Cryptocurrency Exchanges
CRYPTOCURRENCY EXCHANGES
I’ve complied a list of cryptocurrency market exchanges. 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.
Exchanges listed here are just for informational purposes and not listed for endorsement of any kind.
I know there are several exchanges I didn’t list. I will add more but if you feel I should put one on the list feel free to drop me a message.
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.
Feel free to contact me if you find a broken/wrong link.
For a list of U.S. Friendly Exchanges.
U.S. Friendly Crypto Exchanges
Name: Beaxy
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: Russia
Founded in 2014 in Moscow, Russia. B2BX currently lists 30 different coin pairs. The most common pairs include BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, LTC/USDT, ETH/BTC, XRP/BTC and DASH/USDT. Others include OMG, NEO, ADA & XEM. Exchange caters in both retail and institutional investors. Daily volume neighbors $30 million USD.
B2BX has a loyalty token, similar to other exchanges where B2BX lets users get a 35% discount on commissions when they pay for trading with their B2BX tokens. B2BX does use Tether as its de-facto fiat currency, take this into account when using it. B2BX trading platform is a bit more complex to the beginning user but shouldn’t be a problem for the institutional or advanced retail investor.
Location: Estonia
Founded in 2017 in the country of Estonia. This exchange has grown to be a leading exchange by trading volume. Exchange trades over 180 different currency pairs. Exchange also offers futures contracts similar to BitMEX & Deribit. By volume, the exchange is large by trading over $500 million USD on the daily. Exchange has over 180 trading pairs, some include EOS/ETH, BTC/USDT, ETH/BTC and ETH/USDT. No fiat currency pairs other than Tether (USDT) and Gemini (GUSD).
It’s unclear who owns Bibox, though the company appears to be owned by a group of Chinese business people. Some sources claim Bibox was founded by former employees of Binance, OKCoin and Huobi. An attractive feature to many is the lax regulations for KYC/AML requirements. For those not wanting to go through a strenuous process, a simple process of contact information and a puzzle to prove your not a bot will allow the user to register and make withdraws up to a certain amount per day. Although for those wishing to withdraw more than the stated amount for limited KYC/AML users, the verification process is available.
Location: China
*UPDATE* U.S. customers must use Binance.US.
Founded in 2017 by Zhao Changpeng & Yi He. One of the largest & most trusted exchanges with offices in Taiwan, Japan, Chain and now United States.
Exchange only offers trading cryptocurrency in pairs which currently exceeds over 220 pairs. Platform can be a little difficult to navigate for beginners but does offer two types of platforms, a basic mode geared towards novice and advanced mode for experience traders. Offers some of the lowest fees.
Even though Binance is one of the newest exchanges (launched 2017), it has a strong hold in the market with almost 25% of the exchange market share. Binance keeps expanding in different countries including U.S.A and also with different markets such as the Binance DEX.
The exchange offers low fees, giveaways and competitions frequently and one of the best markets for large amount of trading coins, volume and trading pairs. CZ also introduced a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) that takes 10% of all trading fees and gives back to users should a hack occur with losses. This SAFU was first used in May of 2019 and it covered all user losses.
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: Malta
Founded in 2014, Bitbay is one of the largest crypto exchanges in Europe by market cap. The exchange offers about 70 crypto trading pairs including 3 fiat currencies; EUR, PLN & USD. In 2018 BitBay moved to Malta and continues to evolves.
BitBay is one of the more trusted legitimate exchanges with strong customer service and simple trading interface which great for the beginning user. Exchange reports approx $4 million USD/ 24 hour trading volume. This exchange is particularly popular among Polish crypto users, making BTC/PLN pair the majority in its trading activity.
Exchange has not suffered any major hack or loss of customer funds but is stringent with KYC/AML regulations. Also, trading fees can be a bit higher than some of the other exchanges but remains one of the better options for European crypto traders.
The exchange has won a number of awards, from Best Cryptocurrency Exchange in 2017, Polish Innovation Award in 2017 and Best Cryptocurrency Exchange Award in 2018.
BitBay does not allow tax residents of United States of America to use their trading platform.
Location: Russia
Over 50 trading pairs with BTC, RUR, USD & LTC. Exchange does not require verification, relatively low fees. There is minimal withdrawal amounts but no limit for withdrawals. Website trading platform is a little clunky and not laid out very well. Always be cautious with a exchange that does not require ID verification.
Location: South Korea
*CAUTION* Bithumb has been hacked several times. First hacked in 2017, in June 2018 and finally March of 2019. Latest hack taking over $20 million cryptocurrency.
Founded in 2013, 15 Trading pairs to include KRW ( Korean won) to EOS, BTC, XRP, ETH, BCH, QTUM, ZEC, BTG, ETC, LTC, XMR, DASH. One of the largest exchanges in terms of daily trading volume. KRW is the only fiat currency deposits allowed.
Transfer limits depending on your verification level. Verification levels will require personal information. Be aware that the exchange suffered a hack in 2017 where over 30,000 users had their personal data stolen.
Exchange offers competitive trade commissions, easy to use platform for trading and high liquidity due to amount of users still using exchange.
Locations: United Kingdom
Launched in 2015 with currently trading over 30 pairs to include popular ones like; BTC/USD, ETH/USD, ETH/BTC, XRP/EUR, XRP/BTC. Exchange also accepts three major fiat currencies; USD, EUR & RUB. Typical trading volume reaches $25 – $30 million on a daily basis.
Exchange does have KYC/AML verification requirements but a user can start trading and withdraw up to 100BTC per month without verification but with a slightly higher trading fee than verified users.
Location: Hong Kong
*CAUTION* Bitfinex caught in a scandal about Tether and the exchanges liquidity in May/April 2019. Use caution when considering this exchange.
Large and popular exchange launched in 2012 and based out of Hong Kong. Offers more than 144 trading pairs. Exchange has a solid interface but can be a little intimidating beginners. The trading interface lets you customize the interface a lot more than you could with other trading platforms. Exchange offers services such as margin trading and margin funding. They also offer a suite of different types of orders generally not found on many other exchanges such as Hidden Orders, Iceberg Orders, Fill or Kill, One Cancels Other and several others. As stated, exchange offers a large selection of trading pairs and competitive if not lower than most trading fees.
Exchange was hacked in August of 2016, lost 120,000 btc in hack (worth $72 million USD at the time). After this hack, the exchange moved from a hot wallet to a cold wallet system.
Bitfinex has stopped serving U.S. individual residents. U.S. Corporate accounts can still be used or U.S. individuals with other than U.S. residence.
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 following link: bitFlyer-US
Location: France
Founded in 2015, exchange offers BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, EOS, LTC and DASH. Exchange is easy to use, even for newbies, individuals can be registered and buying cryptocurrency rather quickly without personal verification. Users can purchase with credit cards, cash vouchers or direct banking with Trustpay. Over 15 different fiats can be used to purchase cryptocurrency. Vouchers are purchased in person at one of 150k locations then redeemed online with the code from the voucher.
Most of the exchange locations are in France but they have a few locations in the U.S. Exchange Bitit even offers a gift card to redeem for cryptocurrency. Fees are moderately high.
Location: Singapore
Launched in 2016, supports of 50 different trading pairs including Tether (USDT) & USD Coin (USDC). No fiat is traded on BitMax even though it offers stablecoins. BitMax offers both retail trading & OTC trading.
BitMax has approximately $150 million of trading volume daily with leveraged trading included, making it one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges. It’s own native token is called BTMX which is a ERC-20 token.
BitMex does require KYC verification before trading on the platform, also be aware certain countries including the United States are not allowed to trade on BitMax. Exchange does offer some decent liquidity and relatively low fees compared to other major exchanges.
Location: Hong Kong
*CAUTION* 11/1/19 – Exchange seems to have released an email containing email addresses of other BitMEX users. BitMEX statement on email issue. There was also a possiblity that it’s Twitter account and also it’s data base may have been hacked.
A very popular but controversial crypto exchange. Established in 2014, this exchange is very popular for it’s leveraged Bitcoin trading service and one of the largest crypto exchanges with no real KYC requirements. The exchange reports over $3 billion in daily trading volume including futures contracts.
U.S. Residents are not allowed to trade on this platform, they may create an account but will be unable to deposit any crypto or fiat. This does not deter some US residents from using VPN’s and conducting trades due to it’s lack of AML/KYC verification. BitMEX does not require users to conduct AML/KYC verification of any type.
Trading platform seems a little dated and can be a little complicated for novice users. In 2018 the exchange was in the spotlight due to it’s allegations of wash trading.
BitMEX is owned by HDR Global Trading Limited, which is an incorpated entity in Republic of Seychelles. Because BitMEX is not based in the EU or the United States, it does not need to comply with financial services provider laws in either region.
Location: Austria
Established in 2014, this broker supports over 20 trading pairs. Unlike some other trading platforms, BitPanda is a trading broker and not a trading exchange and users do not interact with other traders other than BitPanda. Broker located in Austria.
BitPanda is one of Europe’s trading broker for cryptocurrency with almost 1 million registered customers. Users are required to complete AML and KYC registration prior to cryptocurrency purchase.
Only residents of Europe can purchase cryptocurreny. Users can purchase crypto with bank transfers like SEP, EPS, Skrill and more or Credit/debit cards. Fees are a bit higher at 1.4% for fiat and 3-4% with credit cards. Broker is easy to use for beginners and offers an android app that increases the efficiency of purchasing crypto.
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: Mexico
Launched in 2014, Bitso is Mexico’s first cryptocurrency exchange. Exchange deals over $650 million in daily volume with just over 15 trading pairs. Exchange is one of the very few exchanges that offers trades with MXN (Mexican Peso).
Bitso AML & KYC requirements are laid out by levels with level one only requiring a cell phone number but comes with daily limitations. The highest level (Lvl 3) requires a contract and very specific proof of where the depositing funds are originating from. Trading fees can be competitive depending on the amount of trading the user does each month. Lower volume traders pay more and higher volume accounts getting larger discounts.
Bitso offers iOS and Android apps for convenience.
Location: Luxembourg
Launched in 2011, making this oldest and one of the largest and most well-known Bitcoin exchanges. Daily volume exceeds $150 million USD.
Trading pairs with BTC, LTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, USD and EUR. Relatively low fees. USD & EUR fiat accepted but may take a day till available for trading.
Suffered a DDoS attack in 2014 in which they were sent a ransom demand. Also has been compromised by hackers (2015) with a loss of around $5 million in BTC which was covered by the exchange and resulted in no loss to customer deposits. Having recovered well from these attacks, the exchange is now seen as a strong secure exchange.
AML & KYC requirements must be completed when establishing accounts, for either personal or corporate accounts. Trading platform can be hard to navigate for beginners but seasoned traders can find a plethora of trading tools at their disposal.
Bitstamp does offer iOS and Android apps for their customers.
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: Amsterdam
Initially founded as a cryptocurrency broker in 2017. Bitvavo transitioned from a broker to an exchange in March 2019. Bitvavo is a centralized exchange based in Amsterdam and supports EUR fiat pairs.
Bitvavo is a member of the Dutch Association of Bitcoin Companies, a self-regulating body with the goal of preventing fraud and money laundering.
Bitvavo offers trading on over 50+ digital assets within mostly the European Union (EEA) 24 Countries. Supports transferring of Euros using SEPA banktransfer, credit cards, and 6 other payment options.
Bitvavo exchange platform is a little busy but has good chart features with the ability to annotate charts and save them or take screen shots for later reference. Of course only shows EUR crypto market as expected.
Bitvavo offers staking, 2fa, referral program, corporation accounts, API keys and more but does not have a mobile app.
Location: Hong Kong
Launched in 2016, Bit-Z is one of the largest exchanges in crypto by trading volume. Bit-Z offers both retail trading services but is best known for its OTC professional trading services. One of the reasons for its popularity is due to very low maker fees (0%) and taker fees (0.2%) on most trades. Bit-Z handles about $400 million in trading volume in a day.
Bit-Z offers over 150 trading pairs to include Tether (USDT) but does not deal with fiat currency. Though KYC and AML verification is required, you can withdrawal up to 2 BTC at level one which only requires your email address verification. Exchange does warn residents from Republic of Germany or New York State to not make trades for fear of loosing their funds/crypto.
Location: Brazil
Launched in 2014. Cryptocurrency only exchanged with over 70 trading pairs with BTC, DOGE, ETH and USDT. Relatively easy to use trading platform with moderate fees. Website does not provide very much information about anything. Can not deposit or withdraw fiat.
Location: United Kingdom
Over 25 trading pairs with only BTC & USD.
Country: Canada
*UPDATE* Can-Coin has shutdown due to legal issues.
A Peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange that only offers BTC. Offers various different ways to purchase using USD or CAD to include Cash, PayPal, Western Union, Gift Cards and more. Features low fees and easy to use interface even though it is a decentralized exchange.
The attraction of this is of course users having total control of their private keys. This exchange is de-centralized which essentially just links buyers and sellers and no more. Exchange is trustless, transparent, low fees, good security but suffers from low liquidity.
Country: United Kingdom
Opened in 2013. Currently has 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.
Country: Czech Republic
Founded in 2015, this exchange approaching crypto trading by allowing users to trade from one cryptocurrency directly to another. Low fees when trading crypto to crypto but higher fees when purchasing crypto directly. Exchange acts as intermediary between crypto exchanges and users, offering access to over 150 cryptocurrencies.
When trading between cryptocurrencies, the transaction may take some time to finalized when in turn could effect the final amount of transaction, some transactions could take over 30 minutes or more during congested periods.
Changelly partners with MyEtherWallet, Exodus, Binance, BRD, Edge, Coinomi, Trezor, Ledger, Enjin, Huobi Wallet and others.
Exchange is available and open worldwide to most countries including U.S.
Country: Hong Kong
Founded in 2017. Exchange markets itself as a “Next Generation” digital exchange. The exchange trades over 110 trading pairs but only about $3 million in daily volume. Even though the exchange is small, it does boast a zero fee structure.
The exchange allows for fiat in the form of USD, EUR, JPY, CAD, KRW, AUD, HKD, GBP and NTB are welcome. *Caution* In May 2019, it was reported that Cobinhood exchange went bust but apparently it continues to operate. So use at your own risk in light of this data.
Country: U.S.A
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.
My Coinbase Referral Link. Earn free Bitcoin for both you and me.
Country: U.S.A
*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.
Country: Singapore
Found in 2017. Exchange trades over 190 pairs but does not deal with fiat currency other than a few stablecoins. Coinbene is listed as a top 15 crypto exchange due to trade volume of $520 million in 24 period. Coinbene exchange has its own token called the Coni (CONI) which is part utility token and part company stock rolled into one. The CONI offers a 70% discount on trading fees and 40% profit sharing reward from trading fees. Coinbene does require KYC/AML verification prior to withdrawing cryptocurrency.
Country: U.S.A
One of the newer exchanges to come online. No deposit fees, withdrawal fees, minimum balance or trading fees. Cryptocurrency bought with fiat, no trading pairs. All deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000 *UPDATING* MORE INFO TO FOLLOW SOON
Country: Japan
Founded in 2014. This exchange only deals in about 10 trading pairs but the attraction here is the easy of purchase and very low fees. CoinCheck is one of Japan’s most popular trading platforms. Even though this exchange suffered a major hack in 2018, this exchange remains to be popular with more customers returning to the platform. The exchange easy interface does make it attractive for the novice trader.
Country: India
Launched in 2018, CoinDCX is located in India and backed by investors from Coinbase Ventures, HDR Group (BitMEX operator), Polychain Capital and others. CoinDCX is India’s largest cryptocurrency exchange with over 150,000 users worldwide.
Exchange reports trading across 250+ cryptos with high liquidity and a quick process to get you registered to place an order. They offer a mobile app for quick and easy purchases and more comprehensive trading platform for advanced traders.
CoinDCX offers a wide suite of products such as lending services, margin trading, futures trading and others. That also advertises user funds being insured with BitGo. AML/KYC and bank account verifications are done within a few minutes, providing a smooth onboarding process. A user can trade on CoinDCX without submitting KYC documents, however there are limits on deposits and withdrawals. CoinDCX launched their mobile apps in Jan of 2021.
As of the writing of this article, this exchange does not list United States residents as able or unable to create trading accounts with or without AML/KYC documentation.
Country: Hong Kong
Founded in 2017. This exchange deals with just over 100 trading pairs and does not support fiat on-ramp but has very low fees. The exchange does offer USDT as one of the trading pairs which helps with the non-existant fiat benefit.
Currently the exchange doesn’t have a lot of AML/KYC requirements, new users will be processed with a very low level verification check. As the exchange grows along with all the global AML/KYC restrictions going around, expect more changes in the near term to their requirements.
Country: Australia
Launched in 2016. This exchange offers just over 500 trading pairs and supports USDT but no fiat on-ramp. Exchange offers low fees and seems to be open to all countries with non-existant AML/KYC verification checks. This relatively new exchange seems no frills with both its exchange platform and its website in general.
The daily volume borders right over $1 million. Though the exchange doesn’t seem to have suffered a hack, but it’s lack of transparency, unknown ownership or location of exchange, ticket support issues and bundled with various complaints online about 2FA issues and funds never arriving seem to give off red flags.
Country: United Kingdom
Only 4 trading pairs which are fiat, GBP, EUR, USD to BTC or BCH. Started in 2012, they are one of UK’s oldest. Fee’s add up quickly and registration may take a few days till you are able to trade. They offer private or corporate trading including OTC for each.
Country: Slovakia
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.
Country: United Kingdom
Launched in 2014. Coinmate only offers BTC, BCH & LTC with fiat pairs of EUR & CZK. CoinMate offers two different interfaces, a quick trading layout and an advanced trading layout. Either trading interface is easy to use and understand. The exchange is on the top ten Euro exchanges with a daily volume of over $820k.
Exchange does not have mobile apps but does have it’s exchange optimized for mobile devices so users can trade via the website.
US traders are not allowed to create accounts.
Country: South Korea
Coinone is a South Korea based cryptocurrency exchange established in 2014. Exchange reports over $5 million of USD daily trading and over 150+ trading pairs. Reported to be one of the most popular exchanges in South Korea second behind Bithumb.
Trading pairs to include KRW (Korean Won) to XRP, BTC, ETH, BCH, QTUM, ETC and more which offers fiat to crypto trading.
Coinone exchange has a thorough AML/KYC verification and only available to those who reside in South Korea.
Coinone Mobile App:
Country: India
Launched in 2017, a cryptocurrency exchange aggregator with over 275 cryptocurrencies. CoinSwitch is a little different, it uses other exchanges like KuCoin, Bittrex, Cryptopia and others to fill orders. When using this platform and placing an order, CoinSwitch takes your request and finds the best matches from different exchanges and offers you different options.
This platform allows for exchange of crypto or purchasing with a credit card but not with fiat. Expect to pay more than Coinbase when using a credit card to make a purchase. Since transaction speed depends on which exchange your transaction is using, a transaction can take up to 30 minutes or more for purchases larger than 1 BTC.
Country: Czech Republic
Established in 2014, exchange offers many different types of virtual currencies but limited selection of cryptocurrency to buy or sell, which at this time is only BTC & LTC.
Various different types of payment types and systems are able to used including cash, Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria, Unistream, Skrill and many others. Fees and processing time vary greatly depending on payment services being used. Registration is required prior to using services or making purchases, just need government ID and to provide basic information then wait 12-48 hours for processing.
Since they only offer BTC & LTC, entering an order is pretty simple and exchange claims fast processing when purchasing cryptocurrency.
Country: Scotland
Launched in 2017, this exchange does about $300 million in daily volume making it one of the largest exchanges by volume. This exchange offers 50+ trading pairs which also includes fiat (USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, BRL) on-ramp of which USD & EUR also allow Visa/Mastercard.
Traders do need to complete AML/KYC verification prior to trading. Exchange also offers competitive trading fees and its exchange token (CNX) where traders can earn 11% profit annually, regardless of growth rate.
Country: New Zealand
* CAUTION* Suffered a couple of hacks in early 2019. Exchange has SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS and has commenced liquidation to pay off owed funds.
DO NOT DEPOSIT MONEY INTO THIS EXCHANGE. Check your automatic or direct deposit addresses.
I have this here for informational purposes to those that may have used this exchange or still have funds on here.
Country: Poland
7 trading pairs with BTC to include, LTC, DASH, XMR, KMD, BCC, GBYTE & ZEC. The attraction of this exchange is the lack of ID that is required to trade. During registration, no personal details need to be provided other than an email account.
The exchange is relatively small and seems a bit outdated but trading fees are on the lower end. This exchange is pretty much barebones trading, it is stable and fast but besides a basic charting window and an order book thats as far as it goes.
Country: Singapore
Founded in 2017, DigiFinex ranks as one of the top exchanges by volume with $450 million traded in 24hr period. Exchange currently offers over 130 pairs but fiat on-boarding except for USDT, GUSD and PAX. DigiFinex does offer the ability to purchase 5 cryptocurrencies (BTC,ETH,LTC,BCH & XRP) with a Visa/Mastercard by using a third party servicer.
DigiFinex does have higher fees than it’s competitors and also seems to have stricter AML/KYC requirements, besides the policy having two different requirements, one for personal customers and one for business customers it also doesn’t allow for any trading prior to completing and approval of AML/KYC requirements. DigiFinex does seem to have transparent business operations like conducting SEC-level auditing, strict AML/KYC, open market information, disclosing basic information on the exchange and its team including office locations.
Country: United Kingdom
About 15 trading pairs with BTC, USD, EUR, RUB & GBP. Website seems slow and clunky. Low fees and relatively easy registration.
More information to follow soon.
Country: Hong Kong
Owned by BitFinex, ETHFINEX focuses on the Ethereum network and lists several ERC-20 compatible tokens. Your BitFinex account can be linked to your EthFinex account. Trading pairs with BTC, ETH, USD and EUR.
Exchange does include some BTC pairs but allows the purchase of many ER-20 tokens with USD even though U.S. residents are not allowed to trade on this exchange. To deposit or withdraw USD, you will need to complete the verification process which can take up to 5 weeks.
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.
Location: United Kingdom
Founded in 2013, Exchange offers over 45 Trading pairs with BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, USD, RUR, EUR, UAH, PLN. Offers a variety of ways to deposit fiat with various types of transfer methods. ID verification is not required to start trading should you be in a hurry, but without verification there are certain limits.
Exchange has smooth trading platform and appears to want to give back to its users with a cashback and referral program. Make sure to setup up 2fa with this exchange, EXMO has been targeted several times from hackers to kidnapping executive team members.
Location: South Korea
About 30 trading pairs with BTC, USDT, QC & ETH. (updating)
Location: Grand Cayman
Early in 2019, Gate.io suffered a 51% attack on Ethereum Classic blockchain. Exchange did promise to refund those who were affected.
Decentralized exchange with over 140 trading pairs with BTC, ETH & USDT but no fiat options available.
Exchange offers services such as Margin Trading, Margin Lending and Futures Trading.
U.S. and Canadian Citizens and residents are no longer allowed to trade or maintain a balance.
Mobile app: Android & iOS
Location: Hong Kong
*CAUTION* Gatecoin has been ordered by court to shutdown and enter liquidation to recover funds.
About 15 trading pairs with BTC, USD, EUR, HKD. Website a little slow and not laid out very well. If you plan on depositing or withdrawing over USD $50K, be prepared for long and tedious verification process to include Skype call or in-person verification with compliance officer!
Location: Gibraltar
Founded in 2017, a subsidiary of Gibraltar Stock Exchange. This exchange offers 25 trading pairs with USD on-boarding and a 24hr volume of $1 million. This exchange offers the ability to trade on it’s desktop, iOS and Android platforms.
The exchange offers competitive fees but has strict AML/KYC requirements. Because the exchange is a subsidiary of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange, it is one of the more trusted cryptocurrency exchanges which is also very transparent about its operations, fees and management team members.
Location: U.S.A
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.
Location: United Kingdom
Established in 2013. Exchange has over 300 trading pairs with BTC, USDT, ETH and more. Traders can deposit via wire transfers using SWIFT or SEPA and may also use credit cards.
Exchange can be used by traders from many different countries, this allows a high liquidity. Exchange’s KYC/AML policy ensures only allowed traders can conduct business on the exchange. Exchange reports relatively similar fees to other exchanges but some traders using that exchange have reported acquiring extra fees without notice. Along with hidden fees, users have reported site crashes.
US traders are currently not allowed.
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 currently open to U.S. customers. .
Location: Singapore
Established in 2013, one of the largest exchanges that has over 530 trading market pairs and 250 million in trading volume. Exchange has been accused of falsifying trading volumes.
Huobi Global is large and well known thus having a large amount of liquidity. Exchange has competitive trading fees and offers a wide variety of different coins. Exchange offers other features such as margin trading, currency order books, OTC and futures. Exchange offers the ability to purchase crypto with credit cards.
Exchange platform can be a little overwhelming for novice traders but even seasoned traders can find it a little bloated and slow.
Huobi Global is not available to US customers.
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.
Location: U.S.A
IDEX claims to be a decentralized exchange. It is a ETH based exchange with over 75 trading pairs. They have implemented KYC based requirements and users that are not registered are limited to buying,selling, trading.
Location: United Kingdom
Founded in 2013, exchange offers over 100 different cryptocurrencies from Bitcoin to various ERC-20 tokens. Allows purchase with credit or debit card (Visa / Mastercard only).
Purchasing can be rather easy and you can even buy a certain amount of cryptocurrency without creating an account if you’re looking to make a quick small purchase. With the above being said, expect to pay a premium for use of either debit or credit card.
Cryptocurrency can only be purchased, not sold. Exchange is available in over 200 countries except for U.S. based residents at this time but they seem to be working making it available eventually.
Location: South Korea
4 trading pairs that include BTC, XRP, ETH & ETC with KRW.
Location: U.S.A
A San Francisco based exchange that was founded in 2011 and launched in 2013. Kraken is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Although based in USA, Kraken is consistently named as one of the best places to buy and sell crypto due to low fees, versatile funding options and tight security standards which has maintained un-hacked at the time of this writing.
Kraken offers almost 60 trading pairs to include fiat funding options from USD, EUR, CAD, JPY, GBP, CHF, AUD and not to mention other cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, QTUM, ADA, ZEC and XMR.
Kraken’s trading platform has a sleek and user friend platform layout for beginners and even has it’s Kraken Pro platform for it’s advanced users. Considering Kraken is one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges it offers many market options from staking, margin trading, futures, OTC, corporate accounts and more.
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: China
Started in 2013, that only allows trading with BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH and XRP with a wide variety of currency from many different countries which can be transferred in many different ways such as Western Union, MoneyGram, OKPAY, PayPal and others.
LakeBTC is also one of the few cryptocurrency exchanges that make up the Bitcoin Price Index established by CoinDesk.
LakeBTC is not open to residents of the USA or China.
Location: Ukraine
*CAUTION* Exchange reported it will shut down due to lack of liquidity. Exchange posted that its clients should withdraw it’s digital assets and that they cannot guarantee they will maintain their website after 30 days.
Coinmarketcap has also stopped updating on this exchange.
It was a small exchange with 7 individuals running this exchange that has grown to over 175 trading pairs.
Location: Japan
In 2015 Quoine the parent company of Liquid launched Quoinex a fiat to crypto exchange. Soon after in 2017 Quoine also launched Qryptos a crypto to crypto exchange.
In 2018 Quoine merged Quoinex and Qryptos and launched Liquid. Liquid has offices in Japan (HQ), Singapore, Vietnam and USA thus offering the fiat currencies of JPY, USD, SGD, AUD and EUR.
Liquid reports over 80 trading tokens, supporting over 100+ countries, 800K+ customers and $1.1+ Billion in trade volume. Liquid offers up to 100x trading leverage for select crypto-fiat pairings, a pro trader platform, corporate accounts, earn rewards, mobile apps and more.
Liquid Mobile Apps:
Location: Belize
Operating since 2015, making this one of the older crypto exchanges around. Not much business information exist about the exchange but appears to have one of it’s main offices in Belize though owned by a privately-owned company in Russia.
Exchange is currently one of the top 100 exchanges and has over 250 trading pairs with USD, BTC, EUR, ETH, LTC, XRP & RUR. Along with the popular cryptocurrency just mentioned they also have a large selection of more obscure cryptocurrencies but be warned most have very little or no liquidity.
Livecoin does have a 24 hour trading volume of $10 million and does not require AML or KYC verification prior to conducting trades, withdrawals or deposits except for when making cash deposit via bank transfer.
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.
Location: U.K.
Established in 2013, this smaller exchange has a daily volume of about $4.5 million USD. This self described “the world’s most powerful bitcoin exchange” only has 5 trading pairs. Though originally founded as BitX, this exchange seems to focus on emerging markets, like those that are generally blocked from other cryptocurrency exchanges.
Considering the exchange has been around since 2013, it has served over 2 million customers and 40 countries worldwide. Even though it serves emerging markets like South Africa, Malaysia, Nigeria and other countries, it does have a AML/KYC requirement and slightly higher fees than normal.
Luno accepts several fiat currencies with the most popular being EUR. But they do also include IDR, MYR, NGN, and ZAR which are supported for deposits, trading and withdrawals.
Luno Mobile Apps: IOS / Android
U.S. Residents need not apply as they are not allowed to conduct trades.
Location: U.K.
Launched in 2016, exchange offers over 100 cryptocurrencies paired with BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE & DASH or USD, EUR, RUB fiat.
Exchange also offers a lending platform or margin trading. Exchange benefits for users include affiliate and loyalty programs.
Location: Seychelles
Launched in 2019. Nominex is a centralized exchange based in Seychelles.
Self described as the next-generation cryptocurrency exchange. Over 50+ trading pairs with BTC, ETH, USDT and USDC. Crypto can be purchased with credit card with approved users. Exchange verifies AML/KYC and offers 3 levels of verification.
Nominex offers many services from referral programs, staking options, trading tournaments, discount cards, DeFi options and more. They also offer trading courses that offer up to $300USDT for completing all 10 of their video lessons and passing their tests. Users must be registered and make a purchase of their exchange tokens.
Currently Nominex does not offer services to several countries to include America Samoa, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, United States, Virgin Islands and several others.
Location: Hong Kong
Founded in 2017 by OKCoin. The exchange claims to be the “most trusted digital asset exchange”. The exchange conducts $1.5 billion in 24hr volume making it one of the largest exchanges by volume.
The exchange offers over 400 trading pairs including some fiat on-boarding. Exchange even seems to use WeChat Pay & Alipay as a source of funding. Fees on this exchange depend on the level of volume your either make or take. Also, AML/KYC verfication process allows for two levels, with restrictions for a single transaction of ¥800 per order for level 1 and ¥100,000 for level 2.
This full service exchange offers OTC trading, futures trading, spot/margin trading and an index tracker and tends to focus on institutional investors and high-volume traders. Exchange listing of countries not served seems to be larger than the list that it does serve. U.S. is listed as one of the countries not served.
Location: U.S.A
Founded in summer of 2015 in Wilmington, Delaware. This exchange only offers the buying or selling of Bitcoin with USD, EUR, GBP, AUD or CAD. Website is minimalistic and walks you thru the process.
Verification process may take up to 7 days but you can do some small buys/sells just by registering with your email. Relatively low trading fees but can get high when using some alternative methods or foreign currencies for buying Bitcoin. NY residents not allowed. P2P Cryptocurrency trading platform.
Location: United States
*CAUTION* Poloniex announced they will no longer accept U.S. customers, Also starting Nov 1st, 2019 current U.S. customers will no longer be able to make deposits or make trades, withdrawals will available until Dec 15th, 2019.
Almost 100 trading pairs with BTC, USDT, ETH & XMR. Exchange does not accept fiat, only cryptocurrency. Exchange also offers margin trading and lending. Exchange withdrawal limits are based on a tier system as many other exchanges.
Exchange has seen its fair share of problems, most recently in 2014 when a hack wiped out over 10% of its Bitcoin. They have also had many complaints and negative reviews from customer service to issues with withdrawals.
Exchange trading platform is fairly easy to use even for new traders but the layout is not user friendly and platform does seem a little slow sometimes. Exchange does have good liquidity but fees are moderate and can add up.
Location: Canada
*CAUTION* Exchange has just run into some trouble due to owner passing recently and leaving the exchange unable to access crypto private keys. The exchange is reported to owe it’s customers over $190 million dollars and cannot access most of those funds.
Based out of Vancouver, BC. 9 Trading pairs with CAD & BTC. Website is slow and lay out breaks up a normal trading display into tabs for; Order Book, Market Overview, Live Trades, etc. Trading fees seem moderate depending on transaction or service.
Location: Japan
25 Trading pairs to include BTC, ETH, XRP, QASH, NEO, to BTC, USD, JPY, SGD. Even though residents from the United States can register for an account, they cannot trade. So, if you happen to make a deposit from U.S. based bank, funds will not clear and sent back to bank minus fees.
Location: Decentralized
Launched in early 2018, Stellarport is a decentralized exchange with the main purpose being to bring Stellar (XLM) to the masses. This exchange is essentially a portal to the Stellar blockchain network. This exchange uses Stellar (XLM) as the base exchange pair. A variety of other cryptocurrencies are also available to trade for XLM. No fiat is accepted, other trading pairs with XRP, BTC & ETH.
This exchange has no business relation with XLM. Since this is a decentralized exchange, no KYC or transfer limits apply. A decentralized exchange may be a little confusing to novice traders until they become familiar. Decentralized exchanges are great for those who value their privacy, but also generally offer low fees, fast processing and little or no limits for transfers.
Location: Italy
18 trading pairs with BTC, XRP & EUR. Trading platform does not flow well and is lacking on the information aspect. This exchange grew from a Insurance Company into a division that managed funds, traded stocks as well as cryptocurrencies. In 2018, left Malta and moved to Italy.
Exchange appears to have a subscription/entry fee.
Location: U.K.
Over 60 trading pairs with BTC, ETH, USDT, WAVES, USD, EUR.
Tidex is a no frills typed exchange. Users can trade, buy or sell, stake or apply for cryptocurrency loans. The trading platform is simple with some basic chart tools. Liquidity seems to be an issue and CoinMarketCap reports low volumes for this exchange.
Offers Margin trading. Residents of USA, South Korea and People’s Republic of China are not allowed to trade on this exchange.
Location: U.K.
Over 100 trading pairs with BTC, LTC, DOGE, USDT and BCH. Exchange uses coin voting where registered users can vote for their preferred coin to be added to the exchange.
Location: Austria
Founded in 2007 VirWox expanded into Bitcoin in 2011. Exchange only offers various virtual currencies but the only cryptocurrency it offers is Bitcoin. To purchase Bitcoin, user will need to first purchase a third type of currency (SLL) to act as the medium of exchange for Bitcoin. Exchange offers purchasing Bitcoin thru various forms from fiat thru certain banks, various foreign currencies, credit or debit cards or even PayPal or prepaid cards and even certain vouchers.
Exchange can be confusing and difficult to navigate due to all other forms or virtual products it offers and the need to purchase a different type of currency to buy Bitcoin. Fees vary greatly depending on services being used and payment methods. Be prepared to wait, everything seems to be slow from registration, clearing funds from PayPal to transferring Bitcoin withdrawals. Also, if your account is inactive for more than 12 months, there is an inactivity fee. Exchange open to all users worldwide.
Location: United Kingdom
Founded in 2014 as a E-coin, Wirex has transformed from a exchange to a payment platform app. With the Wirex app, users can buy, store, trade and spend cryptocurrencies and fiat (like USD, GBP, EUR,YEN,etc). Wirex currently has the ability to buy just a few cryptocurrencies but it allows to be purchased straight from fiat, not in trading pairs since it is not an exchange.
Wirex also offers Visa debit cards that can be loaded with BTC, LTC, ETH and XRP making it easy to spend your cryptocurrency at a offline/online merchant. AML/KYC is required just as any bank and using the Wirex app makes it just as easy. Wirex is FCA e-money licensed and because of that stores 99% of all user funds in segregated, multi-signature cold storage wallet, making sure your the only accessing your money.
Location: Gibraltar
XAPO based out of Switzerland but does have a branch in California for all U.S. user issues. Plantform works with most countries worldwide and offers deposits via SWIFT.
Exchange is noted as being the Fort Knox of Bitcoin storage due to it’s deep cold storage vault within a bunker in the Swiss Alps. Before it was a BTC exchange, it was a vaulting security service launched in 2014.
in 2021 Xapo relaunching as a digital bank, making it the first bank with regulated Bitcoin access. Xapo has acquired its banking license from Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC). Gibraltar is a British overseas territory.
Exchange offers purchase of only BTC with USD deposits through bank wire, credit & debit cards, some payment processors. Exchange is easy to use for quick purchases and first time buyers. Users can now also get a BTC debit card from XAPO linked from their account.
Trading fees seem to be confusing and the website makes it difficult to figure out how much fees are.
Location: Russia
Smaller exchange that was started in 2015. Exchange offers over 400 cryptocurrencies that can be bought or sold with fiat pairs of USD & RUB or cryptocurrency.
Registration on this exchange is among the easiest which makes you wonder if they are legit. They have gotten many negative comments from others stating account lockouts, lost fiat or slow support if any resolution actually happens. Recommend caution.
Location: Samoa
Founding in 2017. This exchange is within the top 10 exchanges based on trade volume of $570 million in a 24hr period. This exchange lists over 80 pairs but no fiat on-board but offers USDT. The exchange does require traders to complete AML/KYC verification by performing in events like coin drops. AML/KYC requirements do seem to be lax and non-verified users can withdraw up to 2BTC per day. It is unclear where this exchange actually has it’s home office or who owns it.
Claiming to have offices in USA, Canada, Bangkok, Dubai, Malta and even Switzerland. It’s lack of transparency makes it appear that the exchange is totally unregulated. Even with it’s lax regulatory policies and no official oversight, this exchange continues to thrive without any major issue. This exchange also has a long list of countries that it does not service to include USA and all it’s territories.
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.
