How Crypto Trading Is Changing With Zero Fees and AI

Twenty traders gathered in Bali in August for the final ofAlpha Arena S03, competing live in a simulated trading environment for a share of $100,000.

The competition, backed by MEXC Ventures and held during CoinFest Asia, was won by Japan’s Arumando, followed by Murasaki Trades from the Philippines and Coin6097 from South Korea. 

For MEXC CEO Vugar Usi, the competition proved that a trader can enter the market with a small amount of money, catch the right trade, and become wealthy almost overnight – an idea that has long been fundamental to crypto’s appeal.

Exposing Trading for What It Is

During Alpha Arena, Usi pointed to the difference between watching traders during an entire session and following them on social media, where successful trades can receive far more attention than the losses, uncertainty, and emotional decisions surrounding them.

At the Bali competition, traders could be observed throughout the process. Organizers even measured participants’ heart rates, allowing viewers to see how they reacted as markets moved and whether they followed their original strategy or made decisions under pressure.

“You see what kind of decisions they make. Are they panicking? Are they panic buying or panic selling? Are they good at following their instinct, or are they more practical?” Usi said.

That is part of why he believes trading has an unusually low barrier to entry compared with many professional fields. Someone can study markets independently, develop a methodology, and potentially compete against traders with formal financial training and access to far more expensive technology.

For exchanges trying to attract the next generation of users, this also changes the job. Aside from access to markets, traders also want information, analytical tools, and products that help them interpret what is happening once they arrive.

ALPHA ARENA BALI GRAND FINAL

After battling through multiple intense rounds, Murasaki Trades has secured a TOP 3 spot heading into the Final Round.

The final battle is about to begin. Can Murasaki take it all the way?

LET’S GO, MURASAKI! 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/PM7ThuYy5A

— Alpha Intel (@AlphaIntelMedia) August 20, 2026

On Zero Trading Fees

Competition has become particularly fierce as major exchanges fight over trading costs.

MEXC has made zero-fee trading a big part of its strategy. Its current offering includes zero maker and taker fees across spot markets, alongside selected futures products, although eligibility and fee arrangements vary between products and campaigns. The exchange said its zero-fee initiatives saved 3.44 million users approximately 1.1 billion USDT during 2025.

Usi argues that reducing price to zero forces exchanges to compete elsewhere.

“When price is zero, it means the user is not choosing you because of just price,” he said. “That is where the competition actually starts.”

Source: finance.yahoo.com