The Luno OTC Desk (Over-The-Counter) is a dedicated service for high-volume crypto trading that gives you greater control, privacy and personalised support for large transactions.
Previously known as the Trading Desk, the OTC Desk is Luno’s premium service for businesses and individuals who need to buy or sell significant amounts of crypto efficiently and discreetly. Trades of $50,000 equivalent or more are handled outside of public exchange order books, helping to reduce market impact and deliver a smoother trading experience.
How the OTC Desk works
The OTC Desk focuses on enabling large-scale crypto and fiat currency conversions, especially between stablecoins like USDT and USDC, and local fiat currencies such as the South African Rand (ZAR), Nigerian Naira (NGN) and Kenyan Shilling (KES).
It is designed for situations where trading on a public exchange may not be efficient, such as large, time-sensitive or cross-border transactions where liquidity and slippage can become an issue.
Why choose the OTC Desk?
The OTC Desk connects traditional finance with digital assets. It helps you move easily between crypto and fiat while supporting the use of stablecoins for payments, treasury management and payouts in local currency so businesses can pay merchants and partners.
It is also designed to provide better execution and greater certainty for high-value trades, helping reduce risks like slippage that can occur on standard exchanges when big orders move through multiple price levels.
The OTC Desk ensures that trades are executed at a fully quoted, all-in price, so you know the exact rate upfront with no slippage.
With the OTC Desk, you can:
- Convert stablecoins into local fiat to easily pay merchants, suppliers or partners
- Execute large FX-style crypto trades without significantly impacting market prices
- Access efficient, regulated conversion between crypto and fiat systems
- Support cross-border or high-value transactions with greater certainty
- Explore access to select investment opportunities, including dollar-denominated yield options (where available)
Key benefits
The OTC Desk is built to improve execution quality and reduce the risks associated with large orders on public markets, such as slippage (when prices change while your order is being filled).
- Execution you can trust at scale: Receive firm quotes and structured execution designed to minimise market impact
- Improved price certainty: Reduce exposure to price fluctuations during large transactions
- Deep liquidity access: Benefit from access to liquidity designed specifically for high-volume trades
- Built for local markets: Trade seamlessly between crypto and local currencies like ZAR, NGN and KES
- Direct access to our trading team: Work directly with OTC specialists to coordinate execution, especially for time-sensitive trades
How to access the OTC Desk
We’ve made it easier than ever for verified Luno customers to discover and sign up for the OTC Desk with a simplified application process. For existing, verified individual and business customers, we’ve introduced a streamlined application flow that pre-fills existing account details for faster onboarding.
- Apply via the OTC website: You can find information and begin your sign-up process via our new dedicated OTC website page at www.luno.com/otc.
- New OTC tab in the Luno app: Existing business customers will now see a dedicated OTC Tab in the Luno web app, providing a clear in-app destination to discover and apply for the service
Frequently asked questions
What are the minimum and maximum trade sizes?
The minimum trade size is $50,000 USD. We can also arrange smaller test trades during the onboarding process.
The maximum limit for a single trade is $2 million USD. If you need to trade more, our team can set up a custom arrangement to suit your business.
Is there a fee?
We quote all-in prices for your trade size with all costs included in the spread. There are no separate commissions or hidden charges, the price you confirm is the final price you pay. Prices scale with size, so larger trades get more competitive rates.
What assets can I trade?
You can trade all digital assets available on the Luno platform, including xStocks and ZARU. We provide particularly deep liquidity and competitive pricing for USDT and USDC.
How are trades executed?
To give you full flexibility, we offer two ways to execute your trades. You can fund your account before you trade to settle immediately, or lock in your price today and settle within 2 business days at no extra cost.
How does settlement work?
Local deposits via Instant EFT and express ZAR withdrawals typically settle within 20 minutes, ensuring rapid access to your funds.