Cryptocurrency exchanges are websites where you can buy, sell or exchange cryptocurrencies. They are a way to access the decentralized financial system that is the blockchain.
There are many different types of cryptocurrency exchanges:
What are Cryptocurrency Exchanges?
A cryptocurrency exchange is a place where you can buy and sell cryptocurrencies. The most popular exchanges allow users to deposit funds in U.S dollars or euros, which are then exchanged for digital currencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. You can also trade one cryptocurrency for another on some exchanges, buying one currency at a set price and selling it for another—typically at a higher price (known as “buying high” and “selling low”).
Centralized Cryptocurrency Exchanges (“CEX”)
CEX is a term that refers to cryptocurrency exchanges that are centralized, meaning that a single entity controls the exchange. CEXs can be either for-profit companies or non-profit organizations.
Centralized exchanges are the most common type of crypto exchange. They are easy to use, reliable and have a good reputation for security.
Decentralized Cryptocurrency Exchanges (“DEX”)
Decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges are more secure because they don’t hold your funds. They also offer more privacy because you don’t have to undergo Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. This makes them ideal for people who want to keep their holdings private and anonymous.
However, decentralized exchanges can be difficult for beginners since users must interact with smart contracts directly, which requires some technical knowledge or assistance from an experienced user.
KuCoin
KuCoin is a cryptocurrency exchange based in Hong Kong, with headquarters in Singapore. KuCoin offers trading pairs such as XRP USDT, BTC/USDT and ETH/BTC. It also has its own token, KuCoin Shares (KCS). The cryptocurrency exchange supports over 700 cryptocurrencies for trading and investing with various fiat currencies like USDT, BTC, NEO and Ethereum.
The mobile app of the exchange offers an easy interface to trade on the go. You can buy or sell any altcoins by using your credit card or bank account without any hassle of setting up an account on their website first before doing so.
Binance
Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, with a daily volume of over $1.5 billion and a market cap of $2.5 billion. It was founded in 2017 by Jihan Wu, an early bitcoin miner and entrepreneur who helped bring crypto to China.
The exchange is based in Hong Kong and operates multiple offices around the world. Its trading platform has become increasingly popular due to its low fees (0% for those paying with BNB), fast transactions, user-friendly interface and wide variety of coins that can be traded on it (more than 100).
Coinbase
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2012. Coinbase has a reputation for being user-friendly, but it’s not beginner friendly. If you’re new to the world of cryptocurrency trading and want to buy your first Bitcoin (or Litecoin) with USD, then Coinbase is likely your best bet.
Kraken
Kraken is one of the most active cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, with over 15% of all bitcoin transactions. It has more than 1 million registered users and a daily trading volume of $100 million. Kraken is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Kraken’s main product is trading, and they offer typical buy/sell features like stop loss orders and margin trading. The platform also offers advanced features such as limit orders, trailing stop loss limits, instant order cancellation, and fill or kill order capabilities.
Bitfinex
Bitfinex is a cryptocurrency exchange operated by iFinex Inc., a company based in Hong Kong. It was created in August 2014 and since then has become one of the largest exchanges, as well as the largest exchange by trading volume.
Bitfinex offers both a trading platform and margin trading, allowing users to trade with up to 3.3 times leverage. Although margin trading is available on other cryptocurrency exchanges such as Poloniex, Bitfinex offers the highest level of leverage available for margin trading.
Gemini
Gemini is a digital currency exchange that allows you to buy and sell bitcoins. It was founded in early 2015 by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who are well known from their involvement with Facebook.
The exchange is based in New York City, and trades in U.S. dollars, bitcoin, ether, bitcoin cash, ethereum classic, litecoin and zcash. Gemini accepts deposits from bank accounts or credit cards in all 50 states of the U.S., has 24/7 customer service, and claims to have very low trading fees (0-0.25%).
Coinbase
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates exchanges of Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and other digital assets with fiat currencies in 32 countries, and bitcoin transactions and storage in 190 countries worldwide.
Coinbase supports the purchase, selling, sending, and storing of bitcoin, ether, and litecoin through its website or mobile apps. The company also offers an API that enables developers to build applications for cryptocurrency trading, security, and data.
Coincheck
Coincheck is a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange that has been in business since 2012. It was originally launched as a bitcoin exchange service and later expanded to include more cryptocurrencies.
The company is based in Tokyo, Japan, where it employs more than 200 people. The firm claims to have over 100 cryptocurrencies listed on its platform, including bitcoin core (BTC), litecoin (LTC), monero (XMR), ripple (XRP) and ethereum classic (ETC).
Bitstamp
Bitstamp is one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world and has been operating since 2011. It started as a European-based exchange, but you can now also use their services from many other countries, including Australia and Japan. Bitstamp is based in Slovenia, which means it’s not outside of any major financial regulations.
The biggest benefit to using Bitstamp is its good liquidity. This means that you don’t have to worry about whether there are enough buyers or sellers available when you want to make your trade – there will always be someone willing to take your order!
