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.
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 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.
Stock brokers can trade securities and stocks on a stock exchange. Only stocks that are listed on an exchange can be purchased or sold. Stock exchanges are marketplaces that stock sellers and buyers use to trade their stocks.
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. Some people view cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency exchanges as illegal online marketplaces.
They believe that these places can facilitate the trade 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.
Of course, some of these claims are not entirely unfounded. Just as with dealing with cryptocurrencies in general, using cryptocurrency exchanges come with its own inherent risks.
There is a chance that law enforcement will close down an exchange. These exchanges may not be able return your money if they are shut down by law enforcement because they operate in grey 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.
Remember, when working with cryptocurrency and anything related to them, everything is always a gamble. Always be cautious. As with gambling, there is a greater chance of losing than winning. High-risk, high reward.
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Mark Farfan’s YouTube channel. You can still check our article below for a complete overview of Binance. It also compares it with some other competitors.
Binance Exchange Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Binance Overview
Binance exchange is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the 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. Binance has many products that are based upon cryptocurrency.
Some of these products/services include the chance to earn, exchange, 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 fiat-backed stablecoin issued by Binance and Paxos. Each token of this stablecoin is backed 1:1 with 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.
It is currently a native token in Binance, where it powers 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 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. 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 available currencies include:
- Binance Coins (BNB)
- VeChain (VET)
- VeThor (VTHO)
- Harmon (ONE)
- Matic Network (MATIC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
- Cardano (ADA)
There are many other options.
- 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.
However, these opportunities come with a lot of risk. Users must be able to recognize and weigh the 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 makes it easier to set limit orders to buy and sell crypto at a specific price.
Charting tools can also be extremely useful for veterans traders when making trade decisions. You can even sell leveraged tokens to make trading easier.
Binance Trading Experience
Binance’s overall trading experience is excellent. You can trade with Binance using a variety of trading tools, which allow for faster and more efficient 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. You can do it through the Binance App, the Binance website, or even the Binance desktop app.
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.
Even how they view their trading can be customized. This makes it easier to understand data. Users can even choose how they want these data presented. This makes it easier for users to identify the most important.
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).
As Binance has its own native currency, the platform encourages using its payment for 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.
This chart can be used to quickly reference Binance’s fees.
| VIP | 30-Day Trade Volume (BUSD) | Maker/Taker |
| 0 | Less than 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 | 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 with 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 99,999,999999 and at most 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 | Between 2,500,000,000 and 4,999,999.999999999 with 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.
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. This was due to their application not meeting the anti-money laundering requirements set by their government.
It was again in trouble the next year when it was revealed that Binance had shared client data with Russia. 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. The company had to temporarily suspend transactions and fund transfers after detecting an exploit between two blockchains. 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 and Cons
Pros
- Low Fees
- Easy Access to Passive Income Opportunities
- Wide Selection of Cryptocurrencies
- Sophisticated trading tools
- Multiple ways of Depositing Money
- Flexible Trading Options and Order Types
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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Coinbase Versus Binance
There are no two different cryptocurrency platforms whose approach can differ as much as Coinbase and Binance.
One is a United States-based exchange that is designed for beginners with a simple interface and limited transaction types, while the other has a steep learning curve and is more suited to veteran users.
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, also known as Coinbase Global, Inc, a publicly traded American company that acts 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.
Later on, co-founder Fred Ehrsam joined him after noticing Armstrong’s post on Reddit. This was back when bitcoin was worth only $6 and only known by ” a few nerds on the internet” (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.
Coinbase is now the largest crypto exchange in America and the world, but its humble beginnings are not glamorous. In truth, Coinbase launched out of a two-bedroom apartment that was shared with another company. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Cryptos Under Coinbase
Coinbase does not have its original coin or cryptocurrency. That said, the platform does support over 100 cryptocurrencies. They also regularly add more cryptocurrencies as the need arises.
Here’s a look at the various cryptocurrencies that coinbase offers:
- 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 (SUSHI)
Coinbase Perks
- A wide selection of cryptocurrency
Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in America. The market offers a wide range of cryptocurrencies.
From a Bitcoin (BTC) focused exchange. Coinbase now offers over 150 different cryptocurrency types. In fact, you can trade currencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and other major coins for smaller and 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. While this option has lower fees, the trade-off is that it is less intuitive, more complex, and intimidating to 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 is Coinbase’s feature that lets users earn free crypto in exchange 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
As lightly touched above, coinbase has a library that is a well of educational resource. 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 has made it easier for users to access their accounts via a mobile app. Their mobile app, which is similar to the web platform, allows users to manage, buy, and sell 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 Rewards
You can earn interest on many cryptocurrencies through your Coinbase Account. Coinbase automatically pays interest on certain stables like USD Coin (USDC).
This allows you to stake certain cryptocurrencies like Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH).
Staking is how many cryptocurrencies verify their transactions and allows participants to earn rewards on their holdings. When you stake in crypto, you commit your crypto assets to support the blockchain network and verify transactions. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
You will receive certain rewards for staking cryptos. 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. Through it, you can spend your cryptocurrency to pay for some services (especially those services and establishments that welcome Bitcoin and 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
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.
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.
This doesn’t mean veteran traders only have beginner tools to play with. For that, Coinbase offers Coinbase Pro. This platform is designed for experienced traders. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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.
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
The thing with Coinbase is that they do not give away their pricing and fees. They even removed their full fee schedule from their 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. Its fee structure can be too complex and a little hard for the mind to wrap around. The fee structure is based on three factors that can be confusing:
- Coinbase charges a spread on cryptocurrency sales and purchases. 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.
- Coinbase charges fees for transactions executed on external blockchain networks that support cryptocurrencies. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. Also, Coinbase pro users are required to make deposits and withdrawals through a bank account.
Below is a chart that shows you the fees you can expect from the main coinbase platform.
| Trade Size | Coinbase Fee |
| $10 or less | $0.99 |
| From $10 to $25 | $1.49 |
| $25 to $50 | $1.99 |
| From $50 to $200 | $2.99 |
Trades above $200 have a percentage-based fee rather than 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. This was due to problems that started when banks and card issuers charged the merchant category code (MCC) of crypto purchases earlier that month.
This was due to the fact that cryptocurrency payments were classified as “cash advances”, and banks and credit card issuers may begin charging cash advance fees for these purchases.
In a Financial Times article, Visa, the credit card company, blamed Coinbase at first. 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%. Most of these problems were categorized as “money was not available when promised.” The company solved this issue by increasing its customer service staff to reduce wait times.
Coinbase was also involved in the first-ever case of insider trading regarding cryptocurrency. A former product manager of the company as he shared information about certain tokens listed by the company. The company provided prosecutors with the right information for an internal investigation.
Pros and cons of Coinbase
Pros
- Easy to use and very friendly for those just starting in cryptocurrency
- It supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies
- Provides opportunities to earn cryptocurrency while, at the same time, learning about them.
- Offers simple and advanced trading depending on user preference
- Offers coinbase debit card, which allows for easy withdrawing of funds Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Cons
- Complex and complicated fees structure, which is not transparent
- High fees on some transactions
- There are limited staking opportunities and interest possibilities.
- There are a bunch of altcoins missing from their selection
- Problems with customer service
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Binance or Kraken?
Binance and Kraken, both giants in the cryptocurrency industry, have millions of users. It might seem that there is a big gap between these two platforms if we compare their ranks (Binance at the top and Kraken at the bottom), but there are more to it.
For example, US-based Binance users are severely hampered by the fact that they can only access Binance’s U.S. 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. 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. Binance will be the one to choose with their lower fees, large selection of coins and extra way of managing funds. Kraken or Binance with their high security standards that won them a Wyoming bank charter approval in 2021. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. Kraken is praised by traders and users alike for not being involved in any kind of suspicious activity against their users… and that doesn’t follow 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 and 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. Additional currencies and margin trading were to follow.
Powell started working on Kraken to replace 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 Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. It has since chosen to help with the investigation of Mt. Gox, Powell’s former employer. Kraken was relied upon because of its proven operating history of not being breached by hackers.
In September 2020, Kraken became the first cryptocurrency exchange to hold a special purpose depository institution (SPDI) charter in the United States after Wyoming granted such a charter to the company.
September 21, 2022, saw CEO Powell stepping down as CEO of the platform citing “spending more of his time on the product of the company, user experience, and broader 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 (UNI)
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. This includes converting US dollars into Canadian dollars, Japanese yen, and Swiss francs. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Kraken Perks
- Beefy Security
Kraken has been an integral part of the cryptocurrency market since its inception in 2011 and its launch in 2013. Its eyes were focused on security from its first day, and it never kept its eyes off it after all these years. It is actually the only cryptocurrency exchange to have not been hacked.
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 offers trades on its platform with over 160 coins and seven fiat currency. While it’s not the biggest amount, it is still a healthy number and is comparable to some of the best crypto exchanges. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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.
Kraken would use 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.
In the case of Kraken, not all of its currencies are exchangeable for the others.
- Advanced trading features
Kraken is one of the few exchanges offering 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. Pro clients who are eligible can get up to $500,000 in margin. Margin trading is still risky.
- Fees are reasonable.
While it is not the lowest in the market, the prices of Kraken’s fees are pretty competitive and on par with several exchanges. It’s even less expensive than other exchanges.
There are no fixed trading fees. They will vary from one exchange to the next. One sure factor, though, is that your fees will depend on your monthly trade history. We will discuss fees in detail in another segment. However, it is important that you know that instant buy features are more expensive 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 that’s geared towards intermediate-to-experienced users. However, beginners can still use the platform if they want. To learn the ropes, it is recommended that they begin with the Kraken central platform. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Kraken allows verified accounts with linked bank accounts to purchase cryptocurrency quickly. From there, selling or converting your crypto into your account is just a simple process. Inside the website, orders are done using a straightforward form, which will mostly only take a few seconds.
Their system makes it easy to buy cryptocurrencies using 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. 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. At first glance, it has a more complex interface than the regular Kraken exchange. Kraken Pro is intimidating for new traders. It is well worth the effort. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
It includes more detail about assets, active charts and the ability to view open orders.
As stated above, Kraken also allows for lower fees. So if you think you are ready, it would be better to make the same trade with Kraken Pro instead of Kraken. 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. Meanwhile, 3.75% + 25 Euro cents with a debit card, credit card, or digital wallet. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Meanwhile, Kraken Pro’s pricing is pretty different. Generally, fees are lower than the main Kraken platform. Your fees will also be based on your total trading volume over the last 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.
On the security side, Kraken has lived up to customer expectations and has proven itself with being the only major cryptocurrency exchange that has not been a victim of a major hack.
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 & Cons
Pros
- Advanced features such as margin trading and stakestaking are available.
- Excellent and reliable customer service
- Relatively low Bitcoin (BTC) withdrawal fees
- Provides a wide range of educational material.
- 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 Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
- It is 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 provide a variety of features such as low fees and staking as well 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.
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 Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
Crypto.com Overview
Crypto.com was founded in Hong Kong back in 2018. The founders of Crypto.com, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek and Rafael Melo originally called it Monaco. When Crypto.com purchased the domain of Matt Blaze, a cryptography researcher, it became Crypto.com.
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.
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. Shopify has partnered with the company to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method.
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. With Crypto.com, cryptocurrency can also be currency.
Cryptos under Crypto.com
In terms of selection, Crypto.com has a huge one available. It support more than 250 currencies for spot trading with a subset of 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 (UNI)
As mentioned above, Crypto.com also has its coin called Cronos (CRO). Having a significant stake in this coin rewards you with lower trading fees, higher stalking interest rates, and higher credit card rewards. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. 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.
There are many transactions on Crypto.com that don’t require fees. One example is depositing your money into your account via an electronic bank or wire transfer.
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. Payments made with a debit card or credit card might also be subject to a cash advance fee for crypto purchases.
- 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 and GBP as well as EUR. 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. 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.
Their Ruby Steel card is the lowest available tier, and it also offers a 1% cash back on your contribution. Of course, you will need to have at least a $400 stake to be able to avail of this.
Meanwhile, those who own deeper pockets can avail of their top-of-the-line, Obsidian tier. This earns you 5% cash or crypto back, along with loads of extra bonuses. That said, you must have at least $400,000 worth of stake for CRO to qualify for this. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. Crypto.com offers some of the highest-yielding savings accounts on the market.
To benefit from this perk you will need to have a lot of cash in your CRO. However, the maximum amount of interest you can earn is less than 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. It is even possible to get more if you stake up to 40,000 CRO, but that may be asking for too much.
If you make a deposit for a term of one month or more, the interest rate can be increased to 3 months. 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.
It is risky to keep your crypto savings. 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. Buy gift cards from popular brands to earn cash back benefits.
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. 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.
The amount of cashback you get will still depend on how much CRO you have staked and what type of company it is.
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. So those who are already used to trading stocks on a phone or tablet will have a breeze of time and will find the experience pretty similar to that. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
The app in question shows the user’s portfolio and a list of their more popular assets. It offers everything that Crypto.com claims it can. 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.
Where would you pick up a trading application without its chart tools. 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. 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.
Discounted trading fees have become available when users hold at least 5,000 CRO in their wallet. Higher stakes result in lower rates.
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 |
| 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% |
| More than 5,000,000 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% |
| Greater than or equal to 1,000,000 | 0.0631% | 0.0669% |
| Greater than 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. Those who have even more may even enjoy 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. It was reported that the company 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.
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.
In November of 2022, their exchange token Cronos (CRO) has lost approximately $1 billion in value. 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
- There are many ways to pay with crypto
- Convert money quickly
- Great cash back rewards with Visa card Perk
- Allows you to earn interest on crypto
- Pretty big selection of cryptocurrency coins and tokens Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
- Has strong security
Cons
- The exchange interface is not easy to use.
- Coins are not universally available, and availability will be dependent on country and location
- 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. Binance is the clear winner, and it is by quite a bit. 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 was founded by MichaelGan, who was eager to learn more about blockchain and the potential applications. Eric was his boss and he told him about Bitcoin. He then got involved in the action.
The impetus came when he found out that the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges during that time were very difficult for beginners to use. They believed this was inversely proportional to how blockchain changed the world, especially with how Bitcoin and crypto 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. KuCoin’s greatest strength is its ability to mine altcoins for tokens and coins. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. 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
- A 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. KuCoin is the ideal platform for traders looking to diversify into less-popular crypto.
It is a key mission of KuCoin to help smaller and more recent cryptocurrencies succeed. They even have a Spotlight section that promotes new currencies.
This is advantageous for the coin and users who want to get in on a new currency early.
- 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. That said, you will still need to pay a fee to deposit fiat money, such as U.S. dollars. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
These fees will depend on your transfer mode and the third-party app 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.
With KuCoin earn, you are given two ways to earn 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.
The exchange claims that you can make a lot of money this way, with an average earning rate of 8% to 12.5%. 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 permit margin trading which allows users leverage their position which allows them to borrow money to purchase 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 pretty convenient as you do not always need to be online to do 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. Each platform offers a variety of tools and features that you can use to trade on it.
After logging into your KuCoin account on mobile or desktop, you can access KuCoin’s dashboard or front page. 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 Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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. They can be difficult for novice traders, as they aren’t user-friendly on mobile platforms.
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.
| 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 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. Paying fees with KCS will net users 20% off.
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.
Trustpilot reviews gave it an average rating of 1.7 stars out 600 reviews. Most of these negative reviews are about problems with customer support, the withdrawal process, and even making deposits Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
KuCoin has also been accused of market manipulation, with some even saying their assets randomly disappeared from their accounts. This can be a very big problem, especially when we talk about assets, money, and finance.
Security is another issue.
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 Con
Pros
- Low fees
- Strong user base
- Large range of coins
- Earn interest on your crypto
- Trading features
- Good customer service
Cons
- Not licensed in the U.S.
- Payment methods are limited
- Can be intimidating and overwhelming for new traders
- Has limited education resources
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Binance versus Bittrex
Bittrex and Binance are two crypto exchanges with more similarities than differences. Both have similar features that users can use. 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.
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.
The platform initially offered only crypto-tocrypto trading. However, it quickly added fiat-tocrypto trading. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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
Bittrex offers a large selection of cryptocurrency in their marketplace, as we have already stated. This makes it pretty attractive for customers looking for new, more niche but riskier trades.
- Low fees
Bittrex offers low fees starting at 0.3% Depending on trade volume, this fee can be lower. That said, it is not the lowest available in 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 even keeps up despite having a heavy demand. This is a great way for investors to take advantage of volatile markets like cryptocurrency’s price fluctuations.
- Cardano staking
Cardano (ADA), cryptocurrency holders would be thrilled to have this platform. Bittrex allows users to stake their Cardano crypto throughout the exchange. You can get up to 5.5% in reward. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
- Educational Content
We all know how arcane-ish finances in general are. As such, cryptocurrency can be just as confusing and obscure. Any way you can educate yourself about the topic is a blessing.
In Bittrex’s case, it offers an impressive library of educational resources 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.
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 Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
- 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 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. 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. 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 |
| 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. Many of these problems are caused by account lockouts, assets that have been frozen, and identity verification issues. Most of these problems are common across many crypto exchanges.
The platform hasn’t experienced any major setbacks or controversies.
Bittrex Pros & Cons
Pros
- Highly secure
- A wide range of cryptocurrency available
- Fairly low fees
- Advanced trading tools
- Pretty helpful educational content
Cons
- Mediocre and mostly unhelpful customer support
- Can be challenging for beginners
Binance versus eToro Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
eToro and Binance are two pretty famous cryptocurrency platforms. They are both very well-known and have a strong market presence.
But there is one thing that separates them. That is, they are very different platforms. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange, eToro is not. Rather, it is 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
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 in 2007.
When RetailFX started offering commodities, indices, and stocks, it changed its name to eToro. Later, it launched its innovative social trading feature that allowed users to copy trades of successful traders on the platform.
eToro only got involved in the crypto market when it added support for BTC in 2014. CFDs could now be bought and sold to non-U.S. users. The world’s most popular digital currency. It added support for Ripple and Ethereum four years later. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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 and its digital asset platform have few cryptocurrency selections. This is probably because they did not start as an exchange but 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
The CopyTrader is eToro’s signature feature. It was a feature that existed before the platform dabbled in the crypto industry. Binance Blockchain Suffers $570Mn Hack
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.
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 just crypto.
It was expected that users would still be able to participate in the action since the platform began in foreign currency.
eToro allows you to have both stocks and cryptocurrency 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.
- Deposits to Fee Debit cards
Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, eToro does not charge fees for users who want to do a debit card deposit. Investors can deposit fiat money using a bank transfer or debit card for no additional fees.
Users should be aware that there is a conversion charge for transactions not in U.S. dollars.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro is available as a simple web-based platform and a well-designed mobile app.
It is easy to get started on the platform by depositing fiat currency using a bank account or debit card. Once they have done that, they can trade instantly.
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.
The platform provides basic market and limit orders. However, it lacks some of the more advanced conditional orders and more advanced charting capabilities.
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 other cryptocurrency exchanges that don’t list their fees, eToro lists its fees 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 different from other exchanges, which only charge fees when an asset is purchased or sold.
eToro charges 1% upfront for the eventual sale and a $1 purchase fee.
This could be a problem when users transfer their coins to an external wallet. As they can no longer return them to the trading platform.
eToro Issues
It is not surprising that there have been many controversies about the platform due to its age. Most of these do NOT involve the cryptocurrency 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:
“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 a bad move and many users and lawyers expressed their intent to file a lawsuit as a group. 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
- An established platform
- Regulated in many jurisdictions
- CopyTrading is a unique feature that is only found in the platform.
- 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 not available to U.S. users
- There are a few cryptocurrencies available.
- 1% fee is pretty high compared to others.