The Best Crypto Exchanges
in the US 2024
Making Crypto Simple
There are quite a few options to buy cryptocurrency in the United States. However, there aren’t as many as you would think. It is very hard for exchanges to meet legislative requirements in the US.
Even so, there are a number of good exchanges to choose from and most of the largest exchanges are able to operate in the US. Over the years we’ve reviewed 100’s of different exchanges all over the world. Below is our summary of findings and our top 10 list.
| Exchange Website | Rating | Currencies | Available Cryptocurrencies | Fees | Our Review | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
5/5 | USD | 30+ Cryptocurrencies | Varies | Coinbase Review | Visit Site |
 |
4/5 | USD, GBP & EUR | 50+ Cryptocurrencies | 0.26% | Kraken Review | Visit Site |
 |
3.5/5 | USD & EUR | 7 Cryptocurrencies | 6% | Coinmama Review | Visit Site |
 |
3/5 | USD & Others | 70+ Cryptocurrencies | 3.5% | CEX Review | Visit Site |
 |
3/5 | USD & EUR | 6+ Cryptocurrencies | 0.5% | Bitstamp Review | Visit Site |
 |
2.5/5 | USD & Others | 190+ Cryptocurrencies | 0.2% | Visit Site | |
 |
2.5/5 | USD | 5+ Cryptocurrencies | 1% | Visit Site | |
 |
2/5 | USD & EUR | 90+ Cryptocurrencies | 0.5% | Visit Site | |
 |
2/5 | USD & 20 others | 150+ Cryptocurrencies | 0.1% | Visit Site | |
 |
2/5 | EUR, GBP & USD | 90+ Cryptocurrencies | Daily Fees | Visit Site |
The Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges in the United States – Reviews 2024
WEBSITE:
coinbase.com
Country:
United States
Currency:
USD
Fees:
Varies
Available Cryptocurrencies:
30+ Cryptocurrencies
1. Coinbase Exchange
One of the first crypto exchanges launched in the US is Coinbase, a crypto exchange available to traders since 2012. It was created by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam, two software engineers who founded the company in San Francisco, California.
Coinbase is not only a popular trading platform for US residents but also for traders in more than 100 different countries in the world. The main reason for its success lies in the platform’s user-friendliness which makes crypto trading look attractive and feasible for beginners as well.
The platform operates as a brokerage and instead of connecting buyers to sellers who would then exchange currencies between themselves, it directly provides digital assets to its users at an average market price. To maintain a high level of security, Coinbase uses a Digital Asset Framework to evaluate the potential and demand of cryptocurrencies before it adds them to its list.
Right now, Coinbase supports only the most prominent coins: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin. US customers can choose from the following payment methods: linking a bank account for both small and large investments, using a debit card to make small instant purchases, wire transfer for large investments, or PayPal, for withdrawals.
As for the fees, debit cards incur higher fees (3.99%), while bank purchases add a 1.49% fee.
WEBSITE:
kraken.com
Country:
United States
Currency:
USD, GBP & EUR
Fees:
0.26%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
50+ Cryptocurrencies
2. Kraken Exchange
Another crypto exchange veteran, Kraken is a fully-fledged platform founded in 2011 by Jesse Powell, an expert in virtual currencies who’s been around in the industry for more than 15 years. Before founding Kraken, Powell worked on different crypto projects and even helped Mt. Gox get back on its feet after the notorious hacking attack.
Witnessing the challenges of the industry and realizing the need for secure crypto trading platforms, he was motivated to create his own. The security improvements that he added to Kraken’s protocol were: “Master Key” which gives you access to restricted account options and Global Settings Lock that you can set to recognize a list of addresses and block unauthorized ones.
As a fiat to crypto exchange, Kraken offers around 30 cryptocurrencies that can be purchased with USD, EUR, CAD, JPY, GBP, and CHF, depending on the user’s location.
Kraken’s fees are below the industry average, starting at 0.16% for makers and 0.26% for takers. The good thing about using a maker and taker fee schedule that takes into account your 30-day trading volume is that fees get significantly lower if you exceed $50,000 per month in trades.
Both Coinbase and Kraken comply with US financial regulations and perform KYC checks on all their customers.
WEBSITE:
coinmama.com
Country:
Slovakia
Currency:
USD & EUR
Fees:
6%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
7 Cryptocurrencies
3. Coinmama Exchange
Coinmama was founded and headquartered in Israel in 2013 but offers its services to customers from all over the world. In the US, Coinmama is available in 40 states.
The platform operates as a brokerage, where users can purchase popular coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Ripple, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, EOS, Tezos, and Qtum. If you want to make a fiat deposit, Coinmama supports six currencies: USD, CAD, EUR, AUD, GBP, and JPY.
Coinmama became famous as the first crypto exchange that started accepting credit and debit cards as a payment method for cryptocurrencies. This immediately caught the attention of traders worldwide, including US residents. However, you need to be aware of the added 5% fee to debit/credit card purchases.
Unlike Coinbase, Coinmama doesn’t feature its own cryptocurrency wallet. It’s important to know this beforehand, so you can choose one of the many online wallets available nowadays.
If you want to protect your personal data, Coinmama only requires a legitimate ID to verify your account. The only drawback is that you have a daily limit of $5,000 unless you provide more information and unlock higher tiers.
WEBSITE:
cex.io
Country:
UK
Currency:
USD & Others
Fees:
3.5%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
70+ Cryptocurrencies
4. CEX Exchange
CEX.io is another international platform from London, UK, founded in 2013. This platform is fully licensed and complies with the UK regulatory framework. In the US, the platform can be used in 31 states.
The exchange offers a good choice of cryptocurrencies for purchase: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, Bitcoin Gold, Tron, Stellar, BitTorrent, MetaHash, and ZCash. You can buy all of them with USD, EUR, GBP, and RUB, but always double-check your options based on the coin in question.
When it comes to selling crypto, only BTC, BCH, ETH, and XRP can be exchanged for fiat currencies. The platform has something to offer to everyone, from cross-platform trading to margin trading with as much as 10x leverage.
The only place where CEX.io falls short of our expectations is their fee schedule. When you open their website, you can see the fixed 0.2% fee. To many, this will seem incredibly cheap, and rightfully so. Later, you realize that an additional 7% has been added to the current coin market price.
WEBSITE:
bitstamp.net
Country:
Luxembourg
Currency:
USD & EUR
Fees:
0.5%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
6+ Cryptocurrencies
5. Bitstamp Exchange
Bitstamp was co-founded in 2011 by Nejc Kodrich and Damian Merlak and has built a solid reputation among the crypto enthusiasts since then.
At the start, Bitstamp was headquartered in Slovenia, only to be relocated to Luxembourg three years later where it was recognized as a payment institution and became the first nationally licensed crypto exchange. In 2018, Bitstamp was bought by NXMH, a Belgian company.
The company is constantly working on expanding its offices and clientele. In 2019, Bitstamp’s USA subsidiary acquired a cryptocurrency license from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). The media coverage resulted in more US traders getting to know about this platform and registering for an account.
On Bitstamp you can buy Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple with USD or EUR, and pay via bank transfers or credit/debit cards. As far as fees go, the platform takes into account your trading volume to adjust the fee, the average being 0.50%.
WEBSITE:
bittrex.com
Country:
United States
Currency:
USD, EUR, GBP & JPY
Fees:
0.2%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
190+ Cryptocurrencies
6. Bittrex Exchange
Bittrex is another American cryptocurrency exchange, headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was developed by a superb team of experts whose background in cybersecurity has been of great help in designing Bittrex’s robust security infrastructure. Recently, the platform opened up to international clientele, offering its services to millions of people around the globe.
What makes Bittrex special – apart from the seemingly endless list of cryptocurrencies – is the fact that it’s suitable for both beginners and experienced traders alike. The slick and minimalistic design makes buying and selling crypto easier than ever, especially once Bittrex added the instant buy/sell option. On the other hand, advanced trading features like margin trading, stop-loss, and GTC are suitable for their seasoned customers.
Once crypto to crypto exchange only, traders are now allowed to make fiat deposits once they verify their identity through a KYC check. You can deposit fiat via bank transfers, SEPA, wire transfers. If you prefer paying with a card, you can use your debit but not your credit card. The trading fees start at 0.2% for both makers and takers.
WEBSITE:
gemini.com
Country:
United States
Currency:
USD
Fees:
1%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
5+ Cryptocurrencies
7. Gemini Exchange
More American crypto exchanges on our list! This one is based in New York City and was founded by the famous (or notorious for some) Winklevoss twins, hence the name Gemini.
Gemini might just be the regulated crypto platform on our list. It’s licensed and regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services and has successfully passed the SOC 1 Type 1 and Type 2 attestation reports. These reports are proof of Gemini’s financial compliance. Moreover, US accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
As far as supported currencies go, Gemini allows you to purchase only the top five cryptos: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Zcash. The only fiat deposit method is via bank transfer or wire transfer. For the type being, Gemini doesn’t accept card payments. You can also fund your account with crypto in case you’re planning to trade them against one another.
Gemini uses a scaled approach in its fee schedule. Both makers and takers are charged a maximum fee of 1% which gets lower as their trading volume progresses.
WEBSITE:
changelly.com
Country:
Czech Republic
Currency:
USD & EUR
Fees:
0.5%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
90+ Cryptocurrencies
8. Changelly Exchange
Our list wouldn’t be complete without at least one decentralized cryptocurrency exchange. These types of exchanges take no custody of your funds nor store your personal information online. They connect buyers and sellers through their interface and order books but let them agree on the terms among themselves.
On Changelly, you can purchase a variety of assets via bank transfer or credit card, thanks to its partnership with the payment providers Simplex and Indacoin. With Simplex, you can purchase only BTC, BCH, LTC, ETH, and XRP directly with fiat without any conversion fees. On Indacoin, however, your funds will be converted into BTC first. Changelly charges a flat trading fee of 0.5% regardless of whether you’re a maker or a taker.
Although the platform is famous for its no-verification onboarding process, in reality, this turns out to be different. If you want to purchase crypto with fiat or want to access higher tiers, you’ll need to provide a legitimate ID just like you would do on a regular crypto exchange.
WEBSITE:
kucoin.com
Country:
Hong Kong
Currency:
20+ Fiat Currencies
Fees:
0.1%
Available Cryptocurrencies:
150+ Cryptocurrencies
9. KuCoin Exchange
Compared to some other platforms on our list, KuCoin is a relatively new crypto exchange. However, despite the fact that it was launched in 2017, the exchange has quickly gained a large number of traders and supporters from around the world, including the US. They’re best liked for their innovative trading features.
KuCoin seems to have everything: from an extensive list of cryptocurrency tokens (and adding more regularly), to a wide selection of payment methods, and incredibly low fees. While the industry average trading fee equals around 0.25%, KuCoin charges barely 0.1% per trade.
If you had your share of basic crypto purchases or crypto-to-crypto trading, on KuCoin you can try things like margin trading, lending, or staking. There’s even futures trading with up to 100x leverage and a separate futures mobile app.
KuCoin offers three levels of verification: unverified account (email verification, withdrawal limit is 2 BTC per 24 hours), verified individual account (requires ID or passport with a withdrawal limit of 100 BTC per 24 hours), and verified institutional account that gives you a withdrawal limit of 500 BTC per day.
WEBSITE:
etoro.com
Country:
Europe
Currency:
EUR, GBP & USD
Fees:
Daily Fees
Available Cryptocurrencies:
90+ Cryptocurrencies
10. eToro Exchange
eToro is a highly recommended platform for not only crypto traders but all kinds of financial traders as well. The broker entered the market back in 2007 in Tel Aviv and now operates from several offices in the UK, US, Sydney, and Cyprus. It’s available almost all over the world (except for a few blacklisted countries).
If you’re worried about security, rest assured that eToro takes every possible measure to protect your funds and data. After all, the exchange is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), by ASIC, and by our local FinCEN regulators.
Crypto enthusiasts are welcome to choose from over 90 digital currencies. The only drawback with eToro is that you’ll pay more than when using other exchanges. The fees vary depending on the market fluctuations. A Bitcoin purchase typically adds a 0.75% fee. Available payment methods include debit/credit cards and bank transfers. Luckily, they accept USD, so you don’t have to worry about conversion fees.
Learn More About Cryptocurrency Exchanges
If you want to become a good trader, you have to approach crypto trading with seriousness. This means that you need to take stock of the cryptocurrency options available on the market before you make your decision.
Once you choose a cryptocurrency, it would be easier to find a crypto exchange that has what it takes. To make matters even more trouble-free for you, in this guide, we’ll suggest ten highly reputable exchanges that can be used in the US and what features to keep an eye on.
We’re confident that by the end of the guide you’ll feel more comfortable with your investment strategy and readier than ever to start trading.
Let’s begin!
Cryptocurrencies are a special type of virtual currencies designed and protected using cryptographic proof. They are units of value and mediums of exchange, kept on digital ledgers known as blockchains.
The idea of designing a digital coin has been around since the late 80s but previous attempts have turned into failures. The biggest challenge was how to stay true to the decentralized nature of these coins and involve no central authorities, but protect the transactions from double-spending at the same time.
Finally, Satoshi Nakamoto, the father of Bitcoin, proposed a solution. In 2008, he published a paper called Bitcoin: An Electronic Peer to Peer Cash System where he explained how cryptography and proof of work mechanism can help miners detect false or double-spent transactions.
Thanks to Bitcoin, people can make pseudonymous transactions that are ten times faster, cheaper, and more secure. Blockchain technology doesn’t allow outsiders to delete or make any changes to the stored data.
At first, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, in general, were seen as stores of value with a great potential for short or long-term investment. (if you want to purchase some yourself, read our guide on how to buy bitcoin in the US)
This was followed by the second generation of cryptos used primarily as utility tokens within peer-to-peer networks as fuel for blockchain-based applications and smart contracts.
What Are Crypto Exchanges?
Crypto exchanges are the best place to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, transfer them to another account, store them temporarily, or trade them with other fiat/cryptocurrencies.
If you haven’t bought any digital assets in your life, start from fiat to crypto exchange where fiat currencies can be used as a deposit method without a problem. Later on, when you’re experienced enough and have cryptos you want to trade for other cryptos, nothing can stop you from switching to crypto to crypto exchange.
Moving on, it’s important to learn the difference between a centralized (traditional) exchange and a decentralized (peer to peer) crypto exchange.
Centralized or traditional exchanges got their name for: being the first exchanges available to traders; playing the role of a central authority or intermediary that monitors users’ transactions and offers escrow services.
One of the advantages of centralized exchanges is enjoying a risk-free trading environment as most of these platforms comply with state regulations and have the money to invest in high-level security methods. Next, the top ten exchanges based on high liquidity are decentralized which makes the exchange less susceptible to market manipulation.
Decentralized or peer-to-peer exchanges connect buyers and sellers and help them execute their deals with smart contracts or atomic swaps instead of acting as escrow. These exchanges typically have lower fees and more options for making payments. Most of the time, you don’t have to provide an ID to verify your account.
The Final Checklist
Reading our guide has definitely given you some insight into how crypto exchanges work and what they usually have to offer to their customers in terms of trading options. Which one did you like best from our five trustworthy crypto exchanges suitable for US traders?
If you have two or three favorites, try using this checklist as your decision-maker:
- Is this your first time trading cryptocurrencies or you’ve done this before? Beginners should stay away from complex trading platforms, and look for clutter-free, straightforward exchanges with basic trading options.
- Do you own any cryptocurrencies? If you do, it means you’re already using a digital wallet to store them. Otherwise, look for exchanges that provide their own wallet, like Coinbase for example.
- Can you buy the cryptocurrency you’re after? Can you sell it later for the fiat or cryptocurrency that you need?
- Does the exchange offer reasonable fees? What about deposit or withdrawal fees? Comparing the fees between two or three platforms can really help you make the right choice.
- Does the exchange comply with AML and KYC policies? Are you okay with providing a government-issued ID for account verification?
- What security methods do they use?
- What can you learn about their customer support from user reviews?
What countries does the exchange support? If you’re looking for crypto platforms in specific countries, we’ve built the following comparisons: Best crypto exchanges in Australia, best cryptocurrency exchanges for Canada, and the best crypto exchanges for the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
We already narrowed down the list of reliable crypto exchanges for you to use in the States. Now, it’s up to you to create an investment strategy and find the right platform to match. Check whether it has the coin you’re after or the payment method you’re ready to use. If you already have some experience and are interested in margin trading, make sure this platform supports that.
Globally speaking, Coinbase is one of the biggest crypto exchanges and among the biggest holders of Bitcoin! This has been discovered by assessing the platform’s trading volume, the number of markets, liquidity, etc.
Around 1.1 million BTC belongs to Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s founder, which makes him the person with most Bitcoins in the world.
It comes as no surprise that Bitcoin fees continue to grow. This is happening due to Bitcoin’s popularity and increased transaction throughput that causes mining difficulty to increase as well. The transactions that include higher fees have better chances of getting verified first.
Transaction fees remain for the Bitcoin miners as an incentive to continue doing their job, together with the BTC mining reward.