DEXes · Review
ActiveCetus CLMM Review 2026: Concentrated Liquidity on Sui
Cetus is a concentrated-liquidity DEX and swap aggregator built for Sui, with an Aptos version, and about $26M in TVL on DefiLlama. It has a broad toolset, but exploit risk is real.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
6.5/10
Good
Our verdict on Cetus CLMM
6.5/10Cetus suits traders and liquidity providers who already use Sui or Aptos and want an aggregator, concentrated-liquidity pools, vaults and automated DCA or limit orders in one place. Its main strength is the breadth of tools around a CLMM core. The main caveat is security: DefiLlama lists no audits, the protocol was reportedly exploited in May 2025, and concentrated liquidity brings impermanent loss. Read the audit report and start small.
Score breakdown
How Cetus CLMM scores
- Security
- 5.0/10
- Ease of use
- 7.0/10
- Fees
- n/a
- Features
- 8.0/10
Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.
What is Cetus CLMM?
Cetus is a decentralized exchange and concentrated liquidity protocol aimed at Move-based chains. DefiLlama lists it on Sui and Aptos, with about $26 million in TVL, a 7-day change of -1.0%, and a listing date of November 2022. Its token is CETUS.
The homepage calls it 'where On-Chain Trading happens' and says it aims to simplify trading for all users and assets. It cites $103 billion in trade volume, 18 million accounts and 214 million all-time trades. These are the project's own figures, and we have not verified them.
Beyond swaps, Cetus offers a swap aggregator, concentrated-liquidity pools, automated vaults, DCA and limit orders, and a launchpad. It also runs a non-profit incubator for Sui projects and sells liquidity access to developers. This is a broad DeFi suite, but it is not a low-risk product.
How Cetus CLMM works
Cetus is an automated market maker. Instead of an order book, traders swap against pools of tokens deposited by liquidity providers. Its pools use a concentrated liquidity design (CLMM), in which a provider chooses a price range for their capital. Capital works harder inside that range and earns fees only while the market price is within it.
On top of the pools sit several tools. The Super Aggregator searches liquidity sources in the Sui ecosystem to route a swap. Cetus Vault automates position management. Intent Trading lets users set up DCA schedules and limit orders. Pools are permissionless, so anyone can create one.
The CETUS token is used for governance, and the project describes a dual-token system with xCETUS that distributes protocol earnings to active users.
7 features
Key features
01
Super Aggregator
Routes swaps across key liquidity sources in the Sui ecosystem to give traders broad access to liquidity.
02
Infinity Pools (CLMM)
Permissionless concentrated-liquidity pools with multiple fee tiers. Providers pick price ranges to improve capital efficiency.
03
Cetus Vault
Automates and optimizes liquidity position management so less hands-on users can take part.
04
Intent Trading
Supports dollar-cost averaging and limit orders, letting users schedule or price-target trades.
05
Asset Launch
A launchpad for new Sui projects, backed by a non-profit incubator offering grants and support.
06
Incentive modules
Liquidity mining and farming modules reward liquidity providers, alongside the CETUS and xCETUS token system.
07
Developer tools
Offers developers 'Liquidity as a Service', with documentation, GitHub and a terminal demo for integrations.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Wide product set in one app: aggregator, CLMM pools, vaults, DCA and limit orders, and a launchpad.
- Permissionless pool creation with multiple fee tiers.
- Concentrated liquidity can improve capital efficiency for liquidity providers.
- Open-source contracts, a public audit report link and documentation on the official site.
- Developer integrations through 'Liquidity as a Service' and a terminal demo.
- Established listing since 2022 and about $26M in TVL.
Watch out for
- DefiLlama lists no audits for the protocol, so users need to read the audit report linked from the project site themselves.
- Concentrated liquidity carries impermanent loss, and positions can stop earning fees when the price leaves the chosen range.
- Smart-contract exploits are a real risk. Cetus's CLMM pools were reportedly hit by a major exploit in May 2025, and this bundle gives no details.
- Liquidity is concentrated in the Sui and Aptos ecosystems, so the protocol depends on the health of those chains.
- Specific fee tiers and reward rates are not public, so users must check the app before committing capital.
- Rewards depend on the dual-token CETUS and xCETUS system, which adds token-price exposure.
Cetus CLMM fees
Cetus pools have multiple fee tiers, but the project does not publish specific percentages. Swap fees, pool tiers and any aggregator charges are shown in the app and the documentation.
Liquidity providers earn trading fees plus any liquidity mining or farming rewards, and the project says protocol earnings fund xCETUS-related rewards. Users also pay normal network gas on Sui or Aptos. Concentrated positions can lose value through impermanent loss, which no fee table captures.
Is Cetus CLMM safe?
Cetus says its security rests on open-source smart contracts and a permissionless design, and the homepage shows an 'Audited by' section and an audit report link. DefiLlama lists zero audits for the protocol, so the audit report on the official site is the main evidence to review.
Cetus's CLMM pools were reportedly the target of a major exploit in May 2025.All DeFi use involves smart-contract risk, so only deposit what you can afford to lose. Cetus is a non-custodial DEX, so you keep your keys, but you rely on the contract code.
6 steps
How to get started with Cetus CLMM
- 1
Read the documentation and the audit report linked from the official site.
- 2
Set up a wallet compatible with Sui, or Aptos if you use the Aptos version.
- 3
Fund the wallet with the tokens you want to trade plus a little for network gas.
- 4
Open the app from the official site and connect your wallet.
- 5
Start with a small swap to see the quoted rate, fee tier and price impact.
- 6
If you want to provide liquidity, learn how price ranges and impermanent loss work, then try a small position or a Vault.
Who Cetus CLMM is for
Cetus fits active DeFi users on Sui or Aptos who want to swap tokens or provide concentrated liquidity, and developers who need liquidity access. It is less suitable for beginners who do not yet understand impermanent loss and smart-contract risk.
Cetus CLMM FAQs
What is Cetus CLMM?
Cetus is a decentralized exchange and liquidity protocol for Move-based chains, mainly Sui and Aptos. It uses a concentrated liquidity market maker (CLMM) model, where liquidity providers choose price ranges for their capital.
Which blockchains does Cetus support?
DefiLlama lists Cetus on Sui and Aptos. The homepage presents the main product as built on Sui and links to a separate Aptos version.
What is the CETUS token used for?
CETUS is the protocol's token. The project says it forms a dual-token system with xCETUS to distribute protocol earnings to active users. Reading material also describes DAO governance voting as a key utility.
What products does Cetus offer?
The homepage lists Super Aggregator for swap routing, Infinity Pools for concentrated liquidity, Cetus Vault for automated liquidity management, Intent Trading with DCA and limit orders, and Asset Launch, a launchpad for new tokens.
Is Cetus safe to use?
No DeFi protocol is risk-free. The homepage points to open-source contracts and an audit report, but DefiLlama lists no audits, and the protocol has reportedly suffered a major exploit. Read the audit report and recent incident disclosures before depositing.
How do I swap on Cetus?
Connect a compatible wallet in the app, then use the swap or aggregator interface. Pools offer multiple fee tiers, and the app shows the cost before you confirm each transaction.
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How we checked
Sources
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