It is only a matter time before cryptocurrency becomes mainstream and is recognized everywhere. As such, marketplaces where people can buy, sell, exchange and trade digital assets have become crucial places.
And right on cue, to fulfill the adage: “If there’s a demand for it, someone will try to fill up that demand.” As for this case, cryptocurrency exchanges came into the picture to remedy this marketplace demand.
By definition, a cryptocurrency exchange is an online marketplace where users can exchange one kind of digital asset for another. These exchanges will be based on the market value of the given assets.
Banks are real financial institutions that can receive deposits, store and transfer money, and are licensed in the real world. The banks 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. Only stocks that are listed on an exchange can be purchased or sold. As such, stock exchanges are basically marketplaces where stock buyers and sellers do their business.
In the digital world, cryptocurrency exchanges provide similar services to banks and Stock exchanges.
There are still people who treat cryptocurrency with fear and anxiety. For some people, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency exchanges are treated as borderline illegal online marketplaces.
These people believe these places could facilitate the trading of unregistered securities. They fear that crypto exchanges could be used by criminals to launder money, and they have limited AML/KYC capabilities to evade the law.
Some of these claims may not be entirely true. Just as with dealing with cryptocurrencies in general, using cryptocurrency exchanges come with its own inherent risks.
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 can happen especially when the cryptocurrency exchange you are using has been seized by law enforcement or is under investigation by the proper authorities.
There is also the possibility that you will lose your money by speculating in cryptocurrency, and then have the rug pulled under your feet by the founders 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. It is smart to always proceed with caution. 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. You can still check our article below for a complete overview of Binance. It also compares it with some other competitors.
Binance Exchange Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Binance Overview
Binance is the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the entire world. It has the highest trading volume of any crypto exchange service and offers the most number of cryptocurrency trading pairs.
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.
Back then, the company had no place to call home.
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. There are actually two.
The first one is called BUSD. It is a stablecoin fiat-backed issued by Binance and Paxos. This stablecoin token is backed 1:1 by US dollars in reserve. BUSD was created by the company to offer a stable alternative to the volatile digital asset market.
The second is called BNB. It was previously known as Binance Coin. The initial coin offering (ICO), launched it in 2017. This was to provide an asset for users back when Binance was still very young. It began as an ERC-20 standard token 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 is used to pay listing, exchange, trading fees, and other expenses users incur on the platform.
Binance Perks
- Low Fees
This is the main reason Binance is the largest crypto exchange platform worldwide. Binance trades are as good as free. The platform uses a maker/taker fee structure. Fees will vary depending on trading volume and Binance Coin (BNB) balance.
Despite this, fees are still charged by the platform for certain services, including withdrawals and payment types.
- Large Crypto Selection
A crypto exchange platform will only be as good as the selection of cryptocurrencies available in its market. Of course, being the biggest one there is, Binance carries a lot and other digital currencies available.
There are even decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens available, as well as stablecoins, altcoins, and other popular cryptos.
Some of the available currencies 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 earn income by adding liquidity to token pairs. There are also staking options on the platform.
That said, most of these opportunities carry great risk, so it is up to users to discern and weigh these risks. That said, trading and dealing with crypto is already risky in itself.
- 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 makes it easier to set limit orders to buy and sell crypto at a specific price.
Then there are charting tools that can be very useful for veteran traders making decisions. You can even sell leveraged tokens to make trading easier.
Binance Trading Experience
The overall trading experience with Binance is pretty good. You can trade with Binance using a variety of trading tools, which allow for faster and more efficient transactions. Some even have real-time charting tools with moving averages which makes everything convenient and accessible.
When trading, you do not need to be stuck to your computer. You can use Binance in any way you like. 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. Even those who want to keep track of their trades will only need to access their trade history, which is also available on the exchange platform.
Even how they view their trading can be customized. 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. Another thing that will matter is the amount of BNB the user has.
The fees you pay will depend on whether you are a taker or a maker. Makers (those that add liquidity to the market) tend to be favored and get lower fees than takers (those that remove liquidity orders from the market).
Binance uses its native currency to facilitate transactions. Whenever you use BNB for your trades, you get a 25% discount on the trading fee. Binance also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
The chart below can be used as a quick reference for 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 4999,999 with at least 25 BNB | 0.09%/0.10% |
2 | Between 5,000,000 and 19,999,999 with at least 100 BNB | 0.08% / 0.10% |
3 | Between 20,000,000 and 119,999.999, with 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 | 200,000,000 to 499,999,999 and 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 | Between 1,000,000,000 and 2,499,999.999999 and at most 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
Despite being one of the biggest names in crypto, Binance has its issues and controversies.
The year 2019 was a terrible year for the exchange platform.
On May 7, 2019, it was revealed that Binance became a victim of a “large-scale security breach.” It was reported that hackers had stolen 7,000 Bitcoin worth $40 million then. That said, the site reimbursed customers through its “Secure Asset Fund for Users(SAFU).
However, it wasn’t as rough as the year 2021 was. In fact, saying that Binance had a rough year in 2021 is an understatement.
The United States Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service, on allegations of money laundering and tax offenses, investigated the company.
It also had to cancel the planned launch of its own digital asset marketplace in Britain. This was due to their application not meeting the anti-money laundering requirements set by their government.
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. As soon as the issue was discovered, it was resolved.
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
- Wide Selection of Cryptocurrencies
- Sophisticated trading tools
- There are many ways to deposit money
- Flexible Order Types and Trading Options
Cons
- Non-beginner friendly. Many features can be overwhelming for beginners to use and access
- 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.
The company doesn’t have a physical headquarters. The company used to have its headquarters in San Francisco. However, this palace was demolished and the company moved to remote-first.
Coinbase was founded in June 2012 by Brian Armstrong, a former Airbnb engineer. He started coinbase by enrolling in the Y Combinator startup incubator program, where he received a $150,000 cash infusion.
After seeing Armstrong’s Reddit post, Fred Ehrsam became his co-founder. 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. Both men shared the belief that bitcoin would be huge. As such, they wanted to bring crypto to the mainstream and make it easy to use. That was their impetus for making Coinbase.
Coinbase is now the largest crypto exchange in America and the world, but its humble beginnings are not glamorous. Coinbase was actually founded in a shared two-bedroom apartment. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Cryptos Under Coinbase
Coinbase doesn’t have any original coins or cryptocurrency. That said, the platform does support over 100 cryptocurrencies. As the need arises, they add new cryptocurrencies regularly.
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 (UNI)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- DAI (DAI)
- SushiSwap: SushiSwap (SUSHI)
Coinbase Perks
- A wide selection of cryptocurrency
There is a reason why coinbase is the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. This is because of the vast and varied cryptocurrencies available in the market.
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. Users can choose between a simple trade option or an advanced trading option.
The simple trading option features a straightforward design that is easy to use, especially 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.
Advanced trading, on the other hand, offers more options such as charts and a live order list, as well as 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
For those wanting to earn more crypto, Coinbase gives a cool feature that allows customers to do so. 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.
While the feature does not give much, it still doesn’t hurt. Besides, even a few crypto bits are always a blessing, especially 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 include tips and tutorials, as well as information about crypto basics. Market updates are also available. 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. Like the web platform, their mobile app provides user-friendly ways to buy, sell, and manage your cryptocurrency.
The Coinbase app isn’t just garbage. It’s legit and gets high ratings from both the Apple App Store as well as 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. When you stake in crypto, you commit your crypto assets to support the blockchain network and verify transactions. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
As said, staking on cryptos will give you certain free rewards. This is not possible for all cryptos. It varies depending on your region as well as the cryptocurrency.
- Coinbase Debit card
Aside from trading, Coinbase allows users to access and spend their hard-earned wealth using the Coinbase card.
A Coinbase account allows you to apply for a Coinbase Card, which is a prepaid Visa debit credit card that can be linked to your Coinbase 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. This rewards program allows you to choose the crypto that you want from a rotating list.
Coinbase Trading Experience
Coinbase offers a different kind of service than Binance, which has lower fees and more advanced training tools. Coinbase’s target market is those just beginning their crypto journey.
The platform offers tools that allow investors new to crypto trading a fast, easy, and secure way to 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.
This doesn’t mean veteran traders only have beginner tools to play with. Coinbase Pro is the perfect platform for you. A platform that is specialized for seasoned traders. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Coinbase Pro is different because it was designed for professional traders. It gives them more tools that allow for greater customization of their trades. You can choose from several order types such as stop, limit or margin orders.
Users can also access real-time charting tools, trade history, order book, and price charts. This can help them create more informed decisions when moving their positions and doing their trades.
While it says pro on the tin-can, it doesn’t mean that users will have to pay another fee to access Coinbase Pro. There is no such fee. Anyone with a Coinbase account can already access and use the pro version.
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. You will still be able to see the cost of entering a trade so that you are aware of what you will have to pay.
This is where coinbase falls short of the rest. Its fee structure can be too complex and a little hard for the mind to wrap around. It is said that the fee structure depends on three confusing factors:
- Coinbase charges a spread on cryptocurrency sales and purchases. The spread is significant because rates can fluctuate depending on market conditions.
- Coinbase claims fees are also based on factors such as the selected payment method, market conditions (volatility and liquidity), and even 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 Basic vs Advanced Verification
Coinbase Pro’s pricing structure is simpler. It is based on the customer’s monthly trading volume and liquidity of the asset at the time of 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 over $200 are subject to a percentage-based fee instead of a flat fee.
The chart below gives an overview of Coinbase Pro’s fees.
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.
On February 16, 2018, Coinbase admitted that some customers were charged more than originally intended for their credit and debit purchases of cryptocurrencies. 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.
According to a Financial Times article Visa, the credit card company, initially blamed Coinbase. However, it later rescinded those statements and clarified on the Coinbase blog that the “issue was not caused by Coinbase”
In 2018, customer complaints against Coinbase jumped more than 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 also participated in the first ever case of insider trading in cryptocurrency. The company’s former product manager shared information about tokens. Prosecutors were provided with all the information necessary for an internal investigation by the company.
Pros and cons of Coinbase
Pros
- Easy to use and very friendly for those just starting in cryptocurrency
- Supports a large number of cryptocurrencies
- Offers the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency and learn about them.
- Offers simple and advanced trading depending on user preference
- Offerings a coinbase debit card that allows easy withdrawal of funds Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Cons
- Complex and convoluted fee structure that is also not transparent
- Some transactions attract high fees
- Limited staking and interest opportunities.
- A lot of altcoins are missing from their selection
- Customer service issues
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Binance or Kraken?
Both Binance and Kraken are giants of the cryptocurrency world, with both platforms amassing 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). while Kraken is widely available in the country.
These two platforms share many similarities, including both offering advanced trading options and low fees as well as mobile apps. Both platforms are targeted at experienced or veteran cryptocurrency traders.
Customers will ultimately decide which platform they prefer by choosing the most important features. Binance will be the one to choose with their lower fees, large selection of coins and extra way of managing funds. Or will it be Kraken and its high regard for security standards, which won them a bank charter approval in Wyoming in 2021. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Kraken Overview
Kraken is a fully functioning crypto exchange that offers low fees and a wide selection of tokens and coins. This platform is unique in that it offers advanced trading tools such as margin.
Kraken’s main cause is to become the best and most secure 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,”
In connection on the November 2022 FTX Controversy, Kraken founder and former CEO Jesse Powell tweeted: “…Happy to live simply, take 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 also joined with other US Bitcoin players in the formation of the “Committee for the Establishment of the Digital Asset Transfer Authority”, the industry’s selfregulating group. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Kraken was very successful in 2014. 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.
Dave Ripley replaced him as CEO.
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
Kraken supports several stablecoins, including Tether, USD Coin and Dai. A limited number of Kraken currency exchanges are also available in certain territories. This includes converting US dollars into Canadian dollars, Japanese yen, and Swiss francs. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Kraken Perks
- Beefy Security
Kraken has been an integral part of the cryptocurrency market since its inception in 2011 and its launch in 2013. Since its inception, Kraken’s focus was on security. It has never stopped focusing on it over the 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. This is a claim Kraken is too proud to make.
- A healthy range of available cryptocurrencies
Kraken has over 160 coins and seven fiat currencies available to trade on its platform. It’s not the largest amount but it’s still quite healthy and comparable to the top crypto exchanges. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
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.
- 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 lets you leverage currency pairs up to 5x. Some eligible pro clients can access up to $500,000 in the margin. This does not remove the risk that margin trading inherently brings.
- The fees are affordable.
Although it’s not the most expensive on the market, Kraken’s fees remain competitive and comparable to other exchanges. It is even cheaper 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.
- Optional Strong Staking
Kraken offers a variety of stake options. You can stake in over 15 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 geared toward intermediate to veteran users in mind. However, beginners can still use the platform if they want. It is suggested that they start with the central Kraken platform to learn the ropes. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Kraken allows verified accounts to quickly buy cryptocurrency from linked bank accounts. It is easy to sell or convert your crypto to your account. Inside the website, orders are done using a straightforward form, which will mostly only take a few seconds.
It is easy to purchase cryptocurrencies with your bank account balance. Your account doesn’t need to be funded first.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that you can use to protect your Kraken account. To log in to your account, you’ll need to have your device.
Kraken Pro, on the other hand is Kraken’s most advanced trading platform. It appears more complicated than the regular Kraken exchange. Kraken Pro is intimidating for new traders. It is well worth the effort. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
It includes more detail about assets, active charts and the ability to view open orders.
Kraken allows you to pay lower fees, as we have already stated. If you feel confident, you can trade the same trade with Kraken Pro. You’ll pay less and earn more at the end of the day.
Kraken Fees
Kraken’s fees fall in the middle of the market, as we have already stated. It’s not the lowest in the market, and it is also not the highest. Other factors may affect the price of the fees you are about to pay.
Prices and fees may vary depending on the platform. Kraken Pro will always be cheaper than regular 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.
Additional fees will vary depending on how you fund your purchase. For funding with a bank account, these fees range from 0.5% to 1.5%. For a digital wallet, you can get a 25-Euro cents debit card, credit card or card at 3.75% plus 25 Eurocents. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Kraken Pro’s pricing however is quite different. Generally, fees are lower than 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 general chart of their maker-taker fees in a 30-day volume 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
There really are not many issues concerning Kraken aside from disagreement with a work culture which is something the company has already worked on and moved on
Kraken’s security record has been excellent and Kraken is the only major cryptocurrency exchange not to be hacked.
Kraken does have its share of problems with government regulations.
In April 2018, Kraken refused to comply with an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office on issues about the measures taken by crypto exchanges to protect their customers from money laundering and market manipulation.
Kraken believes that this would be a bad business decision.
Approximately a year after, the Office of Foreign Assets Control investigated the exchange for potential violation of sanction regimes by allowing trade for customers based in Iran. 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 and Cons
Pros
- Advanced and sophisticated features like margin trading and staking.
- Excellent and reliable customer service
- Relatively low Bitcoin (BTC) withdrawal fees
- Offers a variety of educational materials.
- Most secure exchange in the market
- Simple user interface
Cons
- Base Kraken platform has pretty expensive fees compared to the Kraken Pro version. Luckily both modes can easily be accessed as long as you have a Kraken account.
- Kraken accepts only a handful of fiat currencies
- Some users have complained about having their accounts hacked. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
- 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. There are many factors that influence which exchange is ranked higher than another.
The better way to choose your crypto exchange is to examine both options and determine which one appeals to you more. You can choose to go with Binance, which has a wider range of crypto currencies, but you will also have the option to choose Crypto.com, which is more user-friendly and charges lower fees. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
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.
Domain sellers might sell the domain for a larger sum, with the domain being valued at between US$5 and 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.
You can also choose from over 250 currencies. There are reasonable fees and discounts for some customers, such as those who have large stakes in Crypto.com’s own coin, the Cronos (CRO).
Crypto.com’s main selling point and focus is in their exchange. They offer many crypto services, including their own crypto wallet and an NFT shop. The company has even partnered with Shopify those in the e-commerce platform accept cryptocurrency as a valid payment.
Crypto.com can be described as a cryptocurrency platform that allows traders and investors to do more than just buy and hold. With Crypto.com, cryptocurrency can also be 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. Having a significant stake in this coin rewards you with lower trading fees, higher stalking interest rates, and higher credit card rewards. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Crypto.com Perks
- One-Stop Shop
Crypto.com has a lot going for it aside from being just a plain old trading platform. You can trade cryptocurrencies and buy and sell them on the exchange.
Most importantly, Crypto.com allows you to spend your hard-earned crypto through a prepaid Visa card. Basically, Crypto.com puts weight on the currency part of cryptocurrency.
- Low fees
Crypto.com’s low fees can rival that of many sites.
There are many transactions on Crypto.com that don’t require fees. You can deposit your money via wire transfer or electronic bank to your account.
Crypto.com allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrency at the true price, which is why you should know that “what you see is what your 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
While this is not a feature unique to Crypto.com, it bears being listed here. 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, GBP, and EUR, among others. However, just because it is available for trade on Crypto.com does not mean that a fiat currency will be available to you for 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 greatest perks that you can receive as a Crypto.com member is the availability Visa Cards linked to your Crypto.com account with its crypto currency.
Currently, Crypto.com has five types of prepaid Visa Cards available to its users. These cards must be charged before they can be used fully.
Your CRO stake in the platform will determine which Card you can get.
Their Ruby Steel card is the lowest available tier, and it also offers a 1% cash back on 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. That said, you must have at least $400,000 worth of stake for CRO to qualify for this. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Other cards available include Midnight Blue, Jade Green/ Royal Indigo, and the Frosted Rose Gold/ Icy White. These cards don’t have an annual fee, and you get a certain number of ATM withdrawals and foreign transaction each month for no additional charge.
- 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 are usually tied to an external reference. Some can be pegged 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. That also means they are also less likely to depreciate in 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
Gift Cards and Phone Top-ups are other ways that Crypto.com allows you to spend your crypto. Buy gift cards from popular brands to earn cash back benefits.
Crypto.com offers gift cards from popular brands covering different industries like hotels, general retail, games, airlines, education, and even entertainment from at least 41 countries. You can also find gift cards from the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Singapore and Spain.
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
When using Crypto.com, your trades will mostly revolve around its mobile app, which 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 Basic vs Advanced Verification
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. These charts provide enough information for users to understand the cryptocurrency and blockchain, which might be useful before they buy.
In terms of fiat currencies, Crypto.com has a fair selection. The most popular are the Australian (AUD), Canadian (CAD), and the euro (EUR) dollars, as well as the British pound sterling and the U.S. Dollar (USD), which are all very popular. 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. Trade volume can be higher and qualify for lower fees, as low as 0.4% for makers or 0.1% for takers. This is even with no CRO.
Discounted trading fees have become available when users hold at least 5,000 CRO in their wallet. Rates go lower with larger stakes.
However, Crypto.com users who are newer than 25 000 USD will be charged 0.4% for trades that have a monthly volume less than $25,000.
Below is a table that shows fees for spot trades and margin trades for customers who have no CRO stake.
30-Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Below 250,000 | 0.0750% | 0.750% |
Greater than or equal 250,000 | 0.0700% | 0.0720% |
More than 1,000,000 or equal | 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% |
Meanwhile, the table below is the maker and taker rates for those who have less a stake of than or equal to 100 CRO (3% discount)
30 Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Below 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% |
Greater than or equal to 5,000,000 | 0.0582% | 0.0631% |
Greater than or equal to 10,000,000 | 0% | 0.0485% |
As said, the higher your CRO stakes are the bigger your discounts. Maker fees for those with stakes greater than or equal to 50,000 CRO become zero. People with even higher stakes may be eligible for rebates.
Crypto.com Issues
Like most cryptocurrency exchanges, Crypto.com does have its fair share of problems.
Crypto.com was the victim in a serious hacker attack on January 20, 2022. According to reports, the company had lost US$15 Million worth of Ether. This was after some users reported suspicious activity on their accounts. The company quickly paused withdrawals which were later restored. The company reported that no customer funds were lost alongside the restoration of withdrawals.
Crypto.com’s problems were mostly caused by the decline in cryptocurrency. Crypto.com was forced to lay off hundreds of employees that had been working since May. The company was forced to lay off between 30% and 40% of its employees in October 2022.
Their exchange token Cronos (CRO), lost $1 billion in value between November 2022 and November 2022. This was due in part to the collapse of FTX. That said, Crypto.com CEO Marszalek assured that the exchange was functioning normally.
Crypto.com Pros and Cons
Pros
- Competitively Low fees
- Provides lots of avenues for paying with crypto
- Converts money easily
- Visa card perk with great cash back rewards
- Earn interest on crypto
- Pretty big selection of cryptocurrency coins and tokens Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
- Has strong security
Cons
- User interface and the exchange itself is pretty difficult to navigate
- There are limited availability of coins.
- Customer service is pretty poor and lacking in some areas
- There is a shortage of educational resources.
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Binance versus Kucoin
Comparing KuCoin to Binance side-by-side, it is clear who the winner is. 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).
KuCoin is still available to its users, but most traders avoid it like the plague. The exchange has been troubled by many negative reviews, each with different reasons ranging from semantics to highly 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 was founded by MichaelGan, who was eager to learn more about blockchain and the potential applications. 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.
By the end of 2013, Michael and Eric wrote down the first code of what would become KuCoin in a cafe. This was how the platform, which would later be known as the “People’s Exchange,” got its start.
Cryptos under KuCoin
It is not surprising that the exchange is an older cryptocurrency exchange platform. This means there are a lot of cryptocurrencies that you can trade and buy.
Veteran traders looking for a wide selection of assets may appreciate this extensive selection of coins and tokens. In fact, it is one of KuCoin’s strongest aspects that the platform is a goldmine for altcoins and tokens. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
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 less-known coins can be more risky than the stable and well-known ones. People need to be aware of what they are getting into.
KuCoin has its token, called KuCoin Token or KCS. Aside from that, some of the more popular coins available in the exchange platform include the following:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Tether (USDT)
- Binance Coin (BNB)
- XRP (XRP)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Filecoin (FIL)
- Internet Computer (ICP)
- Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC)
- USD Coin (USDC)
Bear in mind that these are just a few selections of what you can find in the exchange platform
KuCoin Perks
- Wide range of Coins
As we have already stated, KuCoin has a broad selection of coins, tokens, and altcoins that can be traded in their exchange. It is actually the top echelon for coins that are available on 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. Though it is not the lowest available in the market, it is still fairly low that it can compete with other exchanges.
In KuCoin, you don’t have to pay any monthly account fees. The withdrawal fees are the same as other exchanges and deposits to KuCoin are free. However, depositing fiat money such as U.S. Dollars will require you to pay an additional fee. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
These fees will depend on your transfer mode and the third-party app you use.
- Earn through interest on your crypto
Like most cryptocurrency exchanges, KuCoin lets you earn money through your deposited crypto. In the case of KuCoin, the service is called KuCoin Earn.
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.
Loaning your crypto nets your interest bigger than what you’d normally get with a saving 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 makes margin trading possible by using this money. It might seem risky, but the company states that lenders will always be repaid in full.
This repayment could be made from collateral or KuCoin margin insurance funds.
- Advanced Features
KuCoin provides veteran users with plenty of toys and extra features to play with. 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 means that you don’t have to buy and sell your cryptocurrency yourself. Rather, you can have a computer do that 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. You don’t always know their strategies and perimeters when you trade with them.
As such, the convenience bots provide may not be worth the uncertainty of how they’re handling your assets.
KuCoin Trading Experience
The KuCoin trading experience can start either through an online portal or an Android and iOS mobile app. 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. Users can view markets, trade, buy, lend, or trade cryptos from there.
The platform supports four order types. These are market order, limit order, stop-limit order, and stop-market order.
Users have access to orders as well as 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 Basic vs Advanced Verification
The exchange recently added a Trading Bot feature that will simplify the entire trading process.
KuCoin is a great cryptocurrency with many advanced features. Veteran traders might find this a great benefit. 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. The minimum KCS holding within the past 30 days and the spot trading volume within the last 30 day (BTC) are the key factors in determining the trading fees.
Below is a table showing which trading level corresponds with which.
Trade 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 determine how much you’ll have to pay for taker or maker 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 | 24h 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. Just by looking at reviews of the company, you can already see a glimpse of how bad the dissatisfaction is.
In Trustpilot reviews, it got an average of just 1.7 out of 5 stars out of 600 reviews. Most of these negative reviews are about problems with customer support, the withdrawal process, and even making deposits Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
KuCoin was also accused of manipulating the market. Some even claimed that their assets disappeared randomly from their accounts. This is a problem especially when it comes to assets, money and finance.
Then there is an issue of security.
KuCoin, a crypto exchange that is generally safe, was hacked in 2020. About $280 million in crypto was stolen from hot wallets and sent to hackers by the exchange. This was a concerning security breach despite the assets being covered by an insurance fund.
KuCoin Pros and Cons
Pros
- Low fees
- Strong user base
- Wide range of coins
- Allows you to earn interest on your crypto
- Trading features
- Good customer service
Cons
- The U.S. has not granted license for this product.
- Payment methods are limited
- Can be intimidating and overwhelming for new traders
- 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. That said, these two platforms do have their major differences.
The key difference between the two platforms is their size. Bittrex is more focused on a scaled-down experience, whereas Binance has the highest trading volume of all the exchanges.
Bittrex was once one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Still, Binance surpassed them after the former implemented stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering policies.
Bittrex Overview
Bittrex, a cryptocurrency exchange, aims to provide a high-quality service with trust and focus.
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 can be found in Seattle.
The platform initially offered only crypto-tocrypto trading. However, it quickly added fiat-tocrypto trading. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
Despite the newness of their fiat trading, they still offer a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Also, they are available in 46 U.S. states, excluding Hawaii, New York, and Vermont
Cryptos under Bittrex
Bittrex offers a variety of stablecoins and cryptocurrencies on 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
- A huge selection of cryptocurrency
As stated above, Bittrex has a rather sizable option of cryptocurrency available in their market. This makes it pretty attractive for customers looking for new, more niche but riskier trades.
- Low fees
Bittrex also offers low fees, which start at 0.35%. Depending on trade volume, this fee can be lower. It is still not the lowest on the market. Some exchanges have lower fees compared to them.
- 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 allows users to stake their Cardano crypto throughout the exchange. This can earn them up to 5.5% in rewards. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
- Educational Content
We all know how complicated and elusive finances can be. 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. Here, users will find articles and references for various crypto topics. You will find references and lessons on topics that range from crypto taxes to crypto mining.
They even have a breakdown of some of the cryptocurrencies available on the platform to give you an idea of what you are betting on and whether one is a good investment.
Although it doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of cryptocurrency, it can help users make better decisions. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
- 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.
While this may not look like much. Referring someone who is a serious crypto whale could net you sizable rewards. It is an easy way to passively make crypto income, even though it is not reliable.
Bittrex Trading Experience
Trading on Bittrex is a no-frills, straightforward experience. 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 allows users to quickly trade or buy crypto using 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. Besides that, users have the option for more advanced order types. Stop, stop limit, trailing stop, and laddered orders.
Bittrex Fees
Bittrex uses a simple maker/taker fee structure, making their fees more transparent than most exchanges. You still receive fee discounts for trades that have higher volumes. Overall, these fees are pretty low but are not the lowest available in the market.
30-Day Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Less than $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 received negative reviews from 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 and Cons
Pros
- Highly secure
- A wide range of cryptocurrency available
- Fairly low fees
- Advanced trading tools
- Very useful educational content
Cons
- Mediocre and mostly unhelpful customer support
- Can be challenging for beginners
Binance versus eToro Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
eToro and Binance are two pretty famous cryptocurrency platforms. They are both very well-known and have a strong market presence.
However, there is a difference that divides the two. They are two 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. A cryptocurrency broker also sells crypto along with other investment products such as stocks and fractional shares.
eToro Overview
Unlike most of the companies listed in this review, eToro did not start as a platform for cryptocurrency. Rather, the Tel Aviv-based company was originally an online forex broker under the name RetailFX. This was back 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. CFDs could now be bought and sold to non-U.S. users. On the world’s leading digital currency. It added support for Ripple and Ethereum four years later. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
In 2018, eToro also made a big push in the crypto market. More coins and currencies were added to the platform. 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. Nevertheless, the service does include some of the most popular currencies:
- 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. This feature existed long before the platform began to explore the crypto industry. Binance Basic vs Advanced Verification
This basically allows eToro users to copy trades done by their favorite traders with just one click. Users only need to set the amount of money they want to allocate for the trade.
From there, the platform will set those funds and try to mirror the positions of their favorite eToro trader proportionally.
What is surprising about this tool is that it is entirely free. This feature requires a fee, but it can be used as often as the user wishes.
- Invest more than crypto.
It was expected that users would still be able to participate in the action since the platform began in foreign currency.
eToro is one of the few places on the internet that allows you to own cryptocurrency and stocks in one account. Regarding stock investing, the platform offers zero-commission stock trading with the ability to buy fractional shares.
eToro provides a virtual brokerage account which allows you to simulate stock investing without putting any real money at risk.
- Deposits to Fee Debit cards
Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, eToro does not charge fees for users who want to do a debit card deposit. As such, investors can deposit fiat money via bank transfer or debit card, all for free.
Users should be aware that there is a conversion charge for transactions not in U.S. dollars.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro can be used as a web-based platform or as a 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.
An intuitive trading tab gives a view of current prices and buys, sells, and even 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. However, it lacks some of the more advanced conditional orders and more advanced charting capabilities.
The platform is limited in its ability to offer cryptocurrency fairs due to a lack of options.
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
eToro offers a refreshing view on fees. Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, which don’t show their fee, eToro lists the fees it charges when trading crypto.
eToro users pay a flat fee of 1% for each crypto trade. This 1% market fee is added to the market price the platform calls a bid-ask spread. This fee is charged when users close or open positions.
However, many users don’t like the fact that eToro charges a fee for each round trip. This is different from other exchanges, which only charge fees when an asset is purchased or sold.
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
Due to its age, it is not surprising that the platform has had its fair share of controversies. However, most of these do not involve the crypto market.
However, one did occur during the 2021 closing of leveraged positions. Early that year, European clients of the platform were notified of the following:
“Due to extreme market volatility in the crypto markets, margin positions for all leveraged crypto positions” should be changed to non-leveraged, or they would be closed within 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 was also in a feud with Redditors of /r/wallstreetbets after the GameStop short squeeze.
eToro Pros and Con
Pros
- A platform that is already established
- Regulated in many jurisdictions
- CopyTrading is a unique feature that is only found in the platform.
- Has more to offer outside of crypto trading
- Transparency in the fee
Cons
- Only 44 states in the United States allow stock, ETF and cryptocurrency trading
- Margin trading is not available for U.S. users
- There are a few cryptocurrencies available.
- 1% fee is pretty high compared to others.