Bitfinex vs Coinbase Exchange
Per-trade cost favours Bitfinex (0.2% taker, vs 0.6%). On listing breadth Coinbase Exchange wins (250 assets vs 180). Only Bitfinex offers derivatives (up to 10x leverage). In our editorial rating Coinbase Exchange leads (4.9 vs 3.6). For frequent trading, fees and liquidity matter most; for long-term holding, licences and reserve transparency do — weigh the points above against your usage.
| Bitfinex | Coinbase Exchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | B | S |
| Rating | ★ 3.6 | ★ 4.9 |
| Maker / Taker fee | 0.1% / 0.2% | 0.4% / 0.6% |
| Markets | Spot + Derivatives | Spot |
| Max leverage | 10× | — |
| Supported assets | 180+ | 250+ |
| Trading pairs | 350+ | — |
| 24h volume (as of Jun 15) | $360.24M | — |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes | Yes |
| Deposit methods | bonifico bancario (SEPA via OpenPayd), bonifico internazionale (wire), carta di credito/debito, criptovalute, Tether (USDT) | — |
| Geo restrictions | US, CA, IR, KP, CU, SY, VE | — |
| Staking / Earn | Bitfinex Staking | ETH ~2.5-3.2% APY (cbETH), Solana, Algorand, Cosmos, Tezos. Coinbase prende 25% commissione su staking. USDC yield 4-5% su Coinbase Wallet. |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA, APAC, LATAM · 50+ countries | US, EEA, UK, APAC · 100+ countries |
| Regulator | CNAD (El Salvador), BVI FSC | NYDFS, FCA, BaFin, Central Bank of Ireland, SEC, FinCEN |
| OAM Italy registration | No | Yes |
| Segment | B2C | B2C |
| Regions | EU/EEA, APAC, LATAM | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC |
| Licences & safety | VASP BVI | NY BitLicense + Money Transmitter US + Bank charter Bermuda |
Frequently asked questions
Bitfinex vs Coinbase Exchange: which is better?
Per-trade cost favours Bitfinex (0.2% taker, vs 0.6%). On listing breadth Coinbase Exchange wins (250 assets vs 180). Only Bitfinex offers derivatives (up to 10x leverage). In our editorial rating Coinbase Exchange leads (4.9 vs 3.6). For frequent trading, fees and liquidity matter most; for long-term holding, licences and reserve transparency do — weigh the points above against your usage.
Which is cheaper, Bitfinex or Coinbase Exchange?
On the standard spending profile Coinbase Exchange has the lowest net annual cost: €0 versus — for Bitfinex.
Is Bitfinex custodial or self-custody?
Bitfinex is custodial: funds are held by the platform, while Coinbase Exchange is custodial.