Market Cap
24h Trading Volume
OHLC Chart
OneInch Sentiment β Bullish or Bearish?
OneInch β 7-Day Sentiment
What is OneInch?
1inch is a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator protocol that sources liquidity from dozens of on-chain venues to deliver users the best available swap rates across supported blockchains. Rather than executing a trade on a single DEX, the 1inch Pathfinder algorithm splits orders across multiple liquidity pools β including Uniswap, SushiSwap, Curve, Balancer, PancakeSwap, and many others β to minimize slippage and optimize the effective price received, while accounting for gas costs and market depth in real time.
The project was founded by Sergej Kunz and Anton Bukov, two Russian developers who built the first prototype during an ETHNewYork hackathon in May 2019. The 1inch aggregator launched publicly shortly after, and the 1INCH governance token went live on Christmas Day 2020 via a well-known airdrop to early users of the protocol. The team later raised funding from investors including Binance Labs, Pantera Capital, ParaFi, and Galaxy Digital in Series A and Series B rounds that brought total funding to more than $200 million combined.
The 1inch Network today consists of several interconnected components: the Aggregation Protocol (the core routing engine), the Limit Order Protocol (which powers conditional orders and RFQ trades), and 1inch Fusion β a gasless, intent-based swap system where professional market makers called "resolvers" compete to fill signed user orders. A newer Fusion+ feature extends the intent model to cross-chain swaps, competing directly with bridge aggregators. 1inch operates across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Base, zkSync Era, and other EVM networks, processing cumulative volume in the hundreds of billions of dollars since inception.
The 1INCH token underpins governance through the 1inch DAO, where holders stake tokens to receive st1INCH and participate in votes on treasury allocation, protocol parameters, and resolver whitelisting. Staked 1INCH also allows delegation to resolvers, who must hold Unicorn Power (derived from staked 1INCH with a time-lock multiplier) to participate in Fusion auctions. This creates organic demand for the token beyond pure speculation, though the real-world value accrual has been debated within the community.
The project has not been without controversy. In 2022, 1inch Network restricted certain features for U.S.-based users, citing regulatory uncertainty, which drew criticism from the DeFi community. The protocol has also faced scrutiny over MEV (maximal extractable value) and the economic relationships between resolvers and the foundation. In 2023, a phishing incident targeted some 1inch users, though the protocol itself was not compromised β a reminder of the importance of wallet hygiene rather than a smart contract flaw. On the security front, 1inch remains one of the most heavily audited DeFi protocols, with reviews from firms including OpenZeppelin, ConsenSys Diligence, and MixBytes, and a long-running bug bounty program on Immunefi. The protocol continues to rank among the top DEX aggregators globally by volume and integrations, competing primarily with CoW Swap, Paraswap, Matcha (0x), and Odos.
Key Features of OneInch
- Pathfinder Routing Algorithm: 1inch's proprietary Pathfinder algorithm scans dozens of liquidity sources simultaneously and splits a single trade across multiple pools and token intermediaries to find the optimal price. This routing frequently beats single-DEX execution by meaningful margins, especially on large orders where slippage matters most.
- Fusion Gasless Swaps: Fusion mode lets users sign a limit-style order off-chain while professional resolvers compete in a Dutch auction to fill it. The result is zero gas cost to the user, built-in MEV protection, and often a better net price than traditional AMM swaps.
- Cross-Chain Fusion+: Fusion+ extends the intent-based model across chains, letting users swap assets between Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, BNB Chain, and other networks without manually using a bridge. Resolvers handle the atomic cross-chain execution, abstracting away bridge selection and intermediate swaps.
- Limit Order Protocol: The 1inch Limit Order Protocol is one of the most flexible in DeFi, supporting conditional orders, stop-loss logic, RFQ (request for quote) flows from market makers, and dynamic pricing curves. It executes without keeper fees when filled and powers many third-party DeFi products.
- 1inch Wallet and dApp: The 1inch mobile wallet for iOS and Android integrates the aggregator natively, supports hardware wallets, and includes portfolio tracking, staking, and WalletConnect. Combined with the web dApp, it gives users a full self-custody trading experience across every supported chain.
OneInch Use Cases
- Large Spot Swaps: Traders executing sizable swaps use 1inch to split orders across multiple pools and avoid the slippage that would occur on a single DEX. This is particularly valuable for long-tail tokens with fragmented liquidity across venues.
- Gas-Free Retail Trading: Casual users on Ethereum mainnet rely on Fusion mode to swap without paying gas, which can otherwise make small trades uneconomical. The resolver network absorbs the execution cost in exchange for capturing small spreads, benefiting price-sensitive retail flow.
- DAO Treasury Rebalancing: DAOs and protocol treasuries use 1inch to rebalance large positions between stablecoins, governance tokens, and yield-bearing assets. The aggregator's deep routing and limit order tooling help minimize market impact when moving seven-figure amounts.
- Arbitrage and MEV Protection: Active DeFi users route trades through 1inch specifically to avoid sandwich attacks, since Fusion orders are executed privately by whitelisted resolvers rather than broadcast to the public mempool. This is a practical defense against front-running for retail and power users alike.
- Cross-Chain Position Movement: Users moving capital between L2s or between Ethereum and alternative L1s use Fusion+ as a one-click alternative to manual bridging. Instead of bridging then swapping, a single signed intent handles the entire flow.
OneInch Tokenomics
Max Supply
1.5B 1INCH
Network
Multi-chain
Governance
1inch DAO
Use Case
DEX Aggregation
- Total Supply
- 1INCH has a maximum supply of 1.5 billion tokens. The final emission schedule concludes roughly four years after launch, after which no new tokens are created by the protocol.
- Circulating
- A majority of the max supply is in circulation, with allocations to the community, treasury, team, and investors vesting on published schedules. Dynamic β see CoinGecko for live figures.
- Utility
- 1INCH is the governance token of the 1inch DAO. Staking 1INCH produces st1INCH and Unicorn Power, which grants voting rights, resolver eligibility for Fusion, and delegation rewards paid from protocol surplus.
- Emission
- Initial distribution occurred via the December 2020 airdrop, with subsequent unlocks over four years for team, backers, and community incentive programs. Ongoing emissions from liquidity mining and treasury programs are governed by DAO vote rather than a fixed inflation rate.
How to Buy OneInch
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1. Create a Binance account
Go to binance.com or download the Binance app and sign up with your email or phone number. Complete the identity verification (KYC) step by uploading a government ID and a selfie, since 1INCH trading typically requires a verified account. Enable two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator from the Security tab before depositing any funds.
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2. Deposit funds
Click the "Deposit" button on the Binance dashboard and choose either fiat (bank transfer, card, or SEPA) or crypto like USDT, BTC, or BNB. For crypto deposits, pick the correct network (e.g., ERC-20, BEP-20, or TRC-20) and send the exact matching asset to the generated deposit address. Wait for the required network confirmations before the balance becomes tradable.
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3. Navigate to the 1INCH market
Use the search bar at the top of Binance and type "1INCH" to find the available trading pairs, typically 1INCH/USDT, 1INCH/BTC, and 1INCH/FDUSD. Click the pair you want and select the "Spot" tab to open the standard trading interface. You can switch between basic and advanced views from the top-right of the chart.
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4. Place your buy order
In the order panel on the right, choose between a Market order (instant execution at current price) or a Limit order (execution at a price you specify). Enter the amount of USDT you want to spend or the quantity of 1INCH you want to acquire, then click the green "Buy 1INCH" button. The minimum order size on Binance is generally around $5 equivalent, though it varies by pair.
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5. Withdraw to self-custody (optional)
To use 1INCH for governance or staking, withdraw from Binance via the Wallet β Withdraw menu, select 1INCH, and paste your Ethereum, BNB Chain, or other supported network address. Always send a small test amount first, confirm receipt, and double-check the network matches your wallet before sending the full balance.
OneInch Historical Performance
All-Time High
$7.78
May 10, 2021
All-Time Low
$0.20
Oct 2023
Launch
Dec 2020
Christmas airdrop
Daily Volume
$1B+
Peak aggregated
1INCH launched on Christmas Day 2020 with a generous airdrop to early users. It reached $7.78 in May 2021. The protocol continues to be one of the most-used DEX aggregators, processing billions in cumulative volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DEX aggregator?
A DEX aggregator compares prices across multiple decentralized exchanges and routes trades through the best path. 1inch checks Uniswap, SushiSwap, Curve, Balancer, PancakeSwap, and many others to find optimal rates. It can split a single trade across several pools in one transaction to minimize slippage.
What is 1inch Fusion?
Fusion mode allows gasless swaps where professional resolvers execute trades on behalf of users. Users sign a limit-style order off-chain and resolvers compete in a Dutch auction to fill it, meaning no gas fees for the user. Fusion also provides strong MEV protection since orders are not broadcast to the public mempool.
How does 1inch save money compared to a direct DEX swap?
1inch saves money by splitting trades across multiple DEXs to minimize slippage, finding optimal routes through token intermediaries, and using Fusion mode for gasless execution. For medium and large orders, the price improvement over a single-DEX swap often exceeds any aggregator service fees. Smaller swaps particularly benefit from Fusion because gas costs are eliminated entirely.
Is 1inch safe to use?
1inch is one of the most audited DeFi protocols, with smart contracts reviewed by firms like OpenZeppelin, ConsenSys Diligence, and MixBytes, plus a long-standing Immunefi bug bounty. It routes trades through established DEXs and does not custody user funds at any point. As with any DeFi protocol, you should still verify contract addresses and approve only the spending allowances you need.
Can I stake 1INCH?
Yes, 1INCH can be staked on the 1inch dApp to mint st1INCH, which grants governance voting power and Unicorn Power used for resolver delegation. Staking with a longer lock-up multiplier increases your Unicorn Power and potential rewards. Note that st1INCH is non-transferable while locked, so you should only stake tokens you don't plan to sell in the near term.
Is 1INCH a good investment?
That depends entirely on your risk tolerance, time horizon, and view on DeFi adoption β this page is not financial advice. 1INCH is tied to a working, revenue-generating protocol with real usage, but like all altcoins it is volatile and subject to regulatory and competitive risk from aggregators such as CoW Swap, Paraswap, and Odos. Always size positions appropriately and consider that past performance, including the 2021 peak near $7.78, is not indicative of future returns.
What's the minimum to buy 1INCH on Binance?
Binance generally enforces a minimum spot order size of around $5 equivalent on 1INCH pairs, though this can vary slightly by market and over time. If you deposit fiat via card or bank transfer, minimums are often higher due to payment processor rules. Check the specific pair's trading rules on the Binance page before placing your first order.
Risk Warning
Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can change rapidly. The information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice.