U.S. Friendly Crypto Exchanges
Due to Binance shutting out U.S. users and many other exchanges changing or implementing KYC/AML polices, many of us have been found wondering where to go to next. I’ve complied a list of cryptocurrency market exchanges that can be accessed by U.S. customers.
There are many more exchanges, just listing some of more popular ones with a few notes including anything I find that might impact your ability to use or limit your use on that exchange. This page is updated periodically as new exchanges are added and old ones deleted.
Note, many of these exchanges have guidelines as to who can access their exchanges. Policies may change from when I make this post to either include or exclude your area so feel free to do your own research.
I do not recommend keeping any of your crypto or fiat on any exchange for any period of time other than what is needed. On some of these I included a referral link, I Thank You if you decide to use it.
Location: Caribbean Islands
Launched in mid 2019, supports just over 25 trading pairs to include USDC. Exchange also has fiat on-ramp Exchange currently services 42 states in the USA and 185 other countries.
Because the exchange is relatively new, it currently suffers from low liquidity/daily volume. Exchange also just uses BTC as a trading pair with minor exception of 3 USDC pairs (BTC, ETH & BXY).
Beaxy does not yet allow residents from the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Vermont, Washington.
Location: United States
Binance joined with BAM Trading Services to bring Binance to U.S. residents. As of launch many residents of the U.S. will be able to trade a limited amount of cryptocurrency coins/tokens. Initially Binance.US only offers trading for BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, LTC, BNB & USDT. Exchange is also a fiat on-ramp for verified users. Signing up on the exchange is pretty easy but to deposit, withdraw or trade a Basic Verification will be needed to allow limits up to $5,000USD.
Exchange is located in San Francisco, CA and is operated by BAM Trading Services, even though it is licensed from Binance the exchange has yet to prove it’s self. We will need to see what other cryptocurrency coins/tokens it will add and if it will generate liquidity for trading. Exchange does offer basic security requirements, but currently does not have a mobile app. The current tip is to sign up even if your in one of the states that does not yet allow trading, as eventually they will add your state and don’t want to risk them halting signups due to overwhelming new customers when crypto explodes.
Currently available in most of the U.S. except for the following 13 states; Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Vermont & Washington.
Location: Japan
Launched in 2014, one of the largest exchanges in Japan by volume. 3 trading pairs; BTC, BCH, ETH. One of the more trusted exchanges due to being licensed and registered with JFSA (Japan Financial Services Agency and NYDFS (New York Department of Financial Services). Making it one of the few foreign exchanges to operate in the United States.
Trading platform offers two options, a simple one for beginner traders and a veteran option called Lightening Platform. Though only a limited selection of cryptocurrencies, the exchange does offer high liquidity and easy to use platforms whether a beginner or advanced user.
Even though most U.S. states can trade on bitFlyer, some states are currently not able, check their website page for the latest information.
US residents use the link above, all other countries use: bitFlyer
Location: United Kingdom
One of the largest and most well-known Bitcoin exchanges. Trading pairs with BTC, LTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, USD and EUR. Relatively low fees for trades but high fees for purchases with credit cards.
Exchange has been compromised before by hackers, do not store funds or cryptocurrency on exchange. Hard to navigate for beginners, platform can be overwhelming and a little clunky. Has very few trading pairs which include just 5 cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XRP).
Location: United States
Founded in 2014. One of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Offers over 200 cryptocurrencies. Only 3 trading pairs are available; BTC, ETH & USDT. Bittrex trading platform is pretty easy to use, even for newbies.
The chart on the trading platform offers many options unlike some other exchanges that have very limited or non-existent charts. Although exchange is based in the U.S, not all U.S. residents are currently allowed to trade on Bittrex.
Trading prohibited from certain U.S. states according to Bittrex State-Specific Disclosures.
Location: United States
A P2P (Peer to Peer) marketplace where only Bitcoin can be bought/sold. One of the fastest way to buy cryptocurrency except for needing to make deposit at a bank when buying with cash.
Prices can vary more than market values, either higher or lower. Certain banks (Wells Fargo, Chase & Bank of America) have policies to not allow purchases from BitQuick.
Available in all U.S. States except for New York.
Location: United Kingdom
Over 30 trading pairs with BTC, USD, EUR, GBP and RUB. Allows margin trading. Allows for buying with Visa or Mastercard, but fees are a little high. Easy to use when wanting to purchase some quick crypto.
In 2019, CEX.IO launched a dedicated presence in US to comply with AML/KYC requirements for MTLs (Money Transmission License) they are already operating in most of U.S. states and will soon complete their MTL for each of the 50 states.
Available to most of the U.S. states.
Location: United States
Launched in 2012 from San Francisco. The world’s largest Bitcoin broker. One of the simplest way to purchase cryptocurrency. They have exceeded over $20 Billion worth of cryptocurrency serving more than 32 countries. Their simple format, easy of use and ability to take credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers or even PayPal have made them popular. They continue to expand their trading pairs, currently have 16 with plans to offer more soon. Coinbase Pro offers many more crypto coins/tokens.
Kind of a one stop shop for crypto, besides purchasing crypto, they offer a wallet, basic crypto education, tax records, and business options like custody, ventures and commerce help. Coinbase & Coinbase Pro is a good fiat on-ramp and cash out exchange, when cashing out the deposit to your bank can be as quick as two days.
Available to all U.S. residents.
Location: United States
*UPDATE* Formally known as GDAX which has been division of Coinbase. Coinbase re-branded it as Coinbase Pro.
A more professional trading platform compared to its older brother Coinbase. This platform is aimed at those with trading experience and thus includes more options like Limit / Stop Limit order capabilities as well as more cryptocurrency coins/tokens. Just like Coinbase, this is a good fiat on-ramp and cash out exchange, when cashing out the deposit to your bank can be as quick as two days. Coinbase Pro does not have a mobile trading app at this time, users can use the standard Coinbase app but that won’t allow you to access any funds or crypto on your Coinbase Pro account.
Available to all U.S. residents. Coinbase Pro does not offer a mobile trading app but Coinbase offers a mobile trading app & wallet.
Location: Israel
Established in 2013, this cryptocurrency broker allows for quick and easy way to purchase BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ADA, QTUM or ETC with USD or EUR. Coinmama does not offer cryptocurrency trading or selling, just the purchase of coins/tokens of those listed above. There is a minimum purchase amount of 0.1 BTC. Coinmama allows an individual to purchase cryptocurrency from almost every country with credit card, debit card or cash via Western Union. Bank account wire transfers are not supported.
Coinmama has 3 verification levels and claims quick processing of verification (1hr) for it’s level 1 verification. Charges high fees but just as easy to navigate thru as Coinbase and hi limits for a crypto broker.
Coinmama does not yet allow residents from the following states: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah and Vermont.
Location: Israel
Founded in 2006 as a forex trading exchange that started dealing with Bitcoin in 2014. eToro is one of the more popular mobile trading platforms with having over 8 million accounts opened at the end of 2017. eToro represents itself as a social trading platform, supporting over 14 different cryptocurrencies with several major fiats.
eToro does more than allow to purchase/sell cryptocurrency, it offers conventional financial products like stocks and commodities, foreign currencies, ETF’s and more. Since it is not a typical exchange, there are no trading pairs and cryptocurrency is purchased straight out with fiat. Along with that, there are no fees to buy or sell but many other fees including deposit fees, withdrawal fees, copy fees and more. They offer online bank deposits or wire transfers, credit cards and PayPal. eToro also offers many tools to help the customer from virtual trading, CopyTrader, crypto community and eToro Club. eToro does have strict AML/KYC requirements due to its regulation and licensing, so not all U.S. states are allowed.(list below)
eToro does not yet allow residents from the following states: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Exchange: Gemini
Location: United States
A New York based exchange started in 2015 by Tyler & Cameron Winklevoss (acclaimed Co Creator of Facebook). Most all of the United States can conduct trades with 15 of their trading pairs that include GUSD (Gemini U.S. Dollar) and USD on-ramp. Trading is also open to parts of Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and UK. Trading platform can be hard to navigate thru for beginners. In 2019, Gemini partnered with Flexa (global cryptocurrency payment network) for making payments with crypto & Gemini dollars (GUSD) with the SPEDN app.
Trading allowed for all U.S. states except for Hawaii.
Exchange: HOTBIT
Location: Hong Kong
Founded in 2018, making it one of the new markets. The exchange is been running smoothly for over 18 months with no hacks or major issues. Exchange reports over 540,000 registered users in over 170 countries including the US.
Exchange has over 55o trading pairs, making it one of the top exchanges regarding the amount of trading pairs. Exchange reports over 100 million in daily BTC volume. Exchange platform isn’t too busy but isn’t very modular and can be a pain if your window size is not big enough. They also offer mobile apps for both iOS and Android.
Exchange offers other things like Investment opportunities and activities like giveaways similar to that of KuCoin if familiar. Considering exchange is new and trading volume a bit low, the capability of a top exchange still remains to be seen but does seem to have a good start.
Exchange: Huobi(US)
Location: United States
*UPDATE* Huobi Global announced it will freeze all U.S. customers by Nov 13. Expect for them to remove U.S. customers shortly after. Recommending not use but if you do, use with caution.
With a U.S. office in California that branched off from its original office that was established in 2013, This watered-down branch trades over 55 trading pairs. Since it is made for U.S. customer it does have USD on-ramp to either BTC, USDT, ETH or XRP. Trading platform is ok but seems to be a little bit of a memory hog and can be a little busy for newbies. Even though they offer the top coins/tokens, liquidity is low and because it’s open for U.S. residents a lot of coins/tokens are not offered. Though specifically opened for it’s U.S. customers, not all U.S. states are yet allowed to trade.
Huboi US does not yet allow residents from the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Hawaii, Vermont, Washington and U.S. Territories.
Exchange: Kraken
Location: United States
A San Francisco based exchange that was founded in 2011 and launched in 2013. Kraken is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily exchange volume. Kraken offers almost 60 trading pairs and also offer OTC purchasing, margin and futures trading . They also offer fiat to crypto trading pairs to include USD, EUR, CAD, JPY and GBP. For U.S. customers, fiat on-ramp is available. Kraken offers low fee but trading platform can be difficult for inexperienced cryptocurrency exchange individuals.
Residents from New York and Washington are currently not eligible to trade. Other limitations include, residents from Texas or New Hampshire can not hold or trade EUR currency. No mobile app.
Location: Hong Kong
Newer exchange that was launched in 2017, but has become popular very quickly. Exchange has been growing and increasing in liquidity and daily volume. Over 140 trading pairs with BTC, ETH, NEO, USDT and KCS.
KuCoin does not trade in fiat and does not require verification to conduct trading at this time. Due to not yet complying with U.S. regulation, it trades in obscure cryptocurrency coins/tokens. Holders of KuCoin shares (KCS) receive a discount on trading fees and also receive dividends from trading fees collected on their platform.
Trading platform can be a little confusing for newbies due to their separation of main account and trading account. They have recently increased their security policies which feels safer and professional.
Currently all U.S. residents are currently allowed to conduct trades.
Location: Finland
*CAUTION* Exchange suffered a security breach and was hacked on 1/26/19. It was noted that users should take cautions prior to logging in.
Kind of a craigslist for cryptocurrency. Uses a escrow system for buyers and sellers of cryptocurrency. Users can purchase cryptocurrency via in-person meet-ups or online. Purchasing and selling is not like using a cryptocurrency exchange platform, to buy or sell you are either answering a specific post by an individual or posting a transaction yourself. Beginners should beware of scams and may feel overwhelmed by the process. PayPal can be used as a form of payment. US customers also be aware that some individuals have been prosecuted for selling Bitcoin in person via LocalBitcoins due to regulatory issues.
LocalBitcoin does not yet allow residents from New York and Washington.
Notice; I do not promote or encourage the use of these or any exchanges. Use at your own risk. Exchange or service that I may refer is purely based on that referral program and does not institute personal promotion.
What I choose to use is based on my research and preference. I am not a financial planner nor certified financial consultant, please consult one prior to making any financial decisions. Do not trade more than you are able to or should spend.