Exchanges

General

Name
KuCoin

Based in
Seychelles

Founded
2017

Regulated

Currencies

Coins
495

Trading pairs
981

Fiat
-

Stablecoins
USDT, PAX, TUSD, USDC, DAI

Credit card
It is possible to deposit funds using a credit card

Fees

Maker fee
0.10%

Taker fee
0.10%

Deposit
Free

Withdrawal
Withdrawals rates are determined by the blockchain network and can fluctuate
0.0005 BTC

KYC

Level 1
1 BTC

Level 2
1 BTC

Level 3
200 BTC

Versions

Desktop

Web

Android

iPhone

KuCoin

Today, the financial world is in a revolutionary stage as it moves from a centralised system to a decentralised one. Cryptocurrency exchanges are becoming more popular as people have started to realise the potential of cryptocurrencies and a decentralised system. This article presents a comprehensive review of one such exchange, KuCoin, emerging as a one-stop solution for all sorts of crypto operations.

Pros

  • It offers one of the lowest trading and withdrawal fees

  • KuCoin has a great user base, hence there is sufficient liquidity

  • The interface is quite user-friendly

  • KuCoin offers an extensive range of altcoins

  • Users get 24x7 support

  • Though it is better to get your account verified, it is not forced

  • Users can stake and earn crypto yields

Cons

  • Limited withdrawals on unverified accounts

  • The user interface can be challenging for newbies

About KuCoin

KuCoin has become one of the well-known cryptocurrency exchanges globally because of its wide range of solutions for all crypto trading operations. Though launched as recently as 2017, KuCoin deals in more than 200 cryptos and 400 markets. The highlights of KuCoin’s emergence over the years is its bank-level security, user-friendly UX, margin, and futures trading, an inbuilt P2P exchange, opportunity to buy crypto using your credit/debit cards, earn cryptos by lending or stacking, and offering one of the lowest fee structures in the industry.

QUICK FACT

An emerging crypto exchange becoming a one-stop solution for altcoin trading

Where KuCoin Based?

The credit for introducing KuCoin goes to two young blockchain adopters, Michael and Eric, as they succeeded in building a system capable of catering to everyone in the world, including the unemployed, unbanked, and uneducated. Though the concept has been in the pipeline since 2013, KuCoin was founded in 2017. Today, the exchange has its base in Seychelles and is active in more than 400 markets in countries like Turkey, the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many more. If you are surprised not to find the US in this list, it is because the US has not licensed KuCoin to operate in the States.

Is KuCoin Regulated?

Like most cryptocurrency exchanges, KuCoin is not regulated by any of the national licensing bodies. Therefore, users can use KuCoin entirely at their risk. For example, a trader who prefers to trade crypto pairs anonymously can use KuCoin Exchange. However, if you are looking for an exchange with a regulatory safeguard, KuCoin is not the right one for you.

KuCoin Sign Up and Verification Process

Signing up for KuCoin is straightforward. All you do is click on the Sign Up option on the KuCoin homepage and choose your Sign up option between your phone and email. Submit your details accordingly. After that, you get a verification code that you have to enter to complete the registration.

From November 2018, KuCoin introduced KYC verification to meet the development rules of the cryptocurrency industry. It also helps in reducing fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing. However, unverified users can participate but with a reduced daily withdrawal limit. Besides, verifying your account allows the client to recover the account quickly if they forget the password or the account credentials have been compromised. Finally, verified account holders can participate in the Fiat-Crypto service that KuCoin provides.

KuCoin has two verification levels, Basic and Advanced. Basic verification provides limited benefits, whereas the advanced process allows more facilities. Institutions should complete KYC using the Institutional Verification option.

Unverified Accounts – Daily withdrawal limits of 1BTC and limited P2P trading fiat currency-wise
Verified KYC1 – Daily withdrawal of 5BTC and limited P2P trading
Verified KYC2 – Daily withdrawal 200 to 3000 BTC and better P2P trading ceilings

How Can You Add Funds on KuCoin?

KuCoin allows transferring assets from other platforms to it. KuCoin enables depositing funds to their different accounts such as Main/Trading/Margin/Futures/Pool-X directly. You can deposit crypto into KuCoin through their web platform or the app.

Using the Website

• Click on the Asset option and select Main Account.
• Go to Deposit and select the coin and the respective account.
• Copy your depositing address and paste it on the withdrawal platform to deposit crypto into the respective KuCoin account.
However, you should activate the deposit address and check beforehand that the deposit function is open for the respective token.

Using the App

• Find the Asset and click on the Deposit option.
• Select the coin from the list.
• Choose the account where you want to deposit the coin.
• Copy the deposit address and paste it on the withdrawal platform to complete the deposit transaction.

Trading on KuCoin

Trading on the KuCoin platform is also easy. The platform offers a range of trading options like Spot, Margin, Futures, Trading Bot, and Leveraged Tokens. For example, here is how you make a Spot Trade. The steps for all other options are also similar.

• Log on to the website and click on the Trade option followed by Spot.
• Choose your preferred option and enter the trading pair interface.
• Before trading, you have to enter the trading password. It remains valid for the next two hours.
• Choose the order type and enter the details. The order types include Limit, Market, Stop Limit, and Stop market.

The other trading methods are similar. Users can find their way through the interface comfortably. It can be challenging for newbies initially, but they can master the trading mode quickly.

Which Cryptocurrencies Are Available to Buy/Trade on KuCoin?

KuCoin supports all the major cryptocurrency coins. These include BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, KCS, etc. In addition, the Spotlight section on KuCoin supports new cryptocurrencies, those which are traded less or carry higher risks. Thus, they have an extensive range of supported coins on KuCoin.

KuCoin Fees Charged

KuCoin categorises its users into different levels starting from LV0 to LV12, depending on the minimum average KCS holding or the trade volume for the last 30 days. The system charges two types of fees, Maker/Taker fee and KCS Pay fees.

Spot Trading Fees

Maker/Taker Fee = -0.005% to 0.1%
KCS Pay Fee = -0.005% to 0.08%

Futures Trading Fees

Maker/Taker fee = -0.015% to 0.06%

Deposit/Withdrawal Fees

Depends on the cryptocurrency combination you use.

How Secure is KuCoin?

KuCoin Exchange offers bank-level data encryption and security to protect its customers’ data and funds. At the operational level, KuCoin employs specialised risk control departments that enforce stringent rules for data usage.

KuCoin has a strategic partnership with Onchain Custodian to take care of KuCoin’s crypto assets. In addition, the funds have backing from Lockton, one of the largest private insurance brokers.

In September 2020, adversaries stole more than $250 million from KuCoin, making it one of the most significant security breaches of all time. However, KuCoin quickly recovered most of the funds and even offered to cover users’ remaining lost funds through their own funds.

Users can enhance security by setting up the following additional security measures on the platform:

• 2FA
• Security questions
• Anti-phishing safety phrase
• Email notifications
• Phone verification
• Login safety phrase
• Set up a trading password
• Restrict login IP

KuCoin Customer Support

KuCoin aims to provide the best customer support and offers the following customer support channels:

• KuCoin Help Centre
• FAQ
• Onsite Chat
• Mobile App Support

Besides, KuCoin support is available on social media channels like Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, Redditt, YouTube, Medium, and Instagram.

Conclusion

Every cryptocurrency exchange has its pros and cons. Though KuCoin is not licensed in the US, people from the US can still use it through the provision of unverified accounts. Despite its non-regulation by the authorities, KuCoin has an extensive user base because of the safety features it offers. Besides, the funds have the backing of Lockton Insurance. The Singapore-based Onchain Custodian secures the crypto assets stored on the exchange. In addition to the trading activities, KuCoin allows its users to earn crypto through yield farming and stacking. These advantages make KuCoin one of the preferred cryptocurrency exchanges globally.