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CEX.IO vs Yellow Card

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.

Yellow Card4.1

Africa's largest licensed crypto on-ramp, spanning more than 20 countries with local bank and mobile money rails.

Verdict: Yellow Card

Yellow Card rates higher on our rubric: 4.1 against 4.0 for CEX.IO.

Criterion
Editorial rating
CEX.IO
4.0
Yellow Card
4.1

CEX.IO and Yellow Card, 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 Yellow Card compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCEX.IOYellow Card
Editorial rating4.04.1 (favoured on this row)
Published feesMaker-taker; card costs moreSpread built into the price
Maker feeNot publishedNot published
Taker feeNot publishedNot published
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported613
Countries ranked in14620
Ranks first in018
Countries shared1515
Security record6 dated events, 1 incident, latest 2026-08-27No record on file
Founded20132016
HeadquartersLondon, United KingdomNot stated
Last reviewed2026-08-272026-08-12

Where both CEX.IO and Yellow Card 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 Yellow Card, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCEX.IO ranksYellow Card ranksComparison
BeninLegal#3#1
BotswanaLegal#3#1Best exchanges there
Burkina FasoLegal#3#1
CameroonLegal#3#1Best exchanges there
Cote d'IvoireLegal#3#1
GabonLegal#3#1
GhanaLegal#3#1
KenyaLegal#4#1Best exchanges there
NigeriaLegal#3#2
Republic of the CongoLegal#3#1
RwandaLegal#3#1
SenegalLegal#3#1
South AfricaLegal#5#2Best exchanges there
TogoLegal#3#1
ZambiaLegal#3#1Best exchanges there

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. 1 of the 2 carry no dated record on our reviews yet.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is CEX.IO or Yellow Card better?

Yellow Card rates higher on our rubric: 4.1 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 Yellow Card?

CEX.IO: Maker-taker; card costs more. Yellow Card: Spread built into the price. 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 Yellow Card?

Both are ranked in our guides for 15 countries, including Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire. CEX.IO is ranked in 146 countries in all and Yellow Card in 20; 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 Yellow Card 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. Yellow Card carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do CEX.IO and Yellow Card require ID verification?

CEX.IO: required; identity verification is required before purchasing.. Yellow Card: required; identity verification is required, with requirements varying by country..

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

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