXM can be held by any user for future trading purposes, the maximum IDEX reward potential (100% off IDEX trading fees OR 2x IDEX rewards) is reached at 1 IDXM.

An example of IDXM reward allocation within the Benefits tab

Future IDXM Uses

As IDEX continues to grow and add more functionality to the trading platform, IDXM will provide users with additional benefits. These could include things like voting, first access to new features and more.

IDXM Token details

Ticker: IDXM
Current Supply: 2,000
Total Supply: 2,000
Token Address: 0xcc13fc627effd6e35d2d2706ea3c4d7396c610ea