Ethfinex offers low trading fees and strong liquidity for active traders, especially those focused on Ethereum. But with no credit card deposits, high withdrawal fees, and no mobile app, it's not for beginners. Here's what you need to know in 2025.
Ethfinex Crypto Exchange: What Happened and What to Use Instead
When you hear Ethfinex, a now-defunct crypto exchange that merged with Bitfinex in 2019 to form a single trading platform for institutional and advanced traders. Also known as Ethfinex.io, it was one of the first platforms built for trading Ethereum-based tokens with deep liquidity and low fees. Ethfinex didn’t just fade away—it was absorbed. By 2019, its team, technology, and user base were folded into Bitfinex, leaving behind no independent platform, no customer support, and no official shutdown notice. If you’re searching for Ethfinex today, you’ll either find a dead website, a scam copycat, or a redirect to Bitfinex. The truth? Ethfinex doesn’t exist as a standalone service anymore.
What made Ethfinex stand out was its focus on decentralized exchange, a trading system that lets users swap crypto directly without handing over control of their funds features before DeFi became mainstream. It supported ERC-20 tokens early, offered limit orders with no maker fees, and attracted traders tired of centralized exchanges holding their crypto. But it never solved the big problems: poor UI, slow withdrawals, and lack of clear communication. When Bitfinex took over, users didn’t protest—they just moved. The same team, same tech, same risks. And today, those risks are even clearer. Bitfinex has faced regulatory scrutiny, frozen withdrawals, and lawsuits. Ethfinex’s legacy isn’t innovation—it’s a warning.
If you’re looking for what Ethfinex once offered—low fees, deep order books, and token diversity—you’ll find better options now. Platforms like Exchangeist, a secure, transparent crypto exchange with 97% cold storage and no hidden fees, or NovaEx, a newer exchange offering zero-slippage trades backed by insurance, deliver what Ethfinex promised but never consistently delivered. You don’t need a ghost platform. You need something alive, accountable, and updated. Below, you’ll find real reviews of exchanges that are still operating in 2025, honest takes on what works, and clear warnings about platforms that look like Ethfinex but are just traps.