Compare the 8 best crypto exchanges for beginners in September 2023 

By:

James Knight

James is a lead editor for Invezz, where he covers topics from across the financial world, from the stock market, to cryptocurrency, to macroeconomic markets. His ... read more.

Reviewed by:

Richard Stutely

Richard is a Fact Checker for Invezz who ensures all our reviews and guides are accurate and unbiased. He is a best-selling international business author whose... read more.

Updated: Sep 12, 2023

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An exchange is a crypto trading platform where you can buy and sell cryptocurrency. Exchanges offer a wide range of digital assets and lots of ways to swap between them.

Our expert panel rates and reviews 40+ of the top crypto exchanges throughout the year to create a list of the best platforms out there today. To do this, we created a list of variables then scored each exchange based on those variables.

The five main ranking factors are:

• The cost of trading
• Exchange security
• Ease of use and accessibility for beginners
• Number of cryptocurrencies and crypto pairs available
• Number of different payment methods accepted

The scores are weighted, so that security and cost have a significant influence over the final ranking. Security in particular is a hot-button issue at the moment, so our recommendations reflect that.

The final results and rankings are below, along with our advice on how to choose the best crypto exchange for you. To learn more about our methodology and reviewing panel, read our review process.

The best cryptocurrency exchanges with lowest fees, September 2023

Expert picks: top 3 crypto trading platforms

These three crypto exchanges came out at the top of our rankings. They are crypto trading platforms we recommend to anyone who wants to dive in and sign up to an exchange you can trust. 

Most Popular

1

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 10

Best offer

User Score

10

Up to $240 bonus!

Build a diversified portfolio with crypto, stocks, and ETFs — all in one place.

Trade on the world's leading social trading and investing platform

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

CySEC, FCA

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 0

Best offer

User Score

9.9

Get insights from millions of investors, creators, and analysts

Build your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto–all in one place

No minimum deposit

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Wire, Check, Debit Card, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Apex Crypto LLC and Public Crypto LLC. Crypto trading on Public platforms is served by Public Crypto LLC and offered through APEX Crypto. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading.

3

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 1

Best offer

User Score

9.3

0% deposit fees, 0% withdrawal fees, 0% trading commissions

Set up automated trades and up to 50 limit orders with ease

Buy and sell 90+ cryptos and utility tokens, precious metals and national currencies with as little as $1

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Full Regulations:

Review & compare the 8 best crypto exchanges

1. eToro. Best for beginners, copy-trading & demo-account

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1500

No. assets

$10

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Great for beginners, simple to set up and get started Zero commission stock trading Popular ‘CopyTrader’ function lets you follow top traders Excellent customer service, with live chat support provided Over 2,000 CFDs available to trade

Comparatively high fees for withdrawals and account inactivity Does not integrate with the MetaTrader platform High spreads on some assets

Overview

We love eToro because it makes it simple to trade crypto at home or on the go. If you’ve never bought cryptocurrency before, then eToro makes it simple to buy 75+ of the leading coins, including the likes of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Every crypto trade comes with a flat 1% fee, which makes it one of the cheapest crypto brokers on the market to boot.

As well as being a broker that offers lots of investor protection, eToro offers a very social trading experience. You can easily see what’s trending on the crypto market every day, browse the latest technical analysis about every one of those tokens, and copy other people’s trade suggestions from your desktop or the eToro app.

The fees: You will be charged a 1% fee every time you buy or sell crypto. The charge is included in the market price that’s displayed on eToro. CFD trades may be charged an overnight or weekend fee if you leave the position open.

Visit eToro eToro Review

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2. Public. Best for sharing beginner trading ideas

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No. assets

...

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Commission free stock and ETF investing Share and compare your portfolio on a social trading platform Trade crypto, fractional shares, and alternative investments

You can't trade on margin or use leverage No forex, options, funds, metals, or bonds

Overview

We love Public because it’s a social platform where you can share trading tips and get ideas from other people. Public offers 9,000+ financial instruments, including cryptocurrencies and stocks from around the world.

Alongside a community of other investors all sharing their ideas, Public offers real time news and information so that you can see the full picture before you invest. And the assets don’t just include your run-of-the-mill assets; you can make alternative investments in things like handbags and comic books as well.

The fees: Cryptocurrency trades are charged a 2.5% fee per transaction. 

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3. Uphold. Best for building long term wealth

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No. assets

$1

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Wide range of cryptocurrencies available Zero deposit and withdrawal fees Crypto wallets to store your coins Low minimum deposits and fast account set up

Spreads can be high for some cryptocurrencies Services vary depending on region Customer support is limited

Overview

We love Uphold because it’s a regulated and transparent digital asset platform. There are 160+ cryptocurrencies available to hold and trade, along with three fiat currencies; GBP, EUR, and USD. 

Uphold’s key features include the ability to schedule transactions to avoid trying to time the market. With a focus on long term wealth building, Uphold also offers the ability to earn rewards of up to 25% on staked crypto, as well as 4% cashback paid in XRP for purchases made with the Uphold card.

The fees: Crypto spreads start from 0.9% and are usually lower than 1.3% for BTC and ETH. Other cryptocurrency spreads are higher. Average spreads on fiat currency are 0.2%. There is a $0.99 fee for transactions under $100 made with the Uphold card.

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4. OKX. Best for futures and margin trading

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No. assets

$50

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Stake ETH to freely mint FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 NFTs & big prizes 350+ cryptocurrencies & NFTs available across 650+ trading pairs Crypto spot & derivative markets available Pay using hundreds of local payment methods

Not available in the US Lack of fiat withdrawal options

Overview

We love OKX because it’s an adaptable and flexible exchange, with an app that’s available in three different versions depending on how you trade. Choose from the beginner-friendly Lite version, Web3 option for NFT traders, or the Pro version for a plethora of trading tools. 

From an app or desktop you can trade 350+ crypto coins on one of the world’s top crypto exchanges. You can fund your account easily, through a variety of simple payment methods, and a sliding scale of fees that means you can access discounts by holding the OKB token or trading high volumes.

The fees: Regular users pay a 0.1% fee on spot crypto trades. OKB crypto holders are entitled to a discount, up to 0.02% off for holding more than 2,000 coins. High volume traders are also entitled to a discount, with the cheapest fees available for traders with a 30 day trading volume above $10,000,000,000.

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5. Nexo. Best for earning interest & rewards

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No. assets

...

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Offers excellent rates of interest on crypto and fiat savings Nexo debit card makes it easy to access and spend your funds Access crypto loans and collateral Equipped with top quality security infrastructure and insured

No anonymous option, your identity must be verified to place buy and sell orders Margins calls if the value of your collateral drops between a certain level

Overview

We love Nexo because you earn rewards every time you make a purchase. You can trade 60+ cryptocurrencies and earn rewards of up to 0.5% on every transaction, then store your coins on Nexo to build your wealth through passive interest payments.

You can trade on the go from a mobile app and Nexo is designed for simplicity. Every trade is locked in at the rate you see on your screen, so you won’t suffer from price slippage, and it has the added bonus that any crypto held in your account automatically starts to earn interest. 

The fees: Nexo charges a 2% spread on buy and sell transactions. There are no fees for storing coins in your Nexo account. Depending on your loyalty tier, you receive a fixed number of free withdrawals, and any additional withdrawals will be charged a network fee. 

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6. KuCoin. Best social trading altcoin exchange

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Visit site

1

No. assets

...

Minimum deposit

Crypto

Platform type

Pros & Cons

Anonymous trading with up to 2 BTC withdrawals/24 hours Wide variety of cryptocurrencies No deposit fees

Low trading volumes not suitable for big traders Doesn’t support U.S. customers You might experience delays and lags during high-traffic times.

Overview

We love KuCoin because it;s a great place for beginners to trade more than 700 altcoins. KuCoin is a social trading platform with 20+ million investors worldwide in 200+ countries.

KuCoin’s beginner zone offers up rewards up to $500 for new users. The rest of the platform has plenty of features for the crypto enthusiast: a staking service to earn money on your stored crypto, an NFT marketplace, and margin trading features to buy leveraged tokens.

The fees: Trading fees are charged on a sliding scale. Fees are 0.1% on trading volumes below 50 BTC in a 30 day period. Discounts are available if you pay fees in KCS or store more than 1000 KCS in your account.

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Top crypto exchanges for your needs

What is the best crypto exchange for beginners?

eToro. You can practice crypto trading on a demo account to start with. It’s easy to sign up, the trading fees are low, and it’s trusted by millions of users around the world. Here are some other beginner crypto exchanges:

What is the crypto exchange with lowest fees?

eToro is the cheapest crypto exchange. It adds a flat 1% fee added to the market price of each digital asset. The fee is part of the spread, so there’s no surprises. Here is a breakdown of the lowest fee crypto exchanges:

What is the safest crypto exchange?

Coinbase is the most secure crypto exchange. Coinbase is a large, public company that has to be transparent in order to comply with stock market regulations. Here are the crypto trading platforms that came out with our top security score: 

What is the best crypto exchange for day trading?

Bitstamp has the best tools for fast intraday trading. It boasts industry-leading uptime and a professional account where you can access high liquidity and instant order execution. Here are some other top day-trading crypto platforms:

What is the best fiat-to-crypto exchange?

Binance is designed for convenience, so it makes it easy to swap between fiat and crypto currency. Large, popular crypto exchanges that target casual traders are ideal for fiat-crypto conversions. Here are some other top fiat-to-crypto exchanges:

Read more: best fiat-to-crypto exchanges

What is the best PayPal Bitcoin exchange?

eToro, thanks to a combination of low trading fees, simplicity, and a top quality mobile app. It lets you deposit for free via a variety of payment methods, including PayPal. Here are more of the best crypto exchanges that accept PayPal:

Read more: best PayPal crypto exchanges

What is the best no-fee crypto exchange?

There aren’t many genuinely free crypto exchanges. More often, only parts of the service are free, such as Bitcoin or stablecoin trading. Here are the best crypto exchanges that offer some form of free trading:

*0% on certain assets only

What is the best no KYC crypto exchange?

You can either use a decentralised platform like Uniswap or accept limitations on your account. It’s very difficult to use a leading crypto exchange without KYC. 

Rather than a completely anonymous crypto exchange, you can find platforms that offer a compromise, such as lower withdrawal limits if you don’t verify your ID. Here are some leading no KYC cryptocurrency exchanges:

What is the best P2P cryptocurrency exchange?

Binance offers the largest P2P crypto exchange in the world. Binance P2P gives you more control over your trading along with the peace of mind that comes from being part of a larger, traditional exchange. Here are some other leading peer to peer crypto exchanges.

Which crypto exchange has the most coins?

Binance has the largest selection of cryptocurrencies. You can buy almost any altcoin you want and, just as importantly, swap between different cryptos. Here are other crypto trading platforms that offer plenty of altcoins:

What is the best crypto exchange app?

eToro is the best mobile crypto exchange. It’s reliable, easy to use, and offers all the features you can access through the main website. Here are some other top mobile cryptocurrency exchanges:

What is the best crypto derivatives exchange?

Binance offers the best range of derivative markets. It’s a futures exchange, and options exchange, and the best exchange to short crypto, all rolled into one. Here are other crypto trading platforms where you can access derivatives:

What is the largest cryptocurrency exchange?

Binance is the exchange with the highest 24 hour trading volume. It’s the most liquid crypto exchange, so there’s normally someone to take the other side of your trade. Here are the top three crypto exchanges by trading volume:

*24 hour trading volume, as of September 2023

What is the best Ethereum exchange?

eToro is the best Ethereum crypto exchange. All ETH trades are subject to a 1% flat fee, which is competitive, and you can take advantage of features like CopyTrader, which is a great way for beginners to learn. Here are more top Ethereum exchanges:

Read more: the best Ethereum exchanges

What is the best Dogecoin exchange?

eToro rates as our top Dogecoin crypto exchange. It’s a beginner-friendly crypto trading platform that’s price competitive and which offers beginner-friendly features, like a social trading feed. Here are more of the best Dogecoin exchanges:

Read more: the best Dogecoin exchanges

What is the best NFT marketplace?

Opensea is the most popular NFT marketplace, with the highest trading volume & total number of traders. Here are some more top NFT marketplaces:

*30 day trading volume, as of September 2023

Read more: the best NFT marketplaces

What is the best crypto exchange for staking coins?

Nexo is the best place to go if you want to stake, or earn interest on, your cryptocurrency. Many exchanges have some form of staking system now, but the likes of Nexo are more like interest paying bank accounts and come with fewer charges than regular crypto exchanges. Here are more top staking platforms:

Read more: the best crypto staking platforms

What is the best crypto exchange for altcoins?

Binance offers more than 500 cryptocurrencies, which makes it the best place to go to buy your favourite altcoin. With a minimum deposit starting from just $1, it’s the ideal place for beginners or casual traders to start trading altcoins. Here are more exchanges with lots of altcoin options:

Read more: the best altcoin exchanges

What is the best DeFi exchange?

Binance offers all of the leading decentralised finance coins, including Avalanche, Chainlink, Aave, and Maker. If you also own the Binance coin, you can buy and sell these DeFi tokens with extremely low trading fees. Here are more top Defi trading platforms:

Read more: the best DeFi exchanges

What is the best decentralized crypto exchange?

Uniswap is the best decentralised exchange, where you can swap a vast number of Ethereum-based coins. You need to own cryptocurrency in a crypto wallet first, though, so you may need to sign up to another crypto exchange and buy some coins before you use Uniswap. Here are the top three decentralized exchanges:

Read more: the best decentralized exchanges

What are the top 10 crypto trading platforms?

Based on their tests and cryptocurrency market expertise, our panel picked out these platforms to make up our top ten favourite exchanges. Here’s our top cryptocurrency exchange rankings in full:

Crypto exchanges that didn’t make it into our recommendations

There are lots of cryptocurrency exchanges that offer a great service. Some just missed out on making our final list of the very best platforms, and here are some honourable mentions.

• Crypto.com is a popular exchange that has spent a lot on marketing and getting the brand name out there. However, we found it lacked the guidance we want in a beginner-friendly platform and has rated poorly for customer support.
• Changelly is a US-focused cryptocurrency exchange which can be a good option for users stateside, but its fee structure is high relative to the competition. 
• Uniswap is a decentralised exchange (DEX) where you can swap coins that exist on the Ethereum blockchain for one another. DEXs are great for lesser known altcoins but are difficult for beginners to use.
• PancakeSwap is another decentralised exchange, that lets you swap digital currencies based on the BNB chain (formerly known as the Binance Smart Chain). This is a popular place to find ‘meme’ coins, but is not very beginner-friendly.
• Gemini is a secure crypto exchange that prides itself on its ability to resist hacking attempts, but it doesn’t offer as many cryptocurrencies as we like to see from a top exchange.
• BitPanda is a European exchange that offers low trading fees for purchases made in fiat currency. However, it isn’t available in all countries and there are some hidden fees that we found off-putting.
• XT.com is a simple to use exchange with an easy to understand layout but we have found some users have had a negative experience trying to withdraw digital assets from the platform.
• LBank is a relatively new exchange that has become a leading option for crypto trading in Asia but its English speaking service is limited.
• Gate.io offers a wide range of digital currencies and accepts deposits in more than 50 fiat currencies, but it has limited availability in the US and again struggles with some poor English at times.
• Biconomy Exchange is another relatively new platform that has been growing in popularity but didn’t convince our experts that it offered a top service just yet.

What is a crypto exchange?

It’s an online marketplace where you can buy and sell cryptocurrency. You make a deposit in a fiat currency, such as dollars or pounds, and you can swap that money for digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin.

How do Bitcoin exchanges work?

By matching users who want to buy with users who want to sell cryptocurrency. Imagine an auction house where both buyers and sellers are submitting bids and asking prices simultaneously, and as soon as a pair agrees on a price the coins change hands.

In practice, this all takes place automatically through an ‘order book’. Every time a user submits a bid to buy, or places coins up for sale, it’s added to the order book. The exchange constantly matches the bids in the order book together in order to make transactions.

How to use a cryptocurrency exchange

Whenever you want to buy a cryptocurrency, you submit a bid for it on the exchange. You decide what you want to buy, how much, and how you want to pay for it. You then have the choice between placing a ‘market’ or a ‘limit’ order.

• A market order places an order for your coins and asks for it to be executed as soon as possible. This means you will pay the current market rate. 
• A limit order sets the price at which you’re willing to buy. This order is only executed when there is a seller willing to sell at that price.

You may get better value for money by using a limit order, but you may not get your coins if there is no seller. A market order means you will get the coins but it might cost you more to do so.

What should I look for in a crypto exchange?

A crypto exchange account should offer an easy and inexpensive way to invest. It should also offer other basic features, such as the ability to invest in any coin you want.

Below is a list of the most important feature for crypto traders to look out for when choosing the best cryptocurrency exchange.

Low trading fees

Crypto exchange fees vary from one exchange to another and depend on how much you trade. The trading fee usually falls between 0.1% and 1.25% but you should shop around. Getting the most Bitcoin for your buck means finding a cryptocurrency exchange with a low rate.

Some crypto exchanges offer a more competitive trading fee for high volume traders, or if you own some of their own cryptocurrency. 

Binance, for example, offers cheaper commissions if you own Binance coin or if you trade in excess of $1m a month. It’s worth exploring the perks for any platform you’re interested in.

Low deposit or payment fees

Deposit and payment fees are different to trading fees. These fees vary as well, and depend on your chosen payment method. Most sites will charge between1% – 5% when you use a credit card and around 2% when you use a bank transfer. 

Using alternative payment methods, like PayPal, can be more expensive, if they are available at all.  

Regulatory protection

Where a crypto exchange is based can greatly influence the level of protection you’re offered as a trader. A cryptocurrency exchange registered in the US, for example, must meet much stricter collateral requirements than those based elsewhere.

A good example of how this works in practice is the demise of the crypto exchange, FTX. Users on the FTX.US exchange were largely protected from the fallout, due to those stricter requirements in the United States. 

For maximum protection, choose a crypto trading platform that is licensed to operate in a tier one financial jurisdiction, such as the US, UK, or the EU. 

Simple design that’s easy to use

An important consideration when choosing a cryptocurrency trading platform is how well designed the website is. The best crypto exchanges let you focus on buying the coins, not figuring out how the site functions, so find an exchange you’re comfortable using.

Usability varies depending on who the main target market is. For instance, Wirex comes with a user-friendly interface to help beginners invest in crypto, whereas other sites are designed for advanced users, with detailed graphs, more complex markets, and professional-style trading tools. 

A large range of cryptocurrencies

Make sure that any crypto exchange you sign up to offers the crypto assets you want to buy. This information is usually easy to find on the exchange website but it is worth looking into, as not every cryptocurrency is available on every exchange.

A related feature to look out for is the pairs available for each coin. This shows you which coins or currencies you can swap for any particular crypto so if you see BTC/USD, that means you can swap your US Dollars for Bitcoin (and vice-versa). Some coins can only be bought with other cryptocurrencies and the options vary between platforms.

Available where you live

Access to some crypto exchanges is limited depending on where you live. For example, if you live in the United States you might not be able to access or set up accounts in other jurisdictions. 

Platforms such as Binance are available in almost every country, whilst Wirex is not available in the US. Check that the exchange you want to use is available where you are before creating an account. The rules might also vary by state, so it’s important to check the laws where you live.

Accepts deposits via your favourite payment method

Not every crypto exchange will accept the same forms of payments. Most of the best crypto exchanges accept credit cards and bank transfer, for example, but not every platform accepts PayPal. Make sure you use an exchange that lets you pay how you want to make it more convenient for you.

Offers any additional trading features you might need

If you want to use certain advanced trading methods, such as leverage, then you need to pick a cryptocurrency trading platform carefully. Leverage, spread betting, and futures or options trading are available on some exchanges in some parts of the world but are not universal.

Quick answers to key questions

Can I use a crypto exchange anonymously?

Not normally. Most crypto exchanges require you to verify your identity when you register an account before you are even allowed to trade. 

You have to verify your account by providing your address and a form of photo ID. These fraud prevention measures, such as Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations, have been introduced on more and more exchanges in recent years to protect you against malicious activity.

There are some cryptocurrency exchanges that still allow more anonymity, but they are not the best place to start if you’re new to crypto. A decentralized exchange, like Uniswap, or a peer-to-peer exchange, like LocalBitcoins, are alternative options if anonymity is important to you.

How fast are transactions processed on an exchange?

For popular cryptos, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, it normally only takes a few seconds. However, it depends on how long it takes for someone to take the other side of your trade. 

During periods of high volatility, falling markets, or when purchasing less popular coins, it can take longer. Remember that on an exchange you’re trading with other users, so it relies on someone else wanting to trade with you.

If speed is important to you and you want to make sure your trades are executed instantly, consider using a crypto broker instead. Those services take the other side of the trade automatically (and charge you a fee for the convenience).

What payment methods are available on a crypto exchange?

Payment options vary across crypto trading platforms, but most let you deposit via a bank transfer or credit/debit card payment. 

Other payment options like PayPal, Skrill, or Payoneer, are also available on some platforms, although you should confirm this before signing up and be prepared to pay a slightly higher fee for each deposit.

Do I need a wallet to use a Bitcoin exchange?

No, wallets are optional. Most crypto exchanges let you store your coins in your exchange account. It might be a good idea to sign up for your own wallet as an extra security measure, however, or if you intend to use your cryptocurrency to make purchases online.

How do cryptocurrency exchanges determine the price of a cryptocurrency?

Crypto exchanges are a marketplace in which people agree to make trades at a set price. Crypto assets are like any other form of asset, in that the price fluctuates as people are willing to part with more or less fiat currency in exchange for the asset at any given time.

In other words, the price of a cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) on exchanges is determined by simple supply and demand.

Can I use a Bitcoin exchange on my mobile phone?

Yes, there are many crypto exchange apps available for iOS and Android. You can find the best crypto apps on the Google Play Store or Apple Store to invest in digital currencies on the go.

Methodology: How did we choose the best cryptocurrency exchanges?

Helping people make better financial decisions is at the heart of our mission at Invezz. 

We periodically test more than 48 cryptocurrency exchanges to provide our users with clear, accessible guidance on the investing options available. All testing is carried out by our panel of crypto experts, analysts, and active traders who sign up to each exchange, conduct research, and score each service.

Our tests are designed to find crypto exchange platforms that offer a beginner-friendly, secure trading experience at a fair price. To supplement our practical testing and experience, we research each exchange to gather any further relevant information. We read online customer reviews, app reviews on the Play Store and App Store, and conduct user surveys to get feedback from real people about what works, and what doesn’t.

Each crypto exchange is awarded a final score based on 130+ data points across 8 ranking categories: cost, reliability, user experience, deposit & withdrawals, investing options, range of products/markets, research & analysis tools, and the availability of educational & learning resources.

We work closely with individual crypto brands to ensure all factual information displayed here is accurate. All data is then fact-checked by an independent reviewer. You can learn more about our expert panel and how we test, rate, and review platforms in our review process.

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