Kraken is a leading cryptocurrency exchange with a proprietary trading terminal and a list of 220+ tradeable crypto tokens. Up to 1:5 leverage is available with stable rollover fees on spot crypto trading and up to 1:50 on futures. The exchange also supports crypto staking and has an interactive NFT marketplace.
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.
Bonus Offer
Lower fees when trading volume exceeds $50,000 in 30 days
Fee reduction for BMEX token holders
Comment by Reviewer
"Kraken will suit traders looking for a diverse list of cryptos including Bitcoin and a good security track record."
"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."
Pros
Very good security track record with no hacks in a decade since launch
Excellent range of 220+ more established cryptocurrencies
NFT marketplace and crypto staking available
Great trading platform and mobile app
Low exchange fees on Kraken Pro
50x leverage on futures trading
Low minimum deposit of $10
3D secure required
Mobile investing
Crypto staking
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
Cons
Slow verification process on Pro account
Does not support many newer altcoins
Low leverage on spot trading
Does not accept fiat deposits
Slow verification times
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
Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin
BitMEX Market Maker, BotVS, and via API
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
Yes
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
No
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
JPY
CHF
Cryptocurrency
Kraken is a specialized crypto exchange and supports more than 220 cryptocurrencies. These include all of the established tokens like Bitcoin as well as some altcoins. Traders can make trades on spot crypto markets with up to 1:5 leverage or on futures with up to 1:50. Fees are low and the platform is super easy to pick up.
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.
