OKX vs KuCoin
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.
| OKX | KuCoin | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | — | — |
| Founded | 2017 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Registered in Seychelles; European hub is OKX Europe Ltd in Sliema, Malta. | Seychelles (founded in China, later relocated via Singapore to the Seychelles); terms governed by Turks and Caicos Islands law |
| Spot maker (base) | 0.08% | 0.1% |
| Spot taker (base) | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Listed assets | ~305 | ~1,000 |
| KYC | Required | Required |
| Notably unavailable | Certain US jurisdictions and all US territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands), United Kingdom retail derivatives (spot and on/off-ramp only) | United States (incl. territories), Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong, Malaysia |
How they differ
OKX, founded in 2017, is registered in Seychelles and runs its European business from OKX Europe Ltd in Sliema, Malta, listing about 305 assets across spot, margin, futures, options and block trading. KuCoin, also founded in 2017, is based in Seychelles with terms governed by Turks and Caicos Islands law and states roughly 1,000 listed assets. KuCoin covers far more tokens; OKX concentrates on a narrower list with a deeper derivatives stack.
On fees, OKX's base level one rates are 0.080% maker and 0.100% taker per third-party fee guides, falling with 30-day volume or OKB holdings. 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. The OKX maker rate is the lower starting point; the KuCoin rate depends on the class of the pair you trade.
Both require verification before trading, KuCoin mandatorily since 15 July 2023. Availability differs meaningfully in Europe. OKX offers MiCA-passported services across 28 EEA countries and restricts certain US jurisdictions and all US territories, with UK users limited to spot and on and off-ramp services. KuCoin says it serves over 200 countries but bars the United States and its territories, Singapore, mainland China and Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ontario and British Columbia, France, the Netherlands and five occupied Ukrainian regions, and states that this list may change at its discretion.
Both hold MiCA-family authorisations, OKX from the Malta MFSA on 27 January 2025, KuCoin through KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH via the Austrian FMA in November 2025. Their histories are not comparable: OKX records no security incidents, while 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 a US market exit of at least two years.