Bamboo Relay isn’t another centralized crypto exchange like Binance or Coinbase. It doesn’t hold your money. It doesn’t ask for your ID. It doesn’t even have a customer support line you can call. Instead, it’s a decentralized exchange (DEX) built on Ethereum that lets you trade directly from your wallet-no middleman, no account, no fuss. But here’s the real question: in 2026, is Bamboo Relay still worth using?
How Bamboo Relay Actually Works
Bamboo Relay doesn’t run its own order book. It doesn’t store trades or match buyers and sellers on its servers. Instead, it’s a relayer-a middleman that connects traders using the 0x protocol. Think of it like a bulletin board where people post buy and sell orders, and the 0x protocol handles the actual trade execution on-chain. This means trades settle directly on Ethereum, and your crypto never leaves your wallet.
What makes Bamboo Relay different is its integration with bZx, a DeFi protocol that lets you trade on margin and lend/borrow crypto. Most DEXs only do spot trading. Bamboo Relay lets you go long or short on ETH, LINK, or USDC without leaving the platform. That’s rare for a DEX, especially one that launched back in 2017.
And here’s the kicker: you can deposit fiat via credit card. That’s not something you find on Uniswap or SushiSwap. Bamboo Relay partners with Carbon, a payment processor, to let you buy crypto directly with a Visa or Mastercard. You enter your card details, pay a fee, and tokens get sent to your connected wallet. No bank transfer. No wire. Just a card and a click.
Supported Tokens and Trading Pairs
Bamboo Relay supports a tight selection of Ethereum-based tokens. According to available records, you can trade:
- USD Coin (USDC) - the most stable option for spot trading
- ChainLink (LINK) - popular for DeFi and oracle-based trades
- Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) - lets you trade BTC on Ethereum without moving off-chain
That’s it. No Solana tokens. No Polygon. No new meme coins. If you’re looking to trade Shiba Inu or PepeCoin, you won’t find them here. This isn’t a DEX built for hype. It’s built for serious DeFi users who want to trade core assets with margin capabilities-all while staying fully decentralized.
Fees: Competitive, But Not Always Cheaper
Bamboo Relay uses a maker-taker fee model:
- Makers (limit orders): 0.1% per trade
- Takers (market orders): 0.2% per trade
That’s competitive. On centralized exchanges like Binance, standard fees start at 0.1% and can go up to 0.5% without volume discounts. But here’s the catch: if you hold BNB, Binance cuts your fee in half. Bamboo Relay doesn’t have a token to reduce fees. You pay what you pay.
Plus, if you’re trading with a credit card, Carbon’s fee adds another 3-5% on top. So while the exchange fee is low, the total cost of entry might not be. For small trades, this could eat into profits. For larger, frequent traders, it’s worth comparing against a centralized exchange with lower withdrawal fees.
Security: No Custody, No Central Target
Since Bamboo Relay doesn’t hold your funds, it can’t be hacked in the traditional sense. Your assets stay in your MetaMask or WalletConnect wallet. If someone steals your private key, the exchange isn’t to blame. That’s the beauty of decentralization.
But that also means you’re 100% responsible. No password reset. No recovery email. No help desk. If you send ETH to the wrong address? Gone forever. If you lose your seed phrase? Gone forever.
There’s been no public report of a security breach on Bamboo Relay. That’s good. But there’s also no public audit report from a firm like CertiK or SlowMist. The 0x and bZx protocols have been audited, but that doesn’t guarantee the relayer interface is flawless. You’re trusting smart contracts that have been live since 2017-no major exploits, but also no recent upgrades.
Who Is Bamboo Relay For?
This isn’t for beginners. If you just bought your first Bitcoin and don’t know what a wallet address is, Bamboo Relay will confuse you. It assumes you already know how to:
- Connect MetaMask to a DEX
- Approve token allowances
- Understand gas fees
- Use limit and market orders
It’s also not for traders chasing the next 10x coin. The liquidity is thin. You won’t find deep order books for obscure tokens. If you try to sell 10,000 USDC in one go, you’ll likely get a bad price-or your trade won’t fill at all.
Bamboo Relay is for one type of user: someone who wants to trade ETH-based assets with margin, without giving up control of their crypto, and is okay with limited options. It’s a niche tool. Not a daily driver. Think of it like a Swiss Army knife-useful for specific jobs, but not your main tool.
Is Bamboo Relay Still Active in 2026?
This is the biggest question.
The last major update to Bamboo Relay’s documentation was in July 2022. CryptoRival still lists it as “Review Coming Soon!” as of 2025. There are no recent blog posts. No Twitter updates. No GitHub commits. No new token listings. No mobile app. No community forums. The Revain review section has 8 reviews, but only one is partially readable-and it mentions Australia, hinting at a tiny, localized user base.
Compare that to Uniswap, which releases new versions every few months, or dYdX, which added perps trading and a native token. Bamboo Relay hasn’t changed. It’s frozen in time.
Some might call it stable. Others call it abandoned.
The fact that Alchemy’s 2025 DEX directory mistakenly lists Bamboo Relay as a “Solana yield farming protocol” tells you everything. Someone’s still listing it, but nobody’s maintaining it. That’s dangerous in crypto. Protocols evolve. Liquidity moves. If Bamboo Relay isn’t updating, it’s falling behind.
The Bottom Line: A Niche That Might Be Gone
Bamboo Relay had potential. Combining 0x’s order matching with bZx’s margin trading was smart. Adding credit card deposits was bold. For a while, it stood out.
But in 2026? It’s a relic.
If you’re already using MetaMask, want to trade USDC or WBTC with leverage, and don’t mind low liquidity, you can still use it. The platform works. The trades go through. The fees are fair.
But if you’re looking for a reliable, growing, actively maintained DEX? Look elsewhere. Newer platforms like Uniswap v3, Perpetual Protocol, or Hyperliquid offer better liquidity, lower slippage, and active development. Even Curve or Balancer are more dynamic.
Bamboo Relay isn’t broken. But it’s not moving forward either. And in crypto, standing still means falling behind.
What You Should Do Instead
If you want margin trading on a DEX with real liquidity:
- Try dYdX for perpetual contracts on ETH, SOL, and BTC
- Use Hyperliquid for low-fee, high-speed trading with deep order books
- For spot trading with low fees, go to Uniswap v3 or Balancer
- If you need fiat on-ramps, use Kraken or Coinbase (yes, even with KYC-sometimes convenience wins)
Bamboo Relay might have been a pioneer. But now, it’s more of a museum piece.
Can I use Bamboo Relay without a wallet?
No. Bamboo Relay requires you to connect a compatible Ethereum wallet like MetaMask, WalletConnect, or Rabby. It doesn’t offer custodial accounts or built-in wallets. You must control your own private keys to trade.
Does Bamboo Relay support US users?
Yes. According to available documentation, US investors can use Bamboo Relay. Since it’s a non-custodial DEX, it doesn’t need to comply with traditional financial regulations like KYC or AML checks. However, users are responsible for reporting trades to the IRS.
Can I trade Bitcoin on Bamboo Relay?
Not directly. You can only trade Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), which is an ERC-20 token pegged 1:1 to Bitcoin. WBTC lets you use BTC on Ethereum-based platforms, but you’re not trading actual Bitcoin. To get WBTC, you’ll need to wrap BTC through a custodian like BitGo.
Is Bamboo Relay safe from hacks?
The platform itself has no central server to hack. But your wallet does. If you connect to a fake Bamboo Relay site and approve a malicious contract, you could lose your funds. Always verify the official URL (bamboo.relay) and never approve unknown token allowances. There have been no reported breaches, but smart contract risks remain.
Why does Bamboo Relay have low liquidity?
Because it doesn’t incentivize liquidity providers the way Uniswap or Curve do. There’s no token reward, no yield farming, and no staking program. Without financial incentives, traders and liquidity providers have moved to more active DEXs. Low liquidity means higher slippage and slower trade fills.
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