What is DeXe (DEXE)?

DeXe is a comprehensive platform that allows users to establish their own decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), transparently manage community funds, and make collective decisions on the blockchain. Also known as a “social investment protocol,” DeXe has created a community-focused DeFi platform by allowing successful crypto investors to automatically copy their trading strategies to other users. In this way, it facilitates portfolio management and brings transparency to transaction processes, while the ecosystem’s native token, DEXE coin, plays a key role in the governance of the system. But of course, there is much more to it than this definition. Although the DeXe protocol started working on the Ethereum network, it has multi-chain support by design. The main purpose of the platform is to strengthen community-focused and decentralized decision-making processes in the DeFi space. To achieve this, DeXe combines the power of smart contracts running in the background with a user-friendly interface. Even users without technical knowledge can quickly create and manage their own DAO structures and make their decisions with on-chain voting thanks to DeXe. In this article, we will take a step-by-step look at how the DeXe protocol came about, its development process, why it is valuable, and the DeXe governance structure.

Definition and Origins of DeXe

DeXe is, in its simplest terms, a DeFi protocol that simplifies the process of establishing and managing a DAO. The protocol first emerged in 2020 and is part of the growing social trading (social investment) trend in the industry at the time it was born. Initially introduced as the DeXe Network, the project has gained fame as a decentralized social trading platform that makes it possible to automatically copy the transactions of successful cryptocurrency traders. In this way, a transparent and mutually beneficial environment was created between experienced investors and users who wanted to follow them. In essence, DeXe offered a collective investment experience by connecting user wallets and transactions through smart contracts without the need for a trusted third party.

The purpose of the DeXe protocol is to increase transparency and efficiency in crypto asset management. The project aimed to eliminate intermediaries in portfolio management using blockchain technology and to provide users with an accountable, trackable investment environment. In short, the answer to the question of what is DeXe coin can be summarized as the governance token of the DeXe protocol. DEXE token holders have a say in the future of the platform and DEXE coin and can vote on updates or changes to the protocol. Although DeXe was launched on the Ethereum network, it was designed to be compatible with different blockchains over time. It has the potential to work on multiple networks thanks to its use of an infrastructure compatible with EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine). Thus, DeXe aims to benefit from the security of Ethereum while also offering the speed and low cost advantages of other chains to the community.

In terms of the establishment of the project and the developer team, DeXe set out with a vision of decentralization. DeXe Network was founded by a team consisting of names such as Ukrainian entrepreneur Dmytro Kotliarov and Yuriy Hotoviy, CEO of Billtrade. Based on his experiences in the cryptocurrency market, Kotliarov realized that there was a need for decentralized and transparent asset management tools and laid the foundations of DeXe in this direction. During the founding process, the team consisted of experienced developers in the field of blockchain and DeFi.

DeXe History: Important Milestones

Despite its short history, DeXe has become a rapidly developing and constantly updating project. Here are the important milestones that the DeXe protocol has passed since its inception:

• 2020: The project was officially launched and the DEXE token was released. The year 2020 was a starting point for DeXe. Following the token sale and listings in September 2020, the DEXE coin began trading on exchanges. The DeXe protocol initially launched on Ethereum and announced its vision as a “social investment platform.” Throughout the year, the project focused on developing core features related to blockchain-based portfolio management.
• 2021: DeXe Protocol v1 was released, and the platform's first products were introduced to users. During this period, DeXe introduced innovative tools such as wallet-to-wallet copy trading. Thanks to the “Wallet Copy” feature, any user's transactions in their Ethereum wallet could be automatically tracked by another user. This enabled DeXe to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of social traders and took a significant step toward creating a democratic investment environment in the crypto world. 2021 also marked the beginning of DeXe's ecosystem expansion: The project team not only provided the community with free tools but also entered into collaborations with DeFi-focused side projects (e.g., the bot-blocking service 111PG and the trading terminal Kattana).
• 2022: A year of transformation and expansion for the DeXe protocol. In 2022, the project began to evolve the experience it gained from its social trading roots toward the development and popularization of DAO tools. In this context, a series of tools and features were released that allow users to create their own DAOs without getting bogged down in technical details. For example, the DAO creation studio and governance modules operating under the DeXe protocol were launched during this period. Now, a community could create its DAO, issue its own token, and set voting rules with just a few clicks using the ready-made smart contract templates provided by DeXe. This year signaled that DeXe is not just an investment copying platform but also a comprehensive DAO creation and management protocol. From the community’s perspective, 2022 began to be referred to as DeXe’s “breakout year,” as the project team grew its user base by organizing events that increased community engagement, award-winning competitions, and programs that encouraged governance experiences.
• 2023: With updates made at the protocol layer, improvements such as multi-signature (multi-sig) wallet integration, advanced analytics dashboards, and a mobile-friendly interface were added to the DeXe dApp. In 2023, DeXe also entered into significant partnerships with other projects and protocols in the industry. For example, integrations and partnerships were established between DeXe and various DeFi platforms (the sharing of a common vision with projects such as SwissBorg was notable during this period). As a result, DeXe's ecosystem expanded, and the cross-chain management of community funds and interaction with different platforms became possible. Another important development in 2023 was the further growth of the DeXe community and the increase in the number of users participating in protocol management. Thousands of DEXE token holders were now participating in the project through different networks and voting in governance processes.
• 2024: The expansion of the governance infrastructure and the evolution of the project began. As of 2024, DeXe further developed the tools it offers to DAO founders and introduced advanced governance features. In this context, new concepts such as meritocracy-focused voting systems, delegation mechanisms, and reward distributions began to be implemented in the protocol. DEXE token holders could now delegate their votes to experts they trusted, allowing individuals with high levels of knowledge to play a more active role in decision-making processes on behalf of the community. In addition, incentive features such as reward distribution from the protocol treasury to those participating in on-chain governance voting were added. DeXe Protocol's smart contract library has grown to over 50, supporting a wide variety of scenarios. In 2024, the DeXe community reached a decisive position in decisions about the protocol's future. The project's association, the DeXe Protocol Association, established in Switzerland, acted entirely in accordance with the decisions made by the DAO, even while taking the necessary legal steps. DeXe's development roadmap is now largely shaped by community votes, and the core team has evolved into a position of implementing these decisions. The future of DeXe coin has also come to be determined by the community in parallel with this governance model.
• 2025: The DeXe DAO system reached a significant milestone by launching a multi-chain staking program on BNB Chain and Ethereum networks, totaling $8.5 million, as of January 14, 2025. The program introduced Staking Governance, which allows users to lock their tokens for different maturities (1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months) to earn rewards while maintaining active governance power. This means users can continue to participate in on-chain voting with their staked DEXE tokens. A total of 526,250 DEXE tokens were allocated under the program; 500,000 of these were allocated to pools on BNB Chain and 26,250 to Ethereum pools. The smart contracts were audited by AmbiSafe.

Why is DeXe Valuable?

For a DeFi project to be successful, it must be innovative and provide users with significant benefits and solutions. So, what are the features that make the DeXe protocol valuable? Here are DeXe's key advantages and the opportunities it offers:

Easy DAO setup

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the DeXe protocol is that it makes the DAO creation process extremely simple. Traditionally, those who want to create a DAO need developers who can write smart contracts, lengthy preparation stages, and serious technical knowledge. DeXe changes this completely. Thanks to the DAO Studio interface on the platform, any user can create their own DAO structure with just a few clicks. No coding is required, and there’s no need to delve into complex technical details. For example, when you want to create a DAO with DeXe, a wizard guides you through the process step by step: you enter your DAO’s name, select parameters such as the quorum threshold and voting period, and if you want to issue your own token, you can do so with just a few clicks through the interface. All these processes are offered as a “no-code” experience. Thus, entrepreneurs, community leaders, or any group of people can launch a DAO without dealing with technical obstacles to bring their ideas to life. DeXe’s streamlined approach provides a practical answer to the question, “How do you set up a DAO?” Indeed, DeXe has reduced the process of setting up a decentralized organization to a matter of minutes (some users even report launching a DAO in under an hour using DeXe).

Integrated voting system

The DeXe protocol was designed with governance at its core from the very beginning. Decision-making processes within the platform are carried out entirely through on-chain voting mechanisms. What does this mean? When community members (i.e., DEXE token holders) vote on any proposal or decision, these votes are directly recorded and counted on the blockchain. The results are immutable, transparent, and publicly viewable. This fully realizes the decentralized decision-making process. DeXe also prioritized security when designing the voting system: Each DAO has smart contracts that manage its own treasury and can use a multi-signature wallet structure to control this treasury. A multi-signature wallet (multisig wallet) is a security model that requires multiple approvals for a transaction to take place. For example, if funds are to be withdrawn from a DAO treasury, and the digital signatures (approvals) of multiple designated administrators or board members are required, this is a multisig structure. By integrating this feature, the DeXe protocol ensures the secure management of community funds. This prevents a malicious actor from draining the treasury alone; decisions are implemented collectively. In summary, in DAOs established with DeXe, both voting is conducted transparently on the blockchain and fund management is secured through multi-signature approval mechanisms.

Modular and expandable infrastructure

Another element that increases the value of DeXe is the modular structure and flexibility it provides for developers and advanced users. The tools offered within the protocol can actually be thought of as a library. Because more than 50 smart contracts are ready to be used in different combinations. These contracts have various functions such as DAO creation, governance, treasury management, token sale (launchpad), delegation, and consul (advisory board). A developer or a community with special needs can build their own unique DAO structure by bringing together these modular parts of DeXe. For example, do you want a governance model different from the standard voting weight model? With components such as Consuls Contract and Delegation Contract in DeXe, you can establish a system based on meritocracy and giving more say to experts. Or will you have special rules in treasury management? With Treasury Contract, you can determine fund storage, locking and distribution rules. Thanks to this modularity, DeXe offers a flexible infrastructure that can meet the needs of communities of all sizes. Moreover, the fact that these smart contracts are open source is important in terms of gaining the trust of the community. It should be noted that the codes are open to independent auditing, and anyone who wants to can conduct security audits. From a developer perspective, DeXe is like a “DAO operating system”; it provides the basic services for you to build the applications you want on it.

DeXe also offers subgraph support so that developers and data analysts can easily access DAO data. This feature, which is explained in detail in its official documentation, allows DAO on-chain data to be queried quickly and structured via The Graph protocol. This provides developers with practical advantages in many areas, such as analyzing user behavior, tracking voting activities, or visualizing community interactions.

Fair governance for communities

The ultimate goal of the DeXe protocol was to build a community-focused DeFi platform, and in line with this goal, every component of the system was designed according to the principles of transparency and fairness. Since all steps in the governance processes can be tracked on the blockchain, community members can clearly see the accounts of decisions made and expenses made. For example, when a development proposal is put to vote, information such as who voted, the total number of votes, and whether the proposal passed or not is recorded on the chain. In addition, DeXe aims to ensure fairness by adding innovative applications to its governance model. One of these is the reputation system: Models are being worked on that affect the voting power of members not only according to the amount of tokens held, but also according to the contributions made to the community. Thus, the perception that only "those with a lot of money have their say" in DAOs can be destroyed, and a system can be established where members who really work and contribute can have a say. DeXe's reward and incentive mechanisms are also valuable for the community. The platform can give DEXE token rewards to members who participate in governance votes or submit suggestions in order to reward active participation.

The Power Between DeFi and DAO

To understand the value of DeXe, it is necessary to look at its positioning. The project is at the intersection of DeFi + DAO. In other words, while it deals with the basic elements of decentralized finance (asset management, staking, trading tools), on the one hand, it blends their management with a decentralized organizational structure. This dual nature gives DeXe a unique advantage. For example, when you create an investment pool with DeXe and want to earn returns, you can also make decisions on how to manage this pool together with DAO members. This means adding community control to decentralized finance transactions, which is a revolutionary approach in the world of finance. The DeXe protocol combines the financial freedom brought by DeFi with the democratic governance brought by DAOs, offering its users a fully autonomous and accountable platform. In addition, the concept of social investment protocols is also included in DeXe's scope; that is, an ecosystem has been created where users not only use a protocol, but also interact with each other and make collective investments. In this respect, DeXe is a representative of the “community-led finance” movement, one of the most exciting trends emerging in the crypto world. The protocol is in a strong position in this field with both its technical infrastructure and philosophy, and is a candidate to pioneer innovations that may emerge in the DeFi-DAO intersection in the future.

Who is the Founder of DeXe?

DeXe Network was co-founded by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Yuriy Hotoviy and Dmytro Kotliarov. Yuriy Hotoviy also serves as the CEO of Billtrade; he takes an active role in both DeXe's financial strategies and product development process. Dmytro Kotliarov, on the other hand, entered the sector with mining in 2016 and started working with this partnership to develop DeXe Network after observing crypto volatility.

The duo laid the foundations of the project firmly by combining their different areas of expertise. However, as the project progressed, DeXe began to adopt a completely community-oriented governance model instead of a single leader. Decision-making is driven by user participation, and this is done through the DeXe DAO. So while the founding team still contributes, the real power now lies with the collective will of the DAO.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Below, you can find answers to some frequently asked questions about DeXe:

• What is DeXe and what is its purpose?: DeXe is a protocol that makes it easier for users to establish and manage DAOs in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. Born in 2020 as a social investment platform, it has focused on DAO infrastructures over time. It enables community management and decision-making processes to be carried out on the blockchain without the need for technical knowledge. Its aim is to provide a transparent and participatory governance experience.
• What does DEXE token do?: The DEXE token is the governance token of the protocol. Its owners have a say in the future of the platform by voting on proposals. It also has functions such as staking, DAO treasury management and special access. It works as an asset that produces value within the ecosystem.
• How to set up a DAO with DeXe?: With DeXe's interface, users can create a DAO in minutes without the need for technical knowledge. The DAO name, governance rules and token settings can be easily determined. The multi-signature wallet and voting system are then automatically integrated. The process is fast and user-friendly.
• How are on-chain votes performed?: When a proposal is submitted, token holders vote on the blockchain. Votes are recorded and concluded automatically in a completely transparent manner. The process can be completed in a few clicks thanks to the user interface. Decisions are implemented through smart contracts.
• What networks does DeXe work on?: DeXe is actively running on the Ethereum network. Since it is EVM compatible, it can be integrated with many blockchains. This allows users to set up DAOs on their preferred networks.
• What is the level of decentralization of the project?: DeXe is a highly decentralized project that has delegated its governance to the community. Decisions are made by the DeXe DAO through on-chain votes. Treasury management is done with multi-signature wallets and the protocol is open source. It has a community-focused structure.

If you are planning to invest in DAO infrastructures or create your own community platform, check out JR Kripto's DeXe guide.