Ascendex vs Kucoin | Which Exchange Is The Best Overall?
Jack Moreau
Apr 2024
9 min read
Fact checked
Are you considering Ascendex vs Kucoin? Our detailed comparison of these two exchanges will provide you with all the information you need about their product offering, supported cryptocurrencies, trading fees, deposit and withdrawal methods and much more!
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk. Including the possible loss of principal. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk. Including the possible loss of principal. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.
AscendEX, formerly known as BitMax, is a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange offering a wide range of trading pairs as well as spot, margin, and futures trading with leverage of up to 100x.
With over 1 million retail users and availability in over 200 countries, AscendEX has quickly become a popular choice for traders worldwide.
The platform offers over 280 cryptocurrencies making it a comprehensive trading solution for both novice and experienced traders.
The AscendEX app has been downloaded over 500,000 times and has an average rating of 3.7 based on 5,000 reviews.
Kucoin is a subsidiary of Seychelles registered MEK Global LimitedfFounded in 2017 by Michael Gan. Kucoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange offering a variety of services including spot trading, margin trading, futures, staking, and lending.
The platform supports over 700 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and numerous altcoins such as its native token, KuCoin Shares (KCS).
The exchange is popular for its user-friendly interface, competitive trading fees and lucrative referral program.
Kucoin has grown an impressive user base of over 20 million users and the Kucoin app has been downloaded over 5 million times, boasting a good rating of 4.3 with over 120,000 reviews.
Ascendex vs Kucoin Signup & KYC
AscendEX and KuCoin have different requirements when it comes to KYC verification and the signup process. Let's take a closer look at what each exchange has to offer.
AscendEX does not require KYC verification for users who only want to deposit cryptocurrencies and trade on their spot exchange.
However, if you want to deposit fiat currencies or get access to higher withdrawal limits, KYC verification is necessary.
Signing up for AscendEX is easy and straightforward. You can register using either an email or your phone number.
Once you've completed the signup process, you can either deposit crypto and start trading or complete the full KYC to buy crypto with a card or deposit fiat currencies. The KYC verification process can take a few hours in the best-case scenario, but it may take 1 or 2 business days for some people.
KuCoin also does not require KYC verification for all its users. Unverified accounts can buy and sell the same cryptocurrencies that verified accounts can. The signup process takes less than a minute as only basic email signup is required.
Once you've signed up, you can begin trading right away. Basic verification can be approved in hours, and KYC verification can take up to 2-3 business days. In summary, neither AscendEX or KuCoin force their users to complete KYC in order to begin buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
Ascendex vs Kucoin Products & Services
AscendEX and KuCoin are two exchanges that offer a wide range of products and services to cater to the needs of both professional traders and beginners.
AscendEX offers spot trading for over 280 cryptocurrencies, margin trading with up to 25X leverage, futures trading with up to 100X leverage and long and short leveraged tokens with up to 5 leverage.
Additionally, the exchange allows users to earn interest on their assets via earn programs and staking. While the user experience on AscendEX is basic and not great to navigate, the exchange delivers a respectable $250 million in 24-hour spot trading volume.
KuCoin offers basic spot and margin trading for 100s of altcoins, futures, leveraged tokens, and trading bots as well as finance services such as lending and borrowing and staking.
The exchange has a great user experience with a good variety of products and services and an easy-to-navigate interface. Moreover, KuCoin offers futures leverage of up to 100X, making it a great option for traders seeking high leverage.
Let's take a closer look at AscendEX and Kucoin and compare their trading fees. First, let's talk about Kucoin.
They have a spot maker and taker fee of 0.10% which is on the lower end compared to other exchanges. For futures trading, Kucoin charges a 0.02% maker fee and 0.06% taker fee. Not too shabby.
Now let's move on to AscendEX. Their spot trading fees range from 0.1% to 0.20% depending on whether you are buying large cap coins or altcoins.
AscendEX also offers futures trading with identical fees to Kucoin with 0.02% for makers and a 0.06% fee for takers.
Kucoin thus has the edge when it comes to spot trading fees with a lower maker and taker fee compared to AscendEX, but otherwise equal as it pertains to futures fees.
When it comes to depositing fiat currencies, AscendEX offers support for over 40 different fiat currencies, including AED, BRL, and MXN. Users can purchase crypto using these currencies by going through third-party providers like BANXA and Simplex.
However, if you want to make a deposit using fiat currency on AscendEX, the only option available is a wire transfer in USD.
Kucoin offers support for 28 different fiat currencies, including EUR, AUD, and GBP. However, unlike AscendEX, almost all deposit options on Kucoin are through Visa and Mastercard. Unfortunately, this comes at a price as the exchange charges a steep 3.8% fee for deposits made with these cards.
When it comes to withdrawing your funds from AscendEX, you'll only have one option, Wire Transfer. While this method is reliable and secure, it may not be the fastest option. Wire transfers typically take 3-5 days to be processed, which could be problematic if you need your funds quickly.
Plus, AscendEX charges a withdrawal fee for wire transfers, which can add up if you're withdrawing large amounts. Specifically, for US domiciled banks, you'll be charged a $35 fee, and for international banks, the fee is $75.
Kucoin offers fiat withdrawals via SEPA but there is a 5 EUR fee to withdraw using this method. It's worth noting that fiat withdrawals are only available for EUR, so if you're looking to withdraw any other currency, you're out of luck.
In conclusion, AscendEX and Kucoin have fast-growing user bases with AscendEX boasting over one million retail users and Kucoin topping 20 million users. Both exchanges have solid user experiences and an extensive range of 100s of cryptocurrencies.
AscendEX and Kucoin have distinct advantages in terms of fiat trading, fees, and withdrawal options. AscendEX allows users to deposit USD via wire transfer while Kucoin offers fiat deposits through Visa and Mastercard, albeit with a higher 3.8% fee.
When it comes to fees, Kucoin's 0.1% spot trading fees are lower than AscendEX 0.2%. In terms of withdrawals, AscendEX only offers wire transfers for US dollars with high fees whereas Kucoin provides flexibility with SEPA withdrawals and low withdrawal fees.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk. Including the possible loss of principal. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC: Investments are subject to market risk. Including the possible loss of principal. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.
Author
Jack Moreau
Jack is a crypto writer and reviewer who has been active in the space since he caught the crypto bug in 2017. With a passion for trying out new shiny things, Jack is always eager to try the latest cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets or DeFi applications.