How to purchase a coin on a decentralised exchange

Want to invest in a coin that’s not on big exchanges? Here’s how you can do it.

Platforms like PancakeSwap, Uniswap, and SushiSwap are decentralised exchanges (DEXs). Unlike big exchanges like Binance, DEXs let you swap crypto directly without a middleman.

If you’re trying to grab a meme coin or an early-stage project that’s not on the big platforms yet, you’re in the right place.

Just remember: Centralised exchanges (CEXs), like Binance or Coinbase, are run by companies that handle your funds, while DEXs give you full control.

DYOR (Do Your Own Research) – some coins aren’t on big exchanges for a reason!

Recommended wallets – Trust Wallet or Metamask.

  1. Go to www.coingecko.com
  2. Search your coin 
  3. Copy address
    It will look something like this:

4. Set up your wallet for the coin – This process will allow you to physically see them in your wallet.

Trust Wallet – Go to Add Asset then Search “Custom” and it will pop up to “Add Custom Token”. Usually when you paste the address you have copied in CoinGecko, it will auto-fill everything else.

Metamask – If it is on the Binance Smart Chain, you will need to do a little bit more work. 

Go into your Metamask – Click on the Ethereum Mainnet Dropdown Menu, scroll down, and click “Custom RPC ” OR if you are using an ipad/tablet, go into your settings then click into “Network” – Create the following:

Create a Binance Smart Chain Network (BSC).

ENTER

Network Name: Smart Chain
New RPC Url: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/
ChainID: 56
Symbol: BNB
Block Explorer URL: https://bscscan.com

When you do this you will then have to go into “Managed Tokens” and add the contract address. This will allow you to visually see it in your Metamask.

Important – When sending BNB to Metamask you will need to make sure you send it in the network: BEP20 (Binance Smart Chain).

5. Ok, now that you have your wallet set up, you are going to want to transfer your BNB (BSC) or ETH or USDT into your wallet. (Please make sure you are sending it to the right network).

6. When you search your coin on Coingecko, scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see [Coin name] Markets. This will tell you where you can purchase the coin. 

It should look something like this. 

From there you can click into the exchange / swap site and make your purchase. So here we can see TCG2 is available on Pancake Swap, while FLOKI is available on Both Uniswap and Pancakeswap.

Example with PancakeSwap
Connect Wallet – If you are using Trust Wallet on your phone and the swap on your desktop – Click in to Wallet Connect.

You will need to go to settings on the app and it will look something like that – 

Once you are in Pancake Swap you will see something like this. This is where you will click into the swap coin (see image below).

Once you have done that you can search if the coin token is available, If it does not show up, you will need to go into managed tokens or paste the address you got on Coingecko. You will then need to click “IMPORT” 

If you go into Managed Tokens, it will look something like this: 

Once you have actioned the swap, you will then need to make sure you accept the smart contract in your Trust Wallet or Metamask. 

When you want to cash out on your coin, you just complete the process again, but swap it back to BNB or another coin.

Uniswap and SushiSwap are similar in the process. 

Lastly, I would highly recommend you DYOR before investing in any type of coin. Some coins aren’t on the Exchange platforms for a reason!!!

Check this article out on what to look out for before investing in a coin. – Fact checking