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Bybit vs Kraken

Bybit is cheaper on spot taker fees (0.1% against 0.4%). Kraken accepts US residents; Bybit does not.

Bybit Kraken
Founded 2018 2011
Headquarters Dubai, UAE United States
Spot maker fee 0.1% 0.25%
Spot taker fee 0.1% 0.4%
Futures maker fee 0.02% 0.02%
Futures taker fee 0.055% 0.05%
KYC Required Required
Accepts US residents No Yes
Fiat methods Card, P2P, Bank transfer (select regions) Bank transfer, Card

Base-tier fees, checked 2026-09-14.

Bybit is stronger on

  • Derivatives interface widely preferred by active traders
  • Deep perpetual liquidity
  • Fast withdrawals

Its weaknesses

  • No US access
  • Spot liquidity thinner than Binance outside majors

Kraken is stronger on

  • One of the longest-running exchanges with no major hack
  • Strong fiat rails including GBP and EUR
  • Proof-of-reserves published regularly

Its weaknesses

  • Interface feels dated
  • Support response times vary

Which one

Fee differences at this scale matter far less than most comparisons imply. On a $1,000 trade the gap between 0.1% and 0.4% is $3.0000000000000004 — smaller than the spread you will pay on anything outside the top twenty coins. What actually decides it is whether the exchange serves your country, whether it supports the deposit method you can use, and whether the pairs you want have real liquidity there.

Check the numbers for your own trade size in the fee calculator, and confirm availability in the country matrix before opening an account.

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