Last Updated on August 19, 2024 by Ben
Best Cryptocurrency Exchange
If you are considering buying a cryptocurrency, then the best place to do that is on an exchange. There are many exchanges out there, and they all have different features, so you need to know your needs before choosing one. This blog post will explore some of the best cryptocurrency exchanges and the pros and cons associated with each platform.
Best Cryptocurrency Exchange Services Reviews
Coinbase
www.coinbase.com
Star Rating
Coinbase is the most recognizable and reputable cryptocurrency exchange in existence. They offer a convenient way to buy, sell, trade, and store cryptocurrencies with exceptional customer service that will happily help you out if something goes wrong while trading coins on their platform.
They offer a safe place for your investments and trades by storing them in insured wallets. These wallets are not only secure, but they also offer insurance against data breaches or hacking because the cash is stored at an FDIC bank account.
This convenience might be perfect for those still learning how to trade digital currency with Coinbase’s custodial accounts, where you can have all of these benefits while keeping full possession of private keys that belong solely to you.
They offer a free version of its exchange, Coinbase Pro. It offers more features, like charts and indicators that advanced users want to use. Coinbase Pro is a great next step for people who learned how to use Coinbase. It has more features that advanced users would want, so it will make Coinbase better.
Pros:
- Many selections of altcoin choices
- Exceedingly easy user interface
- Very high liquidity
Cons:
- User don’t control wallet keys
- High fees when not using Coinbase Pro
Crypto.com
www.crypto.com
Star Rating
Crypto.com strives to make the use of cryptocurrencies part of everyday life by offering a full suite of services for investors who use crypto. The company offers a lot of services. They have an App, Exchange, Visa Card, Defi swap, Defi Wallet, and Crypto.com Price. What really sets them apart is the mix of low fees and generous rewards programs for their customers.
Crypto.com is a place where people can buy and sell digital money, store it, and use it to buy things. They make sure that the money is safe from bad people who might want to hack in by using many safety features. The fees are low, and they also offer rewards for doing things like buying with your crypto.
Pros:
- Low fees
- This exchange has everything you need for your cryptocurrency.
- High security
- Plenty of ways to earn interest, rewards, and rebates
Cons:
- Low privacy
- Customer service response time could be improved
iTrustCapital
www.itrustcapital.com
Star Rating
iTrustCapital is a retirement account service that allows investors to invest in cryptocurrencies, gold, and silver through their accounts. The platform offers clear instructions for newcomers to the alternative investment market, which can be helpful if you’ve never bought or sold these investments before.
When you make your way to retirement age, ITrustCapital allows for the choice of whether or not you want to take out disbursements in cash or with assets that you’ve invested into. Though its range is limited when compared against Coinbase’s offerings, it still has a simple layout and unique IRA options making this platform an excellent place to invest.
Pros:
- The straightforward platform makes it easy to buy and sell assets in a few minutes.
- Orders are typically clear within 5 minutes
- 24/7 order placements and portfolio monitoring services
- They have a live chat and phone customer service.
Binance
www.binance.us
Star Rating
The Binance exchange was founded in 2017 with a strong focus on altcoin trading. It offers over 100 different cryptocurrency pairs, as well as plenty of fiat-crypto pairings for your convenience.
As of July 2021, Binance dominates the space for cryptocurrency trading. In fact, it is a big part of the total trading volume that happens daily. In the exchange, you can only make US Dollar deposits with an international bank transfer called SWIFT. But there are some ways to deposit money into your account: credit or debit card, and 12 other currencies like Euro.
Binance offers more than 50 different cryptocurrencies and is a good option for people who would like to trade or invest. The features, charting abilities, and data that come with your account are truly impressive-especially when you consider their reasonable fees.
Pros:
- Lower fees than other exchanges
- Many different types of cryptocurrencies and trading pairs.
- Advanced charting
Cons:
- This is for more advanced users
- Some states are not supported.
- Binance US has fewer trading pairs than the international version.
Gemini
www.gemini.com
Star Rating
Founded in the US, Gemini is expanding globally and particularly into Europe and Asia. In addition to major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, they offer smaller altcoins like Orchid or 0x that can be more difficult for some investors to find elsewhere.
Gemini is the only broker with multiple platform options based on skill level. New investors will love Gemini’s streamlined interface, while advanced traders might appreciate all it has to offer them in ActiveTrader. Including tools that can help you set up a personalized trading account for your needs and interests!
Pros:
- You can sign up easily and quickly, and it only takes a few minutes
- A multitude of platforms is available for traders of all levels.
- Hot wallets cover insurance to safeguard you from theft and hacking attempts.
Cons:
- The company charges a commission and a convenience fee for people who buy or sell through the desktop or mobile app.
What is a Cryptocurrency Exchange?
A cryptocurrency exchange is a platform on which you can trade cryptocurrency. You can use these to exchange one crypto for another — converting Bitcoin to Litecoin, for example. You can also buy crypto using regular currency, like the US Dollar.
Exchanges show the current price of cryptocurrencies. You can also convert them back into US Dollars or another currency. This can be helpful if you want to have more than one type of cryptocurrency or just want a quick way to get cash out of your account.
Not every user will find success on their first attempt at finding an exchange for themself. Thankfully, there are a lot out there willing to lend advice when it comes down to selecting which one is right for you.
Finding the best crypto exchange for your needs is no easy task. Deciding which type of crypto asset you are most interested in trading and finding that platform can be tricky.
How Do Cryptocurrency Exchanges Work?
Crypto exchanges are similar to brokerage platforms. You can create different order types and buy, sell, or speculate on cryptocurrencies with other users through a portal that each exchange offers.
Crypto exchanges can be centralized, meaning they are managed by one corporate authority. Centralized crypto exchanges make it easier to trade because the company is responsible for managing trades and providing a safe environment in which transactions take place. Decentralized crypto exchanges distribute verification powers so that anyone who joins them has permission to certify transactions on behalf of other traders.
This may improve accountability and transparency and ensure an exchange can continue to operate if there is a malfunction with the company running the exchange.
Types of Crypto Exchanges
In order to find the one most appropriate for your needs, you first have to understand the basic types of exchanges.
Fiat – Crypto Exchanges
These exchanges let you buy crypto directly using your fiat currency. These are most in-demand with those who aren’t familiar with the crypto market because it allows easy access to their preferred form of cryptocurrency without much hassle.
These exchanges do not offer a choice of coins. So if you want to buy bitcoin only, then they are good. But if you want an “altcoin,” this is not the way to do it.
Crypto – Crypto Exchanges
The exchanges will only let you purchase one cryptocurrency with another crypto. You will have to obtain a cryptocurrency on a fiat-crypto exchange and then send that to the wallet of the crypto-crypto exchange before exchanging for the coin you want in the first place.
This is usually for more experienced traders who actively trade between coins to profit immediately or alternatively want to purchase smaller less-known coins.
Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
Peer-to-peer exchanges are when someone matches a buyer with a seller and does not take the other side of the trade. The most popular example is LocalBitcoins, which will match the buyer with sellers (if available), giving the customer choices about which price to go for.
Crypto exchanges will commonly offer escrow for transactions, which leaves both parties with a reduced risk of fraud.
Brokers
Brokerages can provide a stepping stone for newcomers to cryptocurrency trading. They don’t require you to purchase the underlying cryptocurrency. This has its benefits because you don’t need to set up a wallet.
What they offer is a CFD product. It lets you anticipate the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies without risking money. The main risk is that they are not regulated, while brokers must follow strict rules from the administrative body they have a license with.
What Should You Look for When Choosing a Crypto Exchange?
Accessibility
You might not be able to buy and sell crypto on some exchanges due to state or national limitations. Some countries, like China, have prohibited citizens from accessing the exchanges at all.
Cryptocurrency regulation in the United States can be tricky, with some states implementing their regulations. For example, New York’s Office of Financial Services requires crypto exchanges to obtain a BitLicense before operating within the state and only allows licensed companies to offer approved cryptocurrencies.
Other states do not have as strict regulations as New York, but some do. Thirty-one states have pending legislation about digital currencies in the 2021 legislative sessions.
Security
Central institutions do not back the cryptocurrency, and your money is not as protected as if you had it in a bank or invested in a regular type of investment. Some exchanges keep any money you hold with them in a US bank account insured by the FDIC (which protects money if a bank goes out of business). But the FDIC does not protect balances in cryptocurrency.
Some exchanges have insurance to protect the digital currencies users hold on the exchange. This protects against hacking or fraud.
Even if you are interested in buying and selling individual cryptocurrency assets or saving them on the exchange before transferring to your wallet, security should be handled with care. With cryptocurrencies reaching new trading highs, finding the safest way to trade grows in importance.
On top of being familiar with cryptocurrencies, you should also look for security measures. New traders should consider sites that use two-factor authentication where you will have to verify your identity using an additional method like sending a text message code.
In general, it is safer to use exchanges that have a lot of customers. You may take a risk using small and new exchanges that do not know about security and things like this.
Fees
Different factors have different effects when purchasing crypto, such as ease of purchase, resulting in more expensive charges. But at minimum, they provide added protection while others offer cheaper transactions with less security so consider the best option based on what fits you.
If you want to trade crypto, be sure that the exchange has a favorable fee structure. Exchange fees are often charged per transaction and may vary depending on what currency is being traded and who’s buying or selling at any given time. Make sure you know how much your transactions will cost before handing over your cash.
Liquidity
If you want to trade your cryptos, the exchange should have enough trading volume so that you can sell your coins. It usually happens with the most popular exchanges.
When trading on an exchange, you have a better chance of getting the best price with more trades happening at once. If your crypto is being traded in less volume when compared to other exchanges, there’s still a risk that it will trade for higher prices than if they were going through a popular one.
Coins Offered
Not every exchange offers all of the cryptos that exist.
If you’re interested in a coin like Bitcoin or Ethereum, it’s as easy as finding them on any given exchange. But newer altcoins and meme coins may require some more research into which exchanges they are available at so that you can make an informed decision about where to buy your next crypto investment.
Many experts recommend sticking with the more established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum rather than these new ones. They can be a risky gamble on top of already highly speculative cryptocurrencies.
Educational Tools
A big priority for crypto beginners when choosing a platform is the opportunity to learn more about different coins, digital assets, and blockchain technology.
A lack of understanding can lead people into making bad trades or losing valuable money in other ways while they are trying their hand at trading cryptocurrency on a new platform.
For example, Coinbase offers a Coinbase Earn program to get coins for watching videos about different cryptocurrencies. You could even take quizzes on the topics and earn more crypto in return. This is an excellent way to learn new things, which will make you an expert of sorts when it comes time to talk with others at work or friends who are into cryptocurrency.
Storage
Generally, storage is a divisive topic among cryptocurrency enthusiasts. The “not your keys, not your coins” mantra encourages individuals to hold the public and private keys for their holdings themselves rather than putting them in a custodial exchange account.
An exchange that lets you keep your funds in your online account is a good choice when you are starting. But later, when you know more about the storage options or increase your holdings, it is better to keep them in your own crypto wallet.
Tax Information
As if taxes weren’t complicated enough, there is one more thing to know about. When you own cryptocurrency, you must report this. It will be really important to make sure that your tax situation is up to date because it can change, and it is hard to know what is right.
When you sell your crypto, you will need to report it on your tax return. Make sure that you know its value when you had bought it in US dollars and when you sold it.
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- Cryptocurrency Ira Primer
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- What is Coinbase?
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Are Cryptocurrency Exchanges Worth It?
It depends on your goals and objectives. If you’re looking for a way to invest in cryptocurrencies, check out the various places where these investments are available. For instance, PayPal and SoFi may be more familiar companies than strictly crypto-focused ones, but they offer digital assets.
If you want to trade cryptocurrencies at a low cost, you can use a fee-free brokerage like Webull or Robinhood. The catch is that these companies might not have all the features you would get from other companies like Kraken or Gemini.
If you want lower fees and fewer cryptocurrency options, then a regular financial account is the best option. If you want more cryptocurrency trading tools and account features, then a crypto exchange is the best option.
Conclusion
The first step in investing is to find the best exchange for your goals. If you’re seeking a great deal on fees, want access to as many currencies as possible, or are seeking an easy-to-use platform that will match your needs with up-and-coming cryptocurrencies, there’s one out there that will suit you.
You can have a cryptocurrency with the all-around winner Coinbase or its close competitor Binance. What you need is a funded account, and you can purchase your first crypto.