Kucoin Login

KuCoin is a secure cryptocurrency exchange that makes it easier to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, KCS, SHIB, DOGE, etc.

KuCoin’s rich feature set and low fees could make it a compelling choice for advanced crypto investors, particularly outside the U.S. Unfortunately, KuCoin is not licensed to operate in the U.S., although the site can still be accessed for various functionalities, such as buying and selling crypto. In the U.S., the platform is best-suited to traders who already own crypto and are looking to trade less common cryptos.

Pros

  • Broad selection of tradable cryptocurrencies

  • Competitive trading fees

  • Volume discounts on fees

  • Offers advanced features like margin trading and futures trading

Cons

  • KuCoin is not licensed in the U.S.

  • Funds kept on the platform are not insured

  • Suffered a major hacking incident in 2020

Who Is KuCoin Good For?

There’s one huge caveat you need to understand before you even think about opening a KuCoin account: KuCoin is not licensed to operate within the U.S. This does not mean you cannot use KuCoin in the U.S., although it does make this platform complicated and risky.

What Makes KuCoin a Good Choice

KuCoin charges rock-bottom fees and supports trading in a huge range of cryptocurrencies. It’s one of the few platforms where U.S. users can access a margin account for trading crypto, and it offers a 20% discount on trading fees when using its token, KuCoin Token (KCS).

As with all crypto exchanges, it’s important to keep in mind that you are investing in a very volatile new asset class. This involves taking on significant risk, no matter what trading platform you choose.

KuCoin’s Disadvantages

For starters, users who are based in the U.S. cannot complete standard financial industry Know Your Customer (KYC) disclosures on KuCoin. These disclosers are meant to reduce crime and money laundering.

Crypto exchanges are also frequently targeted by hackers. In 2020, KuCoin suffered a major hack, with more than $280 million in assets stolen. Almost all of the stolen assets were recovered, and KuCoin compensated for the missing assets through its insurance.

KuCoin Features

The Seychelles-based crypto exchange launched with an initial coin offering in 2017. Founded as “the people’s exchange,” KuCoin ranks among the world’s top 10 largest crypto exchanges by volume, according to CoinMarketCap.com.

As mentioned, KuCoin is not licensed in the U.S. This means U.S.-based users may sign up for accounts, but they will remain “unverified,” which limits access to certain features. Outside of the U.S., KuCoin also has similar limitations.

Fees

KuCoin’s trading fees are very competitive. Investors receive discounts based on their average monthly holdings of the platform’s native token, KCS, or their previous month’s trading volume. They can slash fees even further if they pay with KCS.

Like most crypto exchanges, KuCoin has a maker/taker fee structure, meaning you pay different fees depending on whether your order is considered a maker or a taker.

Makers create liquidity on an exchange by providing new open orders to be filled by others. Takers, meanwhile, reduce liquidity by filling existing maker orders.

The level of maker/taker fees vary based on the trading level and the “class” of the coin being traded on KuCoin. Cryptos on the exchanges are sorted into the following categories: Class A, Class B and Class C.

Most popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), are in Class A. For trading, a Class A coin and the basic level of Level 0 (LV0), the maker/taker range is 0.1%/0.1%, respectively.

More obscure coins, like Love Coin (LOVE), fall under Class B, trading with a 0.2%/0.2% maker/taker fee for that low-volume level of LV0.

Very few coins are listed on Class C—and the ones that are listed you’ve probably never heard of. Class C is filled with cryptos like BURP and HIPUNKS, cryptos with less than $1 million in market cap.

Like most crypto exchanges, you pay a fee to withdraw almost all cryptocurrencies from your KuCoin account. For instance, the current fee to withdraw Bitcoin from the platform is 0.0005 BTC, which would amount to approximately $10.12, at the time of this writing.

The fee depends on the specific coin, so be sure to check these before you make your purchase if you plan to transfer your coins to another wallet or exchange.

Security

KuCoin partnered with Singapore-based crypto asset security platform, Onchain Custodian, which maintains custody of KuCoin’s crypto assets. In addition, those assets are backed by Lockton, a private insurance brokerage.

The platform offers standard security measures, including identity verification, trading passwords and anti-phishing phrases.

However, U.S. users need to be aware that, due to their inability to complete KYC verification, their accounts may not be as secure as international accounts. KuCoin doesn’t offer unverified accounts the same fraud and hacking protection as verified accounts.

Opening a KuCoin Account

Opening a KuCoin account is very easy. Simply go to the KuCoin website, click the sign-up button and enter your email. KuCoin will send you a verification code that you can then input to set up your password. You can also sign-up for KuCoin with a phone number.

Once the sign up is complete, you’ll have the opportunity to enter your security settings. These include identity verification for logging in or transactions, a trading password and anti-phishing safety phrases. Once your security settings are complete, you’re ready to start trading crypto.

Since KuCoin is not licensed in the U.S., customers based in the U.S. can’t complete the KYC process or access verification benefits like higher daily withdrawal limits, fiat trading, higher futures leverage and quicker account recovery if you forget your credentials or your account gets hacked.

Cryptocurrencies Available on KuCoin

With more than 700 coins supported by the KuCoin platform, new and experienced investors can find pretty much any cryptocurrency they are interested in purchasing or trading. The most popular coins include:

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