BitMEX is a crypto exchange and derivatives trading platform, launched in 2014. The firm offers a fiat–crypto onramp, spot trading, and crypto derivatives including perpetual contracts, traditional futures and quanto futures. BitMEX offers amongst the largest market liquidity of any cryptocurrency exchange.
Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange set up in 2014 by the Winklevoss brothers, known for their early involvement in Facebook. The exchange is among the world’s 20 largest and most popular. Gemini clients can trade and stake 110+ cryptocurrencies, with derivatives trading available in some jurisdictions, an advanced proprietary platform and additional features including an NFT marketplace.
Bonus Offer
Fee reduction for BMEX token holders
Comment by Reviewer
"Active traders who want access to a good range of crypto derivatives will be intrigued by BitMEX's offering, with Perpetual Contracts available. The 100x leverage on Bitcoin is also higher than many alternatives."
"Gemini’s ActiveTrader platform and TradingView integration make it a good choice for serious crypto traders seeking a reliable charting environment, though we were disappointed by some unnecessary fees and previous security breaches."
Pros
The Guilds social trading service allows traders to participate in competitions and earn rewards, including a weekly prize pool worth 4,000 USDT at the time of writing
BitMEX continues to deliver a considerable amount of market information for free, as well as trading guides and community channels on Discord, Telegram and more
The broker offers high levels of security, using a combination of hot and cold wallets and cryptography key management
The native token, BMEX, can be staked with up to 15% trading fee discounts, among other exclusive privileges
Comprehensive customizability is available within the platform, with movable widgets and order book filters
Traders have the opportunity to connect with investors using the intuitive inbuilt chat feature
The exclusive crypto platform makes it more streamlined than other multi-asset terminals
Traders can earn interest if they HODL Tether and Bitcoin
The broker offers 2 API systems for seasoned traders
The trading app features a user-friendly, modern design and intuitive interface, with an excellent range of charting tools for day traders
The TradingView integration delivers top-quality tools, including backtesting and algo trading capabilities
The exchange ensures high security standards with 2FA a requirement for all crypto investors
Crypto perpetual futures are available in many jurisdictions with up to 1:100 leverage
There is a decent range of educational guides and tutorials suitable for beginners
Cons
BitMEX is an offshore firm and is not regulated by any reputable authority, though this is common among crypto brokers
BitMEX is geared towards more active traders, with fewer tools and features aimed at newbies
The broker was involved in a legal dispute with US regulators which resulted in fines
Withdrawals are only carried out at a specified time of day
Only Bitcoin is accepted for free withdrawals
The exchange has a history of concerning incidents including the collapse of its Earn program and a phishing breach
The 'convenience fee' for using the mobile app seems arbitrary and makes it inefficient to use this feature
There are high fees for some funding methods including a 3.49% fee for card transactions
Some larger coins by market cap are not available to buy through Gemini
There is no practice profile or demo account for prospective traders
Awards
Best Cryptocurrency Exchange 2019 - Markets Choice Awards
BitMEX continues to offer a highly competitive crypto trading environment, with cheap $1 contracts and leverage up to 1:100. The broker’s proprietary platform offers cutting-edge trading features, including a customizable order book, a depth chart and dozens of technical indicators.
Gemini offers a relatively small range of 110+ cryptocurrencies on its exchange, which is anchored by the native Gemini Dollar stablecoin, as well as perpetual swap derivatives. The powerful ActiveTrader platform is optimized for online trading, delivering a wide range of technical indicators and up to 7 time frames.
