KuCoin review
The widest altcoin listing of any major venue, with the regulatory profile that implies. KuCoin lists more assets than almost anyone, which is precisely why traders use it — small and mid-cap tokens tend to appear here before the larger exchanges.
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What it does well
- The broadest listing of small and mid-cap assets among major venues
- 0.10% base spot fee, 0.08% when paid in KCS
- Trading bots and grid tools built into the platform
- Deep books on altcoin pairs that barely trade elsewhere
Where it falls short
- Closed to US residents following enforcement action
- Weaker regulatory footing than the licensed venues
- Fiat access depends entirely on third-party providers
- Listing breadth means a much higher share of low-quality assets
What KuCoin is for
KuCoin lists more assets than almost anyone, which is precisely why traders use it — small and mid-cap tokens tend to appear here before the larger exchanges. That listing policy comes with the trade-off you would expect: a thinner regulatory footprint and a history of enforcement action in the United States.
Founded in 2017, based in Seychelles, it lists 700+ assets and supports Via third-party providers only for fiat funding. Perpetual futures with up to 100× leverage on major pairs
Fees in practice
The headline rate is 0.1% maker / 0.1% taker at the base tier. 20% discount when fees are paid in KCS (0.08%).
The number that actually costs people money is rarely the headline one. Fast Buy available through third-party payment providers with their own fees — that is the single most common way retail traders overpay, and it applies on almost every exchange that runs a "simple" and an "advanced" interface on the same account. If you take one thing from this page: find the trading interface, not the buy button.
Who can use it
Most markets outside the United States. Restrictions we are aware of as of 2026-09-15: United States, Canada (Ontario), China (mainland), Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Singapore.
Two things to understand about these lists. First, they change — sometimes with very little notice, as several exchanges' exits from Canada and the Netherlands demonstrated. Second, account access and product access are different things: plenty of jurisdictions allow spot trading while blocking derivatives entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Is KuCoin safe to use?
KuCoin lists more assets than almost anyone, which is precisely why traders use it — small and mid-cap tokens tend to appear here before the larger exchanges. That listing policy comes with the trade-off you would expect: a thinner regulatory footprint and a history of enforcement action in the United States.
No exchange is risk-free. The questions worth asking are whether it holds licences you can verify, how long it has operated, and whether it has ever lost customer funds. The answers are above, with links to the primary sources so you can check them rather than take our word for it.
What are KuCoin's trading fees?
Spot trading starts at 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker at the base tier. 20% discount when fees are paid in KCS (0.08%). Fast Buy available through third-party payment providers with their own fees
Work out what a specific trade costs with our exchange fee calculator. Fee schedules change — this was checked on 2026-09-15.
Which countries can use KuCoin?
Most markets outside the United States. Known restrictions include United States, Canada (Ontario), China (mainland), Iran, North Korea, Syria and others.
Country lists move constantly, and product-level restrictions are usually stricter than account-level ones — an exchange may let you open an account but not trade derivatives. Always check the exchange's own restricted-jurisdictions page before depositing.
Does KuCoin require KYC?
KYC now required for the large majority of account functions.
Does KuCoin offer futures or margin trading?
Perpetual futures with up to 100× leverage on major pairs
If you trade leveraged products, the liquidation heatmap and funding rates dashboards show where the rest of the market is positioned and what it is paying to stay there.