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PDAX review

4.0Last reviewed 2026-08-23

PDAX is the Philippine exchange most buyers use without realising it, because it runs the crypto feature inside GCash.

The Philippine Digital Asset Exchange has held a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas licence since September 2018, which makes it one of the longest-licensed platforms in the country. It runs a genuine order book in pesos rather than a buy widget, and it is the infrastructure behind GCrypto, the crypto service built into the GCash wallet. If you have bought bitcoin inside GCash, PDAX executed it.

Pricing is its weak point. Trading costs 0.40 percent maker and 0.50 percent taker, roughly four times what Coins Pro charges for the same trade. Bitcoin withdrawals cost 0.0004 BTC, which is well above what most exchanges charge and is worth checking against the size of your withdrawal before you move funds.

What it offers in exchange is direct peso settlement, a long licensing record, and the GCash integration that reaches buyers who will never install a dedicated exchange app.

Visit PDAXOpens pdax.ph
Founded
2018
Headquarters
Manila, Philippines
Fees
0.40 percent maker and 0.50 percent taker, about four times Coins Pro. Bitcoin withdrawals cost 0.0004 BTC, above the typical exchange charge.
KYC
Required
Payment methods
InstaPay, PESONet, GCash
Status
Operating

How you can pay on PDAX

Every deposit rail PDAX supports in at least one market.

Domestic bank rail
InstaPayPESONet
Local e-wallet
GCash

As published by PDAX: GCash, InstaPay, PESONet.

Pros and cons

What works

  • BSP-licensed since September 2018, one of the longest licensing records in the Philippines
  • Powers the crypto feature inside GCash, so it reaches buyers who never install an exchange app
  • A real peso order book rather than a markup-laden instant-buy widget

What to watch

  • 0.40 percent maker and 0.50 percent taker is roughly four times what Coins Pro charges
  • Bitcoin withdrawals cost 0.0004 BTC, well above the typical exchange fee
  • Custodial until you withdraw, like every platform here

Fees in detail

maker
0.40 percent
taker
0.50 percent
deposit note
Peso funding through InstaPay and PESONet bank transfers, and through the GCash wallet via the GCrypto integration.
withdrawal note
Bitcoin withdrawals cost 0.0004 BTC, which is high relative to most exchanges.

Where we recommend PDAX

Countries where PDAX ranks in our local guide. Availability beyond these is possible but unverified by us.

Frequently asked questions

Is PDAX the same as buying bitcoin in GCash?

Effectively yes. GCrypto, the crypto feature inside the GCash wallet, runs on PDAX infrastructure, so a GCash purchase is executed by PDAX.

What does PDAX charge?

0.40 percent maker and 0.50 percent taker. That is around four times Coins Pro's entry rate, so compare before you commit to one platform.

Is PDAX regulated?

Yes. It has held a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Virtual Asset Service Provider licence since September 2018.

Why is the bitcoin withdrawal fee so high?

PDAX charges a flat 0.0004 BTC to withdraw, which is above what most exchanges charge. On small withdrawals it is a large proportion of the amount, so batch withdrawals rather than making frequent small ones.

Worth comparing

Sources