DexLadder Open the app

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA)

Buying a fixed amount at regular intervals regardless of price, instead of choosing a single entry.

Last verified 13 September 2026 · written by the DexLadder team

What it means

Buying a fixed amount at regular intervals regardless of price, instead of choosing a single entry.

Why it matters when you trade

DCA converts a timing decision into a process, which matters mainly because it removes the psychological trigger for the worst behaviour — buying everything at the top and nothing at the bottom. Mathematically, lump-sum investing wins more often than not when the asset trends up, so DCA is best understood as buying behavioural reliability rather than better entries.

Worked example

Four $250 buys at 100, 80, 60 and 90 average 77.5 — below the 82.5 mean price, because the fixed amount buys more units when price is low.

See it on live markets

DexLadder runs dollar-cost averaging (dca) against live market and pool data, with simulated capital, so you can watch it act on an order instead of reading about it — no account, no wallet, nothing installed.

Related terms

← Every term in the glossary

Open the free Web3 desk — no account, nothing to install