Currency & Trading Guide
Every key currency, what it does, and how the early economy works.
Path of Exile 2 has no gold — its economy runs on 'currency' orbs that double as both crafting materials and the units you trade with. This guide explains what the key orbs do and how to handle the early economy without wasting your best materials.
Item rarity and how crafting works
Gear comes in rarities: Normal (white, no modifiers), Magic (blue, up to two modifiers), Rare (yellow, up to six modifiers), and Unique (fixed special effects). Most crafting orbs work by changing an item's rarity or its modifiers.
Because every orb is also a tradeable currency, 'crafting' and 'spending money' are the same pool. That's why experienced players hoard certain orbs during the campaign rather than gambling them on temporary gear.
Early crafting orbs (use freely in the campaign)
These are the common, low-value orbs you'll pick up constantly. Use them liberally to keep your leveling gear current — they're not worth hoarding early.
Orb of Transmutation upgrades a Normal item to Magic with one random modifier. Orb of Augmentation adds a second modifier to a Magic item. Orb of Alchemy upgrades a Normal item straight to Rare with multiple random modifiers (commonly used to make maps Rare). Regal Orb upgrades a Magic item to Rare and adds a modifier.
- Transmutation: Normal → Magic (one mod).
- Augmentation: adds a second mod to a Magic item.
- Alchemy: Normal → Rare with several mods (great for upgrading maps).
- Regal: Magic → Rare, adds a mod.
The trading-baseline orbs
Exalted Orbs have replaced Chaos Orbs as PoE2's everyday trading currency — they drop frequently in the endgame and most small/medium trades are priced in Exalts. Mechanically, an Exalted Orb adds one new modifier to a Rare item without removing anything, so it's a finishing tool for a near-complete item.
Divine Orbs are the high-end trading unit, used for big purchases. Mechanically a Divine Orb rerolls the numeric values of all existing modifiers on an item (it does not change which mods are present). Their value floats against Exalts on the open market and is much higher.
Chaos Orbs remove one random modifier from a Rare item and add a new one — a more targeted reroll than the original PoE's full reroll. They're scarcer in PoE2 and are best treated as trade value rather than something to spam on gear.
- Exalted Orb — baseline trade currency; adds one mod to a Rare without removing others.
- Divine Orb — high-value trade currency; rerolls the numeric values of existing mods.
- Chaos Orb — targeted reroll (remove one mod, add one); scarcer in PoE2.
High-value and corruption orbs
Orb of Annulment removes one random modifier from an item — useful for precision crafting but risky, so it tends to gain value over a league. Vaal Orb corrupts an item permanently for a random (sometimes powerful, sometimes bad) outcome, and is also used on skill gems and Waystones.
Mirror of Kalandra is the rarest mainstream orb: it creates an exact copy of a non-unique item and is worth a huge amount — essentially always traded rather than used. Jeweller's Orbs (Lesser/Greater/Perfect) add skill-gem support links, and Gemcutter's Prisms raise gem quality.
- Orb of Annulment — removes one random mod (precision crafting, holds value).
- Vaal Orb — permanent random corruption; also used on gems and Waystones.
- Mirror of Kalandra — copies a non-unique item; extremely rare, trade it.
- Jeweller's Orbs — add support links to skills; Gemcutter's Prism raises gem quality.
Trading basics
Trading is done through the official trade site (you list items and search for what you want), then you message a seller and meet in-game to complete the exchange. Most items are priced in Exalted Orbs, with bigger upgrades in Divine Orbs.
There's also a Currency Exchange for swapping orb types at market-ish rates without finding a human seller, which is convenient for converting your pile of small orbs into the few you actually want. Note that patch 0.5 removed the Recombinator as a crafting option, so don't follow older guides that rely on it.
Early-economy tips
The biggest beginner trap is burning your best orbs (Exalted, Chaos, Divine) on campaign gear that you'll replace within hours of reaching maps. Save those for item-level 80+ gear in the endgame.
Most of your wealth comes from the steady pile of small drops, not one jackpot — pick up and sell everything that stacks. A common rule of thumb is to avoid using Chaos Orbs on gear until you're deep in maps (Tier 8+), and to trade your first Divine Orbs for direct upgrades rather than gambling them on crafts.
- Don't spend Exalted/Chaos/Divine on campaign gear — it's temporary.
- Pick up and sell everything; wealth comes from volume, not one big hit.
- Use the Currency Exchange to convert small orbs into the ones you need.
- Trade your first Divine Orbs for real upgrades, not speculative crafting.
FAQ
What is the main trading currency in Path of Exile 2?
Exalted Orbs are the everyday baseline trading currency — they replaced Chaos Orbs from the original game and most small-to-medium trades are priced in them. Divine Orbs are the high-value unit for big purchases.
What does a Divine Orb do in PoE2?
A Divine Orb rerolls the numeric values of all existing modifiers on an item — it doesn't change which mods are present, just their numbers. It's a high-value trading currency, so most players trade their early ones for upgrades rather than using them.
What's the difference between Exalted and Chaos Orbs in PoE2?
An Exalted Orb adds a new modifier to a Rare item without removing anything (a finishing tool). A Chaos Orb removes one random modifier and adds a new one (a targeted reroll). Exalted is the trade baseline; Chaos is scarcer and best saved for deep endgame.
What orbs should I not waste as a beginner in PoE2?
Don't spend Exalted, Chaos, or Divine Orbs on campaign gear — you'll replace it quickly once you hit maps. Save high-value orbs for item-level 80+ endgame gear, and sell or convert your small drops in the meantime.
How does trading work in Path of Exile 2?
List items on the official trade site, search for what you want, then message a seller and meet in-game to exchange. There's also a Currency Exchange for swapping orb types at market rates without dealing with another player directly.