This tutorial explores the top Crypto Exchange for Altcoins and explains which altcoins you can trade, the deposit methods you can use, etc. Pick the best Altcoin exchanges of your choice from here:
Cryptocurrency exchanges for altcoins facilitate the instant and/or speculative trading of cryptocurrencies that are considered an alternative to Bitcoin. In most cases, you will find that Altcoin exchanges also support the trading of Bitcoins.
While a huge number of crypto exchanges support the direct buying and trading of Bitcoin with USD and other fiat money as pairs, most do not. In the latter case, you would need to first trade Bitcoin or other popular cryptos like ETH for fiat money and then exchange BTC for altcoins.
Table of Contents:
Crypto Exchange for Altcoins – Review
Otherwise, a good number of exchanges support instant buying of more mainstream altcoins with USD. Therefore, you can either choose to buy them on these exchanges through banks, credit cards, and electronic money transfer methods or Bitcoin and other cryptos deposited in the exchange.
Depending on the exchange, you may need to deposit fiat on the exchange or buy via a third-party on-ramp without needing to deposit.
Most of the exchanges that support (by support we mean listing them for trading) altcoins also allow traders to do speculative or advanced trading of the altcoins using limit and other order types and leveraging technical and fundamental analyses.
This tutorial lists the top Altcoin exchanges through which you can trade altcoins, which altcoins you can trade, the deposit methods you can use, and the steps for trading the altcoins.
Market Trends:
- As shown in the below chart, Ethereum, Tether, BNB, USD Coin, Binance USD, XRP, Cardano, Dogecoin, and Polygon each have a market dominance of 1% and above. All other cryptos plus altcoins have a combined market dominance of 16%.
The above image shows Market cap dominance per crypto for the top ten cryptos.
[image source]
US crypto market growth over time:
[image source]
- As seen in the chart above, the US crypto market will grow at a CAGR of 11.8%. The global crypto market will expand at a CAGR of 12.2% from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD 11.71 billion by 2030.
- As can be seen in the chart below all altcoins and tokens (excluding Bitcoin) have a combined market capitalization of $547 billion.
Coin market cap for all altcoins and tokens excluding Bitcoin:
- There are about 21,000 altcoins combined with tokens — altcoins are taken as cryptos that have a native blockchain of their own while a token is based on a third-party blockchain.
Expert Advice:
- Most crypto exchanges allow you to buy altcoins instantly using a credit card, debit card, bank, and other Internet payment methods like PayPal, and Skrill. You can also trade in one crypto instantly by depositing other cryptos. Best altcoin exchanges also have advanced trading using research, charting, trade analytics tools, and advanced order types for speculative traders.
- Decentralized exchanges rarely support fiat deposits and direct fiat-to-crypto exchanges. You can buy Bitcoin or other top altcoins in other markets and use these to buy the altcoin of your choice.
How to Trade Altcoins
Top 10 coins — Ethereum leads altcoins with an 18.3% dominance in the entire crypto market.
Most centralized exchanges, in general, require the trader to sign up for and verify an account with them to start trading. Trading limits may also depend on verification levels, each of which has certain document requirements to be completed.
You might already know, that centralized exchanges leverage centralized order books and quotes (orders pooled together) stored on centralized order books which match sell and buy orders from clients based on size, price, and time priorities.
Decentralized exchanges do not require you to necessarily sign up to use them, do not custody the traders’ crypto by having a private key (or pair), rely on decentralized order books based on smart contract execution, allow clients to trade with each other on a peer-to-peer basis, and are based on blockchain.
Order execution methods differ vastly, but this is a common point. For instance, while first-generation DEXes make use of order books and depth of order books to determine crypto pricing, more advanced ones utilize liquidity pools to determine to price.
Step #1: Register for and verify an account on a centralized exchange or sync a wallet on a decentralized exchange. The latter case may require creating a crypto wallet with an external wallet provider such as MetaMask.io, MyEtherWallet, etc which supports Ethereum and many altcoins.
Step #2: Deposit fiat or buy instantly with fiat, or buy with other cryptos – most centralized exchanges allow you to deposit fiat via credit and debit cards, bank wire, bank deposit, ACH, and electronic methods. Some, like crypto, are instant or near-instant to deposit or buy with. Others take between one to five days.
Step #3: For instant purchases, you simply need to log in or sync your wallet and connect your credit/debit card or other payment method or connect with a third-party on-ramp, use the buy or deposit feature on the exchange, input amount, and proceed to complete the order or deposit.
If it’s a deposit you can then use instant purchase features on the exchange to do an altcoin trade against the deposited balance or proceed to the platform’s active spot exchange and use market or limit orders to purchase the altcoin.
Most decentralized exchanges do not have fiat on-ramps and hence you can only buy a given altcoin with Bitcoin or other deposited altcoins.
Different exchanges list different altcoins depending on their admission criteria. You might find mainstream altcoins listed across most exchanges, but newly developed altcoins may be lacking on many exchanges.
It is up to you to find which best altcoin exchange supports the particular altcoins you are interested in buying and one of the best places to start is searching that altcoin on CoinMarketCap to see the markets where to trade it and the pairs traded with it.
Different Types of Altcoin Exchanges
The different types of altcoin exchanges are:
- Centralized crypto exchanges: Those that use order books are managed and pooled in a cloud platform.
- Decentralized crypto exchanges: They use smart contracts to perform atomic swaps as a method of exchanging crypto between a user and another or peer-to-peer trades.
- Hybrid crypto exchanges: These combine both centralized and decentralized systems to overcome challenges in one or both types.
List of the Best Altcoin Exchanges
Popular and best exchanges for Altcoins:
- ProBit Global
- KuCoin
- Binance
- Coinbase
- eToro
- Kraken
- Bitstamp
- Crypto.com
- Gemini
- Bitpanda
- FTX US
Comparison Table of Top Cryptocurrency Exchanges for Altcoins
Altcoin platforms/exchanges | Number of cryptos listed | Payment methods | Trading fees | Our ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|
ProBit Global | 800+ | Master Card, Visa, Bank Transfer, Google Pay, Apple Pay | Range of 0.03%-0.20%. | 4.5/5 |
KuCoin | 700+ | Credit and debit cards and Apple Pay, bank transfer, and many other international and local payment methods. | -0.005% and 0.1% depending on trading volume. | 5.0 |
Binance | 130+ cryptos and altcoins. | Credit card, debit card, cash, electronic payment methods | 0.0% to 0.6% depending on trading volume. A 25% discount applies on all cases when paying with BNB. | 4.6/5 |
Coinbase | 3,000+ coins and altcoins | debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal bank account, and wire transfer. | 0% to 0.40% depending on trading volume. | 4.5/5 |
eToro | 50 | PayPal, Visa, debit/credit cards, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, UnionPay, Dinners Club | 1% added to bid-ask spreads | 4.4/5 |
Kraken | More than 185 cryptocurrencies | Swift, Fedwire, Etana Custody, Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN), bank transfer. | Instant buy 0.9% or 1.5% 0% to 0.16% maker and 0.10% to 0.26% taker fees. | 4.4/5 |
Detailed reviews:
#1) ProBit Global
Best for: The mobile app and simplified trading.
ProBit Global is a great platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies online. You can rely on the platform to trade in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over 800 altcoins in more than 1000 markets. Trading on the platform is also very simple as it supports almost all types of payment methods. You also get support in more than 40 different languages.
You are also provided with data-driven insights to help you make smart and informed trading decisions on the platform.
Features:
- Over 800+ Altcoins supported
- More than 1000 markets supported
- Automated trading bots to streaming trading strategies.
- Store-bought coins securely in ProBit’s cold storage wallet.
- Wallet keys along with the personal information of the trader are encrypted.
- Two-factor authentication for secure login.
How to trade altcoins using ProBit Global
- Sign up and create your ProBit account.
- Choose the cryptocurrency you wish to trade and enter the amount.
- Choose the service provider and confirm the transaction on the redirected page.
- Once confirmed, the amount you purchased will be deposited into your ProBit Global wallet.
Pros:
- Quick and hassle-free transaction
- Trading bots
- Mobile app for both Android and iOS.
- Supports more than 40 languages.
Cons:
- The documentation could be more thorough.
Trading Fees: This fee is based on membership level and will range in the realm of 0.03% to 0.20%.
#2) KuCoin
Best for peer-to-peer crypto traders and speculative trading.
One of the top benefits of trading altcoins on KuCoin is its low fees of below 0.10% which means it beats most of all other platforms. The best exchange to buy altcoins, it supports instant crypto trades with credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, bank transfer, and many other international and local payment methods, although some require waiting for 5 days to complete an altcoin trade.
It supports more than 50 fiats for buying and selling crypto either on the proprietary platform or on the peer-to-peer exchange platform (where local payment methods can be used).
Features:
- KuCoin supports the buying and active trading of 700+ altcoins.
- 70+ payment methods.
- Active or advanced altcoin speculative traders can leverage the platform’s advanced research and analytics tools to maximize trading profits.
- Margin trading up to 10x. Supports cross (up to 5x) and isolated margins (up to 10x). Borrow manually or set automated borrowing. Interest sharing of 5% as fees and 10% as the insurance fund. Long and short margined trading.
- Other ecosystem products and services — staking altcoins, swapping altcoins instantly, futures trading (altcoins futures supported), crypto lending, trading bot for active traders, NFT marketplace, and hosted wallet. There also is a savings account, pool mining, cloud mining, crypto listing services,
- VIP trading fees are based on tiers.
How to trade altcoins on KuCoin:
Step #1: Sign up and log in. Verify.
Step #2: Click or tap Buy Crypto. Enter the amount of USD to spend and select the altcoins to purchase. The default on the Buy Crypto feature is Buy so if selling crypto, click the Sell button.
Choose Fast Trade, Third Party, or P2P methods to trade.
Choose Fast Trade for instant purchases with a credit card, debit card, Advcash, AirTM, Payeer, PaySera, TransferWise, Perfect Money, Uphold, Zinli, Skrill, Neteller, and WebMoney.
Select to buy through a Third Party to use platforms like Banxa, Simplex, BTC Direct, and Legend Trading.
Select P2P trading to trade from peers around the world based on their and your preferred payment method and fiat currency. If selling, select the available methods to receive payment.
Step #3: Proceed to buy by clicking or tapping Buy and configure the payment method. You can also start by setting up the payment method from the dashboard after logging in.
Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android.
Pros:
- Diverse investment products/services. Huge variety of altcoins to trade. Supports mainstream as well as newer altcoins since it has an active listing program.
- Very low trading fees also make it the best exchange to buy altcoins.
- Huge variety of deposit methods. Local payment methods are supported.
- Advanced charting and analytics for advanced traders. Includes automated trading and APIs.
- Beginner-friendly.
- Wide range of coins like many other altcoin platforms.
- High margins for active traders.
Cons:
- Not as detailed fewer educational resources.
Exchange and Trading fees: Between -0.005%/0.06% maker/taker and 0.08% maker and taker via the discounted program where fees depend on 30-day traded volume, KCS held in the wallet, whether the altcoin is classified in Class A, B, or C; and where the trading fees must be paid in KCS token.
Non-discounted fee on Level 0 tier accounts is between -0.005%/0.075 maker/taker when you don’t pay with KCS and depending on the 30-day trading volume and whether the altcoin you want to trade is classified as Class A, B, or C.
Deposit and withdrawal fees depend on the method.
#3) Binance
Best for speculative trading, peer-to-peer trading, and diversified crypto investments.
Binance has specific web, iOS, and Android app platforms for US clients — the platform supports trading of 130+ cryptos and altcoins. It lets users instantly buy altcoins with credit and debit cards and electronic payment methods, or do speculative trading using advanced trading research and analytics tools and advanced orders and strategies.
Besides, Binance packs in extra investment opportunities for altcoin buyers and holders. This includes staking and interest-earning savings accounts. Besides, it has over-the-counter trading which is most relevant for trading large volumes. It is rated as one of the best crypto exchanges for altcoins due to its popularity and high liquidity for trading even newer tokens.
Features:
- Instant swapping from one crypto to another.
- Set recurring purchases and investments for those using dollar-cost averaging.
- Limited slippage for larger OTC orders. No fees for OTC.
- Institutional altcoin traders. Higher funding limits for both crypto and fiat, APIs for your customized trading experience, advanced storage security, and lower fees as determined by the customer’s 30-day trading volume.
- 25% trading fee discount for active traders who pay trading fees using BNB tokens. Fees are paid in three tiers.
How to trade altcoins on Binance:
Step #1: Sign up for an account and verify.
Step #2: Choose Buy Crypto from the menu. Select a token to buy, enter the amount, set recurrent purchases if necessary (daily, weekly, 1st, and 15th of the month), preview purchases, select a payment method, and proceed to buy.
You can start by linking your credit card and other payment methods depending on whether you want instant or non-instant clearance.
You can choose P2P from the Buy Crypto button to buy from other users. Here, you can buy select altcoins being offered using local payment methods and fiat currency as per the seller’s needs.
Choosing a third party on the Buy Crypto button lets you buy through third-party platforms that offer extra payment methods that may not be on our proprietary trading platform.
The alternative is to visit the Markets tab to view a list of altcoins and trade them using market orders or other advanced trading orders, leveraging charting, and other speculative trading techniques.
Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android.
Pros:
- Diverse products for altcoins including investment and holding, also make it one of the best crypto exchanges for altcoins.
- Instant and speculative trading. Instant purchases apply to all altcoins.
- Set recurring purchases on your configured payment method.
Cons:
- The US version is more limited in terms of coins listed and product and service offerings.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Free for Tier 0 (BTC pairs). Tier 1 — active traders pay from 0.0% to 0.1% Maker and 0.05% to 0.2% Taker. Tier 2 — active traders pay from 0% to 0.4% Maker and 0.05% to 0.6% Taker.
A 25% discount applies on all cases when paying with BNB.
Deposit and withdrawal fees vary based on the method. ACH is free. A domestic wire is free (withdrawal is $10-15), and a Debit card and Apple Pay is a 3.75% deposit. Crypto deposits also cost varying fees.
#4) Coinbase
Best for institutional crypto traders and investors.
Coinbase lets you trade 3,000+ coins and altcoins including popular and newly launched ones, because it has an active listing program. It takes time to review altcoins based on strict review criteria before listing so you can expect good quality projects, although every buyer must compliment it with their research.
The good thing with Coinbase is you can do more with altcoins bought- you can choose to do speculative trading using the exchange’s advanced trading platform, invest in staking for proof of stake altcoins, or simply choose to hold the token. Also rated as the best crypto exchange for altcoins due to its institutional service and product line offerings.
Features:
- Convert all altcoins and cryptos into USD automatically and spend with Coinbase Visa debit card anywhere at Visa ATMs and merchant stores around the world. It allows you to earn cash-back rewards when you spend crypto to purchase goods and services at merchant stores.
- Institutional products for altcoins – corporates, liquidity providers, private clients, and others can leverage the platform’s advanced trading tools and features to provide services and products to their clients. Other products/services in this category include custody, financing, APIs, data marketplace, research and insights, analytics, and execution services. Coinbase Commerce allows traders to pay for and receive payments for their goods and services in crypto. You can also list a new crypto token for added promotional and other benefits.
- NFTs.
- Hosted wallets. However, you still can connect an external wallet to trade altcoins.
- Instant purchases via debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. It supports other deposit and payment methods such as bank accounts, and wire transfers. Cash out to the bank, debit card, and PayPal (instant).
- Automated recurrent purchases also make it easier to trade altcoins.
How to trade altcoins on Coinbase:
Step #1: Sign up and verify your account. Sign in.
Step #2: Click or tap the Buy/Sell or Buy buttons. Enter an amount, select the payment method, preview trade, and proceed to buy. You can also start by configuring the payment method for deposit or purchase before using the Buy or Sell buttons.
Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android.
Pros:
- Buy altcoins for as little as $2 or 2 in other local currencies.
- Hosted wallets mean you don’t need other external ones unless, for instance, you want to sync hardware wallets for additional security/safety.
- High liquidity for active traders including for newer tokens.
- Advanced speculative trading tools.
- Additional products for altcoin holders.
Cons:
- Custodial wallets mean you have no full control of the private key to the crypto.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Taker fee of between 0.05% and 0.6% depending on 30-day trading volumes. Makers pay between 0.00% to 0.40%. Trading and exchanging offers for Coinbase One customers.
Instant purchases depend on payment method — ACH is free, Wire is $10, Swift is free, and SEPA is 0.15 Euro. Miner fee applies.
#5) eToro
Best for altcoin copy trading.
eToro lets customers trade over 40 financial instruments among them cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency CFDs. It supports about 50 altcoins including coins, crypto crosses (crypto-crypto pairs), and (crypto-fiat pairs). Its copy trading feature makes it one of the best altcoin exchanges to use for beginners and advanced traders alike.
Features:
- Staking service for some altcoins like Cardano, Tron, and Ethereum.
- Buy crypto using a variety of deposit and payment methods — PayPal, Visa, debit/credit cards, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, UnionPay, Dinners Club, etc.
- Latest crypto news, insights, and commentaries from experts.
- Risk management orders and other advanced trading tools like analyses, charging, etc.
- Demo trading.
- Use crypto CFDs to benefit from crypto price movements through advanced speculative trading without owning the real crypto. In addition to other assets makes it one of the best altcoin exchanges.
- Crypto crosses and crypto-fiat crosses trade the same way in forex markets.
- Instant purchases and speculative trading with the market and other order types.
- $50,000 per transaction limit. Overall daily limit of $200,000.
How to buy altcoins on eToro:
Step #1: Register for an account at eToro. Verify by submitting the required documents.
Step #2: Deposit funds using your preferred payment method.
Step #3: Click or tap Markets or Trade and choose Cryptocurrencies. Select crypto to trade and proceed to purchase with the deposited balance.
Platforms Supported: Web, iOS, Android, desktop.
Pros:
- Copy trades by following expert traders to maximize profitability chances. This is suitable for beginner traders.
- Free deposit for USD purchases.
- Diversified investment and trading assets.
- Crypto trading education.
- Easily convert crypto to USD for spending with an eToro Money Visa debit card.
- 2:1 or x2 leverage on trades.
Cons:
- Limited cryptos for trading and investing in.
Trading Fees: 1% added to bid-ask spreads. 0.1% for crypto-to-crypto conversions where the minimum limit is $20 and the maximum is $200,000. Deposit fees apply based on the deposit method.
#6) Kraken
Best for a low fee, margined, futures trading.
Kraken is one of the top altcoin exchanges because it lists more than 185 cryptocurrencies and has an active listing program, which means you can get newer tokens to trade. Not only does it support instant buying and selling, but traders can also leverage its advanced trading platform, research, and charting tools for altcoin speculative trading.
The platform is also rated as one of the top altcoin exchanges because it also packs in extra investment or passive earning methods for 12+ altcoins including staking (earning up to 21% APY on some tokens).
The exchange is renowned for low fees and spreads, offers margin trading, and customers can connect external platforms using APIs to do advanced and custom trading.
Features:
- 5x margins for active traders. 50x for crypto futures trading.
- 50+ margined futures contract trading. Altcoins supported. Use a variety of coins as collateral without having to move funds around.
- OTC for large trades and institutional traders. Also custom futures and spot crypto trading for such clients.
- Extra investment and trading products including indices, futures, staking, etc
- Wide variety of deposit methods — Swift, Fedwire, Etana Custody, Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN), and bank transfer. Up to 5 business days processing time. Corporate funding options.
- Account management.
- Crypto bank and custody platform.
- NFT marketplace.
Platforms Supported: Web, Android, and iOS.
Pros:
- Lower than industrial average fees.
- A diverse range of investment and trading products.
- Proof of reserves audits.
- Educational resources and guides.
- Futures demo account.
- Advanced charting, analytics tools, and orders for advanced speculative trading.
- Good customer service.
Cons:
- No demo account for spot trading.
- Limited funding methods.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Instant buy 0.9% for buying stablecoins with USD; 1.5% fee for buying other cryptos using stablecoins; Plus 0.5% to 3.75% + 0.25c for the payment method depending on the payment method.
Fees on active trading are based on the user’s 30-day trading volume — 0% to 0.16% maker and 0.10% to 0.26% taker fees. For stablecoins, this costs between 0% to 0.20% maker and 0% to 0.20% taker fee depending on 30-day trading volumes.
Margin trading is a 0.015% opening fee for fiat currencies, 0.020% opening fee for COMP crypto, and 0.02% opening fee for other cryptos. Rollover fee of 0.02% per 4 hours for all cases.
#7) Bitstamp
Best for crypto trading-as-a-service for brokers and institutions.
Bitstamp lets you trade 78 crypto assets and packs in additional products/services such as staking, instant and direct cash out to the bank, etc. The platform also provides advanced trading features including charting, advanced order type, and APIs for those who would like to deploy algorithmic strategies. However, it is also suitable for beginner traders.
Features:
- Instant purchases via credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. ACH for instant deposits in the US.
- Cash-out crypto directly to your bank account makes it rated as the best crypto exchange for altcoins.
- Institutional products and offers — trade execution, deep order books, and APIs. These are suitable for neo banks, banks, aggregators, prop traders, family offices, hedge funds, and fintech.
- Earn staking rewards on held crypto.
- Instant buying as well as advanced speculative trading.
- Tradeview integration for advanced charting and analyses.
- Use Bitstamp-as-a-service to power the trading of your customers.
Platforms Supported: Desktop, Android, iOS, web app.
Pros:
- Institutional grade custody with insurance. BitGo stores 95% of crypto assets in cold storage.
- Nasdaq-built execution for speed and reliability in all market conditions.
- Complaints resolution procedure.
- Educational resources.
- Post-trade settlement.
- Tried and tested since 2011.
- Low fees.
Cons:
- Only Ethereum and Algo are supported for staking.
- Limited educational resources.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Varies depending on your 30-day trading volume. 0% maker and taker fees for a 30-day trading volume of less than $1,000. The fee will then range between 0.0% maker and 0.05% taker for a 30-day volume of over $1 billion and 0.30% (maker) or 0.40% (taker) for a 30-day volume above $10,000.
The staking fee is 15% for Ethereum 2 and Algo.
#8) Crypto.com
Best for high-volume staking and trading combined.
Crypto.com supports 1,000+ cryptocurrencies and altcoins for trading. In addition to instant buying, it supports advanced speculative trading. The platform also has an aggressive staking program, making it one of the best exchanges for altcoins, especially for high-volume traders and stakers.
Besides, one can benefit heavily from its Crypto.com Visa Card to get up to 5% cash back on purchases with crypto and instantly convert crypto to cash for spending at any Visa merchant store and outlet globally.
Features:
- Staking service that rewards up to 14.5% on staked crypto assets. Supports 40+ altcoins and tokens for staking. Crypto.com Visa card comes in four tiers with different staking rewards and trading fee discounts. Tier 1 requires at least $400 CRO staking value and offers 1% staking rewards; tier 2 $4,000 CRO and 2% rewards; tier 3 $40,000 for 3% CRO rewards; tier 4 $400,000 for 5% staking rewards. Stablecoin staking supported.
- Crypto credit/loan on altcoins and tokens as collateral. Avoid selling crypto Up to 50% of the crypto is used as collateral for a loan. Also makes it one of the best exchanges for altcoins.
- Buy crypto using 20+ fiat currencies through credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, etc.
- Pay and get paid for goods and services using crypto. Merchants receive proceeds in a bank account.
- Watch lists, yield farming on DeFi tokens or altcoins, NFT marketplace, collections, etc.
- Derivatives trading.
Platforms Supported: Web, mobile (iOS and Android).
Pros:
- FDI-insured USD balances up to $250,000 — against theft.
- Crypto is stored in cold storage. The platform also has a bug bounty program.
- Multi-factor authentication, biometric, private key locally encrypted.
- Non-custodial DeFi wallet is available.
- Many ways to earn rewards.
Cons:
- Limited educational resources.
- Customer service is not responsive.
Exchange and Trading fees: 0.04% to 0.4% maker fees; 0.1% to 0.4% taker fees depending on 30-day trading volume and amount of CRO held (which determines account tier); plus deposit and withdrawal charge e.g. 2.99% for a credit card.
#9) Gemini
Best for regulated crypto trading, custody, and clearance.
Gemini Exchange is one of the most preferred exchanges where to buy altcoins in the United States since it is regulated and trusted there. It allows you to trade over 100 cryptocurrencies and altcoins, stablecoins, SPL tokens, and ERC tokens.
ActiveTrader is a professional trading tool customized for advanced traders, but it is still possible to buy altcoins automatically on Gemini using credit cards, debit cards, and other electronic methods.
The exchange also allows users to stake cryptos for interest although only a handful of tokens and cryptos are supported. It also has a savings account that pays up to 8.05% depending on which crypto you hold. Gemini Custody and Clearing are more targeted to institutional clients.
Features:
- Custody has $200 million of insurance coverage for certain losses. Those using it access dedicated account representatives and support, same-day trading liquidity on the exchange, and flexible pricing.
- Instant Gemini Clearance service makes it a great choice for institutions looking for exchanges where to buy altcoins.
- Other institutional client services include Prime brokerage services for asset managers, hedge funds, trading firms, market makers, corporations, family offices, and wealth managers.
- Counter-party settlement platform.
- APIs.
Pros:
- Available in all US states.
- Insured for certain losses.
- Diverse cryptos supported.
Cons:
- High and multiple types of fees.
Platforms Supported: Web, iOS, and Android.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Instant buying depends on a deposit or transfer method. It is free for all cryptos, ACH, and wire, but a Debit card is 3.49% of the amount and PayPal is 2.5%.
ActiveTrader fees depend on 30-day trading volume: 0.03% to 0.40% taker; 0% to 0.20% maker.
Mobile and web order fee: $2.99 to $0.99 depending on the amount of order. 1.49% of value for a value of over $200,000 on the web.
Stablecoin fee at all levels: 0% maker and 0.01% taker.
API fees depend on 30-day trading volume: 0.03% to 0.40% taker; 0% to 0.20% maker.
Custody fee schedule: 0.4% or $30 per month per asset whichever is higher. $125 administrative fee.
Connectivity fees, market data fees, etc.
#10) Bitpanda
Best for crypto ETFs, crypto index funds, stocks, and other forms of trading.
Bitpanda provides crypto as part of other products for trading – crypto index funds, ETFs, stocks, and commodities like gold and silver.
This then makes it the best place to buy altcoins for diversified traders also interested in ETFs and index funds. It also features a branded Visa card for rewards or cash back after spending crypto to purchase goods and services with it. It makes it easy to spend your altcoins.
Unfortunately, Bitpanda is not excellent for advanced crypto trading because there are no advanced charts to do or market data to leverage. It also charges a fee on some crypto deposit amounts, yet most platforms offer free deposits. Bitpanda also limits usage and is not available for US clients.
Features:
- Crypto listing services make it the best exchange for altcoins for developers and companies that want to promote their newer projects.
- Institutional and retail client products and services include insured custody, automation management of cryptos, etc.
- APIs for clients who want to better their trading experience with third-party tools. Banks, fintech, etc can use the APIs.
- Crypto news and information on investing and trading. Bitpanda Academy is a place to learn how to invest and trade crypto.
- Instant swaps, instant purchases with
- Crypto index. Invest in many crypto assets in small slices and diversify. It auto-invests as per your criteria.
- Savings plan.
- Crypto trackers or ETCs also make it rank as the best exchange for altcoins.
- OTC trading, low fees, multi-currency funding, cold wallet storage, and pro-mobile trading on Pro accounts are tailored for institutional investors.
- Deposit using SEPA bank transfer, credit card, debit card, Skrill, iDEAL, EPS, GiroPay, Neteller, Zimpler, Bitpanda To Go vouchers, and many more.
- Fixed 24-hour limit for Neteller and Skrill at 10,000 Eur, and 60,000 Eur for Papara. Credit card and iDEAL deposit 24-hour limit are 2,500 Eur, and bank transfer 24-hour limit is 49,999 Eur.
Platforms Supported: Web, Android, and iOS.
Pros:
- Invest in many other assets in addition to crypto.
- Earn from your crypto holdings. Invest in indices.
- Variety of payment and withdrawal methods.
- Visa crypto spending cards with cash-back rewards are a plus.
- Low fees.
Cons:
- Limited crypto range available. About 53.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Buying and selling – 1.49% fixed plus payment method costs.
#11) FTX US
Best for Active crypto trading and NFTs.
FTX.US which was bought by Binance in 2022 – provides crypto buying, active crypto trading, NFTs, and stocks trading services. Traders can buy crypto instantly using credit cards, as well as crypto.
Other deposit methods include wire transfer, ACH, and Silvergate Exchange Network. It provides advanced order types and an advanced trading platform for active traders.
Features:
- Earn staking rewards on crypto holdings.
- About 20 crypto-supported.
- Branded FTX Vida debit card to ease spending at merchant stores and ATMs. Offers automatic conversions.
- Pay or get paid in crypto for goods and services via the platform’s Pay service. Can place a widget on app/website/store. Customize receiving crypto as payment.
- NFT marketplace.
- Account tiers with different limits — Unverified accounts cannot trade or deposit. Tier 1 has a limit of $10,000/day on crypto and fiat deposits and a $300,000 lifetime while Tier 2 offers full access for US individuals. US corporate also gets full access to tier 2 accounts as any other person and corporate. ACH deposits are capped at $500 for level 1 accounts for any rolling 10-day period and a maximum of $2,999 single, limited deposit. Level 2 has a $30,000 limit for a 10-day rolling period and a $20,000 single deposit limit. Level 2 users can deposit a $5,000 per week limit but for new users is $2,000.
- VIP program with lower fees of 0.4% taker for VIP 1, 0.025% taker for VIP2, and 0% maker fee.
Platforms Supported: Mobile iOS and Android app, web app.
Pros:
- Lesser fee for VIP accounts.
- Advanced trading tools and support.
- Staking rewards and other products/services.
- Branded Visa debit card is a plus.
Cons:
- Fewer crypto is supported than on most altcoin exchanges.
Exchange and Trading Fees: Maker fee ranges from 0% to 0.10% and taker fee ranges from 0.05% to 0.40% depending on 30-day trading volume. 1% on deposits and withdrawals capped at a maximum of $35 and a minimum of $5.
$0.5 is a standard fee for ACH transfers but is waived for first-time deposits or other conditions such as over $100 amounts or if the customer has not deposited for the last week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best exchange for Altcoins?
The altcoin exchanges list is very long but Coinbase, Binance, KuCoin, eToro, Kraken, Crypto.com, Bitpanda, Gemini, Bitstamp, and FTX are some of the best crypto exchanges to consider whenever you want to purchase altcoins.
These exchanges support quite a huge number of altcoins so you will find hundreds of them to buy and actively trade. They also support diverse deposit and payment methods and most have instant buying options for altcoins for US traders.
What exchanges sell Altcoins?
There are thousands of crypto exchanges on which you will find altcoins being traded instantly or actively using speculative techniques. These exchanges include Coinbase, eToro, Bitpanda, Binance, KuCoin, etc.
You can decide on the best altcoin exchanges to buy and trade based on criteria such as trading fees, and spreads, though some may ask if it is altcoins-exchange legit or not.
How do I buy altcoins?
Here are the steps:
Step #1: Decide the altcoin to buy (based on your investment and purchase goal), decide on allocation, and research the exchanges on which to trade the altcoin (based on availability, deposit, and payment method, trading techniques for speculative traders, pricing, cost or fees, purchase method, time or delay, etc).
Step #2: Deposit fiat or other cryptos on the exchange. Deposited crypto may depend on the pairs against which you can trade your select altcoins although most exchanges allow swapping one crypto for another as many times as you like.
Step #3: Buy instantly using the instant buy feature of the exchange or visit the exchange’s active market feature and place a market or limit order. This may depend on the availability of trading pairs against the altcoins.
The crypto should appear in your wallet as a balance.
Which exchange has the most Altcoins?
Kraken, KuCoin, Binance, and Coinbase lead in terms of the number of cryptocurrency altcoins supported on a trading exchange. They support trading of Ethereum and most of the altcoins built on the Ethereum blockchain. The four also list altcoins based on other major blockchains like Polygon, Cardano, and Solana.
Conclusion
This tutorial on Altcoin Exchanges discussed top exchanges on which to trade altcoins and how altcoin trading works. These platforms can be sorted based on the trading fees, with the majority charging between 0.1% and 0.5% depending on the account tier.
The top ones based on fees include KuCoin, Kraken, Binance, and Bitstamp, with Bitstamp offering free trades or 0% maker and taker fees for a 30-day trading volume of less than $1,000.
These, together with Binance, Crypto.com, and Coinbase offer aggressive fee cuts for very high trading volumes, plus there are VIP accounts or products tailored for institutional clients.
Most exchanges allow for instant trading with credit and debit cards. Additionally, the best ones may offer additional investment products like staking and interest-earning savings accounts.
Otherwise, you can choose altcoin exchanges based on deposit methods available and altcoins supported for trading. Active traders doing speculative trading may need those that offer advanced charting, research, and analytical tools.
Research Process:
- Altcoin Exchanges Listed for Review: 30
- Altcoin Exchanges Reviewed: 10