With cryptocurrency going mainstream and getting legitimized here and there, it is only a matter of time before a huge population wants to get in on the action. Marketplaces that allow people to trade, buy, and sell digital assets are becoming crucial.
To address this market demand, cryptocurrency exchanges were created.
A cryptocurrency exchange, by definition, is an online platform where users can trade one type of digital asset for the other. 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. Stocks can only be bought or sold only if they are listed on an exchange. As such, stock exchanges are basically marketplaces where stock buyers and sellers do their business.
The digital world offers cryptocurrency exchanges similar services as banks and stock exchanges.
There are still people who treat cryptocurrency with fear and anxiety. Some people view cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency exchanges as illegal online marketplaces.
They believe that these places can facilitate the trade of unregistered securities. They 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. As with all dealings with cryptocurrency, there are inherent risks to using cryptocurrency exchanges.
For example, there is a good chance that law enforcement may shut down an exchange. 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 can happen especially when the cryptocurrency exchange you are using has been seized by law enforcement or is under investigation by the proper 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 How Binance vs Uphold
Binance Overview
Binance exchange is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the 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. That said, Binance serves most countries around the globe, except for the United States, where a specific version of the platform, Binance.US, had to be established.
Binance’s popularity with its user base is because of its low fees, a large number of available cryptocurrencies, as well as its innovative products. The platform has a lot to offer in terms of products that are based on cryptocurrencies.
Some of these products/services include the chance to earn, exchange, stake, derive, and NFTs. The service allows you to get loans, make payments and even apply for credit cards.
Cryptos Under Binance
Binance also has its own set of tokens and cryptocurrencies. There are actually 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. Formerly called Binance Coin, it was launched in 2017 through an initial coin offering (ICO) as an asset for users when Binance was still in its infancy. It 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 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 Selection of Cryptos
The number of cryptocurrencies on the market will determine how good a crypto exchange platform is. 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 currencies available include:
- Binance Coins (BNB)
- VeChain, (VET)
- VeThor (VTHO)
- Harmon (ONE)
- Matic Network (MATIC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
- Cardano (ADA)
And many more.
- Multiple ways to Earn
For those wanting to get more mileage out of their investments, Binance allows you to earn more from your crypto assets. Customers can try to earn income via adding liquidity to pairs of tokens. There are also staking options on the platform.
However, these opportunities come with a lot of risk. Users must be able to recognize and weigh the risks. That said, trading and dealing with crypto is already risky in itself.
- Advanced trading tools
Binance wouldn’t be considered a crypto-exchange platform if it didn’t have trading tools.
Binance has advanced trading tools that allow users to customize trading options easily. It is easier to place limit orders to buy or sell crypto at a certain price.
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. 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. You can use Binance in any way you like. It’s possible to do this through the Binance App or the Binance website.
The platform will keep track of traders’ portfolios for them, so they won’t need to use any additional tools or platforms. 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 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. The amount of BNB that the user has will also be important.
Whether you are a maker or a taker will also determine how much you will get on fees. 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.
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 | 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 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 99,999,999999 and at most 1,750 BNB | 0.05% / 0.07% |
| 7 | 1,000,000,000 to 2,499,999,999 and at least 3,000 BNB | 0.04% / 0.06% |
| 8 | 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 bad year for the exchange platform.
Binance was the victim of a large-scale security breach on May 7, 2019. It was discovered that hackers stole 7,000 Bitcoins worth $40 million. That said, the site reimbursed customers through its “Secure Asset Fund for Users(SAFU).
It wasn’t as bad as 2021. It’s not true to say that Binance had a difficult year in 2021.
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. These said data included names and addresses of users in a bid to fight crime.
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
- Large Selection of Cryptocurrencies
- Trading tools that are sophisticated
- Multiple ways of Depositing 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 like the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and many more.
- 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.
- No built-in digital wallet available
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Binance Versus Coinbase
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.
As such, the company does not have a physical headquarters because they don’t need one. It used to have a company headquarters in San Francisco, but this palace was abandoned, and the company changed operation to remote-first.
Brian Armstrong, an ex-engineer at Airbnb, founded Coinbase in June 2012. He 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 when bitcoin was worth only $6 and only known by ” a few nerds on the internet” (Ehrsam’s words, not mine).
They believed bitcoin was an insane idea that would revolutionize finance and money. 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. How Binance vs Uphold
Cryptos Under Coinbase
Coinbase does not have its original coin or cryptocurrency. The platform supports 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
Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in America. The market offers a wide range of cryptocurrencies.
From a Bitcoin (BTC) focused exchange. Coinbase has grown to offer over 150 types of cryptocurrency on the platform. 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.
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. 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 allows users to earn crypto for learning more.
Users are encouraged to read more about crypto through educational modules, and when one has completed one module, coinbase allows them to earn more.
Although the feature doesn’t offer much, it is still useful. Besides, even a few crypto bits are always a blessing, especially in this economy. Also, anyone who declines to pay for money is a fool. Even if the amount is not.
- Educational Content
Coinbase’s library is an educational resource, as we have already mentioned. These resources range form the basics of crypto, tips, and tutorials to more complex stuff and even market updates. It is for this reason that Coinbase is the ideal platform for those just starting to invest in crypto.
- Mobile App
Coinbase up its accessibility factor by allowing users to access their accounts with a mobile app. Their mobile app, which is similar to the web platform, allows users to manage, buy, and sell cryptocurrency.
This Coinbase App is not just something that is not some garbage or bloatware. It’s legit and gets high ratings from both the Apple App Store as well as Google Play Store.
- Crypto Rewards
Your Coinbase account can allow you to earn interest on many cryptocurrencies. 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 allows participants to receive rewards for their crypto assets. It is how many cryptocurrencies verify transactions. You commit your crypto assets to support a blockchain network and confirm transactions when staking in cryptocurrencies. How Binance vs Uphold
You will receive certain rewards for staking cryptos. This is not possible for all cryptos. It depends on where you live and the cryptocurrency.
- Coinbase Debit card
Coinbase lets users trade, but also allows them to access their hard-earned wealth and use it with the Coinbase card.
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.
You can also use the Coinbase card to earn crypto rewards. This rewards program allows you to choose the crypto that you want from a rotating list.
Coinbase Trading Experience
If Binance provides low fees and more advanced training tools, Coinbase is geared towards a more different type of user. 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.
However, this doesn’t mean that veteran traders have only beginner tools to use. For that, Coinbase offers Coinbase Pro. This platform is designed for experienced traders. How Binance vs Uphold
Coinbase Pro is different in that it was made for professional traders and gives them more tools, allowing for better 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 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. No, there is no need for that. Anyone can access the pro version of Coinbase by creating an account.
Coinbase Trading Fees
Coinbase doesn’t disclose their fees and pricing. Their entire fee schedule was removed from the online help section. That said, this doesn’t mean you will pay your fees blindly. 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. The fee structure is too complicated and difficult to understand. The fee structure is based on three factors that can be confusing:
- Coinbase charges a spread for cryptocurrency purchases and sales. There is a huge charge that rates will vary depending on market fluctuations.
- Coinbase claims fees are also based on factors such as the selected payment method, market conditions (volatility and liquidity), and even the order size.
- Coinbase charges fees for transactions executed on external blockchain networks that support cryptocurrencies. How Binance vs Uphold
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 |
| $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 |
| Get up to $10K | 0.60% | 0.40% |
| $10K – $50K | 0.40% | 0.25% |
| $50K – $100K | 0.25% | 0.15% |
| $100K – $1M | 0.20% | 0.10% |
| $1M – $15M | 0.18% | 0.08% |
| $15M – $75M | 0.16% | 0.06% |
| $75M – $250M | 0.12% | 0.03% |
| $250M – $400M | 0.08% | 0.00% |
| $400M+ | 0.05% | 0.00% |
Coinbase Issues
Given how much of cryptocurrency is still in a legal area, there is a distinct chance that those involved in it will have their fair share of issues or controversies.
Coinbase acknowledged that customers were being charged more for cryptocurrencies they purchased with debit and credit cards than they originally intended. This was due to problems that started when banks and card issuers charged the merchant category code (MCC) of crypto purchases earlier that month.
The issue stemmed from the fact that crypto payments were categorized as “cash advances” and that banks and credit card issuers could begin charging cash advance fees for these purchases.
In a Financial Times article, Visa, the credit card company, blamed Coinbase at first. 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
- It is very easy to use and user-friendly for people just beginning in cryptocurrency
- It supports a wide range 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 How Binance vs Uphold
Cons
- Complex and complicated fees structure, which is not transparent
- High fees on some transactions
- Limited staking and interest opportunities.
- A lot of altcoins are missing from their selection
- Customer service issues
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Binance or Kraken?
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.
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.
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. Kraken or Binance with their high security standards that won them a Wyoming bank charter approval in 2021. How Binance vs Uphold
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 primary goal is to be the most secure and reliable crypto trading platform. In fact, users and traders have praised Kraken for being one of the only crypto exchanges that “has been probably the only exchange that hasn’t been involved in some kind of shady activity against its users…that doesn’t indulge in questionable corporate policies,”
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.”
Jesse Powell (alumnus from California State University, Sacramento) and Thanh Luu, co-founded Kraken in 2011. It was launched in September 2013 and offered bitcoin, Litecoin and euro trades. Further currencies and margin trading would follow.
Powell started working on Kraken to replace Mt.Gox (another bitcoin exchange, based in Shibuya Tokyo, Japan). He was a consultant for that exchange before its collapse in 2014 due to failing security audits.
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. How Binance vs Uphold
Kraken was very successful in 2014. The company received a Series A investment of $ 5,000,000 from Hummingbird Ventures in March 2014.
Later, it became one of the first bitcoin exchanges to be listed on Bloomberg Terminal. 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.
Chief Executive Officer Powell resigned as CEO of the platform on September 21st, 2022. He said that he had spent more time on the product, the user experience and industry advocacy.
He was replaced as CEO by Dave Ripley.
Cryptos under Kraken
Kraken supports at most 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. 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. How Binance vs Uphold
Kraken Perks
- Beefy Security
Since its founding in 2011 and launching in 2013, Kraken has been a mainstay of the cryptocurrency industry. Its eyes were focused on security from its first day, and it never kept its eyes off it after all these years. 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. Some in the industry associate Kraken with financial stability and physical security. A claim that the company is just too happy to boast about
- Healthy Range of Available Cryptocurrencies
Kraken has over 160 coins and seven fiat currencies available to trade on its platform. While it’s not the biggest amount, it is still a healthy number and is comparable to some of the best crypto exchanges. How Binance vs Uphold
Kraken’s liquidity is high, which allows Kraken to make it easier for users to buy and sell at fair prices.
Kraken works using currency pairs, a one-to-one equivalency between two currencies. It is the price of the exchange rate between two currencies that are traded on FX markets.
Kraken would use dollars to buy Bitcoin, and vice versa. You will always swap one currency for the other if you use dollars to buy Bitcoin, and then Bitcoin to purchase Ethereum.
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 has a dark pool where high-volume investors can trade without their names being known.
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. This does not remove the risk that margin trading inherently brings.
- The fees are affordable.
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 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. 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
Staking options within Kraken are pretty good. You can stake in over 15 cryptos. They can earn between 0.25% and upwards of 20%.
Staking refers to the act of holding your coins in order to make a contribution to the security of a specific blockchain. It can be a great way to passively earn an income.
Kraken Trading Experience
Kraken users can choose between Kraken and Kraken Pro. Between these exchanges, Kraken Pro offers lower pricing. 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. It is suggested that they start with the central Kraken platform to learn the ropes. How Binance vs Uphold
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. The website has a simple form that allows you to place orders. It usually takes a few seconds.
Their system makes it easy to buy cryptocurrencies using your bank account balance. Your account doesn’t need to be funded first.
In terms of security, you can keep your Kraken account safe by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA). As such, you will need your device to log in to your account.
On the other hand, Kraken Pro is Kraken’s more advanced trading platform. It appears more complicated than the regular Kraken exchange. Kraken Pro is intimidating for new traders. However, it is worth learning. How Binance vs Uphold
Some features added to it are more detailed asset information, active charts, and even a view to open orders.
As stated above, Kraken also allows for lower fees. If you feel confident, you can trade the same trade with Kraken Pro. You will pay less but earn more in the end.
Kraken Fees
As stated above, Kraken’s fees are in the competitive middle. It’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 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.
Additional fees will vary depending on how you fund your purchase. 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. How Binance vs Uphold
Meanwhile, Kraken Pro’s pricing is pretty 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.
That said, Kraken has its fair share of issues regarding 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.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control began investigating the exchange in September 2021 for possible violations of sanctions by allowing trade with Iranian customers. In late September 2021, Kraken was ordered to pay a fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for $1.25 million allowing unregistered margin trading.
Kraken Pros and Cons
Pros
- Advanced and sophisticated features like margin trading and staking.
- Excellent and reliable customer service
- Relatively low Bitcoin withdrawal fees (BTC).
- Provides a wide range of educational material.
- The most secure exchange on 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 only accepts a few fiat currencies
- A few users complain about their accounts being hacked. How Binance vs Uphold
- Not available in all U.S. States
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Binance versus crypto.com
Binance and Crypto.com have become some of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges. 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.
There is a reason one is better than the other, but that does not mean that you should automatically run toward the higher-ranked exchange for the sake of 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. Will you choose the more investor-friendly Binance with its wider selection of cryptocurrencies to invest in, or will you take Crypto.com’s side, which offers a more user-friendly experience and lower fees. How Binance vs Uphold
Crypto.com Overview
Crypto.com was founded in Hong Kong back in 2018. It was originally called Monaco by founders Bobby Bao, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek, and Rafael Melo. It only became Crypto.com when the company purchased a domain that cryptography researcher and professor Matt Blaze owned.
The sales might be on the bigger one, with Domain sellers valuing the domain at US$5 – 10 million.
As for the overall platform, Crypto.com does what most cryptocurrency exchanges does. It allows users to trade, invest, put a stake in some currency and much more.
It also has a huge selection of currencies numbering at least 250 different currencies, reasonable fees, and even discounts to some specific customers (like those with huge stakes in the Crypto.com’s very own coin, the cronos (CRO).
Crypto.com’s main selling point and focus is in their exchange. However, that is not what they all do, they also offer a variety of crypto services which include their own crypto wallet, and even an NFT shop. Shopify has partnered with the company to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method.
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
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. Some of the more popular currencies available in the platform include:
- 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). A significant stake in this cryptocurrency will reward you with lower trading fees and higher stalking interest rates as well as higher credit card rewards. How Binance vs Uphold
Crypto.com Perks
- One-Stop Shop
Crypto.com is more than a 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. You can deposit your money via wire transfer or electronic bank to your account.
Crypto.com also allows you to purchase and sell cryptocurrency at its true cost, giving the real meaning of “what you see is what you get.”
That said, the platform does charge you a fee for crypto purchases made with a credit card or a debit 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. How Binance vs Uphold
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
As a one-stop shop for everything crypto, Crypto.com isn’t just a place to buy coins and tokens. 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%.
The interest rate you can acquire will depend on factors like the duration of time you leave your money, the currency you save, and the amount of CRO you have staked.
Using the app, you can increase your interest rate in multiple 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.
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 even be tied to the U.S. Dollar. These stablecoins can help you earn more interest.
That said, since stablecoins are stable, these are unlikely to appreciate in value compared to 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.
- Gift 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. Like Spain, Norway, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
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. 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. How Binance vs Uphold
This app shows the user their portfolio and lists of their most 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.
Without chart tools, where would you find a trading app? In the case of Crypto.com’s app, it shares a relatively simple set of data that aims not to intimidate or overwhelm the users. The charts just contain enough information needed for users to learn how the blockchain and the currency work, something they might need before buying.
Crypto.com offers a wide range of fiat currencies. 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
Crypto.com’s trading fees are very competitive. In fact, they are among those who offer the lowest trading fees in the market. Those who trade in higher volumes can qualify for fees as low as 0.04% for makers and 0.1% for takers, even without CRO staking.
Users who have at least 5,000 CRO in their bank account can get discounted trading fees. Higher stakes result in lower rates.
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 |
| Less than 250,000 | 0.0750% | 0.750% |
| Greater than or equal to 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 10,000,000 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 |
| Less than 250,000 | 0.0728% | 0.728% |
| Greater than or equal 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. Those who have even more may even enjoy rebates.
Crypto.com Issues
Crypto.com, like most cryptocurrency exchanges has its problems.
On January 2022, Crypto.com was the victim of a serious hack. 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 quickly paused withdrawals which were later restored. The company stated that customer funds had not been lost in the process of restoring withdrawals.
Crypto.com’s problems were mostly caused by the decline in cryptocurrency. As such, Crypto.com had to let go of hundreds of employees, which started in 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. Crypto.com CEO Marszalek reassured that the exchange was operating normally.
Crypto.com Pros and Cons
Pros
- Competitively Low fees
- Provides lots of avenues for paying with crypto
- Converts money easily
- Great cash back rewards with Visa card Perk
- Allows you to earn interest on crypto
- Pretty big selection of cryptocurrency coins and tokens How Binance vs Uphold
- 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
- Some areas are lacking customer service and some of it is very poor.
- 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 was one of the first platforms to trade cryptocurrencies. However, FTX and Kraken have taken over.
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 started because of MichaelGan’s eagerness to learn about blockchain and its application possibilities. 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.
This extensive range of tokens and coins may appeal to veteran traders who are looking for an assortment of assets. KuCoin’s greatest strength is its ability to mine altcoins for tokens and coins. How Binance vs Uphold
This was also the reason why the company was started in the first place: to make less mainstream currencies more prominent and to allow people to access them.
These lesser-known coins are riskier than the more stable and popular ones. As such, people need to understand what people are getting themselves into.
KuCoin also has it’s token, simply called KuCoin Token (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)
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.
It is also easier to find smaller coins than other platforms on these platforms. For traders who want to branch out into less popular crypto, KuCoin will be the perfect platform for them.
After all, it is one of the main missions of KuCoin, to give smaller and newer cryptocurrencies a fighting chance. They even have a Spotlight section that promotes new currencies.
This is a good thing for users and the coin, as it allows them to start using a new currency earlier.
- Low fees
KuCoin also has low trading fees. Although it’s not the lowest on the market, it’s still low enough to be competitive with other exchanges.
KuCoin doesn’t charge any monthly fees. 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. How Binance vs Uphold
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. You can first take your coins through Pool-X which is 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 makes margin trading possible by using this money. It might seem risky, but the company states that lenders will always be repaid in full.
That repayment might come from the borrower’s collateral or a KuCoin margin insurance fund.
- Advanced Features
KuCoin provides veteran users with plenty of toys and extra features to play with. 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 allows you to trade your cryptocurrency without having to do it yourself. Instead, you can let a computer handle that task for you. This is very convenient because you don’t always have to be online in order to run your business.
However, bots can pose a risk. Bots can be prone to glitches, and being too dependent on them may cost you a lot of opportunities. Then there is the fact that you mostly don’t know about their perimeters and strategies when doing their trades.
The convenience bots offer may not be worth the uncertainty about how they handle 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.
After logging into your KuCoin account on mobile or desktop, you can access KuCoin’s dashboard or front page. 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.
Besides orders, users also have access to margin, futures, and P2P trading. You can stake your crypto to earn some back or get a discount on trading fees. How Binance vs Uphold
The exchange recently added a Trading Bot feature that will simplify the entire trading process.
KuCoin is a great cryptocurrency with many advanced features. This might be a boon to veteran traders. However, they might be a nightmare for beginners as desktop, and mobile platforms are not user-friendly.
KuCoin Fees
When it comes to trading fees, KuCoin divides their rates 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 showing which trading level corresponds with which.
| Trading Fee Level | Min KCS Holding last 30 Days | Spot Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) | Futures Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) |
| LV0 | 0 | <50 | <200 |
| LV1 | 1000 | >=50 | >=200 |
| LV2 | 10000 | >=200 | >=400 |
| LV3 | 20000 | >=500 | >=1000 |
| LV4 | 30000 | >=1000 | >=2000 |
| LV5 | 40000 | >=2000 | >=3000 |
| LV6 | 50000 | >=4000 | >=6000 |
| LV7 | 60000 | >=8000 | >=12000 |
| LV8 | 70000 | >=15000 | >=20000 |
| LV9 | 80000 | >=25000 | >=40000 |
| LV10 | 90000 | >=40000 | >=80000 |
| LV11 | 100000 | >=60000 | >=120000 |
| LV12 | 150000 | >=80000 | >=160000 |
These levels will 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.
Also, KuCoins has a 24h withdrawal limit.
| Trading Fee level | 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. You can see the extent of dissatisfaction by just looking at the reviews.
In Trustpilot reviews, it got an average of just 1.7 out of 5 stars out of 600 reviews. Many of the negative reviews focus on customer service, withdrawals, or even deposits. How Binance vs Uphold
KuCoin has also been accused of market manipulation, with some even saying their assets randomly disappeared from their accounts. This is a problem especially when it comes to assets, money and finance.
Then there is an issue of security.
While KuCoin is a generally secure crypto exchange, it was subject to a major hack back in 2020. About $280 million in crypto was stolen from hot wallets and sent to hackers by the exchange. This was a serious security breach, despite the fact that all assets were covered by an insurance plan.
KuCoin Pros and Con
Pros
- Low fees
- Strong user base
- Wide range of coins
- Allows you to earn interest on your crypto
- Trading features
- Good customer service
Cons
- Not licensed in the U.S.
- Limited payment methods
- 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.
One key difference between these two platforms has to do with size. While Binance boasts about the largest amount of trading volumes among the different exchanges, Bittrex aims for a more scaled-down experience.
Bittrex was once one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Binance was able to surpass them despite having 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 can be found in Seattle.
In the beginning, the platform only offered crypto-to-crypto trading, but it soon introduced fiat-to-crypto trading. How Binance vs Uphold
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 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
- A huge selection of cryptocurrency
As stated above, Bittrex has a rather sizable option of cryptocurrency available in their market. Customers looking for niche, but more risky trades will find it attractive.
- Low fees
Bittrex 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 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. You can get up to 5.5% in reward. How Binance vs Uphold
- Educational Content
We all know how complicated and elusive finances can be. As such, cryptocurrency can be just as confusing and obscure. Any way you can educate yourself about the topic is a blessing.
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. How Binance vs Uphold
- 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. Although unreliable, it is a good and less risky way to passively earn crypto income.
Bittrex Trading Experience
Bittrex trading is simple and straightforward. Logging in is all that’s required to access the trading dashboard. Of course, it is accessible via a mobile app or desktop computer.
In the desktop interface, users have a simple “instant buy Buy/Sell” option. This option lets users quickly make trades or purchase crypto with a debit card, bank account, or Bittrex account balance.
Users can also benefit from a real-time view of the markets available on the platform. Users also have the option to place more complex orders. Stop, stop limit, trailing stop, and laddered orders.
Bittrex Fees
Bittrex has a simple fee structure that makes it easier to understand their fees than other exchanges. That said, you still get fee discounts for trades with higher volumes. 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. These problems are widespread across all crypto exchanges.
At the very least, the platform has not seen any major controversies or setbacks.
Bittrex Pros & Cons
Pros
- High security
- Extensive selection of available cryptocurrency
- Very low fees
- Advanced trading tools
- Pretty helpful educational content
Cons
- Mediocre and mostly unhelpful customer support
- For beginners, it can be difficult
Binance versus eToro How Binance vs Uphold
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. That is, they are very different platforms. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange. eToro, however, 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. The Tel Aviv-based company was actually an online forex broker originally under RetailFX. This was back 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 was only able to get involved in the cryptocurrency market after it added support BTC in 2014. This enabled users to buy and sell CFDs (to non-U.S. users). The world’s most popular digital currency. It added support for Ripple and Ethereum four years later. How Binance vs Uphold
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. That said, some popular currencies found in the service include:
- Bitcoin (BTC).
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dash (DASH)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Ethereum (ETH).
- Litecoin (LTC).
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Polygon (MATIC).
- Solana (SOL)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
eToro Perks
- CopyTrader
The CopyTrader is eToro’s signature feature. It was a feature that existed before the platform dabbled in the crypto industry. How Binance vs Uphold
This allows eToro users simply to copy trades made by their favorite traders. 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.
It is completely free, which is quite surprising. There is a need to pay an additional fee for this feature, which can be used as much as the user wants.
- Invest more than crypto.
Since the platform started in foreign exchange, it was to be expected that new users could still get in on that action.
eToro 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.
eToro provides a virtual brokerage account which allows you to simulate stock investing without putting any real money at risk.
- Fee Debit card deposits
Unlike other cryptocurrency exchanges that charge fees, eToro doesn’t charge users to make a debit card payment. Investors can deposit fiat money using a bank transfer or debit card for no additional fees.
That said, there is a conversion fee for non-U.S. dollar transactions, so users should remember that.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro is available as a simple web-based platform and a well-designed mobile app.
Starting in the platform is as easy as depositing fiat currency from a debit card or bank account, and then they can trade immediately.
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. It even allows users to do trades proportional to high-performing traders in the platform.
The platform provides basic market and limit orders. It does not offer advanced charting and conditional orders.
Also, the lack of cryptocurrency choices limits the cryptocurrency fairs the platform can offer.
It is also eToroX, the flagship digital asset platform with all the bells and whistles users would expect from an institutional-grade exchange.
eToroX now offers U.S. Dollar deposits, margin trading and trading APIs. It also allows for fast execution.
eToro Fees
When it comes to fees, eToro is a breath of fresh air. Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, which don’t show their fee, eToro lists the fees it charges when trading crypto.
eToro users are charged a flat fee of 1% per trade in crypto. This 1% market fee is added to the market price the platform calls a bid-ask spread. It is also included in the platform’s price when users open or closes their position.
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.
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.
One that does, though, happened during the 2021 closure of leveraged position. The following was notified to European clients of the platform in the early part of that year:
Margin positions for all leveraged crypto position should be changed from leveraged to non-leveraged. Otherwise, they will be closed in less than four hours.
This was not a good move, and many lawyers and users expressed intent to file a class action lawsuit. This led to the revocation of the eToro licence in Cyprus.
eToro 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 numerous jurisdictions
- CopyTrading, a unique feature only available on the platform, is an exclusive feature.
- 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 not available to U.S. users
- There are a few cryptocurrencies available.
- The 1% fee is quite high in comparison to other fees.