In Donkey Kong Bananza, Bananas, also known as Banandium Gems are the game’s most valuable currency. Whether you're unlocking skill trees or chasing 100% completion across layers, you'll need a hefty stash of them. While most gems are tucked away behind puzzles and buried deep within sublayers, there’s another way to get your hands on them: trading Banandium Chips. But don’t get too excited, you can’t just trade them anywhere.

First Exchange Location

The first time you’ll come across a Banandium Chip Exchange is in SL 200, located in the Hilltop Layer. As soon as you enter the area, look to the left side where you’ll see three distinct shops lined up. The middle shop is the one you’re after.

Look for a blue hexagonal symbol with a yellow circle at its center, that’s the universal marker for a Chip Exchange in Bananza. Once inside, interact with the NPC to open the trade menu.

How the Exchange Works

Your first trade will cost:

• 10 Banandium Chips
• 100 Gold

However, there’s a catch: each additional trade at the same exchange costs more. The more you buy, the steeper the price gets, both in chips and gold. Plan your trades wisely.

Can You Revisit Exchanges?

If you have  many Banandium Chips and want a quick gem grab, use the Fast Travel system to zip back to SL 200. It’s a convenient way to convert excess chips into skill points, especially if you’ve already cleared the layer.

You can also find more Chip Exchanges in later layers, but they’re not common, so SL 200 remains a reliable fallback.

How to Get Banandium Chips

They’re a bit rarer than gold, but the grind pays off, especially when you’re pushing for high-level skill unlocks.

Also if your skill build isn’t working out, you can respec and reallocate your Banandium Gems toward a new playstyle. The exchange system and respec option give you flexibility to experiment without starting over.

The Banandium Chip Exchange might not be as widespread as you'd like, but SL 200’s Hilltop Layer makes for a dependable trading post. As you push deeper into the planet's core, keep an eye out for other rare exchange spots, and keep hoarding those chips, your skill tree will thank you later.