KuCoin scores 6.0/10 on our security pillar. It publishes proof-of-reserves. Sept 2020 hack: ~$280M stolen; ~84% of funds recovered and affected users fully reimbursed via insurance and recovery As with any exchange, holding large amounts long-term is safer in a hardware wallet.

What are KuCoin's fees?

KuCoin's base spot fees are 0.1% maker / 0.1% taker. Withdrawal and fiat on-ramp costs vary — always check the live fee schedule, as fees change. Our data was last verified in October 2026.

Is KuCoin available in my country?

Exited the US market (minimum two years) as part of the 2025 DOJ settlement; not available to US users. EEA residents are served by KuCoin EU under its Austrian MiCA licence (Malta excluded). Availability and products restricted in various other jurisdictions. Availability and specific products change by jurisdiction — verify on the official site before signing up.

KuCoin Review (October 2026) — Fees, Safety & Verdict

The verdict

Best for: Asset choice

Choose KuCoin if…

You trade spot often and want low fees (0.1% taker).
You want an exchange that publishes proof-of-reserves.
You trade derivatives, futures or with margin.

Skip it if…

You're a US-based user — this exchange is not available in the US.
You want heavy regulatory oversight above all else.
You're a complete beginner — its derivatives focus suits more experienced traders.

Proof-of-reservesSpot taker 0.1%~900 assetsKYC required

No link: guilty plea in the US (2025), one licence only

We publish this review without any link to the platform. Not financial advice.

How KuCoin scores

Fees (20%)10.0

Security (25%)6.0

Regulation & Trust (25%)2.5

Assets & Features (15%)10.0

UX & Support (15%)10.0

How we scored KuCoinshow the math ↓

Fees — 10.0/10 × 20%

·Spot taker fee of 0.1% is category-leading (≤0.10%).
·Low maker fee (0.1%) rewards limit orders.

Security — 6.0/10 × 25%

·Publishes proof-of-reserves (+2.5).
·Majority cold storage (+2).
·2FA / hardware-key support (+1.5).
·Third-party audits / bug bounty (+1.5).
·Suffered a fund hack but fully reimbursed users — still a mark against it (−1.5).

Regulation & Trust — 2.5/10 × 25%

·Licensed/registered in a recognised jurisdiction (+2.5).
·Transparent operating entity / HQ disclosed (+1.5).
·Operating 9 years (+1.5).
·Pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed business (−3).

Assets & Features — 10.0/10 × 15%

·~900 assets — very broad (+5).
·8 product features (spot, derivatives, staking, etc.) (+5).

UX & Support — 10.0/10 × 15%

·Multiple fiat on-ramps — easy funding (+2).
·Consumer-grade products (card / app / Web3) (+2).
·Built-in earn/staking (+1).
·Full KYC — compliant onboarding (+1).

Overall = Fees×0.20 + Security×0.25 + Regulation×0.25 + Assets×0.15 + UX×0.15 = 7.1/10 (Good)

Scores come only from verifiable data and this published rubric — never from commissions. Full methodology →

Pros & cons

Pros

Very large selection of altcoins and early listings (~900+ assets)
Low 0.10% base spot fee
Broad feature set including trading bots and earn products
Fully reimbursed users after the 2020 hack

Cons (the real ones)

Pleaded guilty to US charges and exited the US market (2025)
Operated without mandatory KYC for years before Aug 2023
Only one tier-1 licence (MiCA, since late 2025) after years of light oversight
Suffered a major $280M hack in 2020

Fees

Spot maker	0.1%
Spot taker	0.1%
Fiat on-ramps	credit/debit card, p2p, third-party providers (e.g. Banxa)

Fees change often — verified October 2026. Always check the live schedule.

Trading on KuCoin? Every trade can be a taxable event. A crypto-tax tool like Koinly auto-imports your history and generates a compliant tax report. Disclosed affiliate link — we only point to tools we'd actually use.

Security

2FA (TOTP)
cold storage
proof-of-reserves (Merkle tree)
Sept 2020 hack: ~$280M stolen; ~84% of funds recovered and affected users fully reimbursed via insurance and recovery

Regulation & track record

In Jan 2025 KuCoin pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in the US, agreed to pay ~$297M in penalties, and committed to exit the US market for at least two years. Historically operated without mandatory KYC until adopting KYC in Aug 2023. Since then it has rebuilt its licensing: KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH received a MiCA licence from Austria's FMA in November 2025 (covering the EEA except Malta).

Who should NOT use KuCoin

You're a US-based user — this exchange is not available in the US.
You want heavy regulatory oversight above all else.
You're a complete beginner — its derivatives focus suits more experienced traders.

Not trading today?

Whatever exchange you pick, two things matter more than its fees.

Coins you aren't trading are safer in a hardware wallet whose keys only you hold, and every trade can be a taxable event that you'll need to report. These are the two tools we point readers to.

Ledger hardware wallet Koinly crypto tax

Affiliate links · products, not financial services · disclosure

How we make money from this review

KuCoin runs a public affiliate programme. CoinVetted has no partnership with KuCoin and earns nothing from this review — there is no KuCoin link on this site. This never changes KuCoin's score — our rubric is public and ranking follows score order, not commission. See our full disclosure.

No link: guilty plea in the US (2025), one licence onlyCompare all exchanges

Crypto is volatile; you can lose some or all of your money. Not financial advice.

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