Understanding the mechanisms behind Loopring’s decentralized exchange (DEX) is essential for grasping how it manages to achieve high efficiency and low transaction costs. Loopring’s DEX employs a combination of automated market maker (AMM) functionality and order-book-based trading, which sets it apart from other decentralized exchanges. By using zkRollup technology, Loopring processes transactions off-chain, significantly reducing gas fees and enhancing scalability.

Decentralized Exchange on Loopring

Loopring facilitates high-throughput and low-cost trading. Its primary offering is its decentralized exchange (DEX), which combines the functionalities of automated market makers (AMMs) and traditional order-book-based trading. This model allows users to benefit from the liquidity provided by AMMs while retaining the precision and control of order book trading.

The DEX uses zkRollup technology allowing the exchange to handle thousands of transactions per second (TPS), compared to Ethereum’s native capabilities of approximately 15 TPS. All trades are ultimately settled on the Ethereum mainnet, ensuring the security and transparency inherent to blockchain technology.

Orderbook-Based Trading and Ring-Matching

Loopring employs an orderbook-based trading model, which is familiar to users of traditional financial exchanges. In this model, users place buy and sell orders specifying the amount and price at which they wish to trade tokens. These orders are collected and displayed in a public orderbook, maintained by relayers, that provides a transparent view of the market, enabling users to see the available liquidity and make informed trading decisions.

The ring-matching mechanism is a feature of the protocol that, instead of relying solely on direct matches between buy and sell orders, is able to combine multiple orders into a circular trading loop, known as a ring, enhancing liquidity by matching orders that involve different token pairs, increasing the chances of execution even when direct matches are not available. The ring-matching algorithm is designed to maximize efficiency and minimize slippage.

By creating rings that aggregate liquidity from multiple sources, Loopring ensures that large orders can be executed without significantly impacting the market price, which can be advantageous for traders looking to execute high-volume trades without causing price fluctuations.

Fee Structures, Miner Incentives, and Margin Splits

The fee structure on Loopring is designed to be competitive and user-friendly. Transaction fees are paid in LRC, the native token of the Loopring protocol. LRC token holders and stakers can receive discounts on these fees, incentivizing long-term holding and participation in the network.

Ring miners, who facilitate the matching and execution of orders, are incentivized through a flexible reward system, where they can earn fees in LRC or receive a margin split from the trades they facilitate. The margin split is the difference between the user’s specified price and the actual execution price, which can be claimed by the miner. This ensures that miners are adequately rewarded for their efforts, promoting active participation and enhancing liquidity.

Loopring also employs a deflationary mechanism where a portion of the transaction fees paid in LRC is burned, reducing the total supply of the token over time. This deflationary aspect can potentially increase the value of LRC as demand for the token grows, further incentivizing its use within the ecosystem.

Highlights

• Loopring operates as a non-custodial, orderbook-based DEX with zkRollup technology for high throughput and low costs.
• The orderbook model supports limit and market orders, with decentralized relayers maintaining public orderbooks.
• Ring-matching algorithm enhances liquidity by combining multiple orders into circular trading loops.
• LRC is used for transaction fees, staking, and governance, incentivizing liquidity providers and ring miners.
• Trade execution involves off-chain order matching and on-chain atomic settlement to ensure security and finality.