Custody Options
Where your exchange's funds are held is your decision. Most operators keep the default; operators with their own custody requirements can switch to a dedicated provider.
Default: the HollaEx exchange wallet
Every exchange on the HollaEx Network comes with a built-in wallet that handles deposits and withdrawals between your exchange and your users automatically. There is nothing to set up, balances are visible in Operator Controls, and your exchange shares the HollaEx Network's liquidity for common markets such as BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT.
Your own custody
If you want to hold the keys yourself, HollaEx integrates with these providers through plugins:
| Provider | Integration | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Guveno (recommended) | Built into the dashboard's Custody page | Self-custody for businesses: wallets are derived and transactions signed in your browser, so the provider never holds a spendable key. Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC, XRP, Tron and Polkadot with tokens. REST API, webhooks, Node and Python SDKs. Withdrawals are requested by the exchange and approved by a person on your team. |
| Cobo | Cobo - Wallet Custody (WaaS 2.0) | Institutional wallet-as-a-service |
| HexTrust | HexTrust - Wallet Custody | Licensed custodian |
| Others (Fireblocks, BitGo, ...) | On request | May be possible for vetted teams with dedicated technical staff |
Own custody isn't switched on from the dashboard. To find out whether Guveno, Cobo, HexTrust or another provider is available for your exchange, open a ticket from your HollaEx dashboard.
The trade-off
Running on your own custody means your exchange runs as an isolated exchange, outside the public HollaEx Network. You keep full control of your keys, but you lose the shared order-book liquidity and the HollaEx Network Swap. You'll source liquidity yourself with market makers, external liquidity providers or your own bots. See liquidity and market making and the liquidity FAQ.
Switching to Guveno
The step-by-step guide to connecting Guveno, from preparing your vaults to installing the plugin, is in Custody of exchange funds.