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CEX.IO vs Kraken

Comparing
two exchanges
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-27
CEX.IO4.0

A card-friendly exchange licensed across most of the US, but currently closed to deposits and trading in Europe.

Kraken4.7

A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.

Verdict: Kraken

Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.0 for CEX.IO.

Criterion
Editorial rating
CEX.IO
4.0
Kraken
4.7

CEX.IO and Kraken, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

CEX.IO and Kraken compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCEX.IOKraken
Editorial rating4.04.7 (favoured on this row)
Published feesMaker-taker; card costs moreFrom 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker
Maker feeNot published0.25% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers
Taker feeNot published0.40% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported614
Countries ranked in146127
Ranks first in010
Countries shared8787
Security record6 dated events, 1 incident, latest 2026-08-2710 dated events, 2 incidents, latest 2026-06-30
Founded20132011
HeadquartersLondon, United KingdomSan Francisco, United States
Last reviewed2026-08-272026-08-23

Where both CEX.IO and Kraken are ranked

Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Countries whose guide ranks both CEX.IO and Kraken, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCEX.IO ranksKraken ranksComparison
AlbaniaLegal#4#2
American SamoaLegal#4#2
AndorraLegal#4#2
AnguillaLegal#4#3
Antigua and BarbudaLegal#4#3
ArgentinaLegal#5#2
ArubaLegal#4#3
AustraliaLegal#11#3Best exchanges there
BahamasLegal#4#3
BarbadosLegal#4#3
BrazilLegal#8#6
Caribbean NetherlandsLegal#4#3
Cayman IslandsLegal#4#3
ChileLegal#5#2
ColombiaLegal#5#2Best exchanges there
Cook IslandsLegal#4#3
Costa RicaLegal#4#2
CuracaoLegal#4#3
DominicaLegal#4#3
Dominican RepublicLegal#4#2
EcuadorLegal#4#2
Falkland IslandsLegal#4#2
FijiLegal#4#3
French GuianaLegal#4#2
French PolynesiaLegal#4#3
GeorgiaLegal#5#2Best exchanges there
GibraltarLegal#3#1
GrenadaLegal#4#3
GuernseyLegal#3#1
Hong KongLegal#4#1
Isle of ManLegal#3#1
IsraelLegal#4#1
JamaicaLegal#4#3Best exchanges there
JerseyLegal#3#1
KiribatiLegal#4#3
MacaoUnclear#4#3
Marshall IslandsLegal#4#3
MartiniqueLegal#4#2
MauritiusLegal#4#2
MayotteLegal#4#2
MexicoLegal#5#2Best exchanges there
MicronesiaLegal#4#3
MoldovaLegal#4#2
MonacoLegal#4#2
MontenegroLegal#4#2
MontserratLegal#4#3
NauruLegal#4#3
Netherlands AntillesLegal#4#3
New CaledoniaLegal#4#3
New ZealandLegal#5#1
NiueLegal#4#3
Norfolk IslandLegal#4#3
North MacedoniaLegal#4#2
Northern Mariana IslandsLegal#4#2
PalauLegal#4#3
PanamaLegal#4#2
Papua New GuineaLegal#4#3
ParaguayLegal#4#2
PeruLegal#5#2
Pitcairn IslandsLegal#4#2
ReunionLegal#4#2
SamoaLegal#4#3
San MarinoLegal#4#2
SerbiaLegal#4#2
SeychellesLegal#4#2
Sint MaartenLegal#4#3
Solomon IslandsLegal#4#3
South AfricaLegal#5#4Best exchanges there
St. HelenaLegal#4#2
St. Kitts and NevisLegal#4#3
St. LuciaLegal#4#3
St. Vincent and the GrenadinesLegal#4#3
SwitzerlandLegal#5#2Best exchanges there
TaiwanLegal#4#2
ThailandLegal#4#2
TokelauLegal#4#2
TongaLegal#4#3
Turks and CaicosLegal#4#3
TuvaluLegal#4#3
UkraineLegal#4#2Best exchanges there
United Arab EmiratesLegal#5#3
United KingdomLegal#3#1Best exchanges there
United StatesLegal#8#2
UruguayLegal#4#2
Vatican CityLegal#4#1
VietnamLegal#4#2
Wallis and Futuna IslandsLegal#4#2

Security records of the exchanges ranked in this comparison

Dated events from each review, newest first: breaches, enforcement actions, licences, audits and proof-of-reserves publications. Every exchange ranked here carries one.

CEX.IO6 events

  1. 2026-08-27Outage

    Deposits and trading unavailable in Europe, withdrawals still open

  2. 2026-08-27Licence

    Money transmitter licences in 38 states and DC under NMLS 1804170

  3. 2026-03-12Licence

    UK entity registered with the FCA under the money laundering rules

The full record, with sources, in the CEX.IO review

Kraken10 events

  1. 2026-06-30Proof of reserves

    Latest proof of reserves shows bitcoin backed at 102.9%

  2. 2026-04-14Breach

    Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems

  3. 2025-06-26Licence

    Kraken wins a MiCA licence from the Central Bank of Ireland

The full record, with sources, in the Kraken review

Frequently asked questions

Is CEX.IO or Kraken better?

Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.0 for CEX.IO. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.

Which is cheaper, CEX.IO or Kraken?

CEX.IO: Maker-taker; card costs more. Kraken: From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.

Where can I use both CEX.IO and Kraken?

Both are ranked in our guides for 87 countries, including Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda. CEX.IO is ranked in 146 countries in all and Kraken in 127; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Has CEX.IO or Kraken had a security incident?

CEX.IO carries 1 incident among 6 dated events, the latest on 2026-08-27: Deposits and trading unavailable in Europe, withdrawals still open. Kraken carries 2 incidents among 10 dated events, the latest on 2026-04-14: Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do CEX.IO and Kraken require ID verification?

CEX.IO: required; identity verification is required before purchasing.. Kraken: required; identity verification is required to deposit fiat and trade..

The full reviews: CEX.IO and Kraken, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.

More comparisons

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