KuCoin is a well-known cryptocurrency exchange offering deposits and withdrawals for over 900 cryptocurrencies. It is among the most popular exchanges, claiming a quarter of cryptocurrency holders worldwide use its platform. The platform provides competitive deposit, withdrawal, and trading fees, a user-friendly interface, and strong security measures.
KuCoin offers many ways to trade assets and has additional trading features catering to more experienced, active investors. Beyond this, the exchange has an excellent reputation regarding security.
This KuCoin review will cover the platform’s services and products, fees and commissions, and pros and cons so you will have a better understanding of whether a KuCoin account is right for you.
Our KuCoin Review: Key Takeaways
Our Verdict
8.5/10
Here are some key takeaways on KuCoin:
- A global crypto exchange with over 20 million users, available in over 200 countries.
- KuCoin offers crypto-backed lending and borrowing services through KuCoin Lend.
- Competitive fee structure, with some of the lowest maker-taker fees in the industry.
- KuCoin allows for up to 10x margin on spot crypto and 100x for futures trading.
KuCoin Overview
KuCoin is a world-famous crypto exchange platform that entered the scene in 2017. It is a Seychelles-based company founded by Michael Gan alongside Chun Gan, Ke Tang, and Johnny Lyu. KuCoin is still based out of the Seychelles today but has offices in multiple countries. KuCoin raised $20 million in round-A funding in late 2018 from IDG Capital and Matrix Partners. Then, in 2022, it raised $150 million during the series B funding round led by Jump Crypto, reaching a total valuation of $10 billion.
Apart from the USA, KuCoin is a globally available exchange platform supporting over 900 digital assets. As our detailed KuCoin review explains, it is a combination of centralized and decentralized exchanges, thanks to several features characteristic of decentralized platforms. On top of that, the KuCoin exchange has more than 27 million users and boasts a daily trading volume of over $1.7 billion, while the total volume of assets is valued at over $4.04 billion.
KuCoin Services and Products
KuCoin offers multiple services on its platform, from simple trading to futures and margin trading. It also provides lending opportunities and features for generating passive income. The following section of our KuCoin exchange review will cover them in more detail.
KuCoin Trading
The most essential aspect of the KuCoin platform is trading. Primarily operating as a crypto-to-crypto exchange, KuCoin enables users to trade one cryptocurrency for another, eliminating the dependency on fiat currencies and reducing potential regulatory complexities. On top of that, KuCoin offers a great trading experience with an intuitive interface where you can easily find the tools you need. It offers candlestick charts, order books, a section for recent trades, and more.
KuCoin is well known for their huge range of available assets, which spans all the way from popular cryptocurrencies to much lesser-known, small and new projects.
KuCoin Margin Trading
The margin trading feature on KuCoin is one of the platform’s biggest and most sought-after features. This feature is particularly advantageous as many other exchanges, like Coinbase, had to eliminate this feature from their platform, while others had to limit the offered leverage to only 5x. Unlike them, KuCoin, one of the best margin trading platforms, still provides excellent benefits, including leverage of up to 10x for spot trading and up to 100x for futures.
You can choose to go either short or long with more than 100 trading pairs, presented with a green “10x” symbol next to them. However, margin trading includes borrowing funds and using them to profit with speculative trading, which comes with considerable risks. We advise due diligence before participating in this type of trading.
Spot Trading
KuCoin also offers spot trading, which offers fast trades with immediate delivery. Spot trading is often favored among traders because of the speed and because it offers crypto-to-crypto trading. The essential aspect of spot trading is trading pairs, which show which two cryptocurrencies can be traded at that moment.
To participate in spot trading on KuCoin, you will first need to navigate to the spot trading interface through the nav menu. We recommend looking around and getting more familiar with all the information that is available, as it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out. You should then choose a trading pair that fits you and what you have in your wallet. Proceed with the trading process by reviewing your order, choosing the type of order, and finalizing the trade.
KuCoin Futures
The futures platform was first available on KuCoin in 2019 when it was called KuMEX. It is an advanced trading platform that offers extensive futures market data, excellent tools, and an intuitive interface. It offers margined contracts on major crypto coins, like BTC, ETH, BNB, and more, with leverage of up to 100x. KuCoin’s futures platform also offers the Futures Brawl – an interactive way to win rewards that have gained massive popularity. When you enter the Futures Brawl, you need to wager a certain amount of USDT and choose whether you want to go long or short on the price of Bitcoin. You will then be matched with someone who thinks differently and will either win or lose tokens based on the outcome.
KuCoin Credit Card
KuCoin also offers a brokerage service for users who wish to purchase crypto with a credit card simply. To make this possible, KuCoin has partnered with Simplex, Banxa and PayMIR to make this possible. KuCoin also offers a “Fast Buy” feature for IDR, VND, and CNY.
Options Trading
The options trading feature on KuCoin offers the best way to gain unparalleled exposure to an asset’s price movements and market sentiment without actually having to hold it. While various types of options trading exist, KuCoin exclusively offers European-style options. Options trading allows you to have greater control over risks and to mitigate potential losses.
KuCoin’s options trading allows you to trade derivatives that grant the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell underlying assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Users must pay a premium in order to participate in options trading, and because it doesn’t oblige users to buy or sell, this premium is the maximum potential loss. There are two ways to participate in options trading – the call option, which gives the right to buy the asset, and the put option, which gives the right to sell the asset.
Trading Bot
Crypto trading bots are another KuCoin perk that can make generating passive income much easier. These trading bots are specially designed to automate trading strategies, allowing users to execute trades without the need for constant monitoring. However, they can be costly, making it essential to define your strategy in advance and program them precisely to align with your goals.
Some of the biggest benefits of these trading bots include the significant reduction of repetitive work, the capability to automatically utilize trading opportunities, and the reduction of risks. KuCoin even has a few pre-loaded strategies that you can use to create your first trading bots, a feature that puts it among the best Bitcoin trading bots today. There are also the Dollar-Cost Averaging strategy, the Futures Grid, and the Smart Rebalance strategy.
KuCoin Earn
KuCoin Earn is a feature on the platform that allows you to generate passive income in a few different ways, including savings, staking, and promotions. With the savings option, you can earn interest on the digital assets you deposit. In contrast, the staking option enables you to generate passive income based on supported coins’ APY by enabling KuCoin to stake on your behalf. Lastly, the promotions option allows you to yield significant returns for a short period of time. These promotions are typically artificial, but they can still be a great opportunity to get your hands on some excellent high returns.
There is also the Learn-and-Earn feature, similar to the one available on Coinbase. You can participate by watching videos with learning content and then completing a quiz to show that you’ve finished them. Once done, you will receive cash rewards.
Crypto Lending
Another excellent way to earn rewards is by utilizing the KuCoin lending program. It allows you to earn interest by lending your digital assets to users who want to borrow them. Lenders offer their assets for a specific rate, while borrowers need to pay collateral, which serves as a safety precaution for lenders. KuCoin acts as the mediator between the lender and the borrower, ensuring that the borrowed funds are repaid.
KuCoin Wallet
KuCoin Wallet was rebranded and renamed from KuCoin Wallet to Halo Wallet. Because of the expansion from the Web3 wallet to the broader SocialFi ecosystem, the Halo Wallet focuses on recruiting top talents in the Web3 space. It is a secure and easy-to-use crypto wallet that supports multi-chain aggregation across various blockchains. Halo Wallet aims to provide Web3 users with a more efficient and deep insight into investment opportunities through the Social web. With the leading security technology audited by Hacken, Halo Wallet is a self-custody wallet, ensuring that users have full control of their assets.
Supported Currencies and Payment Methods
You can purchase over 750 different cryptocurrencies on KuCoin using a credit card, including but not limited to:
- BTC
- ETH
- USDT
- LTC
- XRP
- SOL
- PEPE
- ATOM
- ADA
- AVAX
- DOT
- X
- PNUT
Buying crypto has become easy thanks to the variety of payment options available. Once you make a purchase, the cryptocurrency will arrive in your account within minutes. Users can choose from over 70 payment methods, which include credit and debit cards, bank transfers, fiat deposits, SEPA, and more.
KuCoin Fees and Commissions
KuCoin fees are very reasonable and competitive with other crypto exchanges, with a maximum rate of 0.1% on any trade made on their spot markets. This fee is further reduced for those who pay using KuCoin Shares (KCS) and/or trade monthly volumes larger than 50 BTC. The KuCoin trading fees are very competitive, and are a big reason the exchange is so popular.
Users can also reduce their fees by holding a certain number of KCS tokens in their accounts.
KuCoin futures fees are very simple. KuCoin users pay 0.02% on the market side, and 0.06% on the taker side.
Let’s dissect the different fees and how they work.
Deposit Fees Free Withdrawal Fees Depends on the asset that’s withdrawn. Detailed info about each token is available on the official KuCoin website. Spot Trading Determined by your VIP level. The basic fees for spot trading are 0.1% for major coins and 0.3% for coins in the Class C group. The higher the VIP level, the lower the maker-taker fees. Futures Trading Determined by your VIP level. The basic maker fees for futures trading are 0.2%, while taker fees stand at 0.6%. The higher the VIP level, the lower the maker-taker fees.
KuCoin fees for spot trading can also be further decreased if you choose to pay them with the time KCH. This provides an additional 20% off for both maker and taker fees. This discount is only available for spot trading.
There are no deposit fees charged by the exchange and KuCoin withdrawal fees are reasonable – mostly designed to cover the cost of blockchain transaction fees. While the withdrawal fees are reasonable, KuCoin users have withdrawal limits that you should know about.
KuCoin Limits
KuCoin has 24-hour withdrawal limits of 2 BTC for regular unverified users, with limits of up to 500 BTC daily for fully-verified users.
Unverified individuals are also limited to 1400 USDT of fiat-to-crypto purchases daily.
Complete verification requires filling out a basic Know Your Customer Anti Money Laundering Laws (KYC) form, as well as providing a type of identification such as a driver’s license or passport.
KuCoin Availability
Countries
KuCoin allows users from all countries to trade using their lowest verification level, which has a strict limit on withdrawal amounts. KuCoin’s popularity also stems from the fact that it is globally available to more than 20 million users and the fact that it offers excellent benefits and features. Currently, users in more than 200 countries worldwide have access to the KuCoin platform, making it more prominent than some of the other major centralized exchanges. In Europe, the KuCoin platform is available in Austria, France, Germany, Serbia, Ireland, and more, and there are also many African countries that offer KuCoin, such as Algeria, Angola, Chad, Central African Republic, and many more.
According to statistics, the most user engagement and traffic on KuCoin comes from Asia. Japan leads with 22.2%, followed by the Philippines, which has 15% engagement.
However, since January 2025, KuCoin has been unavailable in the United States or Canada. To see if your country is supported for full verification, sign up to KuCoin and visit the KYC page on the KuCoin website. Please note that KuCoin has restrictions for users from certain countries due to local laws and international sanctions.
Devices
The KuCoin exchange platform can be accessed either through the web by visiting the official website, but it also offers a mobile app that can be downloaded. The popular crypto mobile app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, with a rich set of features, making it a suitable choice no matter what kind of device you have.
KuCoin Security: Is KuCoin Safe Crypto Exchange?
- Anti-phishing safety phrase
- Login safety phrase
- Two-factor authentication
- Security Questions
- Trading password
- Phone verification
- Email notifications
- Restrict login IP address
However, KuCoin was still the target of a past security breach and experienced one of the biggest hacks in crypto history. Hackers took $275 million worth of customer funds.
Given the gravity of these accusations and the potential penalties—each charge could carry up to five years of imprisonment for the founders—individuals considering KuCoin are advised to assess the risks thoroughly. The exchange’s alleged AML failures and ongoing regulatory scrutiny may impact its future operations. For those looking into KuCoin, conducting independent research is essential to understanding these risks fully.
How to Use KuCoin
KuCoin is a straightforward and intuitive platform where all users can find their way around seamlessly. However, before jumping into trading, creating a KuCoin account comes first. In the following section of our KuCoin review, we will explain the process of opening a new KuCoin account.
How to Sign Up to KuCoin
- Start by visiting the official KuCoin website through your browser or download the KuCoin app.
- Navigate to the Sign Up button in the top right corner, to start the registration process.
- You can register with either your email address or your phone number.
- You can also create an account with your Google, Apple, or Telegram accounts.
- Once you provide the email or phone number, you will be sent a verification code, which you will need to enter. This helps verify that you are using your own credentials, which minimizes risks and other types of KuCoin scams.
- Create your password. Your password should be unique and a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols.
- Lastly, you will need to complete the KYC process. This is not a mandatory step for using the basic KuCoin functionalities, but it is a requirement if you want to access the more advanced tools, higher withdrawal limits, etc.
You can also create a KuCoin account through the referral program or by utilizing a sign-up bonus code. After creating an account with that code and completing the necessary criteria, both of you can receive rewards. The sign-up bonuses, on the other hand, can be found at various reputable affiliate websites, and they offer different benefits and perks for creating an account through them.
How to buy Crypto on KuCoin
- Sign in to your account and navigate to the Buy Crypto section of the nav menu.
- Choose the digital asset you want and enter the amount that you want to buy.
- Make sure that you have selected a payment method beforehand and that it is topped up with the necessary funds.
- You can review the order and proceed to complete the purchase.
- Once that’s done, you will receive a receipt, and the assets should be transferred to your account.
KuCoin vs. Competitors
KuCoin is not the only centralized crypto exchange out there, so this section of our KuCoin review will focus on how it compares to two of the biggest and most influential exchanges – Coinbase and Binance.
KuCoin vs Coinbase
KuCoin and Coinbase are similar in that they offer various features and services, including savings, real-time charting, advanced tools, and so much more. Additionally, they both offer the unique Learn-to-Earn feature, which allows users to watch educational videos, complete quizzes, and earn rewards. However, compared with the Coinbase review, it is worth noting that Coinbase supports a greater number of acceptable cryptocurrencies. Moreover, unlike KuCoin, which is not available in the USA, Coinbase is.
|
Fees |
Security |
Regional Availablility |
Features |
|
|
KuCoin |
Tiered fee structure with competitive maker-taker fees. Deposits are typically free, KuCoin withdrawal fees depend on the crypto |
Top-notch security with identity verification, anti-phishing measures, wallet security, data encryption, monitoring, and more. |
Available in over 200 countries worldwide. But not available in United States |
Competitive fees, margin and spot trading, futures trading, advanced toos, earn feature, crypto lending, trading bots, and more. |
|
Coinbase |
0.50% for each trade + 3.99% for debit purchases |
All data is encrypted with AES-256 encryption. Uses cold storage and 24-hour monitoring |
Available in over 100 countries across Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Not available in Hawaii |
Subscription program, rewarding learn to earn feature, a crypto debit card, a wide selection of advanced tools |
KuCoin vs Binance
Even though Binance is the leading centralized crypto exchange, KuCoin actually offers a wider variety of supported cryptocurrencies. Binance emphasizes KYC and overall security by implementing two-factor authentication and catering to all types of traders, as explained in our Binance review. KuCoin is also not available in the USA, which is not the case with Binance.
|
Fees |
Security |
Regional Availablility |
Features |
|
|
KuCoin |
Tiered fee structure with competitive maker-taker fees. Deposits are typically free, KuCoin withdrawal fees depend on the crypto |
Top-notch security with identity verification, anti-phishing measures, wallet security, data encryption, monitoring, and more. |
Available in over 200 countries worldwide. But not available in United States |
Competitive fees, margin and spot trading, futures trading, advanced toos, earn feature, crypto lending, trading bots, and more. |
|
Binance |
0.10% fee, but discounts are available when using BNB or being a part of the Binance VIP program |
Uses cold storage, continuous monitoring, multisignatures and TSS, two-factor authentication. |
Available in over 100 countries across Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. |
Liquid swap, passive income through Binance savings, NFT marketplace, Binance Acdemy. |
KuCoin Customer Support and Reviews
KuCoin is generally loved for its fast-paced nature, constantly listing new and exciting projects before more prominent exchanges like Binance and Coinbase.
This is a double-edged sword, however, as lesser-known coin listings come with their fair share of extra risk for traders. De-listings, lower liquidity, volatility and other characteristics of small projects often get the better of novice traders. Therefore there are some bad Kucoin reviews on certain forums.
Although this is not a problem with the exchange itself, it has led to some bad reviews from users who did not understand the risks they were undertaking.
KuCoin customer support features an online help center with FAQ section, a chatbox with automated help, and active assistance on social media channels.
The easiest way to get in touch with the platform for help with issues is via their support email, while users also report that their Telegram channel has a rapid response rate. KuCoin support is also active on their subreddit.
Many users have claimed to have issues with the chat box service, which mostly provides automated replies and excessive waiting times for receiving actual human assistance.
According to user a KuCoin review on the PlayStore, the app is not compatible with Chromebooks or Amazon Fire Tablets. On the other hand, users who use the app on mobiles say they have an excellent experience and praise the diverse selection of coins and features.
KuCoin Exchange Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
KuCoin Exchange Review – Conclusion
KuCoin is an all-around solid exchange that offers low fees and services. From providing a reliable trading environment with a reputation for security and the wide range of crypto products and services available to use to offering some of the lowest fees in the sector, KuCoin has strengths in each category. The exchange caters to all crypto traders, from beginners to advanced traders.
KuCoin doesn’t have fiat deposits or trading pairs, but its debit and credit card purchase system somewhat alleviates the issue.
All in all, KuCoin does a great job of filling the gap between major and small exchanges. It provides a top-notch trading experience but allows traders to capture big-time opportunities in new and budding cryptocurrencies. Hopefully you now have all the information you need to decide if a KuCoin account is right for you.
Visit KuCoinFAQs
Is KuCoin safe to use?
Can we trust KuCoin?
Is KuCoin Available in US?
Is KuCoin better than Coinbase?
KuCoin
Pros
- Selection of 400+ coins
- User-friendly app
- Never been hacked
Cons
- Crypto only (no fiat support except for instant buys)
- Less liquidity than larger exchanges
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