8 Best Crypto Margin Trading Exchanges Compared (2024)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommended. Read about Affiliate disclosure here.

The best crypto margin trading exchanges:

Top Crypto
Margin
Exchanges
Key Features & Margin
1. Bybit✓ Specialized derivatives trading platform
✓ 100s of trading pairs
✓ Bitcoin Margin Trading
✓ Spot trading margin up to 100x
✓ Derivatives trading margin up to 100x
Trade Now
2. Binance✓ Leading crypto exchange 🌎
✓ Highest liquidity in the market
✓ Trade crypto with leverage
✓ Low transaction fees
✓ Spot trading margin up to 20x
✓ Derivatives trading margin up to 20x
Trade Now
3. Kraken✓ One of the most secure platforms
✓ A good choice for US 🇺🇸 residents
✓ Spot Trading Margin up to 5x
✓ Derivatives Trading Margin up to 5x
Trade Now
4. KuCoin✓ Easy and simple to use 📊
✓ Offers several unique products.
✓ Spot Trading Margin up to 10x
✓ Derivatives Trading Margin up to 100x
Trade Now
5. Bitmex✓ Advance Trading platform
✓ Derivatives Trading Margin up to 100x
Trade Now
6. Phemex✓ Negative Maker fee for derivatives trading
✓ Several promotional bonuses
✓ No KYC
✓ Derivatives Trading Margin up to 100x
Trade Now
7. CEX✓ Exchange registered with FinCEN
✓ One of the oldest exchanges in the market
✓ Spot Trading Margin up to 10x
Trade Now
#1 Choice for Margin Trading
Bybit - Best Margin Trading Platform
The most trusted and widely used crypto trading platform, Bybit. This one offers margin trading, and you can open account instantly. You can leverage up to 100x, and KYC is required only for high withdrawals. The platform offers all advanced tools a trader will require for profitable trading.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Margin trading is the process of borrowing funds for trade. This type of trading is recommended for experienced traders, as you have a high potential of making huge money, and at the same time, you could lose money too. Traders with risk management in place should venture into the margin and Derivative trading.

Note: 10x means 10 times. For example, while placing a 10x margin spot trade a user needs to keep $100 as margin and can place the order worth $1000. Here the exchange will lend $900. This borrowing is not free, as you will be paying an interest rate, so you can’t keep your trade open for ever.

We all know that cryptocurrency markets are the most volatile market in the world. Therefore, one of the best ways to make money in the crypto sphere is by trading cryptocurrencies.

Usually referred to as day trading, it can be highly risky and rewarding at the same time. To make life changing money through trading, a trader needs to be competent and use different trading methods. 

Margin Trading is the riskiest form of trading. If used correctly, this can become the most profitable method of trading as well.

Just for a head start, margin trading is a form of trading in which you trade with borrowed money. To borrow this money, you need to have some collateral. This method of trading with borrowed money is also known as leverage.

For example, if you have $100 and the exchange allows 10x margin on BTC spot trade. Then in this case you can place an order (both long order or short order) up to worth $1,000. This process of trading more than you can actually afford is known as Margin Trading.

In simple words, it is like borrowing money and investing it in cryptocurrencies.

However, a user must know that in case the market moves in a direction opposite to your position, the exchange can force sale these assets and liquidate your holdings.

Note: Margin trading, in general, is highly risky, crypto margin trading is even riskier. So, it is a strict NO for beginners given veteran traders may also incur huge losses in margin trades.

However, if you are good at regular day trading, you can start trying margins for smaller amounts for crypto trading.

Best Margin Trading Crypto Exchanges – Leverage Trading Platforms

Here is a list of best leverage trading crypto platforms:

1. Bybit – Crypto Leverage Trading

Bybit is a specialized platform for derivatives trading. The exchange was established in 2018 and had more than 10 million registered users. 

Bybit deals in a number of perpetual as well as futures contracts. The platform has launched a pilot for spot trading, which should be available to all users in the near future.

They also offer up to $90 as a free joining bonus, which you can use for margin trading. The fee is one of the cheapest, and it is a no KYC exchange. However, to use a third-party service such as fiat trading, a user would need to get his KYC done on the platform.

Bybit has a significant market depth and liquidity. Therefore, it is an outstanding platform for margin trading.

For margin trading, Bybit offers margins of up to 100x. Further, Bybit has its insurance funds which can be used to recover losses in case a trader goes bankrupt. 

Bybit mobile app is something you would use most of the time for trading. The trading engine is blazing fast and is the fastest-growing margin trading crypto exchange. You can learn more about Bybit in my detailed review of Bybit.

Bybit is easier to use, even for new leverage trading traders. Bybit also offers 24*7 customer support (multi-lingual), which is one of the best. Bybit is based out of Singapore and has offices in multiple countries.

2. Binance – Trade Crypto with Leverage

Binance is the world’s best cryptocurrency exchange with maximum liquidity, trading volume, and a number of users. Read our full review on Binance here.

The exchange supports margin trading, which a user can understand and execute in a few simple steps. To use Binance margin trading, you need to complete the identity verification (KYC), and your country should not be on the blacklist of Binance country. Currently, residents of the US cannot use the Margin Trading feature of Binance.

In addition to this, the exchange has a Margin Insurance Fund to save its overall liquidity. In case a trader goes bankrupt during margin trading, and his assets are not sufficient to pay off his debts, then the exchange will repay the trader’s debt from this Insurance Fund.

Margin trading can be used for both short as well as long positions. The exchange allows a margin of up to 10x on spot trading and up to 100x on derivatives trading. 

The interest rate on borrowed amounts changes frequently and can be referred to here. Further, you may pay margin trading interest in the form of BNB (Binance in-house token), which will save you a further 5% on interest.

Further, as an alternative to margin trading, Binance offers Leveraged Tokens. These tokens allow traders to put on short or leveraged positions without having to margin trade. For instance, a trader who wants to 3x short Bitcoin can buy a 3x short Bitcoin leveraged token on Binance.

Leveraged tokens are standard crypto tokens and can be listed on any spot exchange (even those that do not allow margin trading). Further, buying a leveraged token saves an investor from the hassles of maintaining a required margin with the exchange.

3. Kraken – Crypto Leverage Trading for USA Users

Based out of San Francisco, Kraken is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the USA. It is the second-largest exchange (after Coinbase) in terms of trading volume and number of users that caters to the residents of the US. Read detailed Kraken review to learn more about this popular exchange.

Further, despite catering to US residents, Kraken offers a big variety of crypto tokens. Kraken offers margin on the spot as well as derivatives trading. The leverage allowed on these trades is up to 5x.

Currently, the following tokens are supported for Margin Trading on Kraken:

BTCETCXTZDASH
ETHREPLTCTRX
USDTXRPADALINK
XMRBCHEOSUSDC

Kraken has listed eligibility criteria that determine whether a user is available for Margin Trading. You may refer to the same here. Further, the fee structure for margin trading can be referred here.

The trading fee for margin trading is also very reasonable. You can find more information on this here.

4. KuCoin

KuCoin is one of those amazing crypto exchanges which offers a wide variety of services and crypto tokens. Most of the low market cap gems can be found on this platform.

Because of an interactive user interface and high platform liquidity, I could not keep this platform from my best-margin trading crypto exchanges list.

KuCoin offers a margin of up to 10x on spot trading and up to 100x on derivatives trading. Further, like Binance and Bybit, Kucoin also offers a number of Leveraged Tokens, which are a better version of margin trading as they do not face the risk of liquidating assets.

The margin trading interest rate on KuCoin changes frequently and can be referred here.

5. BitMEX

Bitmex Exchange – Crypto Margin Trading

BitMEX facilitates margin trading for cryptocurrencies and has gained quite a lot of respect in the cryptosphere in a rather short period of time.

The team comprises experienced developers, economists, and high-frequency algorithm traders, which makes it a reliable product. The BitMex is not available for U.S.-based customers, however, you can bypass this using any VPN service.

The registration process on BitMEX is simple as you just need your email to get started, plus, you can also secure your funds using the 2-FA authentication feature that BitMEX provides.

At present, BitMEX offers margin trading for 6 cryptocurrencies out of which Bitcoin margin trades are the most famous. Here is the fee, as well as the leverage schedule for all the cryptocurrencies:

COINSLEVERAGEMAKER FEETAKER FEESETTLEMENT FEE
Bitcoin (XBT)100x-0.0250%0.0750%0.0500%
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)20x-0.0500%0.2500%0.0000%
Cardano (ADA)20x-0.0500%0.2500%0.0000%
Ethereum (ETH)50x-0.0500%0.2500%0.0000%
Litecoin (LTC)33.33x-0.0500%0.2500%0.0000%
Ripple (XRP)20x-0.0500%0.2500%0.0000%

6. Phemex – Low KYC Rule with Margin Trading

Phemex Exchange
Phemex Exchange – Crypto Margin Trading

Phemex is one of the newer crypto exchanges on the list. The platform was established in November 2019 in Singapore by an ex- Morgan Stanley employee, Jack.

The exchange has captured a substantial userbase and trading volume within a short span. This is because of the platform’s promotional bonuses and high leverage. Phemex has more than 5 Million users with an average 24-hour trading volume of approx. $8 Billion.

Further, the exchange does not need customer KYC. Users can simply sign up, deposit assets, and start trading on the platform. However, for non-KYC customers, some services, bonuses, and benefits are not available. Please note that Phemex does not cater to US residents.

The exchange offers leverage up to 100x on derivatives trading. Further, the transaction fee for derivatives is 0.075% for Taker and – 0.025% for a Maker. This means that a Maker would receive a trading fee.

You can read more about the Phemex Fees structure here.

7. CEX.io

CEX.io Exchange
CEX.io Exchange – Crypto Margin Trading

Founded in 2013 in London, CEX.io is one of the oldest exchanges in the crypto industry. The exchange is registered with FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network). Due to this, it applies appropriate KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti Money Laundering) procedures.

CEX.io offers more than 100 tokens available in more than 200 token pairs. Further, margin trading is available up to 10 times on these tokens.

The exchange is available in most of the states in the USA. However, margin trading service is not available for US residents.

The exchange charges a trading fee of 0.25% from takers and 0.15% from the makers. This reduces further with an increase in your trading volume.

You can refer to the CEX.io Fees Schedule here.

Should I Margin Trade Crypto?

If you understand how margin works in trading, then you can do margin trading. Margin trading could be highly profitable if done right, and at the same time, one could lose capital fast if done without proper risk management.

Can Bitcoin be bought on margin?

Yes, you can buy Bitcoin on margin. All the above leverage exchanges allow you to buy Bitcoin on margin.

Which is the best exchange to short crypto?

These are the two best exchanges for shorting crypto:

Binance
Bybit

Conclusion: Margin Trading Exchanges

So, this was my list of the Best Crypto Margin Trading exchanges out there. You must understand that although all these exchanges are suitable for trading, they are also a honeypot for hackers to attack.

Further, as these exchanges cater to a huge sum of money, this risk increases manifolds in the case of margin or leveraged trading.

Therefore, even if you simply day trade or margin trade, keeping your money on these exchanges should be done cautiously as it is not safe. The above exchanges provide extra security features such as 2-FA authentication, which you should never forget to use.

I shall reiterate that Margin Trading is a highly risky way of trading, and users should use their discretion.

Now it is time to hear from you: Do you trade cryptocurrencies? Do you indulge in margin trading? Where do you trade or margin trade cryptocurrencies?

Please share this article with your network if you find it useful!

Further suggested readings:

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

8 thoughts on “8 Best Crypto Margin Trading Exchanges Compared (2024)”

  1. Mikey

    Margin trading? What is this?

  2. hassen

    question is, who provides physically settled bitcoin margin trading from the example above? i know bitmex is cash settled, coinfloor is the only one i can tell which provides this facility.

  3. hassen

    where to trade with physical settlement?

    1. Team CoinSutra

      You can do that in OTC trades, a post on it coming soon. Or else you can use LocalBitcoins for smaller amounts.

  4. Jason

    Deribit does not support USA traders

  5. Jon Heymer

    Kraken no longer allows US citizens to use margin. We are SO SCREWED. Everyone else on the planet can make money shorting cryptocurrency but we can only buy long. What a crock of crap!

    1. What are the requirements for U.S. clients to continue margin trading?
      For U.S. clients to be eligible for margin trading on Kraken, they will need to self-certify as an Eligible Contract Participant (ECP) as defined under U.S. law (Section 1a(18) of the Commodity Exchange Act).

      U.S. clients who do not have Intermediate or Pro accounts will first need to get verified to at least the Intermediate level before having the opportunity to self-certify as an ECP. All new U.S. Intermediate or Pro clients and all existing U.S. Intermediate or Pro clients who have not previously traded margin will be asked to self-certify as to their ECP status the first time they do a margin trade. If you have previously self-certified and your ECP status has changed, or if you made an error in the self-certification process, please contact Support.

      Two key ways to qualify as an ECP under this definition are:

      For individual clients — You are required to have more than $10 million in assets invested on a discretionary basis. In general, this means assets (for example, cryptocurrencies, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate investments, cash held for investment purposes) for which you make the decision to trade or invest, as opposed to assets that another person trades or invests on your behalf. The $10 million in assets do not include your personal residence or other assets you own that are not part of your trading or investment portfolio.

      For institutional clients — The institution you represent must have more than $10 million in total assets. This test focuses on gross assets, as opposed to net assets (assets minus liabilities). If you represent an institution, and the institution doesn’t qualify as an ECP under the $10 million in total assets test, your institution may qualify as an ECP under one of the other categories of the ECP definition. Please review the categories and contact Kraken support if the institution you represent qualifies for at least one of them.

      More here; https://support.kraken.com/hc/en-us/articles/360061972272

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to stay updated

Learn Profitable Crypto Trading and receive our free resources to master automated bot 🤖 trading strategies.

(We respect your privacy.)

Coinsutra logo

CoinSutra provides general cryptocurrency and blockchain information for educational purposes only. Content on CoinSutra’s website and social media is not financial, investment, trading, or professional advice. Readers should conduct independent research and consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.

CoinSutra does not recommend or endorse specific cryptocurrencies, projects, platforms, products, exchanges, wallets, or other offerings. Opinions shared by CoinSutra writers are their personal views only and should not be relied upon for financial choices.

CoinSutra writers are not certified financial advisors or brokers. Cryptocurrency activities like purchasing, trading, holding, and selling have inherent risks. Readers should exercise due diligence before participating. CoinSutra and its writers are not responsible for any investment losses from acting on website or social media content. Visitors participate at their own risk.



Scroll to Top
131 Shares