Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.

Best broker for cryptocurrency


For some people, cryptocurrencies are the savior of the economy. This is because these can give the perks that not all banks or other financial institutions can provide.

Free forex bonuses


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.

Therefore, it is still safe to use the cryptocurrencies but in addition to fiat currencies.


Top cryptocurrency brokers for 2021


We found 11 online brokers that are appropriate for trading cryptocurrency.


Best cryptocurrency brokers guide


Best Cryptocurrency brokers for 2021


Are you interested in investing in cryptocurrency?


If the answer to this is a yes, then you will need to find the right cryptocurrencies brokers whocan accommodate you with the best facilities to trade on the cryptocurrency markets.


Before proceeding, lets cover the real definition of cryptocurrency.


Defining cryptocurrencies


In short, cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies.


These currencies are reliant on cryptography to ensure the security and verification of each digital transaction.


Cryptography can control the number of units and prevent the change of code of the cryptocurrency unless some conditions are met.


The important characteristics of the cryptocurrencies


For some people, cryptocurrencies are the savior of the economy. This is because these can give the perks that not all banks or other financial institutions can provide.


Here are the unique characteristics of the cryptocurrencies which you cannot find in the conventional means of transactions.


No third party involved


There will not be third parties like financial institutions, governments, or any other third party organizations which govern the transactions between you and your recipients, and vice versa.


There is no third party that will intervene in your transaction. And it is a win-win solution with the P2P or peer to peer network. You can send cryptocurrencies through the P2P network and the other users will also be able to do the same for you.


Cryptocurrencies have more transparency


The problem with the conventional transactions is that one can ask for a refund and this will procure such unfortunate things to only one party.


As an example if your buyer has sent you a payment and you have delivered the goods but before the goods reach their destination, your buyer reverses the transaction your result could be that you will not receive the money you are owed and your buyer may have lead you.


You can avoid this issue with the cryptocurrencies transactions as these transactions are irreversible.


Not a single party can alter your transactions and this is why it can offer you more transparent transactions than the conventional fiat currencies.


Decentralized


There is no centralized place to transact at all so you can eliminate the high rates of fees when transferring money.


The cryptocurrency is maintained through the ledger technology called the blockchain. The blockchain prevents all other entities from tarnishing the data. Not a single person can alter the system so that your transactions will be safe and sound. We will discuss blockchain next.


Blockchain definition


Blockchain is bitcoin technology comes in the list of recorded data blocks, which are gathered by cryptography.


The recorded data in the blockchain is referred to as ledger. When there is a new data exchange, usually a transaction, a new block is added to the ledger or the blockchain.


In summary, the blockchain or ledger contains important information.


Cryptocurrency brokers


The era of virtual coin is upon us and is paving a golden path for traders. When trading cryptocurrency it is important to trade through reputable cryptocurrency brokers.


We list some notable cryptocurrency brokers below:


Etoro - being one of the top-rated cryptocurrency brokers it offers several currencies including ethereum, ripple, bitcoin and dash.


XTB - XTB too has a good name among traders and offers a wide range of such virtual currencies including litcoin, ethereum and bitcoin. It is placed as one of the top 5 cryptocurrency brokers in the industry.


Plus500 - it offers crypto throughout the day and night with good leverage for the most popular currencies like litecoin, ripple, neo, ethereum and bitcoin.


What is cryptocurrency?


Cryptocurrency is a virtual coin and is traded on cryptocurrency exchanges through cryptocurrency brokers.


Lately, cryptocurrency has continued to gain popularity. This has opened up lots of new trading tools and ways to trade including contracts for difference (CFD). They earn from the difference between the cost of an asset at the present time and what value it could become in the future.


Cryptocurrency wallets


Similar to other wallets this too facilitates storing, sending and receiving the currency. We explain the three types of cryptocurrency wallet below:


The hardware wallet


The hardware wallet is the most secure crypto wallet as all the data is stored offline. A few of the good examples are trezor, keepkey and ledger nano S.


The paper wallet


A paper cryptocurrency wallet is popular and it is secure. However, it is not as convenient as the hardware wallet.


The software wallet


The software wallet is the most conveniant among the three and can be managed from a desktop or mobile phone device. Some of the cryptocurrency wallets of note are exodus, jaxx and electrum.


Cryptocurrency exchanges


A cryptocurrency exchange is a place where buyers and sellers meet for the purpose of buying, selling or trading the virtual coins with the help of couple of cryptocurrency brokers.


Binance exchange is the most famous cryptocurrency exchange in the world and it offers crypto to crypto trading.


Combase is popular too and it offers trading on 100s and 1,000s of virtual currencies like litecoin, ethereum classic and bitcoin.


Localbitcoins, on the other hand, offers over-the- counter trading of virtual coins. Traders can post a currency for sale on its websites mentioning the rate and payment methods.


ICO and token


Abbreviated for initial coin offering the ICO is a kind of fundraising for a start-up. It is done by selling underlying tokens against ethereum or bitcoin.


ICO is similar to IPO in which traders buy company shares. Investors take an entry at early stage of the project and so are capable of making a profit with the success of the company.


However, one basic difference between the two is that any person from any place in the world can take part in the ICO.


Token meanwhile is a kind of cryptocurrency too but represents a specific asset. It is sometimes used as loyalty points that can be redeemed against discounts. It can also represent something uncommon like one token is 5 bitcoins.


The cryptocurrency mining


Just a little different with the fiat currencies, the cryptocurrencies are usually mined by miners. So, there is a phrase to describe the activity as the cryptocurrency mining.


To define it, it is a process in which the miners use powerful resources, in this case computers and adequate hardware to solve mathematical problems. These complicated problems need to be solved in order to attain the rewards.


To make it more challenging, these mathematical problems have cryptographic hash functions which are linked to the block which contains the information of the transaction.


These mathematical problems are tempted to solve with multiple miners.


So, when figuring out solutions for the problems, miners are competing with other cryptocurrency miners. It is about winning and losing. The winners will get small amounts of cryptocurrency.


The reward comes from the transaction fees the users pay. At least that is how major cryptocurrencies conduct and the other factor which also gives the rewards to the miner is the release of new cryptocurrency.


Cryptocurrency wallet


The cryptocurrency wallet is a digital wallet which the users use to deposit, store, hold, send, and receive digital currency or cryptocurrency.


Do not mistake it with concepts like paypal, payza, or various other digital currency systems. The crypto wallets do not serve as the storage of the cryptocurrency. The wallets only store the information in the form of public and private keys.


Meanwhile, the crypto itself is inside the blockchain. The users do not necessarily store their cryptocurrencies in their wallet. In summary, the cryptocurrencies wallet stores the important information which you can use to access your crypto assets.


Cryptocurrency exchange


When you have the cryptocurrencies assets, you may want to sell it to other users or, you could want to trade the cryptocurrencies. Here is where you will need to use a cryptocurrency exchange.


The cryptocurrency exchange is a platform which allows the users to buy, sell, or trade the cryptocurrencies.


Some exchanges only provide crypto-to-crypto trades, but some also allow the crossover currencies so that you can trade from crypto to fiat or fiat to crypto.


There are many cryptocurrencies exchanges that you can find on the internet. Some of them offer the trades for common cryptos such as BTC, ETH, BNB, USDT, and so on. But some also offer more wider array of currencies exchange.


Cryptocurrency brokers verdict


In current times, it is not exaggerating to say that cryptocurrency is the most volatile asset class that you can find.


It is due to the fact that it comes with the high speculative market not to mention that it currently disrupts the conventional economy so that many established players don�t see it to have inherent value.


Therefore, it is still safe to use the cryptocurrencies but in addition to fiat currencies.


We've collected thousands of datapoints and written a guide to help you find the best cryptocurrency brokers for you. We hope this guide helps you find a reputable broker that matches what you need. We list the what we think are the best cryptocurrency brokers below. You can go straight to the broker list here.


Reputable cryptocurrency brokers checklist


There are a number of important factors to consider when picking an online cryptocurrency trading brokerage.



  • Check your cryptocurrency broker has a history of at least 2 years.

  • Check your cryptocurrency broker has a reasonable sized customer support of at least 15.

  • Does the cryptocurrency broker fall under regulation from a jurisdiction that can hold a broker responsible for its misgivings; or at best play an arbitration role in case of bigger disputes.

  • Check your cryptocurrency broker has the ability to get deposits and withdrawals processed within 2 to 3 days. This is important when withdrawing funds.

  • Does your cryptocurrency broker have an international presence in multiple countries. This includes local seminar presentations and training.

  • Make sure your cryptocurrency can hire people from various locations in the world who can better communicate in your local language.



Our team have listed brokers that match your criteria for you below. All brokerage data has been summarised into a comparison table. Scroll down.


Our brokerage comparison table below allows you to compare the below features for brokers offering cryptocurrency brokers.


We compare these features to make it easier for you to make a more informed choice.



  • Minimum deposit to open an account.

  • Available funding methods for the below cryptocurrency brokers.

  • What you are able to trade with each brokerage.

  • Trading platforms offered by these brokers.

  • Spread type (if applicable) for each brokerage.

  • Customer support levels offered.

  • We show if each brokerage offers micro, standard, VIP and islamic accounts.



Top 15 cryptocurrency brokers of 2021 compared


Here are the top cryptocurrency brokers.


Compare cryptocurrency brokers min deposits, regulation, headquarters, benefits, funding methods and fees side by side.


All brokers below are cryptocurrency brokers. Learn more about what they offer below.


You can scroll left and right on the comparison table below to see more cryptocurrency brokers that accept cryptocurrency clients



Top 5 best cryptocurrency brokers reviews 2021


Cryptocurrency is an internet-based currency, which is used for exchanges on the internet. It doesn’t have any physical assets. This currency follows the cryptographical functions to complete the financial transactions. Bitcoin, litecoin, ripple, etherium, dogecoin, coinye are the most useable cryptocurrencies in the market.


So, which are cryptocurrency broker?


Simply, people say which brokers are providing cryptocurrency assets trading access to their clients those are cryptocurrency broker. There are no brokers available in the market who have only opened their services for crypto assets. But some of the popular brokers are there providing cryptocurrency trading assets for their clients. So, it is not possible to say which are best in the market. There are some techniques available to choose your broker. Etoro, XTB, plus 500, city index, easy markets, avatrade, marketscom these brokers are popular in the market. Those brokers are providing crypto assets for trading in the market.


There are some tips for choosing your cryptocurrency broker. Follow these steps for choosing a good broker.



  • Check the broker history of at least 3 years. Including financial transactions, client’s satisfaction.

  • Before opening accounts try to test their customer support services.

  • Check their regulation cases, is there any fall under the regulations?

  • Check their deposit and withdrawals options and transaction time. Try to get the broker who is completing the transaction within a fewer time.

  • Minimum deposit and fees when withdraw or deposit.

  • Trading platforms of the broker, it’s the most important part when choosing the broker.

  • Check the account types, most reputable brokers use micro, standard and VIP accounts for their customers.



You have to choose the broker which will be suitable for you.



Best cryptocurrency brokers to trade with in 2021



Cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds.
You should consider whether you understand how cfds work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.


The cryptocurrency market is more live than ever. If we want to get on the right track right from the beginning, we need to choose our crypto broker carefully. Every broker offering crypto trading is not the same. If a broker meets the requirements of one particular client, it does not mean that it will also meet yours. There are several aspects to think about when choosing your cryptocurrency broker.


How to go about choosing the best crypto broker


Regulation and reputation


To avoid being scammed or treated unprofessionally you should trade solely with regulated brokers. Only brokers that are regulated in your jurisdiction can legally offer services to you, such companies are under constant supervision of the regulatory body. There are 2 major financial regulators in europe; the cysec and FCA. A broker that is regulated by one european regulator has the right to provide cross-border services to other members of the european economic area.


A broker that is, for example, regulated in cyprus by the cysec provides the same investor protection even for a trader from the UK, germany, netherlands or any other EEA country member.


In australia and south africa, the most prominent financial regulators are the ASIC and FSCA, respectively.


Cryptocurrencies we want to trade


Before you open your trading account at a brokerage company, you have to first to find out whether the broker you are considering offers all the cryptocurrencies you want to trade. Bitcoin, ethereum, and litecoin can be traded almost everywhere. Less popular cryptocurrencies like IOTA, monero, zcash, and others might, however, not be available on every trading platform. In case you want to trade them at any point, keep this in mind and make sure it will be possible.


Leverage – multiplying your capital


Cryptocurrencies are volatile in their very nature, but if you want to trade with bigger capital than you have you can take advantage of leverage. All brokers that are regulated in the EU follow ESMA laws and offer leverage 2:1. Remember, however, that leverage does not only multiply your earnings but also your losses, should your prediction be incorrect.


Negative balance protection – necessity


You probably do not want to trade with a broker that does not include negative balance protection in the package. The negative balance protection feature ensures you never lose more money than you invest. All users that trade with a broker that is e.G. Licensed by the cysec regulator are protected against negative balance.


Appropriate capital according to your possibilities


How much do you plan to trade with? Does your crypto broker offer to trade with a small starting capital? If not, is it an obstacle for you? Or do you plan to trade in big in order to make that big money? Decide for yourself before you choose your cryptocurrency broker.


Fees – as low as possible

Let's face it, no one really likes them, but they are always there. Yes, we are talking about fees. We know that brokers have to finance their operation somehow, but the lower the fees are, the better. In general, most cryptocurrency brokers we know charge your account with a spread (i.E the difference between the ask and bid price) and with an overnight fee. It is quite hard to determine which broker has the lowest fees as they are not fixed and they tend to change according to the current market conditions. They are also quite different for bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies, so while one broker might have very competitive spreads on bitcoin, they might charge high spreads on stellar, or other altcoins. For that reason, the best practice is to open a demo with a reputable company to see what spreads a broker charge in real-time on cryptocurrencies you want to trade.


Overnight fees

While the spread is plausibly the most substantial fee you will have to face when trading, you should also know how big is the overnight fee charged by your broker. The overnight fee is deducted from your balance if you stay in a position overnight. This expense should be monitored especially by traders who want to hold on to their cryptocurrencies for a while.


Trading platform

To beat their competition, the world's leading cryptocurrency brokers try to attract clients to an intuitive trading environment suitable for both experienced and inexperienced traders. Almost all brokers include in their offer technical analysis tools and basic risk management features like a stop loss or take profit. Most companies do not, however, limit their offer only to the mentioned necessities and also offer price alerts, advanced educational centres or perhaps even a social trading network. Here are a few special features that one of the top european and australian crypto providers have to offer.


Broker special features special features
etoro allows you to follow and copy other traders 30 crypto pairs
XTB MT4 & xstation 5 comprehensive educational centre
plus500 price alerts (via an email or SMS), beginner friendly trading platform trailing stop
IQ option an award-winning in-house built platform, online chat with other traders crypto digest videos (twice a week)
capital.Com A wide range of crypto crosses pairs



Etoro


Plus500


IQ option


Roinvesting


The best crypto broker – FAQ


�� what is the best cryptocurrency broker?


To answer what is the best cryptocurrency broker, we would have to know your needs and preferences. Having said that, you should look for a broker that is regulated in your country, has competitive fees and features cryptocurrencies you want to trade.


Regulation


If you are based in europe, you should look for a broker that is regulated in at least one european country. The most common financial regulator in europe is the cysec which is headquartered in cyprus. If you are based in australia, look for the ASIC regulation (A regulatory body that oversees the financial market in australia). If you are based in the US look for the CFTC regulation.


The number one fee when trading with a CFD broker featuring cryptocurrency trading is going to be the spread. Visit a broker that you look and check their website to see what spreads they charge. You can find this info either directly on their trading platform or on a page that is dedicated to the broker’s fees.


Tradable cryptocurrencies


Each broker features different assets. The most common ones usually have all brokers, but if you are looking to trade some less popular altcoins, make sure your broker offers them.


�� can I try cryptocurrency trading risk-free?


Yes, you with most cryptocurrency brokers you can open a free demo account on which you can trade with play money. No initial deposit required.


⭐ what cryptocurrencies can I trade with cryptocurrency brokers?


It depends on what crypto broker you choose. Nearly all cryptocurrency brokers feature bitcoin, ethereum and ripple, but only some allow trading other-less popular coins. In this article, you could find all cryptocurrencies that some of the best crypto broker feature.


Conclusion – the best crypto broker


It would be easy to point a finger and say this is the best crypto broker for you to choose. We, however, know that each client has different preferences so while one trader might want a trading platform with the lowest spreads to day trade cryptocurrencies, the other might rather appreciate a copy trading system to follow the world’s most successful investors. The brokers featured in this article are one of the most popular regulated cryptocurrency brokers out there, the decision what is the best crypto broker for YOU is, however, in your hands.



  • Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.


- 3# crypto chart patterns for day trading
- the best hodling techniques
- how to short any cryptocurrency like a pro


And much more can be found in our crypto section.


2 comments


Avatar


Hi michael. I’m retired and simply want to augment my pension with some of the crypto gravy. I have no idea where to start, I only now trade some stocks.
I’m getting some ads with amazing sounding promotions. Brokers that promote a 90% win robot, then when you sign up, a broker – usually from london – calls to see if they can help you trade. I want hands off till I learn. Is there anyone licensed you trust that can provide trading for me. I’ll send in some funds, and they can manage it and take a small cut. Is there a good brokerage out there?


Hello ian,
I bet there are many people who would love to trade with your funds, but be very careful. From my experience, 99% of robots do not work and the people behind them are simply scammers. That being said, you have two options if you want to get in cryptocurrencies. You can either learn how to trade on your own (the better option) or you can use a copy-trading system. Etoro has probably one of the most sophisticated copy-trading systems out there, so that could be your pick. Once you log-into to their platform, find a trader who trades cryptocurrencies and has stable performance. After that, you can start copying his/hers trades (this is done automatically). Best of luck ian!


PS: all brokers that are featured on this page are regulated either by the british financial conduct authority or by the cysec in cyprus.


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Disclaimer/disclosure


All information on this website represent subjective views of the authors and they are solely informational. We do not give investment advice. The operator of the website or the authors of the articles do not bear any responsibility for any decisions that visitors may make after reading articles .Published on the tradingbeasts website. When you trade binary options or cfds products you are exposed to a high risk of loss. We review and rate companies offering trading platforms for binary options and cfds. We do our best to warn people about scams and promote only companies we personally consider to be very good. From some of these companies, we may receive compensation. In order for you to use this website in any manner, please read our disclaimer/disclosure page and privacy policy


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Best bitcoin brokers 2021


Steven Hatzakis


The forexbrokers.Com annual forex broker review (five years running) is the most cited in the industry. With over 50,000 words of research across the site, we spend hundreds of hours testing forex brokers each year. How we test.


Now over twelve years old, bitcoin continues to grow and mature as an alternative asset. After peaking at over $18,000 per coin in late 2017, bitcoin retreated in price, then surged back to claim record price highs above $28,000 in late december 2020. As of publishing, the total value of all bitcoin is nearly $500 billion.


This guide explains what bitcoin is, how to buy bitcoin, and summarizes the best cryptocurrency brokers to trade bitcoin cfds.


What is bitcoin?


Bitcoin is a form of public internet money or electronic cash, known as cryptocurrency. It was first launched on january 3rd, 2009 after its design was published in a white paper. Bitcoin’s supply is limited, and every bitcoin comes into existence through mining, where anyone from the public can verify transactions to help secure the network.


Thanks to its use of blockchain technology, all transactions are public. Furthermore, bitcoin is highly-resistant to any form of censorship, and forged transactions are impossible.


Best bitcoin brokers for 2021


Based on over 105 different variables, here are the best forex brokers to buy cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin.



  • Etoro - best overall for crypto trading

  • Swissquote - trusted global brand, diverse offering

  • IG - excellent offering, most trusted

  • City index - great all-round offering

  • Avatrade - multiple trading platform options

  • XTB - best customer service, great platform

  • HYCM - over 60 crypto cfds offered



eToro logo


Best overall for crypto trading - visit site


Etoro is excellent for cryptocurrency trading and copy trading and is our top pick for both categories in 2021. Furthermore, etoro offers a user-friendly web platform and mobile app that is great for casual investors, including beginners. (75% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review



Trusted global brand, diverse offering


Traders willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a swiss bank choose swissquote for its competitive, multi-asset offering. Swissquote's cryptocurrency trading and wallet service are available from its etrading account, but is segmented away from its forex and CFD trading offering. (79% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


IG logo


Excellent offering, most trusted - visit site


IG is the ultimate forex broker, finishing 1st overall in our 2021 ranking. Alongside finishing third for platforms & tools and second for research, IG finished best in class (top 7) for cryptocurrency trading, offering of investments (19,000+ tradeable instruments), commissions & fees, education, mobile trading, and professional trading. (75% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


City Index logo


Great all-round offering - visit site


Backed by GAIN capital, city index is a trusted brand that traders choose for its advanced trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, education, and extensive range of markets. (73% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


AvaTrade logo


Multiple trading platform options - visit site


Avatrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering traders an extensive selection of trading platform options. Our testing found avatrade to be great for copy trading, competitive for mobile, mostly in line with the industry average for pricing and research, and a winner for investor education. (73% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


XTB logo


Best customer service, great platform - visit site


As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers traders outstanding customer service and an excellent trading experience overall thanks to the xstation 5 trading platform. 25 cryptocurrencies are offered. (82% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


HYCM logo


Over 60 crypto cfds offered - visit site


While its storied history is impressive, when it comes to trading forex and cfds across its global brands, HYCM fails to impress. Effective spreads are high across all account options, and research and education are sub-par. That said, HYCM offers over sixty cryptocurrency CFD pairs. (71% of retail investor accounts lose money) read full review


How do you buy bitcoin?


There are three primary ways to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like bitcoin:


  1. 1. Buy bitcoin (the underlying asset) - the most common way to buy bitcoin is to buy physical bitcoin from an online bitcoin exchange such as etoro. Your bitcoin is then held and secured in a digital wallet provided by the broker.

  2. 2. Buy a bitcoin CFD (contract for difference) - another popular way to trade bitcoin is to use cfds. With a CFD, you do not own the underlying bitcoin. Instead, you are betting on the direction that bitcoin’s price will go, either up or down, and profiting when you are right.

  3. 3. Buy an exchange-traded note (ETN) - while far less common and not available in many countries, exchange-traded notes (etns) are very slowly growing in popularity. Etns are similar to exchange traded funds (etfs), meaning they trade like stocks on a formal stock exchange. Like etfs, etns aim to mirror the price of the underlying asset they track. For more on bitcoin etns, including pros and cons, see this guide from xena exchange and this guide from ETF.Com.



How much does it cost to trade bitcoin?


Fees for buying bitcoin can become quite high across many websites and un-regulated exchanges, which is why we only suggest using a regulated broker. While fees may vary to buy bitcoin, the costs will consist of any per-trade commission, along with the difference between the bid/ask price, known as the spread.


The fees to trade bitcoin generally start at anywhere from 0.002% to as much as 2% of the trade value, depending on where you trade and the trade size.


Brokers that charge a commission will usually have lower spreads, while commission-free brokers will have higher spreads to make up for the difference. For example, if you buy $25,000 worth of a bitcoin CFD, with a spread of $50, that would be commission equivalent 0.002% of the trade value. In other words, whether via spread or commission, bitcoin involves trading costs.


What does a bitcoin broker do?


Bitcoin brokers enable you to buy or sell cryptocurrency. Without a broker, you cannot safely trade cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. To avoid scams, using a trusted broker is crucial when you are trading bitcoin.


What is the best forex broker to trade bitcoin?


For bitcoin CFD trading, including the ability to go long or short, we recommend forex brokers such as IG or city index due to their competitive pricing. Conversely, traders who wish to purchase the underlying physical bitcoin will find that etoro is a great option, followed by swissquote bank.


Which forex broker offers the most cryptocurrencies to trade?


Our research found that etoro offers the most cryptocurrency pairs to trade. With etoro, investors can buy and sell bitcoin (underlying asset), trade crypto cfds, and even copy trade other investors. Behind etoro, other crypto brokers that offer dozens of cryptocurrency cfds to choose from include XTB and HYCM.


Which crypto exchange is the safest?


Among brokers offering bitcoin underlying, swissquote, regulated as a swiss bank, is the safest broker. Founded in 1996, swissquote is publicly-traded (SIX: SQN) and regulated in four tier-1 jurisdictions. Behind swissquote, IG is another safe broker for bitcoin trading. While not a regulated swiss bank, IG is publicly traded (LON: IGG) and regulated in six tier-1 jurisdictions.


How much is one bitcoin worth?


Powered by blockchain technology, the price of one bitcoin reached a new all-time high above $28,000 in december 2020. The price gains were mostly attributed to new institutional investors entering the market and buying bitcoin.


I first wrote about cryptocurrencies in 2013 when bitcoin was still a novelty. Yet, as I’m writing this, the combined market cap of cryptocurrencies is over $600 billion, with bitcoin accounting for over 70%. According to data from coinmarketcap, the price of bitcoin fluctuates widely across various trading venues.


Is buying bitcoin risky?


Despite the potential for large gains, buying bitcoin remains risky. The main risk is significant volatility (price swings). For example, if you buy bitcoin and the price drops by a lot, it can create a substantial loss of your money. Adding any leverage (trading with borrowed money) will only further increase the risk when buying bitcoin.


Also, bitcoin remains a complex financial product. Many investors have lost money by losing their private keys, whether through exchange hacks or not securing them properly in self-hosted wallets. Using a regulated, reputable broker is essential for safely trading bitcoin.


How do I know if a crypto broker is regulated?


To avoid scams, you should only use regulated bitcoin brokers. To verify a broker's regulatory status, first, determine the broker's legal name and country, then find the appropriate regulator website to look them up. For example, a broker in the UK must be authorized and regulated by the financial conduct authority (FCA). Here on forexbrokers.Com, we track, rate, and rank brokers across 20 international regulators.


How do you sell bitcoin short?


To speculate that bitcoin's price will fall, you must open a forex brokerage account with a broker that offers bitcoin cfds. Using a contract for difference (CFD), you can open a sell order (bet the price will go down) and then place your trade. To make a profit, the price of bitcoin must fall. If bitcoin rises in price, you will lose money.


If cfds are not available, using a futures or options contract can be an alternative way to bet against bitcoin. However, bitcoin futures and options are very complex instruments, not widely available, and should only be traded by professionals.


Should I buy physical bitcoin or use cfds to trade bitcoin?


If you are a long-term cryptocurrency investor, buying the underlying physical bitcoin is the safest and lowest-cost way to invest in bitcoin. For more active, short term trading, contracts for difference (cfds) can be suitable. Just remember, cfds are not ideal for holding long-term positions (months or years) because the financing charges add up.


Is trading cryptocurrency legal?


In some jurisdictions, cryptocurrency is banned or illegal to purchase, trade, or own. Meanwhile, in other countries, it is perfectly legal. For example, in the united states (US) and united kingdom (UK), it is legal to buy cryptocurrency from regulated brokers. However, cfds are illegal to trade in both countries. The UK ban on bitcoin cfds went into effect on january 6th, 2021.


How do you safely store bitcoin?


If you do not want to keep your bitcoin with your online broker, you need to store it safely. To secure your bitcoin, you must choose a hot (online) or cold self-hosted (offline) wallet.


Personally, for a hot wallet (online, internet-connected), I use blockchain.Com, which provides a mobile and web-based version. For cold storage, I use ledger, a hardware device that allows you to keep the bitcoin private key offline (including creating a backup recovery phrase in written format).


Do I need a broker to buy bitcoin?


Yes, always use a regulated bitcoin broker to buy bitcoin. Using a regulated broker, you will protect yourself from scams, and your bitcoin will be secure. To avoid scams, never buy bitcoin from someone directly on a third-party website or marketplace.


Summary


Here's a summary of the best forex brokers for crypto trading.


best forex brokers for crypto trading


Read next


Methodology


For our 2021 forex broker review we assessed, rated, and ranked 27 international forex brokers. Each broker was graded on 108 different variables and, in total, over 50,000 words of research were produced.


While encouraged, broker participation was optional. Each broker had the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile and provide executive time (live in person or over the web) for an annual update meeting.


All data submitted by brokers is hand-checked for accuracy. Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.


Forex risk disclaimer


"there is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses." learn more.


About the author: steven hatzakis steven hatzakis is the global director of research for forexbrokers.Com. Steven previously served as an editor for finance magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.


Trading cfds, FX, and cryptocurrencies involve a high degree of risk. All providers have a percentage of retail investor accounts that lose money when trading cfds with their company. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and whether you understand how cfds, FX, and cryptocurrencies work. All data was obtained from a published website as of 12/14/2020 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The forexbrokers.Com staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the link at the bottom of this page.


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IG - 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.


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Top 10 online cryptocurrency trading brokers


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  • Award winning CFD broker

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Easymarkets was formed by bankers and forex experts and has been serving the forex market for 16 years, with transparent pricing, fixed spreads and no commissions on deposits or withdrawals.



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Risk warning: users should be aware that all investment markets carry inherent risks, and past performance does not assure future results. Trading of any kind is a high-risk activity, and you could lose more than you initially deposited. Cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds. Please be sure you thoroughly understand the risks involved and do not invest money you cannot afford to lose. Your capital is at risk. Advertiser disclosure: topbrokers.Trade is an independent professional comparison site funded by referral fees. The compensation topbrokers.Trade receives is derived from the companies and advertisements featured on the site. Due to this compensation, we can provide our users with a free comparison tool. Unfortunately we are unable to list every broker or exchange available, however, we do our best to review as many as possible.



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Pepperstone has won numerous industry awards for innovation and excellence in CFD brokerage. Pepperstone is an australian-based online ECN forex broker with some of the industries lowest spreads.



Easymarkets was formed by bankers and forex experts and has been serving the forex market for 16 years, with transparent pricing, fixed spreads and no commissions on deposits or withdrawals.


The Beginner


How to get started in cryptocurrency trading


As the trade volumes are reaching billions of dollars a day and the market caps are hitting tens of billions of dollars, it is no wonder that cryptocurrencies fuel the modern day gold rush. Today is an age of digital currencies, with hundreds of cryptocurrencies birthed within the decade. There are already more than a thousand cryptocurrencies in the market, and almost daily a new initial coin offering (ICO) appears.


What is cryptocurrency?


Today, the most famous cryptocurrency is bitcoin. Its inventor attempted to build a “peer-to-peer electronic cash system”. Many have tried this system many times before. However, the main difference between bitcoin and the previous efforts, like digicash, was that it was to be entirely decentralized. Since no overarching entity is controlling the currency, the notion of “trust” would be eliminated from the system.


To combat “double spending”, the major problem in all the digital cash systems at that point, satoshi nakamoto, bitcoin’s inventor, proposed the blockchain technology. The blockchain technology is a revolutionary technology that records all the transactions made with this currency.


For any single balance, transaction, or change to the network to take place, there needs to be a consensus amongst those who validate the network – the miners. Since the invention of bitcoin, many programmers have attempted to use the model and change it to provide what they consider a more functional form of digital cash.


The other kinds of cryptocurrencies include monero, new economy movement, litecoin, and ether. Many of these cryptocurrency efforts tailor their currency for an individual and particular purpose. Some of the most common purposes are speed, privacy, and price.


What are cryptocurrencies used for?


Since cryptocurrency is such a new technology, it may be that people have not used it yet for its eventual use. Still, today people utilize it for many various purposes. These purposes include, but aren’t limited to the following: trading, remittances, payment for goods and services, investment, gambling, private monetary transactions, and as a hedge against national currencies which are suffering from rapid devaluation (greece, venezuela for example).


As the whole cryptocurrency space begins to expand, it’s likely that we will see some additional applications joining the list of purposes for the crypto currency. There are already young services such as steemit, which aims to revolutionize the way people pay for content on social media, in addition to services like musicoin which attempts to find a more equitable way to pay artists without the need for a middleman.


What is the difference between bitcoin and ethereum?


All cryptocurrencies have their own characteristics. However, recently one coin has come to challenge bitcoin more than ever before. Ethereum is the new player on the market. The reasons that it is a challenge to bitcoin are easy to understand.


Ethereum emerged as an effort to try to correct some of the main criticisms made towards bitcoin – especially regarding security.


What ethereum has accomplished to do was to provide transactions that are safer, more flexible contracts that are compatible with any wallet, with short block times for negotiating (where the confirmations are easier). Also, ethereum is available more than bitcoin. Whereas more than two-thirds of bitcoin has already been mined, access to ethereum is still widely available. Another main difference between these two cryptocurrencies is that ethereum allows for different developers to raise funds for their projects. It can, therefore, be in itself a kickstarter for some projects.


One of the main advantages to ethereum is that it’s a more secure, easy to use, flexible, and transact coin. In addition to this advantage, it has brought innovations in terms of entrepreneurship and investment. And this is posing a serious challenge to bitcoin’s market cap.


What is the difference between a cryptocurrency exchange and a cryptocurrency broker?


You can invest in cryptocurrency in two ways. First, cryptocurrency can be bought and sold at a cryptocurrency exchange and stored in a digital wallet. The second method would be to invest in crypto as a CFD with regulated cryptocurrency brokers. With CFD cryptocurrency trading, the digital currency is treated as a speculative investment and traded as a contract for difference (or CFD), through brokers.


Platforms that allow traders to buy and sell cryptocurrencies are cryptocurrency exchanges. Dues to the fact that it is a very recent – and booming – market, the majority of these platforms are relatively new. But, of course, one of the essential questions that people ask is how to know if a particular platform is safe or not.


The only way that you can find out is to check if the exchange provides transparent data of the coins that are in cold storage. What this means is, whether it has the reserves that it requires to provide liquidity to its activities. You can find check this easily by checking whether an exchange is regulated or not.


Trade cryptocurrency online using CFD services


If you are interested in trading because of the opportunity to profit from the incredible volatility of cryptocurrency, your best option is to use an online trading platform that allows CFD services. Currently, there are very few CFD platforms that allow this kind of trade, so to see available options refer to our recommendations above.


CFD brokers are a great option if you want to trade cryptocurrencies with the option to accept multiple forms of payment. If you want to buy cryptocurrency with paypal, you can, and these forums also accept major credit cards and wire transfers as well. Furthermore, if you choose to trade through a forex or CFD platform, you will pay the lowest commissions possible. That is in comparison to other investment alternatives. CFD and forex companies use an exchange rate that is an aggregate of different crypto exchanges.


Trading cryptocurrencies – getting started with cfds (contracts for differences)


Cryptocurrency cfds allow you to trade digital coins without actually owning any. Crypto cfds were generated to give traders exposure to the cryptocurrency market without the need for ownership.


Contracts for differences, also known as “cfds,” represent a contract between trader and exchange. Cfds declare that the difference between the price on entry and the price on exit will be a trader’s profit or loss. Basically, cfds are an agreement held between two parties that simulate an actual asset.


How to make money trading crypto


There are several ways to make money cryptocurrency trading. The most popular is trading bitcoin against the US dollar, known in market terms as the BTC/USD pair. The first method is to find a top cryptocurrency broker and to invest in a digital currency in the same way that you would do with a physical currency – by buying low and selling high. Since cryptocurrency is highly volatile, you should be able to identify the dip with studying and market research.


Read on to learn how to find the best cryptocurrency brokers. Be sure to review the platforms we suggest above, all are fully-registered and come highly recommended. For additional information regarding trading cryptocurrency as a CFD, check out our guide on “the basics of cfds“. It’s important that you remember that leverage works both ways and it will magnify the gains and losses.


How to Choose the Best Cryptocurrency Brokers


How to choose the best cryptocurrency trading broker online


Because there’s so much competition in the market as well as having countless cryptocurrency brokers to choose from, it can be difficult to know which option will be best for you. Here are a few key points we suggest keeping in mind when deciding how to best invest:


Regulation


Each country has its own regulatory body. The regulatory body develops rules, services and programs to protect the integrity of the market. The regulators protect traders, and investors as well as the cryptocurrency brokers themselves. Their main obligation is to help members meet regulatory responsibilities. Due to potential safety concerns regarding deposit, you should exclusively open accounts with regulated firms.


Customer service


Cryptocurrency trading takes place 24 hrs a day, so customer support should be available at all times. Ideally, you will want to speak with a live support person rather than a time-consuming auto-attendant. Give a call to the customer service centre to get an idea of the type of customer service provided. Check on wait times and find out the representative’s ability to answer questions regarding spreads and leverage, trade volume, and company details.


Account types


Your ideal cryptocurrency trading broker should be able to offer either multiple account options or an element of customizability. Look for cryptocurrency brokers that offer competitive spreads and easy deposits/withdrawals.


Currency pairs


Cryptocurrency brokers can provide a selection of cryptocurrency pairs. However, it is most important is that they provide the variety of pairs that interest you. While there are many digital currencies available for trading, there are only a few get the majority of the attention, and as the result, trade with the highest liquidity.


Platform type


The trading platform is the investor’s portal to the markets. With that in mind, look for a platform that’s easy to use, straightforward and offers an advanced collection of analytical and technical and tools. These features will help to enhance your trading experience.


Here at topbrokers.Trade, we take pride in providing the best possible trading brokers comparison, reviews and ratings. These reviews enable you to select the best trading platform for your needs. We don’t just help you to pick a great place to trade, but also do everything that we can, to show you how to get started. For more information on cryptocurrencies, please see our tutorial: the basics of cryptocurrency



The pioneer of social trading is now offering an exclusive opportunity for investors who want exposure to the most popular cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, dash, ethereum and more. Trade crypto 24/7 at etoro with no rollover fees!



Best bitcoin brokers – list of top BTC trading sites 2020


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.
Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.
Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.
Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.


Compare the best bitcoin trading platforms to find out which ones offer the features you are looking for. Check out the broker features in our top menu to get filtered broker lists.


*metatrader:
metatrader 5 is the most popular trading app for android and ios. It can be used to trade on a lot of major exchanges. There are even brokers without their own trading engine who only use metatrader as their trading platform. Overall metatader has a pretty good reputation, especially for beginners it works well. Super pros might see some downsides, but for a beginners it’s anyway a useful tool to stay trading online even when you are on the go.


How to choose the right BTC broker platform?


BTC Brokers
Trading bitcoin is a great way to make some extra cash or to enhance the amount of bitcoins you own, if you manage to trade overall profitably. Buy low, sell high and then reinvest the gained cash for an even bigger amount of bitcoins at a point when the price has decreased again.


But how to choose the right trading platform? There are many and more solutions to choose from around the internet. Traders can look for certain features that can help the decision which platform suits best their needs.


Bitcoin trading platforms are those sites where users can take advantage of to the changes in the cryptocurrency prices to make profits. This works either by directly buying bitcoins or through certificates which value is linked to the digital currency (CFD trading).


Types of trading platforms


Two most significant differences between crypto brokers


Not all cryptocurrency brokers are created equal, actually all of them are more or less different. As a rule of thumb, you will be able to pick from CFD based exchange, or a platform on which you will be trading an underlying asset (actually buying or selling bitcoin or another cryptocurrency).


CFD crypto brokers

By deciding to trade on a CFD platform, you are not buying the asset itself but only speculate on the price difference. A CFD is a contract between you and the broker, which comes with some significant advantages. First of all, by using CFD, you will be able to hold both long or short positions, enabling you to benefit from every price change.


What is more, cfds allow you to use leverage, which can significantly boost your return on investment or magnify losses. The most common type of CFD are perpetual contracts, as we find on bitmex, primebit, primexbt, bybit, duedex and a range of other BTC brokers.


The majority of those CFD crypto brokers operate on bitcoin deposits. So even if in the trading instrument of your choice BTC is not involved, the margin of your trade will be taken from your BTC deposit. Think of this as collateral that will back every transaction you are performing on a given platform, instead of a fit currency deposit.


For example, if you decide to go long on BTCUSD, part of your deposit will be used to facilitate the trade. After closing it, the difference in price will be added or taken out of your initial deposit. The majority of the CFD-based exchanges will also allow you to trade different altcoins (against BTC or USD), always based on the same BTC deposit.


Couple of such brokers also allow certain altcoin deposits, mainly ether, tether or litecoin. And few even allow fiat money deposits, such as simplefx or bitfinex. In order to be allowed to make fiat deposits you always need to verify your account first (by photo ID and maybe some other documents).


Cryptocurrency exchanges

In contrast to CFD brokers, on cryptocurrency exchanges the given assets are exchanged “physically”, if this is a word that can be used at all in the case of cryptocurrency. For example, if you want to trade USD against bitcoin, you will have to deposit USD, and by entering a trade (purchasing BTC), you will become an owner of the asset.


So cryptocurrency exchanges are large marketplaces (e.G. Kraken, coinbase, etc) where you can buy BTC, for example, to make a deposit on a CFD broker platform like bitmex, primexbt etc.


While most of that type of exchange focus their operations around the ability to trade different fiat currencies against bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies, some also offer bitcoin against altcoin trades. In many of them, for a trade to be executed, you need to own and deposit bitcoin, and pick a trading pair. But again there are platforms accepting fiat deposits as well, e.G. Binance or bitfinex.


Anonymity


personal information
As bitcoin is a pseudo-anonymous digital currency by nature, it is common that users prefer to keep their profile low and do not want to share any personal details on the internet. Pseudo-anonymous means that bitcoin addresses cannot be referred to individuals as long as their name has never been linked to the address.


Before registering at a bitcoin trading platform it’s worth checking what kind of personal details are needed in order to sign up for the service. Cryptocurrency exchanges where you can buy bitcoin against fiat money require an ID card with photo for withdrawals. But professional trading (based on contracts for difference) can be done anonymously for example at bitmex or at primexbt.


An email address is always needed for the sign up process. In order to stay anonymous, one could create an e-mail address only for the usage on the BTC broker sites. Further personal information can make the registration process long, it can even take multiple days, especially if the platform needs to verify the ids, therefore it’s worth considering that part as well.


This verification process is generally required, as soon as you want to exchange your BTC into cash or the other way round. So if you want to link your bank account or credit card to your trading account, you have to show who you are, of course.


Verification / KYC


If you are not sure if the given exchange/trading platform will require you to submit ID and verify your identity, check if it supports trading fiat deposits, withdrawals, and trading. If it does, the platform must perform ID verification to operate legally. On the other hand, if it’s a purely cryptocurrency-based platform (i.E., bitmex), you might be able to trade without any identity check. However, the policies of such anonymous bitcoin brokers can change any time, so you shouldn’t be surprised when they ask for an ID one day, too.


Mobile apps – ability to trade on the go


Top Cryptocurrency Brokers for 2021, best broker for cryptocurrency.
In the age of smartphones, most bitcoin trading platforms already have an application for android or ios which enables customers to use the services on the go and manage finances from anywhere at any time. If there is no app, the platforms are usually mobile friendly at least.


Or you can mostly use a general trading app such as metatrader to manage your trades at a certain bitcoin broker platform that doesn’t have an own mobile app.


Generally speaking a BTC broker must pay attention to the usability as clients do not want to spend too much time just exploring the features, all of them should be self-explanatory or familiar from other big sites and branch standards.


Coins and trading pairs


BTC/USD is the most widespread currency pair to trade with but some trading platforms offer other cryptocurrency-to-fiat currency trading options as well, most commonly ETHUSD and LTCUSD. Sometimes even more high cap altcoins can be traded against fiat money. The available exchange rates are usually depending on the country where the platform operates. EUR, RUB and CNY are the currencies users can choose from besides the US dollar.


currency / coin pairs
Beside bitcoin, currently more than a thousand of alternative cryptocurrencies, so called altcoins, exist on the market. As the underlying program behind bitcoin is open source, anyone can create a new coin on the market.


Each altcoin is more or less a different version of the original bitcoin blockchain project with some additional or alternative features included in the algorithm. The most important and popular altcoins include ethereum, ripple, litecoin, dash, monero.


As altcoins are becoming more popular in the recent years, more and more platforms started to offer alternative altcoin trading to a certain extend. If altcoins are on the menu, the prices are in most cases expressed in bitcoin and in USD – that’s why BTC is also called the crypto reserve currency. There are only few places where users can directly exchange altcoins against US dollar.


Couple of sites also offer the possibility to trade other derivatives on the platform, like options and futures. These financial products are tricky and traders should definitely know what they are doing before executing any trades in those areas. Futures are often part of a hedging strategy in times of crises.


The trading fees are calculated based on the transaction volume just like in the case of ordinary FX trading. Higher volume means lower percentage fees per trade. The average trading fee varies between 0.01-0.5%. Anything outside of this range should warn the prospective traders about possible scams.


Margin trading fees


If margin trading is offered, that is always available for an extra fee. Trading on margin means borrowing money to increase the amount of the exposure. Leverage can go up to as high as 200x. This leverage can significantly increase profit at the closure of the trade, but also means higher risk to the trader.


Many platforms have even aligned their trading fees with one another to create kind of an industry standard. In the field of BTC-based CFD brokers (bitmex etc.) the fees are often the same: makers even receive a small fee of 0.025% for their trade, so they get a rebate, while takers have to pay a fee of 0.075%.


Some trading platforms decided to remove the trading fees from the fee structure to increase the volume of trading activit, e.G overbit and simplefx. Those platforms only earn a share of the spread (difference between bid and ask price).


Funding fees for leveraged positions


When leverage is used there is an additional fee that can occur – the funding fee. This funding fee origins in the traditional financial markets where it has the purpose to balance the long and short scale and it is only exchanged between all traders holding long or short positions with leverage.


So there is one side that has to pay the fee to the other side, which will receive the fee like a rebate. Who pays who (longs pay shorts or shorts pay longs) depends on the balance between longs and shorts over a certain time interval. A negative funding fee means this side gets paid.


The BTC broker itself isn’t involved and doesn’t get a share from that. This funding fee, however, only gets due when traders hold positions over a certain period of time. There is an exact time stamp each day, or even several times a day ( usually every 8 hours) when the fee has to be paid if positions are being held over the timestamp. If the position is closed right before, then there is no fee. So traders always watch out for those certain hours.


Please keep in mind that you will be able to trade with higher leverage only by using CFD based crypto brokers. The only cryptocurrency exchange offering some leverage is kraken. By depositing collateral, you will be ready to trade both long and short, up to maximum leverage supported by a given platform.


That being said, using high leverage will significantly increase the risk and might result in a margin call if a price increase or drop would cut off too much of your account balance (margin).


If you let it come to a margin call, your position will be liquidated if you don’t top up your account immediately, leaving you with nothing. Therefore it’s recommended always to avoid liquidations by closing a position beforehand, even with a loss. In this case at least something will remain, even though not much – better than 0 in the case of a liquidation.


Deposit / withdrawal fees


There are even some cryptocurrency trading sites that charge withdrawals, whenever the user wants to unload the funds from the accounts. In some rare cases, even the funding of the balance is charged, so it’s worth checking the terms and conditions before sending money to a platform.


BTC broker liquidity


Liquidity is one of the most important aspects of trading, and lack of it might lead to some significant losses while entering or trying to close an open position. Lack of liquidity can even lead to gaping, further eating into your gains.


Liquidity affects both CFD based crypto brokers as well as exchanges. Think of them as a meeting point for individuals who want to buy and sell a given asset. A trade can only be performed if two parties agree on a given price. For example, a market becomes illiquid if at a given price there are many sellers, but little to no buyers.


So in this scenario, if you want to close your long position with a market sell order and the order book is thin, you will experience slippage that will significantly impact your gains.


Should you be worried about an exchange being illiquid? It all depends on how big your position is, the order type, how deep is the order book of a given exchange, and does the platform support iceberg orders (large hidden orders divided in smaller chunks). As a rule of thumb, if you stick to major brokers, and unless you are closing positions worth a few million dollars during a significant price change, you don’t need to worry.


Liquidity can also be impacted by trading bots, enabling much faster execution of the trade. A bot is a software program or a script that uses exchange API to receive information, interacting with it by submitting buy and sell orders. Because a bot can set up a sell order within milliseconds, it significantly impacts some strategies, like scalping.


Security measures


Platform Security
There are certain measures that can increase the security of a bitcoin trading platform. These sites handle a lot of money, therefore they are subject to hacking attacks all the time. If a platform keeps the majority of the funds in a cold storage wallet and they are applying SSL certification that provides a good base for security. Two-factor-authentication saves customers from unauthorized access to their accounts.


The years of experience behind a platform can be derived from the history of the company and the ownership structure. The more popular an exchange the higher volume it manages, making it a trusted trading platform across the bitcoin community. Hopefully all exchanges and brokers continually monitor their platform for any unusual activity to protect both their franchise and their customers.


Fear of hacks


Even though the bitcoin trading platforms make their best to be up to date with their security measures, from time to time a hacking attack hits the news. Hacked accounts, stolen bitcoins are left behind the unauthorized access of the exchange’s fund. It is also important to examine, how an exchange coped with such attack in the past as it also shows the way they approach customers.


Bitfinex, after recovering the site from the attack and counted for the loss, offered it’s customers newly issued altcoins in order to cover partially for their losses. Bitfinex did a real great job by creating own platform tokens for the users which had lost money. Read more about their smart solution.


However no matter what types of security measure a bitcoin trading platform does apply, traders should always follow the golden rules of bitcoin trading, but first of all, never leave any bitcoins long term on an exchange. Because: your private key – your bitcoin. Not your private key – not your bitcoin.


Also check out this reddit thread about bitcoin brokers.





So, let's see, what we have: compare the best cryptocurrency brokers for 2021. Read our cryptocurrency brokers guide. Our pros compare and list the top trading cryptocurrency brokers. At best broker for cryptocurrency

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