With cryptocurrency going mainstream and getting legitimized here and there, it is only a matter of time before a huge population wants to get in on the action. Marketplaces that allow people to trade, buy, and sell digital assets are becoming crucial.
To address this market demand, cryptocurrency exchanges were created.
By definition, a cryptocurrency exchange is an online marketplace where users can exchange one kind of digital asset for another. These exchanges will be determined by the market value of the assets.
In the real world, banks are financial institutions that are licensed to receive deposits, transfer funds, and store money for their clients. Banks, basically, regulate money. They are the only legal institution that can offer customers the ability to exchange fiat currencies for another.
Meanwhile, a stock exchange is a facility where stock brokers trade company stocks and other securities. Stocks can only be bought or sold only if they are listed on an exchange. Stock exchanges are marketplaces that stock sellers and buyers use to trade their stocks.
The digital world offers cryptocurrency exchanges similar services as banks and stock exchanges.
There are still people who treat cryptocurrency with fear and anxiety. Some people view cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency exchanges as illegal online marketplaces.
They believe that these places can facilitate the trade of unregistered securities. They believe that crypto exchanges can be places where suspicious people can launder money and have limited AML/KYC to evade the law.
Some of these claims may not be entirely true. As with all dealings with cryptocurrency, there are inherent risks to using cryptocurrency exchanges.
For example, there is a good chance that law enforcement may shut down an exchange. When this happens, these exchanges might not be able to return your money because some operate illegally in gray areas.
There is also the possibility of your funds getting locked in the exchange, leaving you with no way of withdrawing or even selling your cryptocurrency and other digital assets. This could happen when your cryptocurrency exchange is seized or under investigation by the authorities.
Lastly, there is a very big possibility of you losing your money from speculating cryptocurrency and then having the rug pulled under you by the founders or founding team of these exchanges. Especially when these founders are hustlers or scammers who are too good at what they are doing.
It is important to remember that cryptocurrency and any other related technology are always a risky business. Always be cautious. Like with gambling, there are more chances of losing than winning. High-risk, high reward.
If you prefer to see the experience in a more visual way, Mark Farfan’s YouTube video review is for you. To get a comprehensive overview of Binance, you may still want to check out our article below, which compares it to some competitors.
Binance Exchange Binance And Ftx
Binance Overview
Binance is the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the entire world. It offers the largest number of trading pairs and has the highest trading volume among all crypto exchange services.
Binance was founded in 2017 by Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and business executive Changpeng Zhao. The company was initially based in China, but with the growing crypto restriction on crypto in the country, it was moved to Japan and soon to Malta.
The company didn’t have a place to call home back then.
The company is currently based in Malta. Binance is available in most countries, with the exception of the United States where Binance.US was created.
Binance’s popularity among its users is due to its low fees, large selection of cryptocurrencies available, and innovative products. The platform has a lot to offer in terms of products that are based on cryptocurrencies.
These products/services offer the opportunity to earn, trade, stake, derive and NFTs. You can even get loans, do payments, and even avail of credit cards from the service.
Cryptos Under Binance
Binance has its own tokens and cryptocurrency. In fact, there are two.
The first one is called BUSD. It is a stablecoin fiat-backed issued by Binance and Paxos. Each token of this stablecoin is backed 1:1 with US dollars in reserve. The company created BUSD as a means to provide a more stable cryptocurrency alternative for traders and investors wanting to avoid the volatile nature of the digital asset market.
BNB is the second. Formerly called Binance Coin, it was launched in 2017 through an initial coin offering (ICO) as an asset for users when Binance was still in its infancy. It was originally an ERC-20 standard token that was built on the Ethereum blockchain.
Currently, it is a native token of the Binance ecosystem, where it plays an essential role by powering operations. It’s used to pay trading, listing and exchange fees as well as other expenses that users incur on the platform.
Binance Perks
- Low fees
This is why Binance is the most popular crypto exchange platform in the world. Binance trades can be done for free. The platform charges a maker/taker fee. The trading volume and Binance Coin balance will determine the fees.
That said, the platform still charges fees for some services, such as withdrawal and payment types.
- Large Crypto Selection
The number of cryptocurrencies on the market will determine how good a crypto exchange platform is. Binance is the largest crypto exchange platform. This means that it has a lot of digital currencies.
There are even decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens available, as well as stablecoins, altcoins, and other popular cryptos.
Some of the currencies available include:
- Binance Coins (BNB)
- VeChain, (VET)
- VeThor (VTHO)
- Harmon (ONE)
- Matic Network (MATIC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
- Cardano (ADA)
And many more.
- Multiple ways to Earn
Binance is a platform that allows users to make more money from their crypto assets. Customers can try to earn income via adding liquidity to pairs of tokens. You can also try on some staking options available on the platform.
That said, most of these opportunities carry great risk, so it is up to users to discern and weigh these risks. Trading and dealing in crypto is risky enough.
- Advanced trading tools
Lastly, Binance would not be called a crypto exchange platform if it were without trading tools.
Binance has advanced trading tools that allow users to customize trading options easily. It is easier to place limit orders to buy or sell crypto at a certain price.
Charting tools can also be extremely useful for veterans traders when making trade decisions. There are even features that allow users to sell leveraged tokens and make trade easier.
Binance Trading Experience
The overall trading experience with Binance is pretty good. It provides various trading tools that allow for smoother and faster transactions. You can even use real-time charts with moving averages, which makes it easy and accessible.
You don’t have to trade on your computer. Rather, you can use Binance however you want. It’s possible to do this through the Binance App or the Binance website.
Traders will not need to use multiple platforms or other tools to keep track of their portfolios as the platform already does it for them. Anyone who wants to track their trades can access their trade history on the exchange platform.
You can even customize how they view trading. This allows for easier comprehension of data. In fact, users can choose how they prefer these data to be presented, which makes it easier to pinpoint the more important ones.
Binance Trading Fees
Binance trading fees will depend on the customers’ trading history and trading volume in the past 30 days. The amount of BNB that the user has will also be important.
The fees you pay will depend on whether you are a taker or a maker. Takers, who remove liquidity orders from a market, tend to get higher fees than makers (those who add liquidity to it).
Binance uses its native currency to facilitate transactions. You get 25% off your trading fees when you use BNB to make trades. Binance also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
This chart can be used to quickly reference Binance’s fees.
VIP | 30-Day Trade Volume (BUSD) | Maker/Taker |
0 | Below 1,000,000 | 0.10%/0.10% |
1 | 1,000,000 to 4,999,999 and at least 25 BNB | 0.09%/0.10% |
2 | 5,000,000 to 19,999,999 and at least 100 BNB | 0.08% / 0.10% |
3 | 20,000,000 to 119,999,999 and at least 250 BNB | 0.07% / 0.10% |
4 | 120,000,000 to 199,999,999 and at least 500 BNB | 0.07% / 0.09% |
5 | Between 200,000,000 and 499,999.999,999 with at least 1,000 BNB | 0.06% / 0.08% |
6 | 500,000,000 to 999,999,999 and at least 1,750 BNB | 0.05% / 0.07% |
7 | 1,000,000,000 to 2,499,999,999 and at least 3,000 BNB | 0.04% / 0.06% |
8 | 2,500,000,000 to 4,999,999,999 and at least 4,500 BNB | 0.03% / 0.05% |
9 | More than 5,000,000,000 and at least 5,500 BNB | 0.02% / 0.04% |
Binance Issues
Binance is a crypto-currency company that has many problems and controversy, despite being the most prominent.
The year 2019 was a bad year for the exchange platform.
Binance was the victim of a large-scale security breach on May 7, 2019. It was discovered that hackers stole 7,000 Bitcoins worth $40 million. However, customers were reimbursed by the site’s “Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU).
However, it wasn’t as rough as the year 2021 was. It’s not true to say that Binance had a difficult year in 2021.
On allegations of tax crimes and money laundering, the United States Department of Justice investigated the company.
It was also forced to cancel its planned launch in Britain of a digital asset marketplace. Their application did not meet anti-money laundering requirements.
The next year, it was once again put in hot water as it was reported that Binance was said to have shared client data with the Russian government. In an effort to combat crime, these data contained names and addresses.
Then in October of the same year, it suffered another hack on its network. After discovering an exploit between two different blockchains, the company had to suspend transactions and funds transfers temporarily. The issue had been contained as soon as it popped up.
However, about $100m in funds remained unrecovered from a total of $570m that was stolen.
Binance Pros & Cons
Pros
- Low fees
- Easy Access to Passive Income Opportunities
- Large Selection of Cryptocurrencies
- Sophisticated trading tools
- There are many ways to deposit money
- Flexible Order Types and Trading Options
Cons
- Non-beginner friendly. For beginners, many features can be difficult to access and use.
- Regulation issues with many countries, including major ones such as the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.
- Due to regulatory issues, the service is not available in the United States. Even the US-specific service, Binance U.S. (a more limited version), is unavailable in some states.
- There is no built-in digital wallet
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Binance Versus Coinbase
There are two cryptocurrency platforms that can be used, and they have different approaches. Coinbase and Binance are the best examples.
The one is an American-based exchange and is suitable for beginners. It has a simple interface with limited transaction types and is best suited for veterans.
The crux of the difference between Coinbase and Binance is who their main audience is and how they cater to these people.
Coinbase Overview
Coinbase, or Coinbase Global, Inc, is an American publicly traded company that operates as a cryptocurrency exchange platform. It is a distributed company, and as such, all people employed by the platform operate via remote work.
As such, the company does not have a physical headquarters because they don’t need one. It used to have a company headquarters in San Francisco, but this palace was abandoned, and the company changed operation to remote-first.
Brian Armstrong, an ex-engineer at Airbnb, founded Coinbase in June 2012. He joined the Y Combinator incubator program and received a $150,000 cash injection.
Later on, co-founder Fred Ehrsam joined him after noticing Armstrong’s post on Reddit. This was back in the days when bitcoin was only $6 and was only known to “a few nerds online” (Ehrsam’s words not mine).
The two guys believed that bitcoin was a crazy idea that would revolutionize money and finance. They both shared a confident view that bitcoin will be very big. As such, they wanted to bring crypto to the mainstream and make it easy to use. This was the impetus behind Coinbase.
While Coinbase now sits among the pantheon as the biggest crypto exchange in the United States and one of the biggest worldwide, its beginnings were not glamorous. Coinbase was actually founded in a shared two-bedroom apartment. Binance And Ftx
Cryptos Under Coinbase
Coinbase does not have its original coin or cryptocurrency. The platform supports over 100 cryptocurrencies. They also regularly add more cryptocurrencies as the need arises.
As such, here is a glimpse of the different cryptocurrencies coinbase has to offer:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Solana (SOL)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Uniswap
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- DAI (DAI)
- SushiSwap: SushiSwap (SUSHI)
Coinbase Perks
- Extensive Selection of Cryptocurrency
There is a reason why coinbase is the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. The market offers a wide range of cryptocurrencies.
From a Bitcoin (BTC) focused exchange. Coinbase now offers over 150 different cryptocurrency types. You can even trade Bitcoin (BTC), and other major currencies, for smaller or newer digital tokens.
Coinbase is the only cryptocurrency exchange that offers a wide selection of products in the U.S. market.
- Simple and Advanced Trading
Coinbase offers two trading tools to make it easier for users to access their accounts. You can choose from a simple or advanced trade option.
Simple trading options are easy to use for beginners. The only downside of this option is that it takes higher fees, which might be counterintuitive to crypto investing’s philosophy of keeping fees to a minimum.
Meanwhile, advanced trading offers more features, such as charts, a live order book, and even the ability to limit orders. This option is cheaper, but it comes with a tradeoff: it’s more difficult to use, more complicated, and more intimidating for new users.
To avoid high fees, it is highly recommended to trade in advanced trading.
- Get Free Crypto
Coinbase offers a cool feature to help customers earn more cryptocurrency. Coinbase Earn allows users to earn crypto for learning more.
Users are encouraged to read more about crypto through educational modules, and when one has completed one module, coinbase allows them to earn more.
Although the feature doesn’t offer much, it is still useful. Even a few crypto bits can be a blessing in this economy. Besides, whoever declines free money is always a fool. Even if the amount is not.
- Educational Content
Coinbase’s library is an educational resource, as we have already mentioned. These resources range form the basics of crypto, tips, and tutorials to more complex stuff and even market updates. Coinbase is the best platform to start investing in crypto.
- Mobile App
Coinbase up its accessibility factor by allowing users to access their accounts with a mobile app. Their mobile app, which is similar to the web platform, allows users to manage, buy, and sell cryptocurrency.
This Coinbase App is not just something that is not some garbage or bloatware. It is legit and has high ratings on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- Crypto Reward
Your Coinbase account can allow you to earn interest on many cryptocurrencies. This is because Coinbase pays interest on specific stables, like USD Coin (USDC), automatically.
This allows you to stake certain cryptocurrencies like Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH).
Staking allows participants to receive rewards for their crypto assets. It is how many cryptocurrencies verify transactions. You commit your crypto assets to support a blockchain network and confirm transactions when staking in cryptocurrencies. Binance And Ftx
You will receive certain rewards for staking cryptos. This is not possible for all cryptos. It depends on where you live and the cryptocurrency.
- Coinbase Debit card
Coinbase lets users trade, but also allows them to access their hard-earned wealth and use it with the Coinbase card.
If you have a Coinbase account, you can apply for a Coinbase card, a prepaid Visa debit card linked to your Coinbase account balance. It allows you to spend cryptocurrency to purchase certain services, especially those that accept Bitcoin or other crypto payments.
What’s more, using the Coinbase card gives you a chance to win crypto rewards. You can even choose which crypto from a rotating list you earn for this rewards
Coinbase Trading Experience
If Binance provides low fees and more advanced training tools, Coinbase is geared towards a more different type of user. Coinbase targets people just starting their crypto journey.
This platform provides tools to enable crypto traders to quickly and easily trade. This is in line with their original goal to “make Bitcoin easier to use.”
They are determined to realize this vision and allow users to earn cryptocurrency by watching tutorial videos that are geared towards beginners.
However, this doesn’t mean that veteran traders have only beginner tools to use. For that, Coinbase offers Coinbase Pro. This platform is designed for experienced traders. Binance And Ftx
Coinbase Pro is different because it was designed for professional traders. It gives them more tools that allow for greater customization of their trades. Examples include the ability to choose among several order types, such as stop or limit order and margin order.
You can also view real-time charts, trade history and order books, as well as price charts. This will allow them to make better decisions about how they move their positions or trades.
Although it states pro on the can, that doesn’t necessarily mean users will need to pay a fee for Coinbase Pro. There is no such fee. Anyone can access the pro version of Coinbase by creating an account.
Coinbase Trading Fees
Coinbase doesn’t disclose their fees and pricing. Their entire fee schedule was removed from the online help section. That said, this doesn’t mean you will pay your fees blindly. Costs are still shown when entering a trade, so you still know how much you will pay.
To be honest, this is where coinbase falls off from the competition. The fee structure is too complicated and difficult to understand. It is said that the fee structure depends on three confusing factors:
- Coinbase charges a spread for cryptocurrency purchases and sales. There is a huge charge that rates will vary depending on market fluctuations.
- Coinbase claims that fees are based on a variety of factors, including the chosen payment method, market conditions (volatility or liquidity) and the order size.
- Lastly, Coinbase also charges fees to cover the costs of executing transactions on the external blockchain networks that support the cryptocurrencies in which it deals. Binance And Ftx
That said, Coinbase Pro’s pricing model is more straightforward. It is determined by the customer’s monthly trading volume as well as the liquidity of the asset at purchase. Coinbase Pro users must have a bank account to make withdrawals and deposits.
The chart below gives an idea of the fees you can expect on the main coinbase platform:
Trade Size | Coinbase Fee |
$10 or less | $0.99 |
$10 to $25 | $1.49 |
$25 to $50 | $1.99 |
$50 to $200 | $2.99 |
Trades above $200 have a percentage-based fee rather than a flat fee.
For Coinbase Pro, a general idea of the fees is shown in the chart below.
Pricing Tier | Taker Fee | Maker Fee |
Up to $10K | 0.60% | 0.40% |
$10K – $50K | 0.40% | 0.25% |
$50K – $100K | 0.25% | 0.15% |
$100K – $1M | 0.20% | 0.10% |
$1M – $15M | 0.18% | 0.08% |
$15M – $75M | 0.16% | 0.06% |
$75M – $250M | 0.12% | 0.03% |
$250M – $400M | 0.08% | 0.00% |
$400M+ | 0.05% | 0.00% |
Coinbase Issues
Given how much of cryptocurrency is still in a legal area, there is a distinct chance that those involved in it will have their fair share of issues or controversies.
Coinbase acknowledged that customers were being charged more for cryptocurrencies they purchased with debit and credit cards than they originally intended. These problems started earlier in the month when banks and card issuers charged crypto purchase merchant category codes (MCC).
The issue stemmed from the fact that crypto payments were categorized as “cash advances” and that banks and credit card issuers could begin charging cash advance fees for these purchases.
In a Financial Times article, Visa, the credit card company, blamed Coinbase at first. Later, however, Visa retracted those statements and stated on the Coinbase blog that Coinbase was not responsible for the issue.
Coinbase received more customer complaints than ever in 2018, with an increase of over 100%. These complaints were mostly referred to as “money not available when promised.” Coinbase solved the problem by increasing customer service staff to decrease wait times.
Coinbase was also involved in the first-ever case of insider trading regarding cryptocurrency. The company’s former product manager shared information about tokens. The company provided prosecutors with the right information for an internal investigation.
Coinbase Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to use and very friendly for those just starting in cryptocurrency
- Supports a large number of cryptocurrencies
- Provides opportunities to earn cryptocurrency while, at the same time, learning about them.
- Offers simple and advanced trading depending on user preference
- Offerings a coinbase debit card that allows easy withdrawal of funds Binance And Ftx
Cons
- Complex and complicated fees structure, which is not transparent
- High fees on some transactions
- Limited staking and interest opportunities.
- A lot of altcoins are missing from their selection
- Customer service issues
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Binance or Kraken?
Binance and Kraken, both giants in the cryptocurrency industry, have millions of users. There might seem like a huge gap between the two platforms should we compare their rank (Binance being first and Kraken at fourth), but there is more to it than that.
Binance.US users, for example, are severely limited by the fact that they cannot access Binance’s U.S.-based platform (Binance.US). Kraken, however, is readily available in the country.
There are a lot of similarities between these two platforms, with both offering advanced trading options, low fees, and even mobile apps. Their target audiences are the same as they are geared towards seasoned or even veteran and advanced cryptocurrency traders.
Ultimately, it will be up to customers to choose which platform by choosing what they value most. Will it be Binance and their offers of slightly lower fees, a huge variety of coins, and additional way of managing your funds. Kraken or Binance with their high security standards that won them a Wyoming bank charter approval in 2021. Binance And Ftx
Kraken Overview
Kraken is a fully functioning crypto exchange that offers low fees and a wide selection of tokens and coins. One of the most defining characteristics of this platform is that it is one of the only U.S. crypto exchanges to provide advanced trading tools like margin.
Kraken’s primary goal is to be the most secure and reliable crypto trading platform. In fact, users and traders have praised Kraken for being one of the only crypto exchanges that “has been probably the only exchange that hasn’t been involved in some kind of shady activity against its users…that doesn’t indulge in questionable corporate policies,”
Jesse Powell, Kraken’s founder and former CEO, tweeted that the November 2022 FTX Controversy was a “”…Happy life, pay a fee for matching trades” A balance sheet is mostly Bitcoin, some ETH.
Kraken was co-founded in 2011 by the aforementioned Jesse Powell, who was an alumnus of California State University, Sacramento, with Thanh Luu. However, it was only launched in September 2013, offering Bitcoin, Litecoin, and euro trades. Further currencies and margin trading would follow.
Powell began working on Kraken as a possible replacement for Mt.Gox, another bitcoin exchange based in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Before its 2014 collapse due to failed security audits, Powell was a consultant to the exchange.
Kraken had also joined other US Bitcoin players to form the “Committee for the Establishment of the Digital Asset Transfer Authority” as the industry’s self-regulatory group. Binance And Ftx
The year 2014 was very big for Kraken. The company received a Series A investment of $ 5,000,000 from Hummingbird Ventures in March 2014.
It was later listed on Bloomberg Terminal as one of the first bitcoin exchanges. Then it has chosen to assist with investigating the lost bitcoins of Mt. Gox, CEO Powell’s former employer. Kraken was relied upon because of its proven operating history of not being breached by hackers.
After Wyoming granted such a charter, Kraken was the first cryptocurrency exchange to have a special purpose deposit institution (SPDI), charter in September 2020.
Chief Executive Officer Powell resigned as CEO of the platform on September 21st, 2022. He said that he had spent more time on the product, the user experience and industry advocacy.
He was replaced as CEO by Dave Ripley.
Cryptos under Kraken
Kraken supports at least 110 cryptocurrencies. The most well-known and popular currencies are:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Solana (SOL)
- Sushi (SUSHI)
- Uniswap
Aside from that, Kraken also supports some stablecoins which include Tether, USD Coin, as well as Dai. Kraken also has a limited currency exchange that is available in select territories. You can convert US dollars into Canadian dollars, Japanese Yuen and Swiss Francs. Binance And Ftx
Kraken Perks
- Beefy Security
Since its founding in 2011 and launching in 2013, Kraken has been a mainstay of the cryptocurrency industry. Its eyes were focused on security from its first day, and it never kept its eyes off it after all these years. In fact, it is the only cryptocurrency exchange that has not had any major hacking accounts.
As such, this United States-based exchange is the consistent leader in terms of security in the industry. As such, some in the industry have affiliated Kraken with physical security and financial stability. A claim that the company is just too happy to boast about
- Healthy Range of Available Cryptocurrencies
Kraken has over 160 coins and seven fiat currencies available to trade on its platform. While it’s not the biggest amount, it is still a healthy number and is comparable to some of the best crypto exchanges. Binance And Ftx
This amount helps Kraken maintain high liquidity, making buying and selling at a fair price easier on the platform.
Kraken works using currency pairs, a one-to-one equivalency between two currencies. It is the price quote of the exchange rate of two different currencies traded in FX markets.
In the case of Kraken, one currency pair would be using dollars to buy Bitcoin and vice versa. If you are using dollars to buy Bitcoin and then Bitcoin to buy Ethereum, you will always be swapping one currency for another.
Kraken’s currencies cannot be exchanged for each other.
- Advanced trading features
Kraken is the only exchange that offers margin, stop orders and crypto short sales. Kraken also offers a dark pool, where high volume investors can trade anonymously.
Kraken allows you to leverage a currency pair by up to 5x. Some eligible pro clients can access up to $500,000 in the margin. Margin trading is still risky.
- Fees are reasonable.
Although it’s not the most expensive on the market, Kraken’s fees remain competitive and comparable to other exchanges. It’s even less expensive than other exchanges.
There are no fixed trading fees. They will vary from one exchange to the next. Your monthly trade history will determine how much you pay. While we will talk about fees in depth in another segment, it is important to know that fees are higher when using the instant buy feature rather than the pro platform.
- Strong Staking Options
Staking options within Kraken are pretty good. Users have the opportunity to stake over 15 different cryptos. Users can earn as much as 20%, up to 0.25%.
Staking is the act that involves tying up your coins to contribute to the overall security of a particular blockchain and can be a great way for investors to earn a passive income.
Kraken Trading Experience
Kraken users can choose between Kraken and Kraken Pro. Kraken Pro is the cheaper of these two exchanges. Anyone can access both platforms with a Kraken Account.
Kraken is a trading platform that’s geared towards intermediate-to-experienced users. The platform is accessible to beginners if they wish. To learn the ropes, it is recommended that they begin with the Kraken central platform. Binance And Ftx
Kraken allows verified accounts with linked bank accounts to purchase cryptocurrency quickly. It is easy to sell or convert your crypto to your account. The website has a simple form that allows you to place orders. It usually takes a few seconds.
Their system makes it easy to buy cryptocurrencies using your bank account balance. You don’t even need to fund your account first.
In terms of security, you can keep your Kraken account safe by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA). As such, you will need your device to log in to your account.
On the other hand, Kraken Pro is Kraken’s more advanced trading platform. It appears more complicated than the regular Kraken exchange. This makes Kraken Pro very intimidating, especially to trading newbies. It is well worth the effort. Binance And Ftx
It includes more detail about assets, active charts and the ability to view open orders.
As stated above, Kraken also allows for lower fees. If you feel confident, you can trade the same trade with Kraken Pro. You will pay less but earn more in the end.
Kraken Fees
As stated above, Kraken’s fees are in the competitive middle. It is not the lowest on the market and it is not the highest. There are other factors that could affect the cost of the fees you will be paying.
Also, prices and fees will differ depending on your platform. Kraken Pro will always have cheaper fees than the normal Kraken.
Fees for instant purchases are 1.5% for most cryptos and 0.9% for stablecoins that use the U.S. Dollar or another stablecoin.
There are also additional fees that depend on how you fund your purchases. These prices range from 0.5% for funding with a bank account. For a digital wallet, you can get a 25-Euro cents debit card, credit card or card at 3.75% plus 25 Eurocents. Binance And Ftx
Kraken Pro’s pricing however is quite different. The fees for Kraken Pro are generally lower than those on the main Kraken platform. Fees will be calculated based on the volume of your trades over the past 30 days. Another fee to remember is that most transactions are subject to a 0.26% taker fee or 0.16% maker fee.
Below is a chart showing their maker-taker fees for a volume of 30 days in US dollars.
30- Day Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
$0 – $50,000 | 0.16% | 0.26% |
$50,001 – $100,000 | 0.14% | 0.24% |
$100,001 – $250,000 | 0.12% | 0.22% |
$250,001 – $500,000 | 0.10% | 0.20% |
$500,001 – $1,000,000 | 0.08% | 0.18% |
$1,000,001 – $2,500,000 | 0.06% | 0.16% |
$2,500,001 – $5,000,000 | 0.04% | 0.14% |
$5,000,001 – $10,000,000 | 0.02% | 0.12% |
$10,000,000+ | 0.00% | 0.10% |
Kraken Issues
Kraken has not had to deal with any issues other than disagreements about its work culture, which the company has worked on and is now ready to move on.
Kraken’s security record has been excellent and Kraken is the only major cryptocurrency exchange not to be hacked.
That said, Kraken has its fair share of issues regarding government regulations.
Kraken refused to cooperate with an investigation by New York Attorney General’s Office in April 2018 on questions about crypto exchanges’ measures to protect customers from market manipulation and money laundering.
Kraken believes that this would be a bad business decision.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control began investigating the exchange in September 2021 for possible violations of sanctions by allowing trade with Iranian customers. In late September 2021, Kraken was ordered to pay a fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for $1.25 million allowing unregistered margin trading.
Kraken Pros & Cons
Pros
- Advanced and sophisticated features like margin trading and staking.
- Excellent and reliable customer service
- Relatively low Bitcoin withdrawal fees (BTC).
- Provides a wide range of educational material.
- Most secure exchange in the market
- Simple user interface
Cons
- The Base Kraken platform is more expensive than Kraken Pro. Luckily both modes can easily be accessed as long as you have a Kraken account.
- Kraken only accepts a few fiat currencies
- A few users complain about their accounts being hacked. Binance And Ftx
- Not available in all U.S. States
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Binance versus Crypto.com
Binance and Crypto.com are some of the more popular exchanges in the cryptocurrency industry. Both offer a wide range of features, such as low fees, staking, and advanced trading. However, it does not mean that the two platforms are identical.
While one exchange is better than another, that doesn’t mean you should always choose the highest-ranking exchange just for numbers. Plenty of factors are at play for why one is ranked higher than the other.
It is better to look at both options before you choose the crypto exchange that appeals to your needs. Will you choose the more investor-friendly Binance with its wider selection of cryptocurrencies to invest in, or will you take Crypto.com’s side, which offers a more user-friendly experience and lower fees. Binance And Ftx
Crypto.com Overview
Crypto.com was established in Hong Kong in 2018 It was originally called Monaco by founders Bobby Bao, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek, and Rafael Melo. It only became Crypto.com when the company purchased a domain that cryptography researcher and professor Matt Blaze owned.
The sales might be on the bigger one, with Domain sellers valuing the domain at US$5 – 10 million.
As for the overall platform, Crypto.com does what most cryptocurrency exchanges does. It allows users to trade, invest, put a stake in some currency and much more.
It also has a huge selection of currencies numbering at least 250 different currencies, reasonable fees, and even discounts to some specific customers (like those with huge stakes in the Crypto.com’s very own coin, the cronos (CRO).
Crypto.com’s primary selling point is their exchange. However, that is not what they all do, they also offer a variety of crypto services which include their own crypto wallet, and even an NFT shop. The company has even partnered with Shopify those in the e-commerce platform accept cryptocurrency as a valid payment.
Overall, we can consider Crypto.com as an all in one cryptocurrency platform that is perfect for investors and traders who want to do more than buy and hold. Crypto.com allows cryptocurrency to be used as currency.
Cryptos under Crypto.com
Crypto.com offers a wide selection of currencies. You can trade spot with more than 250 currencies, and you can also staking. The platform supports the following currencies:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Uniswap
Cronos (CRO) is Crypto.com’s coin. A significant stake in this cryptocurrency will reward you with lower trading fees and higher stalking interest rates as well as higher credit card rewards. Binance And Ftx
Crypto.com Perks
- One-Stop Shop
Crypto.com is more than a trading platform. It allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on the exchange and swap said cryptocurrencies with others through your DeFi wallet.
Most importantly, Crypto.com allows you to spend your hard-earned crypto through a prepaid Visa card. Crypto.com places a lot of weight on cryptocurrency’s currency component.
- Low fees
Crypto.com’s low fees can rival that of many sites.
In fact, there are transactions within Crypto.com that do not even require any fees. You can deposit your money via wire transfer or electronic bank to your account.
Crypto.com also allows you to purchase and sell cryptocurrency at its true cost, giving the real meaning of “what you see is what you get.”
The platform charges a fee for purchases of crypto with a debit or credit card. As an added reminder, payments made with a credit card may also have an added charge of a cash advance fee when buying crypto
- Convert your Money Easily
Although this feature isn’t unique to Crypto.com it deserves to be listed. Users can convert fiat currencies to crypto with the Crypto.com app. Provided that Crypto.com is limited to 20 fiat currencies available on the platform.
These fiat currencies include USD and GBP as well as EUR. But, just because a fiat currency is listed on Crypto.com, does not necessarily mean it will be available for you to trade. You will be limited in your ability to trade certain fiat currencies due to the country you live in.
- Cashback cards
One of the best perks you can get as a member of Crypto.com com is the availability of Visa Cards connected to your Crypto.com account and its crypto currency.
Crypto.com currently offers five types of prepaid Visa cards to its customers. Granted, these cards will need to be topped up before one can fully utilize their uses.
The type of Card available for you will also depend on how much CRO stake you have in the platform.
The lowest available tier for those planning to access this card would be their Ruby Steel card, which also offers a 1% money back from your contribution. To be eligible, you must have at least $400 in stake.
For those with deeper pockets, Obsidian tier is available. This tier earns you 5% cash back or cryptoback, as well as lots of bonuses. To qualify, you will need to have at least $400,000 in stakes. Binance And Ftx
Midnight Blue, Jade Green/ Royal Indigo and Frosted Rose Gold/ Icy White are some of the other cards that are available. All these cards have no annual fee and give you a set number of free ATM withdrawals and foreign transactions each month.
- Earn Interest
Crypto.com is more than a place to purchase tokens and coins. It’s a one-stop shop that offers everything crypto. Crypto.com accounts can earn high interest rates. In fact, Crypto.com have some of the best high-yield savings accounts in the market.
You may have to keep a lot of cash in CRO to benefit from this perk, but the maximum interest you can earn is below 10%.
You can get a rate of interest depending on many factors, including the time you spend with your money, how much currency you have saved, and how much CRO you stake.
The app allows you to increase your interest rate in many ways. One way is to stake more than 4,000 CROs. You can even get more if your stake exceeds 40,000 CROs, but this may seem excessive.
You can also increase the interest rate if you deposit for a one-month term to three-month terms. Between these choices, depositing for one-month terms might be more flexible, but three-month term deposits yield better rates.
Lastly, investing in stablecoin also increases your interest rate. Stablecoins usually peg their values to an external reference. Some can even be tied to the U.S. Dollar. These stablecoins allow you to earn more interest.
Stablecoins, being stable, are less likely to appreciate in value than normal cryptocurrencies. They are less likely to lose value.
In the end, keeping your savings in crypto is still risky. Cryptocurrencies are still a volatile entity, and if it fails, your savings may be reduced… by a lot.
- Gifts Cards and Phone Top Ups
Crypto.com also offers phone top-ups and gift cards. You even earn cash-back benefits by buying gift cards from several popular brands.
Crypto.com sells gift cards from well-known brands in a variety of industries, including hotels, general retail, gaming, education, and entertainment from at least 41 different countries. Like Spain, Norway, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
Macy’s and Barnes & Noble are some of the brands.
How much CRO you stake and what kind of company you are will determine how much cashback you receive.
Crypto.com Trading Experience
Your trades with Crypto.com will largely revolve around the mobile app. This serves as the platform’s central hub. For those who have been trading stocks on their phone or tablet before, the experience will be easy and similar to what you would expect. Binance And Ftx
This app shows the user their portfolio and lists of their most popular assets. It includes everything needed that Crypto.com says it offers. With it, you can trade currencies, earn through staking in crypto, make payments with cryptocurrency, and even sign up for a Crypto.com credit card.
Without chart tools, where would you find a trading app? In the case of Crypto.com’s app, it shares a relatively simple set of data that aims not to intimidate or overwhelm the users. The charts just contain enough information needed for users to learn how the blockchain and the currency work, something they might need before buying.
In terms of fiat currencies, Crypto.com has a fair selection. More popular ones include the Australian (AUD) and Canadian (CAD) dollar, the euro (EUR), the British pound sterling (GBP), the ever-popular U.S. Dollar (USD), and even the Brazilian real (BRL). This allows users from multiple countries to buy and enter crypto using their local currency.
Crypto.com Fees
When it comes to trading fees, Crypto.com is pretty competitive in its pricing. In fact, they are among those who offer the lowest trading fees in the market. Those who trade in higher volumes can qualify for fees as low as 0.04% for makers and 0.1% for takers, even without CRO staking.
Users who have at least 5,000 CRO in their bank account can get discounted trading fees. Rates go lower with larger stakes.
That said, newer Crypto.com users without any CRO staking will pay a 0.4% fee on trades with a total monthly trading volume of less than $25,000.
Below is a table showing fees for spot and margin trades for customers with no CRO stake amount.
30-Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Less than 250,000 | 0.0750% | 0.750% |
Greater than or equal to 250,000 | 0.0700% | 0.0720% |
Greater than or equal to 1,000,000 | 0.0650% | 0.0690% |
Greater than or equal to 5,000,000 | 0.0600% | 0.0650% |
Greater than or equal to 10,000,000 | 0% | 0.0500% |
The table below shows the maker and taker rates of those with less than 100 CRO (3% discount).
30 Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Less than 250,000 | 0.0728% | 0.728% |
Greater than or equal to 250,000 | 0.0679% | 0.0698% |
More than 1,000,000 or equal | 0.0631% | 0.0669% |
More than 5,000,000 or equal to 5,000,000 | 0.0582% | 0.0631% |
Greater than 10,000,000 or equal to 10,000,000 | 0% | 0.0485% |
As stated, discounts are based on the CRO stakes. Stakes over 50,000 CRO are exempt from maker fees. People with even higher stakes may be eligible for rebates.
Crypto.com Issues
Crypto.com, like most cryptocurrency exchanges has its problems.
On January 2022, Crypto.com was the victim of a serious hack. According to reports, the company had lost US$15 Million worth of Ether. After users reported suspicious activity to their accounts, the company lost US$15 million worth of Ether. The company immediately halted withdrawals, which were then restored. The company reported that no customer funds were lost alongside the restoration of withdrawals.
Most of the problems with Crypto.com were due to the downturn of cryptocurrency in general. Crypto.com was forced to lay off hundreds of employees that had been working since May. In October 2022 alone, it was reported that the company had to lay off at least 30% to 40% of its staff.
Their exchange token Cronos (CRO), lost $1 billion in value between November 2022 and November 2022. This was in part due to the collapse of FTX. Crypto.com CEO Marszalek reassured that the exchange was operating normally.
Crypto.com Pros and Cons
Pros
- Competitively Low fees
- There are many ways to pay with crypto
- Converts money easily
- Visa card perk with great cash back rewards
- Earn interest on crypto
- There are a lot of crypto coins and tokens available Binance And Ftx
- Strong security
Cons
- The exchange interface is not easy to use.
- There are limited availability of coins.
- Some areas are lacking customer service and some of it is very poor.
- THere is a lack of educational resources.
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Binance versus Kucoin
When Comparing KuCoin and Binance side by side, the winner is pretty clear. It is Binance, and that is by a lot. KuCoin, despite being one of the earliest platforms for trading cryptocurrencies, has been left in the dust by the likes of Kraken and FTX (at least before they went bankrupt).
As of today, while KuCoin still has its users and most traders generally avoid the platform like the plague. Many negative reviews have been written about the exchange, with a variety of reasons. Some are semantics while others are alarming.
KuCoin Overview
KuCoin is a crypto exchange platform launched in 2017 by tech geeks Micahel Gan, Eric Don, Top Lan, Kent Li, John Lee, Jack Zhum, and Linda Lin. The company was founded back in 2013.
KuCoin started because of MichaelGan’s eagerness to learn about blockchain and its application possibilities. He discovered Bitcoin from his boss, Eric, and started getting in on the action.
The impetus came when he found out that the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges during that time were very difficult for beginners to use. This was in direct proportion to the impact blockchain had on the world, particularly with the way that crypto and Bitcoin changed the global financial system.
Eric and Michael had already written the first code for KuCoin in a coffee shop by the end of 2013. This was how the platform, which would later be known as the “People’s Exchange,” got its start.
Cryptos under KuCoin
Since it is an older cryptocurrency exchange platform, it is not surprising that there is a pretty sizable selection of cryptocurrencies you can buy and trade in the exchange.
Veteran traders looking for a wide selection of assets may appreciate this extensive selection of coins and tokens. KuCoin’s greatest strength is its ability to mine altcoins for tokens and coins. Binance And Ftx
This was also the reason why the company was started in the first place: to make less mainstream currencies more prominent and to allow people to access them.
These lesser-known coins are riskier than the more stable and popular ones. As such, people need to understand what people are getting themselves into.
KuCoin has its token, called KuCoin Token or KCS. The following are some other popular coins that can be found on the exchange platform:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Tether (USDT)
- Binance Coin (BNB)
- XRP (XRP)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Filecoin (FIL)
- Internet Computer (ICP)
- Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC)
- USD Coin (USDC)
These are only a small selection of the many options available on the exchange platform.
KuCoin Perks
- Wide range of Coins
KuCoin offers a wide range of tokens, coins and altcoins that are available for trading on their exchange. In fact, it ranks in the upper echelon when selecting coins available in the exchange.
As such, one of its strengths is that it is easier to find smaller coins on these platforms than on other platforms. For traders who want to branch out into less popular crypto, KuCoin will be the perfect platform for them.
It is a key mission of KuCoin to help smaller and more recent cryptocurrencies succeed. In fact, they even have a Spotlight section, which promotes new currencies.
This is a good thing for users and the coin, as it allows them to start using a new currency earlier.
- Low Fees
KuCoin also has low trading fees. Although it’s not the lowest on the market, it’s still low enough to be competitive with other exchanges.
KuCoin doesn’t charge any monthly fees. Withdrawal fees are in line with other exchanges, and depositing cryptocurrency to the service is free. However, depositing fiat money such as U.S. Dollars will require you to pay an additional fee. Binance And Ftx
These fees depend on the transfer method you choose and what third-party app that you use.
- Earn through interest on your crypto
KuCoin, like most cryptocurrency exchanges lets you make money with your crypto. KuCoin Earn is the name of the KuCoin service.
KuCoin Earn gives you two ways to make money from your crypto. First, you can take coins through Pool-X, a company backed by KuCoin. You can also lend your crypto to get the interest.
Your interest rate for borrowing crypto is higher than the one you would get from a savings account. However, your earnings will still be affected by the demand for your coin.
According to the exchange, you can earn up to 8% to 12% on average from this way. KuCoin uses this money to finance margin trading. Although it might seem risky, the company assures that all lenders will be fully repaid.
This repayment could be made from collateral or KuCoin margin insurance funds.
- Advanced Features
KuCoin offers veteran users a variety of toys and additional features. They allow for margin trading, which allows users to leverage their position, which means borrowing money to buy more crypto.
KuCoin’s mobile app also supports trading bots. This allows you to trade your cryptocurrency without having to do it yourself. Instead, you can let a computer handle that task for you. This is very convenient because you don’t always have to be online in order to run your business.
That said, using bots can be pretty risky. Bots can be prone to glitches, and being too dependent on them may cost you a lot of opportunities. Then there is the fact that you mostly don’t know about their perimeters and strategies when doing their trades.
As such, the convenience bots provide may not be worth the uncertainty of how they’re handling your assets.
KuCoin Trading Experience
KuCoin can be accessed online or via an Android and iOS mobile application. Both have an abundance of features and tools which you can use when doing trades on the platform.
YOu can access KuCoin’s front page or dashboard after logging in to your account, be it on desktop or mobile. From there, users can do whatever they want, from viewing markets, buying, trading, and lending crypto, as well as many other activities.
In the case of order types, the platform supports four. These include market order, limit or stop-limit orders, and stop-market orders.
Besides orders, users also have access to margin, futures, and P2P trading. If you want, you can even stake your crypto with the benefit of earning some back or a discount on some trading fees. Binance And Ftx
The exchange recently added a Trading Bot feature that will simplify the entire trading process.
KuCoin is a great cryptocurrency with many advanced features. This might be a boon to veteran traders. However, they might be a nightmare for beginners as desktop, and mobile platforms are not user-friendly.
KuCoin Fees
KuCoin breaks down trading fees by levels. These trading fees will mostly depend on 3 factors. To determine the trading fee level, you have to look at the Minimum KCS Holding within the last 30 days, and the Spot trading volume last 30 days (BTC), or the Future Trading Volume within the last 30 days (BTC).
Below is a table that shows which trading level corresponds to which.
Trading Fee Level | Min KCS Holding last 30 Days | Spot Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) | Futures Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) |
LV0 | 0 | <50 | <200 |
LV1 | 1000 | >=50 | >=200 |
LV2 | 10000 | >=200 | >=400 |
LV3 | 20000 | >=500 | >=1000 |
LV4 | 30000 | >=1000 | >=2000 |
LV5 | 40000 | >=2000 | >=3000 |
LV6 | 50000 | >=4000 | >=6000 |
LV7 | 60000 | >=8000 | >=12000 |
LV8 | 70000 | >=15000 | >=20000 |
LV9 | 80000 | >=25000 | >=40000 |
LV10 | 90000 | >=40000 | >=80000 |
LV11 | 100000 | >=60000 | >=120000 |
LV12 | 150000 | >=80000 | >=160000 |
These levels will then decide how much you will have to pay in maker or taker fees. Spot trading fees will be charged based on the base currency of the trading pairs. KCS users will receive 20% off for paying fees.
KuCoins also has a 24-hour withdrawal limit.
Trade Fee | Maker/Taker | 24-hour Withdrawal Limit |
LV0 | 0.1% / 0.1% | 200 |
LV1 | 0.09% / 0.1% | 200 |
LV2 | 0.07% / 0.09% | 200 |
LV3 | 0.05% / 0.08% | 200 |
LV4 | 0.03% / 0.07% | 200 |
LV5 | 0% / 0.07% | 500 |
LV6 | 0% / 0.06% | 500 |
LV7 | 0% / 0.05% | 1000 |
LV8 | -0.005% / 0.045% | 1000 |
LV9 | -0.005% / 0.04% | 2000 |
LV10 | -0.005% / 0.035% | 2000 |
LV11 | -0.005% / 0.03% | 3000 |
LV12 | -0.005% / 0.025% | 3000 |
KuCoin Issues
KuCoin doesn’t have the best reputation in this industry, to be honest. You can see the extent of dissatisfaction by just looking at the reviews.
In Trustpilot reviews, it got an average of just 1.7 out of 5 stars out of 600 reviews. Many of the negative reviews focus on customer service, withdrawals, or even deposits. Binance And Ftx
KuCoin was also accused of manipulating the market. Some even claimed that their assets disappeared randomly from their accounts. This can be a very big problem, especially when we talk about assets, money, and finance.
Then there is an issue of security.
While KuCoin is a generally secure crypto exchange, it was subject to a major hack back in 2020. About $280 million in crypto was stolen from hot wallets and sent to hackers by the exchange. This was a serious security breach, despite the fact that all assets were covered by an insurance plan.
KuCoin Pros and Cons
Pros
- Low fees
- Strong user base
- Wide range of coins
- Earn interest on your crypto
- Advanced trading features
- Good customer service
Cons
- Not licensed in the U.S.
- Payment methods are limited
- New traders can find it intimidating and overwhelming
- Has limited education resources
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Bittrex versus Binance
Bittrex is a crypto exchange that has more similarities than differences than Binance. Both offer similar features that users can enjoy. Despite being similar, the two platforms have major differences.
One key difference between these two platforms has to do with size. Bittrex is more focused on a scaled-down experience, whereas Binance has the highest trading volume of all the exchanges.
There was once a time when Bittrex was once among the global leaders in the cryptocurrency industry. Still, Binance surpassed them after the former implemented stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering policies.
Bittrex Overview
Bittrex is a cryptocurrency exchange that aims to operate a world-class service with focus and trust.
It was co-founded by three Amazon cybersecurity engineers: Bill Shihara (co-founder and CEO); Richie Lai (co-founder and chief information officer); and Rami Kawach (co-founder and chief tech officer). Its headquarters are located in Seattle.
In the beginning, the platform only offered crypto-to-crypto trading, but it soon introduced fiat-to-crypto trading. Binance And Ftx
Despite their new fiat trading platform, they offer many cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Also, they are available in 46 U.S. states, excluding Hawaii, New York, and Vermont
Cryptos under Bittrex
Bittrex has a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins available in their exchange. This variety, like most exchanges makes Bittrex platforms attractive to traders.
They include:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Chainlink (Link)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Tether (USDT)
- Polygon (MATIC)
Bittrex Perks
- Huge selection of cryptocurrency
As stated above, Bittrex has a rather sizable option of cryptocurrency available in their market. Customers looking for niche, but more risky trades will find it attractive.
- Low fees
Bittrex also offers low fees, which start at 0.35%. This can get lower depending on the trade volume. It is still not the lowest on the market. Some exchanges charge lower fees than others.
- Fast trading executions
Bittrex offers a unique trading engine that speeds up trades, which is unlike other services. This engine even works well despite high demand. Investors would love this as it allows them to capitalize on the many price movements that happen in a volatile market such as cryptocurrency.
- Cardano staking
Those who hold some Cardano (ADA) cryptocurrency would be overjoyed with this platform. Bittrex lets users stake their Cardano cryptocurrency throughout the exchange. You can get up to 5.5% in reward. Binance And Ftx
- Educational Content
We all know how arcane-ish finances in general are. So by association, cryptocurrency is just as mind-boggling and arcane. So anything that offers a way to educate yourself on the topic is a godsend.
Bittrex has an impressive library of educational resources available in its Discover section. You will find references and articles on a variety of crypto topics here. There are references and lessons for topics ranging from crypto taxes to how crypto mining works.
You can even see a breakdown of some of these cryptocurrencies on the platform, which will give you an idea about what you’re betting on and whether it is worth your time.
Although it doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of cryptocurrency, it can help users make better decisions. Binance And Ftx
- Referral Program
Bittrex operates a referral program where when someone you know signs up for an exchange account and uses your referral link, you will earn 10% on all trading commissions they pay.
This may not seem like much. Referring a serious crypto whale can net you substantial rewards. It is an easy way to passively make crypto income, even though it is not reliable.
Bittrex Trading Experience
Bittrex trading is simple and straightforward. Logging in is all that’s required to access the trading dashboard. It can be accessed via a desktop or mobile app.
The desktop interface offers a simple “instantbuy/sell” option. This option lets users quickly make trades or purchase crypto with a debit card, bank account, or Bittrex account balance.
Users can also benefit from a real-time view of the markets available on the platform. Users also have the option to place more complex orders. You can also choose from stop, stop limit, trailing stop and laddered orders.
Bittrex Fees
Bittrex has a simple fee structure that makes it easier to understand their fees than other exchanges. That said, you still get fee discounts for trades with higher volumes. These fees are generally quite low, but not the lowest on the market.
30-Day Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Below $25,000 | 0.35% | 0.35% |
$25,000 – $50,000 | 0.25% | 0.30% |
$50,000 – $100,000 | 0.15% | 0.25% |
$100,000 – $1 million | 0.10% | 0.20% |
$1 million – $5 million | 0.06% | 0.16% |
$5 million – $10 million | 0.05% | 0.15% |
$10 million – $60 million | 0.02% | 0.10% |
$60 million – $100 million | 0.00% | 0.08% |
$100 million + | 0.00% | 0.05% |
Bittrex Issues
Bittrex has been on the receiving end of negative reviews from its users. Most of these issues stem from account lockouts, frozen assets, and problems with identity verification. Most of these problems are common across many crypto exchanges.
At the very least, the platform has not seen any major controversies or setbacks.
Bittrex Pros & Cons
Pros
- Highly secure
- A wide range of cryptocurrency available
- Fairly low fees
- Advanced trading tools
- Pretty helpful educational content
Cons
- Customer support is mediocre and often unhelpful
- For beginners, it can be difficult
Binance versus eToro Binance And Ftx
Binance and eToro are two of the most well-known cryptocurrency platforms. They are both very well-known and have a strong market presence.
However, there is a difference that divides the two. That is, they are very different platforms. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange, eToro is not. It is, in fact, a cryptocurrency broker.
Binance sells a wide range of digital assets ranging from the usual cryptocurrency to NFTs and other services. Meanwhile, a cryptocurrency broker sells crypto alongside other investment products like stocks and fractional shares.
eToro Overview
eToro was not founded as a cryptocurrency platform, unlike most companies in this review. Rather, the Tel Aviv-based company was originally an online forex broker under the name RetailFX. This was in 2007.
RetailFX began offering stocks, indices and commodities. It changed its name to eToro. It later launched the innovative social trading feature, which allowed users to copy trades from successful traders on the platform.
eToro was only able to get involved in the cryptocurrency market after it added support BTC in 2014. This enabled users to buy and sell CFDs (to non-U.S. users). On the world’s leading digital currency. It added support for Ripple and Ethereum four years later. Binance And Ftx
Also, in 2018, eToro went full steam on the crypto industry. The platform was expanded with more currencies and coins. The company also launched eToroX, a digital asset platform and its crypto wallet.
Cryptos under eToro
eToro’s digital asset platform has a limited selection of cryptocurrency options. They were not originally set up as an exchange, but rather as a brokerage. That said, some popular currencies found in the service include:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dash (DASH)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Polygon (MATIC).
- Solana (SOL)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
eToro Perks
- CopyTrader
CopyTrader is eToro’s most distinctive feature. It was a feature that existed before the platform dabbled in the crypto industry. Binance And Ftx
This basically allows eToro users to copy trades done by their favorite traders with just one click. The trade can be initiated by setting the money that the user wants to spend.
The platform will then set the funds and attempt to match the positions of their favorite eToro traders proportionally.
It is completely free, which is quite surprising. This feature requires a fee, but it can be used as often as the user wishes.
- Invest more than crypto.
Since the platform started in foreign exchange, it was to be expected that new users could still get in on that action.
eToro is one of the few places on the internet that allows you to own cryptocurrency and stocks in one account. The platform also offers stock trading at zero commissions and the possibility to purchase fractional shares.
Even for people who want to test out stock investing, eToro offers a virtual brokerage account that lets you simulate owning stocks without putting real money at risk.
- Fee Debit card deposits
Unlike other cryptocurrency exchanges that charge fees, eToro doesn’t charge users to make a debit card payment. As such, investors can deposit fiat money via bank transfer or debit card, all for free.
That said, there is a conversion fee for non-U.S. dollar transactions, so users should remember that.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro is available as a simple web-based platform and a well-designed mobile app.
Starting in the platform is as easy as depositing fiat currency from a debit card or bank account, and then they can trade immediately.
A trading tab provides an intuitive view of the current prices, buys, sales, and converts crypto.
CopyTrading is the top perk that makes trading simple and straightforward. You can even trade with high-performing traders on the platform.
Overall, the platform offers many basic market and limit orders. It does not offer advanced charting and conditional orders.
Also, the lack of cryptocurrency choices limits the cryptocurrency fairs the platform can offer.
It is also eToroX, the flagship digital asset platform with all the bells and whistles users would expect from an institutional-grade exchange.
Some of the new features included in eToroX include U.S. dollar deposits, margin trading, trading APIs, and fast execution.
eToro Fees
When it comes to fees, eToro is a breath of fresh air. Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, which don’t show their fee, eToro lists the fees it charges when trading crypto.
eToro users are charged a flat fee of 1% per trade in crypto. The platform refers to this 1% market fee as a bid-ask spread. This fee is charged when users close or open positions.
However, most users do not like that on eToro, and you pay for the “round trip” upfront. This is unlike other exchanges that only charge a fee when a purchase or sale of a crypto asset is done.
With eToro, you pay 1% for the eventual sale of the coin in advance, plus a $1 fee on the purchase.
This could be a problem when users transfer their coins to an external wallet. They can’t return the coins to the trading platform.
eToro Issues
It is not surprising that there have been many controversies about the platform due to its age. However, most of these do not involve the crypto market.
However, one did occur during the 2021 closing of leveraged positions. The following was notified to European clients of the platform in the early part of that year:
Margin positions for all leveraged crypto position should be changed from leveraged to non-leveraged. Otherwise, they will be closed in less than four hours.
This was not a good move, and many lawyers and users expressed intent to file a class action lawsuit. This led to the revocation of the eToro licence in Cyprus.
eToro also found itself in an unfavorable feud against Redditors from /r/wallstreetbets following the GameStop short squeeze.
eToro Pros and Cons
Pros
- A platform that is already established
- Regulated in many jurisdictions
- CopyTrading, a unique feature only available on the platform, is an exclusive feature.
- There’s more to it than just crypto trading.
- Fee is transparent
Cons
- Stock, ETF, and cryptocurrency trading only available in 44 U.S. states
- Margin trading is not available for U.S. users
- There are a few cryptocurrencies available.
- The 1% fee is quite high in comparison to other fees.