Cryptocurrency, shortened as crypto, is any digital or virtual currency. To ensure that transactions are secure, cryptocurrency uses cryptography as a means of security.
Cryptocurrencies do not have a regulating or central issuing power; rather, they depend on a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units. It doesn’t depend on banks to conduct transactions.
What is it used for? It depends on a peer-to-peer system that allows anybody to send and receive payment anywhere. This currency exists purely as digital entries and is recorded on an online database that describes specific transactions.
Each time a transaction is done with cryptocurrency funds, it will be recorded in a public ledger. Every owner of cryptocurrency keeps their funds in a digital wallet.
Cryptocurrency is so named because of its use of encryption to keep and verify transactions. This is why cryptocurrency can only exist in the digital and virtual space, as it uses encryption methods that only computers can understand.
This advanced coding is used to store and transmit cryptocurrency data. It provides security and safety while transactions between wallets and public ledgers take place.
Bitcoin was the first Cryptocurrency and was established in 2009. It remains the best known today. However, it is not the only cryptocurrency that exists. Other cryptocurrency options include DogeCoin and Ethereum, BNB (Binance Coin), Tether and Solana.
To trade or exchange these currencies, one would need to use the services of a crypto exchange or digital currency exchange (DCE).
A Cryptocurrency exchange is a business that allows customers to trade cryptocurrencies and digital currencies for other assets like other digital currencies or fiat money.
The functions of crypto exchanges are very similar to those offered by online brokerage platforms. You can use them to purchase and sell digital currencies or tokens for various cryptocurrencies.
Crypto Exchanges can accept credit card payments, wire transfers, or other forms of payment in exchange for digital currencies or cryptocurrencies.
Binance is one such dedicated cryptocurrency exchange.
Binance and Overview Ledger Live Binance
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Beau Troxclair on his YouTube channel 0xBeau. To get a comprehensive overview of Binance, you may still want to check out our article below.
When it comes to cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance continues to be one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. It has the highest trading volume of any crypto exchange by offering users the most cryptocurrency trading pairs.
Binance got its start in 2017 through Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. Although it was originally based in China, it was quickly relocated to the United States due to increasing crypto restrictions. Since then, it has moved from Japan and Malta but did not have a permanent place to call home.
That said, there has been news about the company signing a memorandum of understanding with Bermuda and Malta, where it could finally find its home base. Ledger Live Binance
Binance’s popularity came from a user base that preferred its low fees, many available cryptocurrencies, and innovative products. The platform currently offers many crypto-based products.
From Binance, you can avail of such services as exchange, earn, staking, derivatives, loans, payments, credit cards, NFTs, and more.
Binance also has its set of unique tokens and cryptocurrencies. One of which is BUSD, a stablecoin, and the other is BNB which is known as a strong performer due to its low fees.
That said, Binance is not without its issues and dark side.
In 2021, the company was investigated by the United States Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service on allegations of money laundering and tax offenses.
The Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom ordered that the platform stop all regulated activities in June 2021. That said, the scope of this ban was limited, and that non-registered firms can still interact with UK consumers.
It was originally set up in the spring of that year to launch a digital asset marketplace in Britain. However, it withdrew its application because it did not meet anti-money laundering requirements.
The company is one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms on the market. Hence, it is no surprise that many cryptocurrencies and other digital currencies are available. Some of them include decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, stable coins, alt coins, and popular cryptos.
Here are some examples:
Binance Coins (BNB).
VeChain, (VET).
Harmony (ONE)
VeThor (VTHO).
Dogecoin (DOGE).
Matic Network (MATIC).
Binance offers support for popular cryptocurrencies like:
Dash (DASH)
Compound (COMP).
Bitcoin (BTC).
Ethereum (ETH)
Litecoin (LTC)
Cardano (ADA)
Cosmos (ATOM)
Low fees
Trading currencies and tokens are not offered free on any platform. However, choosing Binance as your trading platform will give you deals that may as well be free. This is compared to other crypto exchanges that also charge fees and commissions. The highest spot trading fee so far is 0.1%.
The platform uses a maker/taker fee structure. Fees will vary depending on trading volume or Binance Coin (BNB). balance. As a rule of thumb, the higher the volume of your trade, the lower the fees your trades are subjected to. Ledger Live Binance
What’s more, is that users can also get fee discounts for some services. These include:
Trades using Binance (BNB), coins
You can become a Very Important Person (VIP) by trading certain assets.
However, Binance users still have to pay additional fees. Different fees will apply depending on which type of withdrawal you make and what payment method you use. As a sample, you refer to the chart below
Binance lets you earn crypto assets. These come with different levels of risk. A few options include earning 50% APR or more on certain cryptos in its staking program or putting assets into flexible savings accounts for lower but more consistent rates.
The platform offers more staking options. They even pay higher rates than most other exchanges.
You can also earn income by adding liquidity to pairs of tokens, but this is a riskier option. Of course, it is really up to you when taking on these risks. As such, it is important to understand what is involved and what is at stake before jumping into these opportunities.
Advanced Trading Tools
Binance’s advanced trading features make it easy to tailor your trading options. Setting a limit to buying or selling crypto at a specific price is easy. With its “convert” function, it even caters to beginners.
The advanced trading interface has a lot of charting options that are a delight for veteran traders. There is also a Bitcoin futures section that can let people speculate on whether the price of Bitcoin will go up or down.
You can sell leveraged tokens to earn income opportunities that have inherent risk. Customers can multiply their currency positions by selling leveraged tokens. As stated, this is a risky strategy because it can multiply losses and may even cause traders to lose their entire position.
The Binance Shortcomings
This is not for newbies
Binance is not for beginners. It is a complicated platform created with experienced and veteran traders in mind. The general aim of the platform is to have these earners maximize their profits.
We have already discussed the risks Binance offers its users in order to make passive income from their crypto holdings. The thing is, most of these features will only be useful when you know what those things mean and what you are doing.
The most risky opportunities are where novice traders and beginners lose their money. To understand the hidden and inherent risks that trades can carry, it takes years of experience.
It can be difficult to navigate the vast market selection and in-depth dashboards offered by the platform, especially for those just starting out in crypto investing.
Once you get the hang of the platform, you will find it very easy to manage your assets. Also, for what it’s worth, Binance has a simpler interface designed for first-timers. It also provides a sizable educational resource.
Binance isn’t very beginner-friendly, but it has many resources that can help those who are interested. It is still not a platform where you just buy Bitcoin and then sit back and relax. Ledger Live Binance
Regulatory Attention
As we have already mentioned, Binance has faced many problems. It is currently in the crosshairs of several countries, including Japan, Canada, Singapore and Thailand.
The United States authorities are currently investigating the platform in regard to possible money laundering, tax fraud, and insider trading. So far, no charges have been filed, and Binance has denied any wrongdoing. Only time will tell if anything comes out of this.
In response, Binance has taken steps to strengthen its compliance team and keep regulators onside. This could be difficult as many of the products that Binance customers love are also those that attract regulatory attention.
It is not available in the U.S.
Due to US regulations, Binance.US was created as a separate platform for U.S. customers. The U.S. version Binance offers fewer features and less cryptocurrencies.
Binance.US also trades over 120 cryptocurrencies and does not offer futures trading or leveraged token. It is also not available in all countries. It’s unavailable in Hawaii, New York, Texas, or Vermont.
We’ve seen the positive and negative aspects of Binance. Now we can talk about how it all works.
As we know, Binance functions as a cryptocurrency exchange. It has a huge range of services. Some of these include:
Trade, buy, and sell cryptocurrency
Set up recurring buys
Earn passive income
Advanced features like crypto derivative products, limits orders and peer-to-peer trading are available.
Trade non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
To get exposure to new cryptos, you can join Binance’s Launchpad or Launchpool
Get portfolio insights and live tracking, as well as alerts
Keep track of your tax obligations with its tax reporting tool
It is important to remember that many regulatory agencies around the globe have been focusing on Binance’s wide range of products. Binance warns users about the potential risks of investing on the platform.
It also has an anti-addiction setting just in case users become too involved with trading. The system warns traders about the risks involved in trading derivatives if they suffer heavy losses or a losing streak. It encourages them to rest and hold back on their trading activities.
The platform believes responsible traders should be critical and keep themselves in check to avoid harmful excesses like compulsive trading or gambling.
These are all just reminders; ultimately, it is up to the retail investors how they manage the risk and how they should keep their money.
Signing Up to Your Binance Account
Creating and registering your very own Binance account is simple and can be done within a few minutes. There are two types of accounts available: unverified and verified.
For Unverified users:
Click the register button on the Binance homepage
Enter your email address
Create a password
Accept Binance’s Terms and Conditions of Use
Click “Create Account”
Register by email to confirm your registration
For Verified Accounts
Register now for an unverified Account
Login to your account
Click Identity Verification in the User Center
Choose Personal
Fill in your Details
Select an ID type to verify document authenticity, such as a Passport and Driver’s licence
Take a photo or upload a file of your document
Take a photo of yourself
Click confirm after you have uploaded the document and image.
Binance will then review it as soon as possible. Ledger Live Binance
To verify your account, you will need to wait for Binance to send an email.
Trading Experience
Binance provides a wide range of trading tools, as we have already mentioned. Some of these tools include their real-time charting tools with moving averages and exponential moving averages. Trading is also convenient and accessible, as users can place trades through the Binance app, Binance website, or Binance desktop app.
Traders can also use the platform to look at their portfolios and trade history. They can view the order book and price charts. You can also choose from a variety of order types. They can stop orders, limit orders, stop-limit orders, stop-market orders, and trailing stop orders.
Also, users can choose different trading views to easily comprehend data or view them in a way they prefer. There are many views to choose from, including classic, margin and OTC views.
Binance offers a custodial wallet on its platform. Trust Wallet is also recommended by Binance, which supports thousands upon thousands of cryptocurrencies across all major blockchains. It’s easy to transfer funds from Binance to a Trust Wallet, or another external crypto wallet.
Usually, withdrawals are complete within 10 minutes, and even the costs are minimal. To verify your account, you will need to enter some personal information. You can use Binance on a variety of platforms, including mobile and desktop.
Fees
We all know that one of Binance’s selling points is its low fees. This does not mean users are exempt from any charges. Binance users are still subjected to some fees needed for the platform.
Deposit and withdrawal fees
The currency used to pay and the method of payment will determine how much deposit fees are charged. While it is usually free to make a bank transfer, fees will usually be there for debit card payments.
Binance may allow you to make credit card or debit card payments, bank transfer, and peer-to-peer payments depending on where you live.
As for withdrawing money, you can do so as a fiat currency to a bank account. You can also withdraw crypto to a wallet or another exchange. These withdrawal fees and minimum amounts are determined by your currency and method. Ledger Live Binance
Trade Fees
Your trading fee percentage will depend on your trading history in the past 30 days and the volume in the past 30 days. It will also impact the amount of BNB that you have.
Maker orders, which add liquidity to the market, will get lower fees than taker or remover orders.
It also encourages users to use their native currency, Binance Coin (BNB). Anyone doing so can get a 25% discount on the trading fee. Binance also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
Below is a chart that shows how VIP status and the 30-day trade volume are related to maker/taker.
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
Between 5,000,000 and 19,999,999 with at least 100 BNB
0.08% / 0.10%
3
20,000,000 to 119,999,999 and at least 250 BNB
0.07% / 0.10%
4
120,000,000 to 199,999,999 and at least 500 BNB
0.07% / 0.09%
5
Between 200,000,000 and 499,999.999 and at most 1,000 BNB
0.06% / 0.08%
6
500,000,000 to 999,999,999 and at least 1,750 BNB
0.05% / 0.07%
7
Between 1,000,000,000 and 2,499,999.999999 and at most 3,000 BNB
0.04% / 0.06%
8
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%
Security
Since Binance handles multiple sensitive and high stakes data, and it should be expected that the platform has good and robust security measures to protect its assets as well as their client base.
Binance includes two-factor authentication (2FA) via the Google Authenticator app or short message service for the customer side. It uses address whitelisting, device administration, and the ability restrict device access.
Binance also claims to have its own insurance fund made by storing 10% of all trading fees in a secure fund. This is meant to cover any losses from hacking, an incident that Binance is familiar with (more on that later).
This insurance is not the same as having a third party doing it, but it does give users some protection.
Binance also keeps its most important security feature, its funds, offline, in cold storage. This is to avoid any contact with hackers.
Customers should be cautious about Binance, however, as it has a poor track record in security. In early 2019, the platform was hacked for $40 million in BTC. Another major hack occurred in October 2022. This time, it cost them $570 million in BNB.
There is a silver lining to this. Sometimes, it would be more beneficial for exchanges to experience these incidents so that they can determine which part of their security to fix. The customer side can at least see how the platform handles them and their customers when these incidents occur.
Binance quickly responded to the hack and reimbursed all those affected through their Secure Asset Fund for Users. This cold storage wallet keeps enough capital to cover users’ losses.
Customer Service
Binance provides three options for customer support. You have three options for customer support: submit a ticket, chat with a representative, or reach out via Twitter.
To obtain tickets, you simply need to complete a form on Binance’s website. Submitting a ticket entitles you to receive email assistance.
If you are approaching them through Twitter, you only need to tag or mention Binance on their Twitter account (@BinanceHelpDesk) for support. Because it is more visible, Binance encourages users to tweet about their problems through this channel.
Lastly, Binance has a chat box on the bottom right corner of the support screen if you want a more direct approach. This can be accessed on the Binance website.
One of the reasons why Binance is among the top choices for crypto exchanges is its low fees. This is no surprise. After all, if a platform asks for lower fees, crypto traders and investors get to keep more of their investments and earnings to themselves.
You have the ability to make passive income in many different ways.
It is impossible to not desire passive income. Binance offers many opportunities to make passive income. It’s like being paid for nothing. That said, these opportunities also carry inherent risks in them. These opportunities are not for the weak-hearted. Ledger Live Binance
There are many Cryptocurrencies to choose from: You can purchase everything from Bitcoin to Dogecoin, Etherium and more at Binance. With the addition of cryptos such as Fish (FISH) or Fanverse (FT), that number is increasing.
The platform even has its crypto in the form of BNB. This allows crypto investors and traders flexibility in making their selections.
Advanced Trading Tools
A trading platform will only be as good as the tools it provides its users. In the case of Binance, it gives users enough tools for a more flexible trading experience. Investors and traders will have no trouble trading on the platform.
Multiple ways of Depositing Money
If you don’t have any money to invest, trading is impossible. Binance makes it easier to start crypto trading by making it easy to deposit funds through its many ways.
Flexible trading Options and Order Types
Trading is like gambling. The assets and stock own may be valuable now, but you will never know when their values will drop. Binance, one of the best trading platforms, should allow users to trade in any way they like. Ledger Live Binance
Cons
Platform can seem overwhelming to beginners.
Of course, multiple options and advanced tools are not always a good thing. A multitude of choices can overwhelm beginners and make it difficult to choose from. Binance’s numerous options can even be intimidating to some traders who are more experienced.
Issues with Regulation in many countries
Binance has been faced with numerous legal and regulatory issues. In fact, this is a glaring issue that has multiple investors considering other exchanges.
That said, the platform has been trying hard to remedy these regulatory issues and doing its best to meet the requirements to comply with and solve these issues.
It is not available in the United States
Binance was temporarily banned in the United States due to problems with US regulatory bodies. Binance U.S. was created by the parent company to provide a U.S-exclusive version.
Binance U.S. has a smaller selection than the original Binance. Furthermore, it is also not available in some U.S. states like New York and Vermont.
No built-in digital wallet available
Most popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms have their digital wallets built-in and included in. For some reason, Binance does not. Instead, it recommends Trust Wallet, a third-party service. Although it is a well-respected service, they may not be able to offer sufficient support. Ledger Live Binance
Binance Last Thoughts
Let me begin by saying that I’m a complete beginner when it comes crypto. All my knowledge comes from a few youtube videos, an article here and there, and some Reddit threads.
I chose Binance for the main reason that many choose the platform, and that is because of its low fees. I entered cryptocurrency because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. This is not something I intend to take seriously.
It took me no time to create my account and verify it. In a matter of minutes I was able to view the UI and all the features offered by the platform. Let me tell you…..
With confidence, I can say that Binance is not for beginners. Binance presented me with a lot of options that were overwhelming and intimidating. I had to get a friend to teach me what all the stuff was all about.
So with his help, along with some tutorials found in Binance Support, I was able to get some of my bearings and begin trading. Although it is still confusing at times, I am slowly getting the hang of trading.
As of right now, I want to bet on the right horse and not the wrong one.
Binance Frequently Asked Questions Ledger Live Binance
Binance is safe?
It is safe but not with a great track record.
While Binance has its own set of key security features, it still is a blight on its record that it was hacked twice. Although the company increased its security, it will be determined if they can withstand attacks.
How Would You Decide if Binance is Right for You?
It is hard to determine which platform is right for your needs until you have read the reviews and tried the services for yourself.
However, for the sake of having an answer, you may deem Binance is a right fit for you if:
You’re not new to crypto trading and have intermediate-level experience in trading.
You need a service that is affordable and can accept many currencies.
You’re looking for advanced features in your service.
An institutional trader is one with a high net worth.
You live outside the U.S.
Does Bianance Offer FOREX Trading?
No, Binance does not offer traditional Forex (Foreign Exchange Trading).
It lacks the currency pairing required to join FOREX. To enter FOREX-only exchanges, a company needs access to thousands. It is a far cry from Binance, which only has over 50 currency pairings.
CFD trading is offered by Binance
Binance offers CFD (Contracts For Difference) trading.
They are still controversial in crypto, and many prefer native assets. Unlike CFD’s, these assets can easily be withdrawn to a personal wallet. That said, CFDs do have their advantage. For one, they can be very liquid.
Ledger Live Binance
It is only a matter time before cryptocurrency becomes mainstream and is recognized everywhere. 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 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. Banks, basically, regulate money. They are the only legal institution that can offer customers the ability to exchange fiat currencies for another.
Meanwhile, a stock exchange is a facility where stock brokers trade company stocks and other securities. Only stocks that are listed on an exchange can be purchased or sold. As such, stock exchanges are basically marketplaces where stock buyers and sellers do their business.
In the digital world, cryptocurrency exchanges provide similar services to banks and Stock exchanges.
Still, as with there are people who still treat cryptocurrencies with trepidations and agitations. For some people, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency exchanges are treated as borderline illegal online marketplaces.
These people believe these places could facilitate the trading of unregistered securities. They believe that crypto exchanges can be places where suspicious people can launder money and have limited AML/KYC to evade the law.
Some of these claims may not be entirely true. As with all dealings with cryptocurrency, there are inherent risks to using cryptocurrency exchanges.
For example, there is a good chance that law enforcement may shut down an exchange. When this happens, these exchanges might not be able to return your money because some operate illegally in gray areas.
There is also the possibility of your funds getting locked in the exchange, leaving you with no way of withdrawing or even selling your cryptocurrency and other digital assets. This can happen especially when the cryptocurrency exchange you are using has been seized by law enforcement or is under investigation by the proper authorities.
There is also the possibility that you will lose your money by speculating in cryptocurrency, and then have the rug pulled under your feet by the founders of these exchanges. This is especially true if these founders are scammers or hustlers who excel at what they do.
It is important to remember that cryptocurrency and any other related technology are always a risky business. It is smart to always proceed with caution. As with gambling, there is a greater chance of losing than winning. High-risk, high reward.
If you prefer to see the experience in a more visual way, Mark Farfan’s YouTube video review is for you. You can still check our article below for a complete overview of Binance. It also compares it with some other competitors.
Binance Exchange Ledger Live Binance
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 established in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur. Initially, the company was based in China. However, due to growing crypto restrictions in China, the company moved to Japan and then to Malta.
The company didn’t have a place to call home back then.
However, there is current news that the company was headed to Malta, where it is said to be currently based. Binance is available in most countries, with the exception of the United States where Binance.US was created.
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. Binance has many products that are based upon cryptocurrency.
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. In fact, there are two.
The BUSD is the first. It is a fiat-backed stablecoin issued by Binance and Paxos. This stablecoin token is backed 1:1 by US dollars in reserve. BUSD was created by the company to offer a stable alternative to the volatile digital asset market.
BNB is the second. It was previously known as Binance Coin. The initial coin offering (ICO), launched it in 2017. This was to provide an asset for users back when Binance was still very young. It began as an ERC-20 standard token built on the Ethereum blockchain.
Currently, it is a native token of the Binance ecosystem, where it plays an essential role by powering operations. It’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 are as good as free. The platform uses a maker/taker fee structure. The trading volume and Binance Coin balance will determine the fees.
That said, the platform still charges fees for some services, such as withdrawal and payment types.
Large Crypto Selection
The number of cryptocurrencies on the market will determine how good a crypto exchange platform is. 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.
Earn Multiple Ways
For those wanting to get more mileage out of their investments, Binance allows you to earn more from your crypto assets. Customers can earn income by adding liquidity to token pairs. There are also staking options on the platform.
That said, most of these opportunities carry great risk, so it is up to users to discern and weigh these risks. That said, trading and dealing with crypto is already risky in itself.
Advanced trading tools
Lastly, Binance would not be called a crypto exchange platform if it were without trading tools.
Binance has advanced trading tools that allow users to customize trading options easily. It is easier to place limit orders to buy or sell crypto at a certain price.
Charting tools can also be extremely useful for veterans traders when making trade decisions. There are even features that allow users to sell leveraged tokens and make trade easier.
Binance Trading Experience
The overall trading experience with Binance is pretty good. It provides various trading tools that allow for smoother and faster transactions. Some even have real-time charting tools with moving averages which makes everything convenient and accessible.
When trading, you do not need to be stuck to your computer. You can use Binance in any way you like. 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. 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 fees are based on customers’ trading history, and the trading volume over the last 30 days. Another thing that will matter is the amount of BNB the user has.
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).
Binance uses its native currency to facilitate transactions. You get 25% off your trading fees when you use BNB to make trades. Binance also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
This chart can be used to quickly reference Binance’s fees.
VIP
30-Day Trade Volume (BUSD)
Maker/Taker
0
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
Between 5,000,000 and 19,999,999 with at least 100 BNB
0.08% / 0.10%
3
20,000,000 to 119,999,999 and at least 250 BNB
0.07% / 0.10%
4
120,000,000 to 199.999.999 with at least 500 BNB
0.07% / 0.09%
5
200,000,000 to 499,999,999 and at least 1,000 BNB
0.06% / 0.08%
6
500,000,000 to 999,999,999 and at least 1,750 BNB
0.05% / 0.07%
7
1,000,000,000 to 2,499,999,999 and at least 3,000 BNB
0.04% / 0.06%
8
2,500,000,000 to 4,999,999,999 and at least 4,500 BNB
0.03% / 0.05%
9
More than 5,000,000,000, and at least 5,500 BNB
0.02% / 0.04%
Binance Issues
Binance is a crypto-currency company that has many problems and controversy, despite being the most prominent.
The year 2019 was a 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. 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. 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. 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
There are many ways to deposit 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.
Not available in the United States because of regulatory issues. Even the US-specific service, Binance U.S. (a more limited version), is unavailable in some states.
There are no two different cryptocurrency platforms whose approach can differ as much as Coinbase and Binance.
The one is an American-based exchange and is suitable for beginners. It has a simple interface with limited transaction types and is best suited for veterans.
The crux of the difference between Coinbase and Binance is who their main audience is and how they cater to these people.
Coinbase Overview
Coinbase, or Coinbase Global, Inc, is an American publicly traded company that operates as a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The platform is a distributed business, so all employees work remotely.
The company doesn’t have a physical headquarters. 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.
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. Both men shared the belief that bitcoin would be huge. They wanted to make crypto more mainstream and easy to use. That was their impetus for making Coinbase.
While Coinbase now sits among the pantheon as the biggest crypto exchange in the United States and one of the biggest worldwide, its beginnings were not glamorous. Coinbase was actually founded in a shared two-bedroom apartment. Ledger Live Binance
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 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
To make the platform more accessible, Coinbase provides two separate trading tools that users can access in their accounts. You can choose from a simple or advanced trade option.
The simple trading option features a straightforward design that is easy to use, especially for beginners. The only downside of this option is that it takes higher fees, which might be counterintuitive to crypto investing’s philosophy of keeping fees to a minimum.
Advanced trading, on the other hand, offers more options such as charts and a live order list, as well as the ability to limit orders. While this option has lower fees, the trade-off is that it is less intuitive, more complex, and intimidating to new users.
With that said, placing your trades in advanced trading is highly advisable just to maintain low fees.
Earn Free Crypto
Coinbase offers a cool feature to help customers earn more cryptocurrency. Coinbase Earn allows users to earn crypto for learning more.
Users are encouraged to read more about crypto through educational modules, and when one has completed one module, coinbase allows them to earn more.
Although the feature doesn’t offer much, it is still useful. Even a few crypto bits can be a blessing in this economy. 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 include tips and tutorials, as well as information about crypto basics. Market updates are also available. 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. Like the web platform, their mobile app provides user-friendly ways to buy, sell, and manage your cryptocurrency.
The Coinbase app isn’t just garbage. It’s legit and gets high ratings from both the Apple App Store as well as Google Play Store.
Crypto Reward
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 stake certain cryptocurrencies such as Solana (SOL), and Ethereum (ETH).
Staking allows participants to receive rewards for their crypto assets. It is how many cryptocurrencies verify transactions. When you stake in crypto, you commit your crypto assets to support the blockchain network and verify transactions. Ledger Live Binance
You will receive certain rewards for staking cryptos. Of course, not all cryptos are eligible for this. It varies depending on your region as well as the cryptocurrency.
Coinbase Debit card
Aside from trading, Coinbase allows users to access and spend their hard-earned wealth using the Coinbase card.
A Coinbase account allows you to apply for a Coinbase Card, which is a prepaid Visa debit credit card that can be linked to your Coinbase balance. It allows you to spend cryptocurrency to purchase certain services, especially those that accept Bitcoin or other crypto payments.
What’s more, using the Coinbase card gives you a chance to win crypto rewards. This rewards program allows you to choose the crypto that you want from a rotating list.
Coinbase Trading Experience
If Binance provides low fees and more advanced training tools, Coinbase is geared towards a more different type of user. Coinbase targets people just starting their crypto journey.
The platform offers tools that allow investors new to crypto trading a fast, easy, and secure way to trade. This is in line with their original goal to “make Bitcoin easier to use.”
They have provided their determination to achieve this vision by letting users earn cryptocurrency just for watching tutorial videos geared towards beginners.
This doesn’t mean veteran traders only have beginner tools to play with. Coinbase Pro is the perfect platform for you. A platform that is specialized for seasoned traders. Ledger Live Binance
Coinbase Pro is different in that it was made for professional traders and gives them more tools, allowing for better 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 can help them create more informed decisions when moving their positions and doing their trades.
Although it states pro on the can, that doesn’t necessarily mean users will need to pay a fee for 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. 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.
This is where coinbase falls short of the rest. Its fee structure can be too complex and a little hard for the mind to wrap around. 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.
Lastly, Coinbase also charges fees to cover the costs of executing transactions on the external blockchain networks that support the cryptocurrencies in which it deals. Ledger Live Binance
That said, Coinbase Pro’s pricing model is more straightforward. 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.
The chart below gives an idea of the fees you can expect on the main coinbase platform:
Trade Size
Coinbase Fee
$10 or less
$0.99
$10 to $25
$1.49
$25 to $50
$1.99
From $50 to $200
$2.99
Trades over $200 are subject to a percentage-based fee instead of a flat fee.
For Coinbase Pro, a general idea of the fees is shown in the chart below.
Pricing Tier
Taker Fee
Maker Fee
Up to $10K
0.60%
0.40%
$10K – $50K
0.40%
0.25%
$50K – $100K
0.25%
0.15%
$100K – $1M
0.20%
0.10%
$1M – $15M
0.18%
0.08%
$15M – $75M
0.16%
0.06%
$75M – $250M
0.12%
0.03%
$250M – $400M
0.08%
0.00%
$400M+
0.05%
0.00%
Coinbase Issues
Given how much of cryptocurrency is still in a legal area, there is a distinct chance that those involved in it will have their fair share of issues or controversies.
Coinbase acknowledged that customers were being charged more for cryptocurrencies they purchased with debit and credit cards than they originally intended. 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”
Coinbase received more customer complaints than ever in 2018, with an increase of over 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 also participated in the first ever case of insider trading in cryptocurrency. A former product manager of the company as he shared information about certain tokens listed by the company. Prosecutors were provided with all the information necessary for an internal investigation by the company.
Coinbase Pros and Cons
Pros
It is very easy to use and user-friendly for people just beginning in cryptocurrency
It supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies
Provides opportunities to earn cryptocurrency while, at the same time, learning about them.
You can trade simple or advanced depending on your preference
Offerings a coinbase debit card that allows easy withdrawal of funds Ledger Live Binance
Cons
Complex and convoluted fee structure that is also not transparent
High fees on some transactions
Limited staking and interest opportunities.
A lot of altcoins are missing from their selection
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.
Binance.US users, for example, are severely limited by the fact that they cannot access Binance’s U.S.-based platform (Binance.US). while Kraken is widely available in the country.
These two platforms share many similarities, including both offering advanced trading options and low fees as well as mobile apps. Both platforms are targeted at experienced or veteran cryptocurrency traders.
Customers will ultimately decide which platform they prefer by choosing the most important features. Binance will be the one to choose with their lower fees, large selection of coins and extra way of managing funds. Or will it be Kraken and its high regard for security standards, which won them a bank charter approval in Wyoming in 2021. Ledger Live Binance
Kraken Overview
Kraken is a fully functioning crypto exchange that offers low fees and a wide selection of tokens and coins. This platform is unique in that it offers advanced trading tools such as margin.
Kraken’s main cause is to become the best and most secure crypto trading platform. 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.”
Jesse Powell, Kraken’s founder and former CEO, tweeted that the November 2022 FTX Controversy was a “”…Happy life, pay a fee for matching trades” A balance sheet is mostly Bitcoin, some ETH.
Kraken was co-founded in 2011 by the aforementioned Jesse Powell, who was an alumnus of California State University, Sacramento, with Thanh Luu. 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). Before its 2014 collapse due to failed security audits, Powell was a consultant to the exchange.
Kraken also joined with other US Bitcoin players in the formation of the “Committee for the Establishment of the Digital Asset Transfer Authority”, the industry’s selfregulating group. Ledger Live Binance
Kraken was very successful in 2014. In March of that year, the company received a $ 5 million Series A investment from Hummingbird Ventures and Bitcoin Opportunity Fund.
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, CEO Powell’s former employer. Kraken was relied upon because of its proven operating history of not being breached by hackers.
After Wyoming granted such a charter, Kraken was the first cryptocurrency exchange to have a special purpose deposit institution (SPDI), charter in September 2020.
Chief Executive Officer Powell resigned as CEO of the platform on September 21st, 2022. He said that he had spent more time on the product, the user experience and industry advocacy.
He was replaced as CEO by Dave Ripley.
Cryptos under Kraken
Kraken supports at 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)
Kraken supports several stablecoins, including Tether, USD Coin and 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. Ledger Live Binance
Kraken Perks
Beefy Security
Since its founding in 2011 and launching in 2013, Kraken has been a mainstay of the cryptocurrency industry. Since its inception, Kraken’s focus was on security. It has never stopped focusing on it over the years. It is actually the only cryptocurrency exchange to have not been hacked.
This exchange, which is based in the United States, is the industry’s leader in terms security. Some in the industry associate Kraken with financial stability and physical security. This is a claim Kraken is too proud to make.
A healthy range of available cryptocurrencies
Kraken has over 160 coins and seven fiat currencies available to trade on its platform. While it’s not the biggest amount, it is still a healthy number and is comparable to some of the best crypto exchanges. Ledger Live Binance
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 of the exchange rate between two currencies that are traded on 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 the only exchange that offers margin, stop orders and crypto short sales. Kraken also offers a dark pool, where high volume investors can trade anonymously.
Kraken lets you leverage currency pairs up to 5x. 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. Your monthly trade history will determine how much you pay. While we will talk about fees in depth in another segment, it is important to know that fees are higher when using the instant buy feature rather than the pro platform.
Strong Staking Options
Staking options within Kraken are pretty good. You can stake in over 15 cryptos. They can earn between 0.25% and upwards of 20%.
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. Between these exchanges, Kraken Pro offers lower pricing. Anyone can access both platforms with a Kraken Account.
Kraken is a trading platform geared toward intermediate to veteran users in mind. The platform is accessible to beginners if they wish. To learn the ropes, it is recommended that they begin with the Kraken central platform. Ledger Live Binance
Kraken allows verified accounts with linked bank accounts to purchase cryptocurrency quickly. It is easy to sell or convert your crypto to your account. The website has a simple form that allows you to place orders. It usually takes a few seconds.
It is easy to purchase cryptocurrencies with 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). To log in to your account, you’ll need to have your device.
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. This makes Kraken Pro very intimidating, especially to trading newbies. It is well worth the effort. Ledger Live Binance
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 be cheaper than regular Kraken.
Fees for instant purchases are 1.5% for most cryptos and 0.9% for stablecoins that use the U.S. Dollar or another stablecoin.
There are also additional fees that depend on how you fund your purchases. For funding with a bank account, these fees range from 0.5% to 1.5%. Meanwhile, 3.75% + 25 Euro cents with a debit card, credit card, or digital wallet. Ledger Live Binance
Kraken Pro’s pricing however is quite different. Generally, fees are lower than the main Kraken platform. Fees will be calculated based on the volume of your trades over the past 30 days. Remember that transactions are subject either to a 0.16 maker fee or 0.26% taker fees.
Below is a chart showing their maker-taker fees for a volume of 30 days in US dollars.
30- Day Volume (USD)
Maker
Taker
$0 – $50,000
0.16%
0.26%
$50,001 – $100,000
0.14%
0.24%
$100,001 – $250,000
0.12%
0.22%
$250,001 – $500,000
0.10%
0.20%
$500,001 – $1,000,000
0.08%
0.18%
$1,000,001 – $2,500,000
0.06%
0.16%
$2,500,001 – $5,000,000
0.04%
0.14%
$5,000,001 – $10,000,000
0.02%
0.12%
$10,000,000+
0.00%
0.10%
Kraken Issues
Kraken has not had to deal with any issues other than disagreements about its work culture, which the company has worked on and is now ready to move on.
Kraken’s security record has been excellent and Kraken is the only major cryptocurrency exchange not to be hacked.
That said, Kraken has its fair share of issues regarding government regulations.
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 features such as margin trading and stakestaking are available.
Good and dependable customer service option
Relatively low Bitcoin (BTC) withdrawal fees
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. Ledger Live Binance
Binance and Crypto.com are some of the more popular exchanges in the cryptocurrency industry. Both offer a wide range of features, such as low fees, staking, and advanced trading. However, it does not mean that the two platforms are identical.
While one exchange is better than another, that doesn’t mean you should always choose the highest-ranking exchange just for numbers. There are many factors that influence which exchange is ranked higher than another.
The better way to choose your crypto exchange is to examine both options and determine which one appeals to you more. You can choose to go with Binance, which has a wider range of crypto currencies, but you will also have the option to choose Crypto.com, which is more user-friendly and charges lower fees. Ledger Live Binance
Crypto.com Overview
Crypto.com was established in Hong Kong in 2018 The founders of Crypto.com, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek and Rafael Melo originally called it Monaco. It only became Crypto.com when the company purchased a domain that cryptography researcher and professor Matt Blaze owned.
Domain sellers might sell the domain for a larger sum, with the domain being valued at between US$5 and 10 million.
Crypto.com is a platform that does the same thing as most cryptocurrency exchanges. 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. The company has even partnered with Shopify those in the e-commerce platform accept cryptocurrency as a valid payment.
Overall, we can consider Crypto.com as an all in one cryptocurrency platform that is perfect for investors and traders who want to do more than buy and hold. With Crypto.com, cryptocurrency can also be currency.
Cryptos under Crypto.com
Crypto.com offers a wide selection of currencies. You can trade spot with more than 250 currencies, and you can also staking. The platform supports the following currencies:
Bitcoin (BTC)
Cardano (ADA)
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Ethereum (ETH)
Polkadot (DOT)
Litecoin (LTC)
USD Coin (USDC)
Chainlink (LINK)
Polygon (MATIC)
Cardano (ADA)
Uniswap
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. Ledger Live Binance
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.
Crypto.com lets you spend your crypto with a prepaid Visa Card. Crypto.com places a lot of weight on cryptocurrency’s currency component.
Low Fees
Crypto.com’s low fees are comparable to many other 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. As an added reminder, payments made with a credit card may also have an added charge of a cash advance fee when buying crypto
Convert your Money Easily
Although this feature isn’t unique to Crypto.com it deserves to be listed. Users can convert fiat currencies to crypto with the Crypto.com app. Crypto.com only supports 20 fiat currencies.
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 best perks you can get as a member of Crypto.com com is the availability of Visa Cards connected to your Crypto.com account and its crypto currency.
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.
The type of Card available for you will also depend on how much CRO stake you have in the platform.
The lowest available tier for those planning to access this card would be their Ruby Steel card, which also offers a 1% money back from your contribution. To be eligible, you must have at least $400 in stake.
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. To qualify, you will need to have at least $400,000 in stakes. Ledger Live Binance
Midnight Blue, Jade Green/ Royal Indigo and Frosted Rose Gold/ Icy White are some of the other cards that are available. These cards don’t have an annual fee, and you get a certain number of ATM withdrawals and foreign transaction each month for no additional charge.
Earn Interest
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. In fact, Crypto.com have some of the best high-yield savings accounts in the market.
You may have to keep a lot of cash in CRO to benefit from this perk, but the maximum interest you can earn is below 10%.
You can get a rate of interest depending on many factors, including the time you spend with your money, how much currency you have saved, and how much CRO you stake.
The app allows you to increase your interest rate in many ways. One of them includes Staking 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.
Finally, stablecoin investments can also increase your interest rate. Stablecoins usually peg their values to an external reference. Some can be pegged to the U.S. dollar. These stablecoins can help you earn more interest.
Stablecoins, being stable, are less likely to appreciate in value than normal cryptocurrencies. They are less likely to lose 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 offers gift cards from popular brands covering different industries like hotels, general retail, games, airlines, education, and even entertainment from at least 41 countries. You can also find gift cards from the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Singapore and Spain.
Brands include Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, Airbnb, and many more.
How much CRO you stake and what kind of company you are will determine how much cashback you receive.
Crypto.com Trading Experience
Your trades with Crypto.com will largely revolve around the mobile app. This serves as the platform’s central hub. 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. Ledger Live Binance
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. The Crypto.com app shares a simple set of data which aims to not overwhelm or intimidate users. The charts just contain enough information needed for users to learn how the blockchain and the currency work, something they might need before buying.
In terms of fiat currencies, Crypto.com has a fair selection. The most popular are the Australian (AUD), Canadian (CAD), and the euro (EUR) dollars, as well as the British pound sterling and the U.S. Dollar (USD), which are all very popular. This allows users from multiple countries to buy and enter crypto using their local currency.
Crypto.com Fees
When it comes to trading fees, Crypto.com is pretty competitive in its pricing. In fact, they are among those who offer the lowest trading fees in the market. Trade volume can be higher and qualify for lower fees, as low as 0.4% for makers or 0.1% for takers. This is even with no CRO.
Discounted trading fees have become available when users hold at least 5,000 CRO in their wallet. 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
Less than 250,000
0.0750%
0.750%
Greater than or equal to 250,000
0.0700%
0.0720%
Greater than or equal to 1,000,000
0.0650%
0.0690%
Greater than or equal to 5,000,000
0.0600%
0.0650%
Greater than 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 to 250,000
0.0679%
0.0698%
Greater than or equal to 1,000,000
0.0631%
0.0669%
More than 5,000,000 or equal to 5,000,000
0.0582%
0.0631%
Greater than or equal to 10,000,000
0%
0.0485%
As stated, discounts are based on the CRO stakes. Stakes over 50,000 CRO are exempt from maker fees. People with even higher stakes may be eligible for rebates.
Crypto.com Issues
Crypto.com, like most cryptocurrency exchanges has its problems.
On January 2022, Crypto.com was the victim of a serious hack. According to reports, the company had lost US$15 Million worth of Ether. This was after some users reported suspicious activity on their accounts. The company immediately halted withdrawals, which were then 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. Crypto.com was forced to lay off hundreds of employees that had been working since May. In October 2022 alone, it was reported that the company had to lay off at least 30% to 40% of its staff.
Their exchange token Cronos (CRO), lost $1 billion in value between November 2022 and November 2022. This was due in part to the collapse of FTX. That said, Crypto.com CEO Marszalek assured that the exchange was functioning normally.
Crypto.com Pros and Cons
Pros
Competitively Low fees
Provides lots of avenues for paying with crypto
Converts money easily
Great cash back rewards with Visa card Perk
Allows you to earn interest on crypto
There are a lot of crypto coins and tokens available Ledger Live Binance
Has strong security
Cons
User interface and the exchange itself is pretty difficult to navigate
There are limited availability of coins.
Some areas are lacking customer service and some of it is very poor.
When Comparing KuCoin and Binance side by side, the winner is pretty clear. 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. Many negative reviews have been written about the exchange, with a variety of reasons. Some are semantics while others are alarming.
KuCoin Overview
KuCoin is a crypto exchange platform launched in 2017 by tech geeks Micahel Gan, Eric Don, Top Lan, Kent Li, John Lee, Jack Zhum, and Linda Lin. The company was founded back in 2013.
KuCoin started because of MichaelGan’s eagerness to learn about blockchain and its application possibilities. 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 the beginning of the platform that would become the “People’s Exchange”.
Cryptos under KuCoin
Since it is an older cryptocurrency exchange platform, it is not surprising that there is a pretty sizable selection of cryptocurrencies you can buy and trade in the exchange.
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. Ledger Live Binance
It was also one of the main reasons why the company was founded in the first place, to give fewer mainstream currencies their spotlight and allow people to access them.
These less-known coins can be more risky than the stable and well-known 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)
These are only a small selection of the many options available on the exchange platform.
KuCoin Perks
A 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. In fact, it ranks in the upper echelon when selecting coins available in the exchange.
It is also easier to find smaller coins than other platforms on these 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 has very low trading fees. Although it’s not the lowest on the market, it’s still low enough to be competitive 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. Ledger Live Binance
These fees depend on the transfer method you choose and what third-party app that you use.
Earn Through Interest on Your Crypto
Like most cryptocurrency exchanges, KuCoin lets you earn money through your deposited crypto. In the case of KuCoin, the service is called KuCoin Earn.
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.
Your interest rate for borrowing crypto is higher than the one you would get from a savings account. However, your earnings will still be affected by the demand for your coin.
According to the exchange, you can earn up to 8% to 12% on average from this way. KuCoin makes margin trading possible by using this money. 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 provides veteran users with plenty of toys and extra features to play with. They allow for margin trading, which allows users to leverage their position, which means borrowing money to buy more crypto.
KuCoin also allows the use of trading bots in its mobile app. This means that you don’t have to buy and sell your cryptocurrency 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 are susceptible to errors and you may lose out on many opportunities. You don’t always know their strategies and perimeters when you trade with them.
The convenience bots offer may not be worth the uncertainty about how they handle your assets.
KuCoin Trading Experience
KuCoin can be accessed online or via an Android and iOS mobile application. 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. 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. Ledger Live Binance
Recently, the exchange has just added a Trading Bot feature to help simplify the whole trading process.
Overall, KuCoin has plenty of 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.
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 are charged in accordance with the base currency for the trading pairs. Paying fees with KCS will net users 20% off.
Also, KuCoins has a 24h withdrawal limit.
Trading Fee level
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
To be honest, KuCoin does not have the best reputation in the industry. Just by looking at reviews of the company, you can already see a glimpse of how bad the dissatisfaction is.
In Trustpilot reviews, it got an average of just 1.7 out of 5 stars out of 600 reviews. Most of these negative reviews are about problems with customer support, the withdrawal process, and even making deposits Ledger Live Binance
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 Cons
Pros
Low fees
Strong user base
Large range of coins
Allows you to earn interest on your crypto
Trading features
Good customer service
Cons
The U.S. has not granted license for this product.
Limited payment methods
New traders can find it intimidating and overwhelming
Bittrex and Binance are two crypto exchanges with more similarities than differences. Both offer similar features that users can enjoy. Despite being similar, the two platforms have major differences.
One key difference between these two platforms has to do with size. Bittrex is more focused on a scaled-down experience, whereas Binance has the highest trading volume of all the exchanges.
There was once a time when Bittrex was once among the global leaders in the cryptocurrency industry. Still, Binance surpassed them after the former implemented stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering policies.
Bittrex Overview
Bittrex, a cryptocurrency exchange, aims to provide a high-quality service with trust and focus.
It was founded in 2014 by three cybersecurity engineers from Amazon: Bill Shihara, co-founder and CEO; Richie Lai, co-founder, and chief information officer; and Rami Kawach, co-founder and chief technology officer. Its headquarters are located in Seattle.
The platform initially offered only crypto-tocrypto trading. However, it quickly added fiat-tocrypto trading. Ledger Live Binance
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
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 charge lower fees than others.
Fast trading executions
Unlike other services, Bittrex has a custom-built trading engine that allows faster trades. 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
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. Ledger Live Binance
Educational Content
We all know how complicated and elusive finances can be. So by association, cryptocurrency is just as mind-boggling and arcane. So anything that offers a way to educate yourself on the topic is a godsend.
Bittrex has an impressive library of educational resources available in its Discover section. Here, users will find articles and references for various crypto topics. There are references and lessons for topics ranging from crypto taxes to how crypto mining works.
You can even see a breakdown of some of these cryptocurrencies on the platform, which will give you an idea about what you’re betting on and whether it is worth your time.
While it does not fully remove the risk in cryptocurrency, at least it helps users make more informed decisions. Ledger Live Binance
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 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
Trading on Bittrex is a no-frills, straightforward experience. Users just need to log in, and then they can access their 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. Besides that, users have the option for more advanced order types. Stop, stop limit, trailing stop, and laddered orders.
Bittrex Fees
Bittrex has a simple fee structure that makes it easier to understand their fees than other exchanges. That said, you still get fee discounts for trades with higher volumes. These fees are generally quite low, but not the lowest on the market.
30-Day Volume (USD)
Maker
Taker
Below $25,000
0.35%
0.35%
$25,000 – $50,000
0.25%
0.30%
$50,000 – $100,000
0.15%
0.25%
$100,000 – $1 million
0.10%
0.20%
$1 million – $5 million
0.06%
0.16%
$5 million – $10 million
0.05%
0.15%
$10 million – $60 million
0.02%
0.10%
$60 million – $100 million
0.00%
0.08%
$100 million +
0.00%
0.05%
Bittrex Issues
Bittrex has received negative reviews from 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 and Cons
Pros
Highly secure
A wide range of cryptocurrency available
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 Ledger Live Binance
eToro and Binance are two pretty famous cryptocurrency platforms. They are both very well-known and have a strong market presence.
However, there is a difference that divides the two. They are two very different platforms. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange. eToro, however, is not. It is, in fact, a cryptocurrency broker.
Binance offers a variety of digital assets, including NFTs and services. A cryptocurrency broker also sells crypto along with other investment products such as stocks and fractional shares.
eToro Overview
eToro was not founded as a cryptocurrency platform, unlike most companies in this review. Rather, the Tel Aviv-based company was originally an online forex broker under the name RetailFX. This was in 2007.
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. This enabled users to buy and sell CFDs (to non-U.S. users). The world’s most popular digital currency. Four years later, it also added support for Ripple (XRP) and Ethereum (ETH). Ledger Live Binance
Also, in 2018, eToro went full steam on the crypto industry. More coins and currencies were added to the platform. The company even launched its digital asset platform, eToroX, and even its crypto wallet.
Cryptos under eToro
eToro and its digital asset platform have few cryptocurrency selections. They were not originally set up as an exchange, but rather as a brokerage. That said, some popular currencies found in the service include:
Bitcoin (BTC).
Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
Cardano (ADA)
Dash (DASH)
Dogecoin (DOGE).
Ethereum (ETH).
Litecoin (LTC).
Polkadot (DOT)
Polygon (MATIC)
Solana (SOL)
Stellar Lumens (XLM)
eToro Perks
CopyTrader
CopyTrader is eToro’s most distinctive feature. It was a feature that existed before the platform dabbled in the crypto industry. Ledger Live Binance
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.
What is surprising about this tool is that it is entirely free. 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.
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 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.
Users should be aware that there is a conversion charge for transactions not in U.S. dollars.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro can be used as a web-based platform or as a mobile app.
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.
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’s also eToroX – the digital asset platform that is the most prominent.
Some of the new features included in eToroX include U.S. dollar deposits, margin trading, trading APIs, and fast execution.
eToro Fees
When it comes to fees, eToro is a breath of fresh air. Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, which don’t show their fee, eToro lists the fees it charges when trading crypto.
eToro users pay a flat fee of 1% for each crypto trade. This 1% market fee is added to the market price the platform calls a bid-ask spread. This fee is charged when users close or open positions.
However, most users do not like that on eToro, and you pay for the “round trip” upfront. This is unlike other exchanges that only charge a fee when a purchase or sale of a crypto asset is done.
With eToro, you pay 1% for the eventual sale of the coin in advance, plus a $1 fee on the purchase.
Users can have this problem if they transfer their coins to another wallet. As they can no longer return them to the trading platform.
eToro Issues
Due to its age, it is not surprising that the platform has had its fair share of controversies. Most of these do NOT involve the cryptocurrency market.
One that does, though, happened during the 2021 closure of leveraged position. Early that year, European clients of the platform were notified of the following:
“Due to extreme market volatility in the crypto markets, margin positions for all leveraged crypto positions” should be changed to non-leveraged, or they would be closed within four hours.