Top 10 Crypto Exchanges in the US: Fees, Safety & Access

Crypto is volatile and you can lose money. This guide is educational and isn’t financial advice.

Disclosure: this page has no affiliate links. See how we review and rank.

The top 10 crypto exchanges for US investors are Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Binance.US, Crypto.com, Robinhood Crypto, OKX US, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Uphold, and Bullish. Every one of them legally serves American customers. That isn’t true of the volume rankings on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, where offshore platforms such as Bybit, Bitget, MEXC and KuCoin crowd the top spots.

Where you live and how often you trade decide the right pick. A New Yorker can’t open a Kraken account, and a Texan can’t use Binance.US. Beginners feel it in their wallets, since tapping “Buy” in a simple app costs several times more than placing a limit order on the same company’s advanced screen. Trading futures or living outside the US? Compare each crypto trading platform in our global ranking.

We checked every fee schedule and state restriction list below against each exchange’s own documentation in September 2026.

Top 10 Crypto Exchanges at a Glance

Rank	Exchange	Best for	Entry spot fee (maker / taker)	Assets	State access
1	Coinbase	Beginners	0.60% / 1.20%	250+	All 50 states
2	Kraken	Active traders	0.40% / 0.80%	650+ globally	All but NY and ME
3	Gemini	New York residents	0.60% / 1.20%	About 100	All 50 states, DC, PR
4	Binance.US	Low fees	0% / 0.02%	200+	Excludes 12+ states, incl. NY and TX
5	Crypto.com	Mobile app	0.25% / 0.50%	400+	All but NY
6	Robinhood Crypto	Stock investors	$0 commission, spread near 0.96%	About 30	Most states, incl. NY
7	OKX US	Altcoins and Web3	0.08% / 0.10% (global schedule)	350+ globally	All but NY
8	Bitstamp by Robinhood	Track record	0.30% / 0.40%	115+	Varies, incl. NY
9	Uphold	Multi-asset swaps	Spread near 2%	250+	Excludes 8 states, incl. NY and CA
10	Bullish	Advanced traders	0% maker	Major assets	20 states at launch, incl. NY

Fees show each platform’s entry tier on its order-book screen as published in September 2026. Instant-buy screens cost more.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Crypto Exchanges

We scored each exchange on 5 weighted factors, and regulation plus security carry half of the total score.

• Regulation and state access (25%): FinCEN Money Services Business (MSB) registration, state money transmitter licenses, and a New York BitLicense where held
• Security and transparency (25%): proof of reserves (PoR), SOC 2 Type II audits, cold storage, and breach history
• Fees (20%): entry-tier maker and taker rates plus the spread hidden in instant buys
• Asset selection (15%): coin count for US accounts, not the global number
• Usability and support (15%): app quality, order types, and support channels

Exchanges that block US users weren’t eligible, regardless of size. Binance’s global platform posted about $7.7 billion in 24-hour spot volume on CoinMarketCap the day we checked. None of that helps you if the signup page turns you away.

The Top 10 Crypto Exchanges Reviewed

1. Coinbase: Best for Beginners

Coinbase is the best starting point for most Americans because it serves all 50 states and files audited reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It has traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker COIN since 2021. Quarterly 10-Q and annual 10-K filings make its finances public, a level of disclosure private exchanges skip.

Cost is the catch. Below $1,000 in monthly volume, Coinbase Advanced charges 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker, so a $1,000 market order costs $12. Rates fall to 0.25% and 0.40% once your 30-day volume passes $10,000. The simple Buy button runs pricier still, adding a spread of roughly 0.50% on top of a transaction fee.

Security took a hit in May 2025. Criminals bribed overseas support contractors to copy data on 69,461 customers, then demanded $20 million, which Coinbase refused to pay. Passwords and private keys stayed safe. The company reimbursed customers tricked by the phishing calls that followed.

• Entry fees: 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker on Coinbase Advanced
• Assets: 250+
• State access: All 50 states
• Watch out for: instant-buy spreads and the 2025 support-data breach

2. Kraken: Best for Active Traders

Kraken is the strongest pick for frequent traders who want a long security record, since it has never lost customer funds to an external hack. Founded in 2011, it runs proof-of-reserves checks that let you verify your own balance. Its banking arm, Kraken Financial, holds a Wyoming Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) charter.

Fees changed on July 9, 2026. Kraken Pro now starts at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker, so older reviews quoting 0.25% and 0.40% are out of date. Holding assets lowers your rate. Keep $20,000 on the platform and you drop to 0.22% maker and 0.38% taker, the same tier as someone trading $10,000 a month. Instant Buy charges a flat 1% plus spread.

Residents of New York and Maine can’t open accounts. For everyone else, Kraken bundles 11,000+ commission-free US stocks and ETFs with its crypto menu.

• Entry fees: 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker on Kraken Pro
• Assets: 650+ globally
• State access: All states except New York and Maine
• Watch out for: the July 2026 fee increase for small accounts

3. Gemini: Best for New York Residents

Gemini is the best choice for security-focused New Yorkers, because it serves all 50 states and operates as a trust company regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). It holds SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 reports. Audited financial statements back up its claim that customer assets are held one-for-one.

Pricing is steep for small accounts. Gemini’s September 1, 2026 ActiveTrader schedule starts at 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker, level with Coinbase. Trade $10,000 a month, or hold $1 million, and those rates fall to 0.40% and 0.80%. The standard app charges up to 1.49% per order plus a spread.

About 100 assets are listed. On April 6, 2026, Gemini closed its UK, European Economic Area and Australian retail accounts, which sharpens its focus on American customers.

• Entry fees: 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker on ActiveTrader
• Assets: About 100
• State access: All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
• Watch out for: high entry-tier fees and a short coin list

4. Binance.US: Best for Low Fees

Binance.US has the lowest trading fees of any US exchange, at 0% maker and 0.02% taker on every spot pair with no volume requirement. A $1,000 market order costs 20 cents. On BNB/USD, the taker rate drops to 0.01%.

Binance.US runs separately from Binance.com through BAM Trading Services, a FinCEN-registered MSB. The SEC’s lawsuit against Binance was dismissed with prejudice in May 2025. Dollar deposits and withdrawals returned in February 2025, ending a long crypto-only stretch.

State coverage is its weak point. At least 12 states are excluded, New York, Texas, Washington and North Carolina among them. Card deposits trigger a 7-day withdrawal hold on the funded amount.

• Entry fees: 0% maker / 0.02% taker
• Assets: 200+
• State access: Excludes at least 12 states, including New York and Texas
• Watch out for: a narrow product set and card-deposit holds

5. Crypto.com: Best Mobile App

Crypto.com is the best pick for mobile-first investors who want a crypto Visa card, and its app works in 49 states. New York is the one state left out.

You’ll find two price lists. The app builds its cost into a spread, while the Crypto.com Exchange starts at 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker below $10,000 in monthly volume, then 0.20% and 0.40% above it. Staking CRO, the platform’s own token, cuts those rates further. An August 2026 snapshot of its global exchange showed 422 spot assets.

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications support its security case. Reserve transparency lags, though, because its last public reserve snapshot dates to December 2022. On-chain staking is blocked in 5 states: New York, California, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

• Entry fees: 0.25% maker / 0.50% taker on the Exchange
• Assets: 400+
• State access: All states except New York
• Watch out for: app spreads and an outdated reserve report

6. Robinhood Crypto: Best for Stock Investors

Robinhood Crypto suits investors who already hold stocks there and want about 30 major coins in the same app. It charges no commission. You pay through the spread instead.

Robinhood discloses that markup to the cent. As of June 15, 2026, it earns $0.95 for every $100 of crypto routed to market makers, so a 0.96% buy spread on a $100 order sends $0.95 to Robinhood. On a $10,000 ether purchase, roughly $95 goes to that markup.

Robinhood Crypto holds a New York BitLicense. Staking is open for ETH, SOL and ADA with as little as $1, but crypto held there isn’t covered by SIPC or the FDIC.

• Entry fees: $0 commission, with a spread near 0.96%
• Assets: About 30
• State access: Most states, including New York
• Watch out for: spreads that widen during volatile markets

7. OKX US: Best for Altcoins and Web3

OKX US is the best option for traders who want a large altcoin menu with a built-in Web3 wallet. Its US company, OKX INC., is a FinCEN-registered MSB (NMLS #1767779). Service covers every state except New York, though 4 territories are excluded: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Before you buy smaller coins, see the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Transparency is a strength here. OKX published its 45th consecutive monthly proof-of-reserves report in July 2026. Its global non-VIP spot schedule starts at 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker, and US accounts see their exact rate in the app before each order.

History deserves weight in your decision. In 2025, OKX pleaded guilty to US anti-money laundering (AML) violations and agreed to pay more than $500 million in penalties. US accounts center on spot trading rather than the leveraged products sold abroad.

• Entry fees: 0.08% maker / 0.10% taker (global schedule)
• Assets: 350+ globally
• State access: All states except New York
• Watch out for: the 2025 AML guilty plea

8. Bitstamp by Robinhood: Best Track Record

Bitstamp is the pick for investors who value longevity over coin count, since it has operated since 2011 and holds a New York BitLicense. Robinhood completed its $200 million purchase of the exchange in June 2025.

Its asset list stays short on purpose, at 115+ vetted coins. Fees start at 0.30% maker and 0.40% taker and fall toward 0% for high-volume accounts. SOC 2 Type II certification backs its security claims, and its last major breach happened in 2015.

Europe remains Bitstamp’s bigger market. US customers get a smaller product lineup, with no derivatives for most users.

• Entry fees: 0.30% maker / 0.40% taker
• Assets: 115+
• State access: Varies by state, New York included
• Watch out for: a limited US product lineup

9. Uphold: Best for Multi-Asset Swaps

Uphold is the best fit for investors who want to swap crypto straight into metals or dollars without learning trading pairs. Its anything-to-anything model treats every asset as a pair, so bitcoin converts to gold in one step. Each quote holds for 18 seconds.

That convenience isn’t cheap. Uphold has no maker-taker tiers, and a $10,000 bitcoin purchase at its 2.05% spread runs about $205. The same order as a maker on Kraken Pro’s entry tier costs $40.

Reserves are published every 30 seconds, which few rivals match. In 2026, Uphold paid $5 million to settle New York Attorney General claims over its promotion of Cred, a failed lending product.

• Entry fees: Spread-based, about 2% on bitcoin
• Assets: 250+ for US users
• State access: Excludes 8 states: California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New York and Wisconsin
• Watch out for: high spreads for active trading

10. Bullish: Best for Advanced Traders

Bullish is built for high-volume and institutional traders who want zero maker fees on a US-regulated order book. The NYSE-listed company (ticker BLSH) won a New York BitLicense in September 2025. US spot trading launched that October in 20 states, New York and California among them.

CoinGecko rates Bullish 9/10 on its Trust Score, with a badge for third-party asset audits. An automated market maker adds liquidity alongside the central limit order book.

Casual buyers will find it bare. Bullish targets institutions and API traders, and its state list is shorter than Coinbase’s.

• Entry fees: 0% maker, low taker fees
• Assets: Major coins only
• State access: 20 states at its October 2025 launch, including New York
• Watch out for: a sparse retail interface

Which Crypto Exchanges Are Available in Your State?

New York residents have the fewest options, because Kraken, Binance.US, Crypto.com, OKX US and Uphold won’t open their accounts. Five picks on this list do serve New York: Coinbase, Gemini, Robinhood Crypto, Bitstamp and Bullish. Each state licenses money transmitters separately, and New York layers its own BitLicense on top. Kraken left the state in 2015 rather than apply for one.

Your state	Exchanges on this list that won’t accept you
New York	Kraken, Binance.US, Crypto.com, OKX US, Uphold
Maine	Kraken, Binance.US
Texas	Binance.US
Washington	Binance.US
North Carolina	Binance.US
California	Uphold
Hawaii	Uphold

Don’t route around a block with a virtual private network (VPN). Exchanges verify your address during Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and freeze accounts whose residency doesn’t match.

Why Aren’t Binance, Bybit, and Bitget on This List?

Because none of them legally serves US customers, they were excluded regardless of trading volume. Binance.com blocks American users and sends them to Binance.US. Bybit restricts the US market entirely, and Bitget isn’t licensed here.

Safety adds a second reason. Bybit lost about $1.5 billion in ether to North Korea-linked hackers in February 2025. Offshore platforms generally don’t issue Form 1099-DA either, but you still owe tax on every trade.

How to Choose the Right Crypto Exchange

To choose a crypto exchange, confirm it serves your state, then compare your real cost per trade before weighing extras like staking or cards.

1. Check your state. Enter your address during signup before depositing a dollar.
2. Price your usual trade. Multiply your typical order by the taker fee, then add any spread.
3. Verify proof of reserves. Look for a recent PoR report or a live reserve page, such as Uphold’s 30-second updates.
4. Match the coin list. Coinbase lists 250+ assets, while Robinhood lists about 30, so confirm your coins are supported.
5. Test withdrawals early. Send $20 or $50 out before moving larger sums, and time how long support takes to answer.

What Does It Cost to Buy $1,000 of Bitcoin?

A $1,000 bitcoin market order costs between $0.20 on Binance.US and about $20.50 on Uphold, depending on the platform and screen you use.

Exchange and screen	Fee or spread	Cost on $1,000
Binance.US	0.02% taker	$0.20
OKX (global schedule)	0.10% taker	$1.00
Crypto.com Exchange	0.50% taker	$5.00
Kraken Pro	0.80% taker	$8.00
Robinhood Crypto	About 0.96% spread	About $9.60
Kraken Instant Buy	1% fee plus spread	$10.00+
Coinbase Advanced	1.20% taker	$12.00
Gemini ActiveTrader	1.20% taker	$12.00
Uphold	About 2.05% spread	About $20.50

Limit orders shrink these numbers. A resting limit order pays the maker rate, which is exactly half the taker rate at the entry tier on Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini. On a $1,000 Kraken Pro order, that’s $4 instead of $8.

Is Your Money Safe on a Crypto Exchange?

No, not in the way a bank deposit is, because no US government program insures the crypto you hold on an exchange. Cash is different. FDIC pass-through insurance can cover dollars an exchange keeps at partner banks, up to $250,000 per depositor, but it never covers bitcoin or other tokens. SIPC coverage excludes crypto too, even at brokerages like Robinhood.

Your real protection comes from each exchange’s controls. Look for 4 signals: SOC 2 Type II audits, recent PoR reports, majority cold storage and a clean breach history. Coinbase, for example, keeps 98% of customer crypto offline. Our hot wallet vs cold wallet guide explains the difference.

Account habits matter as much as the platform. Turn on app-based two-factor authentication (2FA) and whitelist your withdrawal addresses. Long-term holdings belong in a hardware wallet you control.

What Do the 2026 Crypto Rules Mean for US Traders?

Federal market-structure rules remain unsettled, because the Senate blocked the CLARITY Act on September 15, 2026. That procedural vote failed 49 to 50, eleven short of the 60 votes needed, even though the House had passed the bill 294 to 134 in July 2025. The bill would have split crypto oversight between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

For now, state licenses and FinCEN registration remain the main guardrails. Stablecoins do have a federal law, the GENIUS Act, passed in 2025. Market-structure legislation now looks unlikely before 2027.

How Does Form 1099-DA Affect Your Crypto Taxes?

Form 1099-DA sends a record of your crypto sales from US exchanges straight to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The first forms covered 2025 sales and showed gross proceeds only. Starting with 2026 transactions, brokers must report cost basis as well, but only for covered assets bought on or after January 1, 2026 and held at the same exchange until sale. Those forms arrive in early 2027. To estimate your gain after fees, use our crypto profit calculator.

That narrow rule causes headaches. Move bitcoin in from a hardware wallet, sell it, and the exchange may report a $0 cost basis, inflating your apparent gain. Keep your own purchase records and reconcile every 1099-DA against them before you file.

Conclusion

Coinbase is the best all-around choice for most Americans, while Binance.US wins on price in the states it serves. Every other name among these top 10 crypto exchanges fills a narrower need. Kraken rewards active traders outside New York and Maine, and Gemini gives New Yorkers a regulated trust company. Robinhood keeps crypto next to your stocks, while Uphold swaps coins into gold in one tap.

Start by confirming your state. Then price your typical trade before you fund an account, since a 1.20% taker fee and a 0.02% one look very different after 50 orders.

Frequently Asked Questions