Costs, licensing, consumer protection Privacy, self-custody, censorship resistance

Deribit

Deribit

4.8/5 1.2/5 · Data verified on

Deribit is the benchmark for crypto options, accounting for over 85% of global open interest, with 0.03% taker fees and a strong institutional focus under a Dubai VARA licence. It is not available in the US, is Panama-based and its options-centric complexity makes it unsuitable for beginners.

75
Transparency: High
75/100 · see methodology
75
Data exposure: High
75/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

Maker / Taker fee 0.02% / 0.06%
Markets Derivatives
Max leverage 100×
Supported assets 2+
Trading pairs 80+
24h volume $1.5B
Fiat on-ramp Yes
Deposit methods Crypto deposit (BTC, ETH, USDC, SOL, etc.), Fiat onramp via Legend Trading (wire, SEPA, Faster Payments, PIX, credit card, 41+ currencies)
Geo restrictions US, CA, JP, IR, IQ, KP, PA, PR, GU, VI, AS, SD, SY, WS
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
KYC Full
Supported countries EEA, APAC, LATAM, MENA · 50+ countries
Regulator VARA (Dubai)
OAM Italy registration No
Segment B2C
Past incidents [object Object]
MiCA / License status Crypto Asset Service (Dubai VARA) Registrazione Panama

Strengths

  • #1 crypto options with 85%+ OI global; fee 0,03% taker; institutional leader.
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • No US; complessità options; Panama-based.
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (Registrazione Panama): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.
  • Geographic restrictions (US, CA, JP, IR, IQ, KP, PA, PR, GU, VI, AS, SD, SY, WS).

Verdict

S D ★ 4.8/5 ★ 1.2/5

The S reflects near-total dominance in crypto options — over 85% of global open interest — combined with 0.03% taker fees and a Dubai VARA license with a strong institutional focus. Tempering the score for the average user are the Panama base, the unavailability in the US and an options complexity that makes it unsuitable for beginners, rather than any single incident.

However much it is the market's technical benchmark, Deribit stays custodial and full-KYC: funds are entrusted to the platform and identity is mandatory, far from the trustless ideal. Options leadership is expertise, not sovereignty.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 0.8
Fund control 20% 0.0
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 4.4

Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.

"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.

FAQ

What are Deribit's fees?

On Deribit, spot fees are maker 0.02% / taker 0.06%. They drop with monthly volume and VIP tier.

Is Deribit regulated in Europe?

Regulatory status of Deribit: Registrazione Panama. Licence: Crypto Asset Service (Dubai VARA) (AE).

Does Deribit publish Proof of Reserves?

Deribit publishes Proof of Reserves. No third-party reserve audit is documented. Reserve transparency is a critical factor after the FTX collapse.

Can I send transfers to third-party IBANs from Deribit?

No, Deribit is an exchange and does not allow transfers to third-party IBANs: fiat withdrawals return to a bank account in your own name.

Does Deribit support derivatives and futures?

Deribit offers derivatives trading, with up to 100x leverage.

Sources

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Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jun 14, 2026

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