3.4
$80 welcome bonus
Low or zero fee trading options
Sign-up with Phemex Sign-up with Phemex

Phemex review 2024

Investing options: 3.4

Platforms & usability: 4.1

Products, markets, & assets: 3.6

Safety & reliability: 3.1

Deposits & withdrawals: 2.8

Research & analysis tools: 3.3

Fees & costs: 3.0

Education & learning resources: 3.6

Phemex review Summary

Written by
Updated on Jun 29, 2023
Reading time 9 minutes
Phemex is a relatively new cryptocurrency exchange that is aiming to attract new customers with attractive features, like zero or ultra-low fees and super fast trade execution times.

Phemex used extensive testing from Wall Street traders to help set up the platform, so it comes with lots of advanced features to help you make trades. Keep reading this review to learn more about what they are and to help you decide whether to sign up for an account.

What can I do with Phemex?

With Phemex you can trade the leading cryptocurrency coins as well as futures contracts to speculate on their future price. It offers lots of ways to do this, including zero-fee spot trading and up to 100x leverage.

Thanks to the work done by its Wall Street traders, there is a simulated trading feature that lets new traders learn the ropes, and one-click ‘take profit’ and ‘stop-loss’ orders once you get to the real thing. 

Pros & Cons

Pros:

$80 welcome bonus
Low or zero fee trading options
User-friendly interface and simple to use platform

Cons:

Can I open an account with Phemex?

Phemex cryptocurrencies and trading options

What cryptocurrencies can you trade on Phemex?

Phemex offers a limited range of leading cryptocurrencies. There are slightly more available for spot contracts, but in general it sticks to the top coins, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. 

Major cryptos traded on Phemex

  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • Link
  • XRP
  • Bitcoin Cash
  • Cardano
  • Litecoin
  • Tron
  • Eos
  • Neo
  • Tezos
  • Ontology

Phemex core currency pairs

  • BTC/USDT
  • ETH/USDT
  • LINK/USDT
  • XRP/USDT
  • BCH/USDT
  • ADA/USDT
  • LTC/USDT
  • TRX/USDT
  • EOS/USDT
  • NEO/USDT
  • XTZ/USDT
  • ONT/USDT
  • DOT/USD
  • UNI/USD
  • ALGO/USD
  • COMP/USD
  • YFI/USD
  • GOLD/USD

All Phemex trading options

Phemax provides cryptocurrency trading and some coin pairs. Futures contracts on Phemex also allow you to trade gold.

ProductOffering
Cryptocurrencies12
Crypto pairs14
See all trading options >

Can I trade with leverage on Phemex?

Yes, Phemex allows maximum leverage of up to 100x on perpetual contracts. Be aware that trading with leverage is extremely risky and can lead to extensive losses. It should only be considered by professional brokers or experienced traders.

ProductMaximum leverageMargin
Individual cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin futures1:1001%
See all leverage options >

What are the spreads?

Instead of spreads, the trading fees on Phemex are set at 0.025% for makers and 0.075% for takers and there is no additional transaction fee for the exchange, which means you can even trade small volumes without dealing with large fees.

Taker fees are higher as the crypto exchange encourages its users to fill the order books and deliver higher liquidity for the exchange.

Fees, limits, and payment options on Phemex

What are the deposit and withdrawal fees, limits, and speeds?

Phemex allows users to deposit or withdraw funds via credit/debit cards and Bitcoin only. Deposits and withdraws have 0% fees to encourage people to use the platform. 

Payment methodDepositWithdraw
Debit/Credit Card
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
0.002 BTC or $1/10 BTC or $100,000
Free
Instant
Yes
$1/$100,000
Free
1-2 days
Cryptocurrency
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
0.00000001 BTC/None
Free
Instant
Yes
0.00000001 BTC/None
0.0005 BTC
Up to 24 hours
Bank Transfer
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
None/$100,000
Standard bank fee
1-2 business days
No
Simplex
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
$50/N/A
5%
Instant
No
MoonPay
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
$20/N/A
3.5% or $4.99
Instant
No
Coinify
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
$25/N/A
0.75%-3.5%
Instant
No
Koinal
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
$50/$20,000
4%
Instant
No
Banxa
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
N/A / N/A
Free
Instant
No
Mercuryo
– min/max
– fees
– speed
Yes
$50/N/A
3.95%
Instant
No
See all deposit and withdrawal fees >

How much are Phemex’s fees and commissions?

For spot trading, all transactions are subject to 0.10% fees except for Premium and Premium Trial users. The latter benefit from 0% fees. For contract trading, Phemex charges a fee rate for takers of 0.075% and for makers 0.025%.

Fee typeFee amountCommission
Crypto trading0.10%
Crypto futures0.025%
See all fees and commissions >

Phemex trade sizes and limits

Phemex offers low minimum trade sizes with high maximums to encourage clients to open accounts on the platform and start trading.

ProductMinimum tradeMaximum trade
Cryptocurrencies0.000001 BTC1000 BTC or the equivalent of 1000 BTC in other cryptos
Crypto futures0.000001 BTC
See all trading limits >

Phemex trading platform

What devices can I use Phemex on?

The Phemex trading platform is available both online and on mobile devices via a crypto trading app.

  • PC
  • Tablet
  • iOS Mobile Devices
  • Android Mobile Devices

Can I use Phemex in my country?

Phemex is available worldwide, except in the United States, Cuba, Quebec, Singapore, North Korea, Sevastopol, Sudan, Iran, Syria, China.. Select your country from the list below to see if it is available where you are.

Is Phemex available in my language?

Currently, Phemex provides support in 8 languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, and German. Select your language from the list below.

How easy is it to use Phemex?

Phemex is a modern platform with an easy-to-use interface. All fees are transparent, transactions are executed instantly, and exchange limits are high, which suits professional traders. 

The platform is intuitive and displays everything in such a way that makes it navigate, even for beginners that may not be all that familiar with the layout of a trading platform. The same applies to the mobile app which comes with a series of quick functions for smoother navigation and trading.

Key features

Although only recently launched, Phemex already competes with other more established exchanges in terms of features.

High performance

Phemex handles approximately 300,000 transactions per second, with order response times of less than 1 millisecond, which means it is the right platform for large trading volumes.

Advanced API

The platform provides a FIX API for developers and institutional traders to build custom applications catered to their own needs and strategies.

24/7 support 

Phemex is one of the most user-oriented exchanges and provides high-quality customer support according to online reviews. The customer support team is available 24/7 in various languages.

Security and regulation

Is Phemex safe?

Yes, Phemex stores 100% of its assets in offline, cold wallets. Additionally, it deploys its security system and secures its machines on the Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud. The exchange also uses several firewalls to separate different zones and machines for different trading purposes. 

Am I and my cryptocurrency protected?

Most exchanges secure up to 98% of their assets in cold wallets to prevent hack attacks but Phemex takes things one step further and ensures protection for 100% of its customers’ assets. 

Each withdrawal is monitored thoroughly by a team and requires approval by at least two humans and their offline signatures. In other words, Phemex ensures maximum protection for your private data and funds.

Is Phemex regulated?

As of July 2020, Phemex is a fully registered Money Service Business (MSB) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Department of the United States Treasury Dept.

Do I have to verify my account with Phemex?

Yes, Phemex operates a Know Your Customer (KYC) policy and requires verified information to allow trades. You must provide at least two pieces of valid ID, including one photo ID and a secondary piece with your current address, such as a utility or other bill in your name.

Extra information

Educational resources 

On the Phemex website, on the main page, under the “Support” section, you can find the sub-section called “Academy”. It provides a series of well-written and easy-to-follow tutorials and articles on how to trade and even detailed explanations of basic crypto industry terms and acronyms.

There is also a FAQ section to answer clients’ most frequent questions and provide additional technical advice on how to use Phemex’s various features. 

Tools and charting

Phemex offers a host of features, from allowing users to easily create sub-accounts, each with its own account balances and permissions which helps isolate various trading strategies from each other to zero-fee trading with a Premium subscription.

Most of the advanced charting and other features are only available to Premium subscription holders, but even a basic account provides fast execution, a cold storage wallet, and everything you need to get started trading crypto.

Customer support

Phemex offers 24/7 live chat support on its website in various languages. You can also contact support team members on social media if you have any questions and the CEO is even accessible via Telegram and Twitter.

Our verdict

Even though it was only launched in 2019, Phemex has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most trustworthy exchanges on the market. It caters to the needs of both beginner and professional traders alike and it promotes an innovative zero-trading fee policy, if you subscribe to a Premium membership which offers several different account options starting from $9.99 per month.

If it wasn’t already different enough, Phemex keeps 100% of its assets in cold wallets, and, combined with thorough data encryption, firewalls, and human security, it comes as close to ensuring maximum protection for your assets as we have seen.

The trading platform benefits from an intuitive and user-friendly interface and offers a series of features and tools, as well as a FIX API for additional customisation. Overall, we would say Phemex is worth a try if you are looking for a modern platform with low fees, good functionality and advanced security.

How to buy and sell cryptocurrency with Phemex

How to buy crypto on Phemex

  1. Sign In to your account
  2. Go to the “Buy Crypto” section at the top of the main page
  3. Select your method of payment (credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Bank account)
  4. Enter the amount or quantity of your preferred crypto and choose the payment method.
  5. Select the best offer and complete the payment. 

How to sell crypto on Phemex

  1. Sign In to your account
  2. Go to “Products” section at the bottom of the main page 
  3. Select the market (spot or contract)
  4. On the trading platform, on the top left, you have the options to “Buy” or “Sell”. 
  5. Select “Sell”, input the amount, order type and click “Ok”.
01

Who owns Phemex?

02

How does Phemex make money?

03

Do I have to pay tax on Phemex profits?

04

How do I delete my Phemex account?

05

How can I short on Phemex?

06

What if I forget my account password?

07

Can I transfer from my Phemex account into my PayPal account?

08

What if Phemex closes down while I have open trades?

09

Can I access my full trading history on Phemex?

10

Can I pay in cryptocurrency with Phemex?

11

Does Phemex offer bonuses?

12

How do I transfer from Coinbase to Phemex?

13

Is Phemex anonymous?

14

Does Phemex have an integrated wallet?

15

How do I withdraw from Phemex?

16

Has Phemex ever been hacked?


Sources & references

Risk disclaimer

Theodor Tonca

Theodor Tonca

Financial Writer

  • Financial Markets
  • Financial Services
  • Market Analysis
  • Apps
  • Regulation
Theodor is a Financial Writer for Invezz, reviewing, testing and scrutinizing financial products. He is a former financial analyst and investment partnership founder with over 10 years of direct investing experience and more than 8 years of published writing experience....