Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade.

What is Kucoin?

KuCoin is a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange distinguished by its rewards currency, KuCoin Shares (KCS), and its exceptionally wide range of cryptocurrencies.

It has a reputation as an early adopter, so buyers hoping to hold coins while they’re still cheap might want to consider KuCoin. On top of this, it offers a useful charting package, which is powered by the third-party TradingView system, to suit more focused crypto holders.

Its fees are also fairly reasonable and lower than many other exchanges.

The main downside is that it doesn’t deal in any fiat currencies. You’ll need to have BTC or ETH to trade the full range of available coins, but you can also trade a more limited selection with NEO, USDT (tethers) or KCS (the exchange’s own coin).

Benefits of holding KuCoin Shares

KuCoin offers users the unique chance to hold the platform’s own native cryptocurrency, KuCoin Shares (KCS), which users can hold in order to receive discounts while trading as well as receive dividends from trading fees collected on the platform.

Holders receive a 1% discount on trading fees for every 1,000 KCS they hold, up to a maximum of 30%.

The dividends system is what sets KCS and KuCoin apart from other exchange coins. KuCoin pays out 50% of all fee revenue from the platform each day, which is equally divided between every KCS token held on the platform.

This means a user who holds upwards of 1,000 KCS receives both a discount on all trading on the platform as well as a passive income on a daily basis. KuCoin shares may also be traded with several coins, but KuCoin shares may only be purchased on the KuCoin exchange.

What can I buy on KuCoin?

KuCoin currently only offers trades between cryptocurrencies, meaning they do not let you buy cryptocurrency with fiat currency. However, KuCoin does offer a large range of altcoins, which can be traded with six different cryptocurrencies (called a trading pair), including BTC, ETH, NEO, USDT, BCH and KCS. You can find a full list of available coins on their website.

What are the fees?

There are no deposit fees other than what you might usually pay for transferring a certain currency. Trading fees are set at 0.1%, minus any discount you get from holding KCS.

Withdrawal fees vary by currency. Some are completely free, while others are fairly expensive.

List of Kucoin withdrawal fees The following fees are current as of 3 January 2018. Assets Fees (units of each currency) KCS 2 BTC 0.0005 USDT 10 ETH 0.01 LTC 0.001 NEO Free GAS Free KNC 0.5 BTM 5 QTUM 0.1 EOS 0.5 CVC 3 OMG 0.1 PAY 0.5 SNT 20 BHC 1 HSR 0.01 WTC 0.1 VEN 2 MTH 10 RPX 1 REQ 20 EVX 0.5 MOD 0.5 NEBL 0.1 DGB 0.5 CAG 2 CFD 0.5 RDN 0.5 UKG 5 BCPT 5 PPT 0.1 BCH 0.0005 STX 2 NULS 1 GVT 0.1 HST 2 PURA 0.5 SUB 2 QSP 5 POWR 1 FLIXX 10 LEND 20 AMB 3 RHOC 2 R 2 DENT 50 DRGN 1 ACT 0.1

Pros and cons

Pros Offers an exceptionally wide range of currencies.

Is an early adopter of promising new coins.

No verification required.

Additional features and benefits offered by KCS. Cons Cryptocurrencies only. No fiat currency accepted.

Kucoin sometimes experiences difficulties during high traffic periods.

It’s based in Hong Kong, so it may be difficult to find English-language support if needed.

How do I make a trade on KuCoin?

You can view the markets on KuCoin without registering for an account, but to actually make a trade, you will need to sign up and log in.

Visit KuCoin and sign up for an account. Make sure to go the extra step and set up two-factor authentication (2FA) right away. You can activate 2FA by going to Account > Google 2-Step.

> Google 2-Step. Next, you’ll want to add some funds to your account to trade for altcoins. KuCoin hosts an impressive number of trading pairs, so you can use either BTC, ETH, NEO, USDT or BCH for trading.

To send coins, navigate to your wallet by clicking on Assets on the top banner. This shows all your available coin balances. Next, click Deposit . By default, it will show KuCoin Shares. Click on the name to reveal the dropdown menu and select the coin you want to deposit.

on the top banner. This shows all your available coin balances. Next, click . By default, it will show KuCoin Shares. Click on the name to reveal the dropdown menu and select the coin you want to deposit. Your deposit address and QR code will be revealed. Copy the deposit address into your withdrawal account exactly as it is written. Once you confirm the transfer, wait patiently for the funds to arrive in your KuCoin account. You should receive an email once they have been received.

as it is written. Once you confirm the transfer, wait patiently for the funds to arrive in your KuCoin account. You should receive an email once they have been received. Once your funds have arrived, navigate to Markets via the top banner menu. You will then need to select the currency you deposited, which will allow you to trade all altcoins paired with that coin. Click on the altcoin pair you wish to trade. For example, clicking on ZIL/BTC will allow you to trade BTC in return for ZIL.

via the top banner menu. You will then need to select the currency you deposited, which will allow you to trade all altcoins paired with that coin. Click on the altcoin pair you wish to trade. For example, clicking on ZIL/BTC will allow you to trade BTC in return for ZIL. Once you select the pair you wish to trade, you will be taken to a new screen which displays a chart with price over time, the order book (supply/demand), price data and trade history. The box in the bottom right corner will ask you to input your two-step verification code.

This box is where you can buy and sell your cryptocurrency. Use the green box on the left to input the price you wish to pay per unit of the coin then the total amount of coins you wish to purchase. To make things easier, there is a slider which you can adjust to spend a percentage of your spendable holdings. The box to the right allows you to follow the same process to sell a coin.

Once your trade has been lodged, you will need to wait until there is a corresponding buy/sell order. Once the trade has been matched, the coin will show up in your wallet immediately, which can be accessed via the Assets tab.

tab. After you are done trading, you may keep your coins on KuCoin or move them to another wallet. As always, we recommend keeping your coins in a hard wallet to increase your safety and keep full control over your cryptocurrency. For those new to wallets, our essential guide can be found here.

How to access KuCoin

Web

Mobile

iOS app (beta)

Android app(beta)

FAQs

Are there any deposit or transfer limits? No. There are no limits on any KuCoin transactions.

Do I need to verify my identity to start trading on KuCoin? No. You can simply sign up and verify your email address then deposit cryptocurrencies to start trading.

How long do transfers take? Deposit and trade times may vary by currencies but shouldn’t take any longer than the usual transfer times for that currency. Withdrawal times may vary depending on the amount. If your withdrawal amount is less than (fee x 100,000), it should be processed immediately. If it’s more than that, it might take some time.

Can I store my cryptocurrency on KuCoin? Yes, although it’s typically safer to hold your coins in cold storage in a hardware wallet.

Next steps

You should carefully consider the features of KuCoin before deciding whether it suits your needs. If you want to proceed, simply sign up for KuCoin with an email address and password, verify your email and then start trading by making a deposit from your wallet.