KuCoin vs Gate
Side-by-side comparison from our sourced exchange data. A dash means we haven't verified that fact — we don't fill gaps with guesses.
| KuCoin | Gate | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | — | — |
| Founded | 2017 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Seychelles (founded in China, later relocated via Singapore to the Seychelles); terms governed by Turks and Caicos Islands law | — |
| Spot maker (base) | 0.1% | — |
| Spot taker (base) | 0.1% | — |
| Listed assets | ~1,000 | ~4,800 |
| KYC | Required | Required |
| Notably unavailable | United States (incl. territories), Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong, Malaysia | United States (main platform; Gate US serves ~30 states), Mainland China, Canada, Singapore |
How they differ
KuCoin, founded in 2017, is based in Seychelles with terms governed by Turks and Caicos Islands law and states roughly 1,000 listed assets across spot, margin, futures, earn and copy trading. Gate, founded in 2013, states roughly 4,800 listed assets and runs region-specific entities alongside its main platform, including Gate US, Gate Malta, Gate Dubai and Gate Japan. Both aim at traders wanting long-tail token access rather than a curated list.
Fees can be compared only partly. KuCoin's LV0 base is 0.1% maker and taker on Class A pairs, discounted 20% when fees are paid in KCS, with higher rates on less liquid Class B and C pairs. Gate's base rate is not verified: sources conflict between 0.1% and 0.2%, and Gate changed its fee structure effective 9 April 2026, with GT-based VIP discounts starting at VIP1. Its official fee page is the only reliable reference.
Both require identity verification. KuCoin made KYC compulsory on 15 July 2023, with unverified legacy accounts losing deposits and most trading access. Gate requires verification to deposit and withdraw crypto, trade fiat and join Startup sales. Their exclusions overlap on the United States, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada in part, France and the Netherlands, with KuCoin adding Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and Gate adding Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany, several of which Gate serves through separate entities.
Both hold EU MiCA authorisations: KuCoin via KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH through the Austrian FMA in November 2025, and Gate via Gate Technology Ltd through the Malta MFSA in September 2025, with Gate adding a Maltese PSD2 payments licence in February 2026. Their histories differ sharply. Gate records no security incidents. KuCoin lost about $281M in a September 2020 hot wallet compromise and, in January 2025, pleaded guilty to a US unlicensed money transmitting charge, paying about $297M and agreeing to exit the US market for at least two years.