Exchanges
Where to buy crypto, compared.
Fees, security, supported assets, and the trade-offs that actually matter. Sourced and dated.
Binance
Binance is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange. Changpeng Zhao and Yi He founded it in July 2017, and it grew into the largest crypto exchange by daily trading volume. The platform lets users buy, sell, and hold a wide range of digital assets. Over time it added products beyond spot trading, including derivatives, staking, and its own BNB Chain.
Bybit
Bybit is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange for trading digital assets. It was founded in 2018 by Ben Zhou, a Singaporean entrepreneur who serves as its chief executive. The company first operated out of Singapore, then moved its headquarters to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2022, where it is based today. As a centralized exchange, Bybit holds customer funds on their behalf, a custodial model in which the exchange controls the assets in a user's account rather than the user holding the keys directly. Bybit is privately held and is not listed on any public stock market.
Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the largest regulated cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States, and for most people opening their first crypto account, it is the one I point them to. You sign up, verify your identity with a government ID, link a bank account or card, and you can buy your first crypto in minutes. If you want the full primer before you commit, start with [what Coinbase is](/learn/what-is-coinbase).
Crypto.com
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Singapore that offers a range of financial services around digital assets. These include a consumer app for buying and selling crypto, a trading exchange, a payments product, an NFT marketplace, and a non-custodial DeFi wallet. The exchange and app sit at the center of the business, which is built for everyday users as much as active traders.
Gemini
Gemini is an American cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, based in New York City. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss founded it in 2014, announced it in 2013, and took it live on 25 October 2015. The platform lets users buy, sell, and hold crypto, and it pairs the exchange with custody services for digital assets.
Kraken
Kraken is one of the oldest crypto exchanges still standing. It launched in 2011, it is based in the United States, and it has built its reputation on security and a deep coin list rather than on flashy marketing. For an active trader who cares about fees, it is the exchange I reach for first.
KuCoin
KuCoin is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange for trading digital assets, with added services for margin trading, margin lending, and over-the-counter deals. It launched in 2017, founded by Chun Gan, Ke Tang, and Johnny Lyu. The company started in China, moved its base to Singapore in 2018, and later registered in the Seychelles, where it is now based. As a centralized exchange, KuCoin holds customer assets on their behalf, a custodial model in which the platform controls the keys to crypto kept in a user's account rather than the user holding them directly. KuCoin is privately held and is not listed on any stock exchange.
OKX
OKX is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange for trading digital assets. It was founded in 2013 by Star Xu and expanded internationally, launching as OKEx in Hong Kong in 2017 before adopting the OKX name. As a centralized exchange it holds customer assets on their behalf, a custodial model in which the platform controls the keys to crypto kept in a user's account. OKX also offers a separate self-custody product, the OKX Wallet, which lets people hold their own keys and connect to decentralized finance apps; that wallet is distinct from funds held in an OKX trading account. The company is privately held and is not listed on any stock exchange.