Coinbase Exchange vs Kraken
On trading fees Kraken starts ahead: 0.4% taker versus 0.6% for Coinbase Exchange. Only Kraken offers derivatives (up to 50x leverage). Before picking between Coinbase Exchange and Kraken, ask whether you will trade actively or just accumulate: the answer can flip the ranking.
| Coinbase Exchange | Kraken | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | S | S |
| Rating | ★ 4.9 | ★ 4.9 |
| Maker / Taker fee | 0.4% / 0.6% | 0.25% / 0.4% |
| Markets | Spot | Spot + Derivatives |
| Supported assets | 250+ | 250+ |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes | Yes |
| Staking / Earn | ETH ~2.5-3.2% APY (cbETH), Solana, Algorand, Cosmos, Tezos. Coinbase prende 25% commissione su staking. USDC yield 4-5% su Coinbase Wallet. | ETH ~3-3.5% APY, Solana, Polkadot, Kusama, Cardano. Staking reinstated USA gennaio 2025. Kraken Prime per istituzionali. |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full | Full |
| Supported countries | US, EEA, UK, APAC · 100+ countries | US, EEA, UK, APAC · 60+ countries |
| Regulator | NYDFS, FCA, BaFin, Central Bank of Ireland, SEC, FinCEN | FinCEN, FCA, CSSF, MAS, BaFin, AMF, CONSOB, etc. |
| OAM Italy registration | Yes | Yes |
| Segment | B2C | B2C |
| Max leverage | — | 50× |
| Deposit methods | — | SEPA, SWIFT, Bonifico bancario, Carta di credito/debito, FedWire/ACH (USA), Faster Payments (UK), Interac e-Transfer (Canada), PayPal, Deposito crypto |
| Geo restrictions | — | New York (USA), Maine (USA), Washington State (USA), Hawaii (USA, limitato) |
| Regions | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC |
| Licences & safety | NY BitLicense + Money Transmitter US + Bank charter Bermuda | Money Services Business + EMI partner UK |
Frequently asked questions
Coinbase Exchange vs Kraken: which is better?
On trading fees Kraken starts ahead: 0.4% taker versus 0.6% for Coinbase Exchange. Only Kraken offers derivatives (up to 50x leverage). Before picking between Coinbase Exchange and Kraken, ask whether you will trade actively or just accumulate: the answer can flip the ranking.
Which is cheaper, Coinbase Exchange or Kraken?
On the standard spending profile Coinbase Exchange has the lowest net annual cost: €0 versus €0 for Kraken.
Is Coinbase Exchange custodial or self-custody?
Coinbase Exchange is custodial: funds are held by the platform, while Kraken is custodial.