What is a swap and why are commissions lower on DEX?

A swap is the exchange of one token for another. When we exchange tokens on CEX, the exchange and its entire infrastructure are responsible for the process. In DeFi, everything is simpler — because a smart contract is at work.

How swaps work:
DEX has a liquidity pool (e.g., $TON + $USDT)
The algorithm automatically calculates the exchange rate
You deposit $TON → receive $USDT directly from the pool

Why are commissions lower:
There are no intermediaries or staff — only code
You only pay for the transaction on the network
Everything is transparent: the commission and slippage are immediately visible

The result:
Swaps are fast
Exchanges are available in a couple of clicks
Liquidity is provided by the users themselves, who earn commissions in return

In the TON ecosystem, on its main DEX platform STONfi, you can both add coins to liquidity pools, earning commissions, and make profitable quick swaps without losing your funds on commissions that you would pay when exchanging the same coins on CEX.

The conclusion from all this is: be smarter, don't be fooled by CEX exchange advertising. Do the maths yourself and see that you can save a lot on DEX. And in the current environment, if you've saved money, you've already earned it