Trading
Definitive
Exchange-grade order types without handing over custody. The routing pays for itself on size, not on small orders.
Non-custodialFree to useEthereum +more
The short answer
Definitive is a non-custodial trading terminal from the team behind Coinbase Prime's engine: limit orders, TWAPs, stops and take-profits routed across more than 200 venues, with gas and chain abstraction so you are not signing every step. The unusual part is the combination – order types of this kind normally require handing funds to a venue, and here they do not. The routing advantage is real on size and marginal or negative on small orders, which is the honest limit of the product.
Use it when
- You are moving size where routing quality changes the fill
- You want TWAPs, stops and take-profits without a custodial venue
- You are splitting orders rather than buying in one click
- You already know which order type you want and why
Skip it when
- You trade small size – the routing edge disappears
- You are trading Robinhood Chain, which it does not cover
- You want discovery and feeds rather than execution
- You want to see and approve every transaction yourself
What you are actually paying for
A fee per trade. Against that sits better routing, which on a large order can be worth more than the fee and on a small one is worth less. Nothing is custodied, so there is no counterparty exposure to price in – unusual for a terminal offering these order types.
Setting it up
- Connect a wallet. There is no hosted account to fund, which is the point of this one.
- Start with a limit order rather than a market buy – the routing is what you are paying for.
- Use TWAP for size. Splitting an order is how you avoid being the whole candle.
- Set stops and take-profits at entry, while you still have a view rather than a position.
- Compare a quote here against the raw pool before trusting the routing on small orders.
Specifications
- Chains
- Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Solana
- Runs on
- Web app
- Fees
- A percentage per trade
- Custody
- Non-custodial
- Price
- Free to use
- Setup
- Moderate
What can go wrong
- Advanced order types fail in ways market buys do not – understand each before using it
- Routing is only as good as the venues it reaches, and thin markets stay thin
- Abstraction hides what you are signing, which is convenient until it is not
Definitive FAQ
Is Definitive really non-custodial?
Yes – it routes orders and never holds funds, which is what separates it from venues offering similar order types. The trade-off is that some operations need your signature where a custodial venue would not.
Does it support Robinhood Chain?
Not at the time of writing. It is listed here as the non-custodial comparison point for pro order types.
When does a TWAP beat a market buy?
When your order is large enough to move the pool. Splitting it across time means you trade at an average rather than paying the whole slippage curve in one go.
Alternatives
AxiomSimilar execution focus with chain coverage that includes this one.
UniswapThe pool directly, when routing cannot help a small order.
GMGNResearch and discovery, which this deliberately does not do.