An OTC (over-the-counter) crypto desk executes trades privately, outside of public exchanges, by sourcing liquidity directly from counterparties and liquidity providers.
Instead of placing an order on an open order book and hoping for clean execution, OTC desks handle transactions privately and intentionally.
For large transactions, this difference matters. OTC desks provide firm pricing upfront, reduce market impact, execute trades off-exchange, and settle funds directly in crypto or fiat. The result is controlled execution for transfers where precision, privacy, and predictability matter.
Moving large amounts of crypto is fundamentally different from placing a retail trade.
When businesses, funds, and operators move significant size in USDC, USDT, or other cryptocurrencies, execution quality becomes just as important as price. Settlement timelines, pricing certainty, compliance requirements, and operational reliability all come into play at once.
This is exactly why OTC desks exist.
Public exchanges were built for retail trading and price discovery. OTC desks were built for moving size.
For small transactions, centralized exchanges work well, but as transaction sizes increase, cracks start to show.
Large orders can create significant market impact, causing slippage as the market moves against you before the trade is complete. Because orders are filled across fully visible order books, trade size is publicly observable, eliminating privacy.
Withdrawal limits, particularly on fiat rails, can also further slow capital movement, while manual reviews or banking interruptions may delay or freeze funds entirely. Combined with exchange custody risk, downtime, or sudden policy changes, execution becomes unpredictable.
For businesses managing treasury, payroll, vendor payments, or cross-border settlements, these risks compound quickly.
Here’s what happens when using an OTC desk like Adesic.
Before trading begins, clients complete a streamlined onboarding process that establishes regulatory compliance, approved transaction limits, and operational readiness. This upfront work removes friction later, allowing time-sensitive transfers to execute quickly once live.
When a client requests a USDC or USDT conversion, the OTC desk sources pricing from vetted liquidity providers and delivers a firm quote upfront. Pricing reflects trade size, currency pair, and settlement method, providing clarity before execution.
Once pricing is confirmed, the trade executes off public exchanges. Market impact is minimized, order size remains private, and execution follows a controlled, pre-agreed process rather than reacting to live market conditions.
Funds settle directly in crypto or fiat, often same-day depending on currency and banking windows. Clients maintain control over wallets, timing, and settlement destination.
Stablecoins sit at the center of OTC operations for good reason. They reduce volatility during settlement, move efficiently across borders, and integrate cleanly with traditional banking rails. For businesses, this enables predictable treasury management and reliable execution even at scale.
Because of these properties, USDC and USDT are the most commonly used assets for institutional-grade OTC transfers.
OTC desks are commonly used for:
When reliability matters more than speculation, OTC execution is often the right approach.
An OTC desk is best suited for larger crypto transfers, typically in the $25,000 to $50,000+ range. Where execution quality, privacy, and settlement certainty matter.
Smaller test transactions, often starting around $10,000, are sometimes used during onboarding. However, OTC desks are most effective for recurring flows or transactions where operational risk must be minimized.
Exchanges weren’t designed for these use cases. OTC desks are.
Adesic’s OTC desk is built for businesses and operators moving real volume, not speculative trades.
It offers institutional-grade pricing for large USDC and USDT transfers, private off-market execution, fast settlement timelines, compliant infrastructure, and direct support for complex or recurring flows.
The goal is simple: move size without friction.
👉 Learn more and request an OTC quote at Adesic.com/otc