Things move quickly in the world of crypto. Just as a coin can climb the charts in a matter of hours or days, so too can exchanges. Take Binance, for example. It has quickly become the most widely used exchange in the world over the course of less than a year. With all the changes and confusion, it can be tough to keep track of the best cryptocurrency exchanges. For those new to the space, finding an exchange you like and trust can also be a challenge with all the options. This guide lays out the key features of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n We have to set constraints on this guide somehow, otherwise it would be too long to be useful. That said, for this guide we\u2019ll be focusing on the top cryptocurrency exchanges that serve U.S. citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n Without further ado, let\u2019s dive in.<\/span><\/p>\n The first thing you\u2019ll need to do if you\u2019re new to investing or looking to invest more money in crypto is convert your fiat currency to crypto. For U.S. investors, that means depositing USD with an exchange in order to get BTC or ETH.<\/span><\/p>\n We call the exchanges that accept fiat currencies \u201cfiat gateways.\u201d Since they deal in USD, they\u2019re subject to a lot of regulations and they have to meet reporting requirements from state and federal agencies. This makes fiat exchanges more difficult to set up than crypto-to-crypto exchanges. <\/span><\/p>\n It also means that fiat exchanges usually have limited trading pairs, since those trading pairs are regulated. As such, if you want to buy a niche altcoin, you\u2019ll usually have to purchase ETH or BTC at a fiat exchange and then transfer those funds to a crypto-to-crypto exchange in order to buy the token you want.<\/span><\/p>\n The top cryptocurrency exchanges for USD deposits are below.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the most popular and well-known options for USD transactions. <\/span>Coinbase<\/span><\/a> is headquartered in San Francisco and has been in operation since 2011. They\u2019re generally considered secure and boast over 13 million users. However, they\u2019re known for having some of the highest fees of any fiat gateway.<\/span><\/p>\n Since its founding in 2013, <\/span>CoinMama<\/span><\/a> led the way as the site where you could purchase crypto with a credit or debit card. This makes it super easy to use. Unlike other exchanges, CoinMama is a buy-only marketplace that allows you to immediately transfer funds to other wallets upon purchase. They also have relatively high fees, but the simple experience makes it easy to use.<\/span><\/p>\n GDAX<\/span><\/a> is Coinbase\u2019s older brother, run by the same company. We say older brother because GDAX\u2019s interface and functionality attract more advanced investors than Coinbase\u2019s beginner-friendly interface. Many U.S.-based traders who are serious investors gravitate toward GDAX. <\/span><\/p>\n Kraken<\/span><\/a> came on the scene around the same time as Coinbase in 2011. It\u2019s also based in San Francisco, so they\u2019re rivals. Users seem highly divided on Kraken with some praising the smooth experience on the platform while many others decry its customer service and buggy features.<\/span><\/p>\n CEX.io<\/span><\/a> is a London-based exchange that\u2019s been in operation since 2013. They\u2019ve received a fairly good reputation over the years for being user-friendly and well-designed. Recently, however, there have been customer service issues, so proceed with caution.<\/span><\/p>\n LocalBitcoins<\/span><\/a> isn\u2019t an exchange so much as it\u2019s a matching site for people who want to buy and sell crypto in the real world. You can then meet up in person or trade online via a myriad of payment methods. As long as you do your due diligence on the person you\u2019re trading with, LocalBitcoins is a great way to get into crypto.<\/span><\/p>\n BitStamp<\/span><\/a> is one of the most reliable exchanges with some of the lowest transaction fees. Based out of Luxembourg, it has been around since 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n Gemini<\/span><\/a> distinguished itself with its customer support that\u2019s well above industry average. It\u2019s a New York-based exchange, founded in 2015 by the Winklevoss twins. They don\u2019t offer many cryptocurrencies and deposits are limited to bank transfers, but Gemini is one of the best exchanges out there for beginners.<\/span><\/p>\n BitFlyer<\/span><\/a> is new to the U.S. but not new to the world of cryptocurrency trading. It\u2019s one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the world. They\u2019re not yet licensed in all 50 states, but they are operating in a majority of them.<\/span><\/p>\n BitQuick<\/span><\/a> is different from most exchanges in that you can physically deposit cash to a bank account in order to fund your orders. This non-traditional structure makes it a little riskier to do business with (since there are no chargeback options), but BitQuick generally has a good reputation in the community.<\/span><\/p>\n Paxful<\/span><\/a> works in a similar way to LocalBitcoins, creating a marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet up and agree on terms. The exchange launched in 2015 and is based in Delaware. The fees for transactions, however, can be high.<\/span><\/p>\n [thrive_leads id=’5219′]<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve traded your crypto for fiat, you\u2019ll want to move your newly acquired funds to an exchange with more options. Fiat exchanges don\u2019t usually carry niche currencies, so in order to get those, you\u2019ll use a crypto-to-crypto exchange. Here are the best ones:<\/span><\/p>\n The speed at which <\/span>Binance<\/span><\/a> has become the top crypto exchange in the world is staggering. In a few short months, it has dominated the market. For good reason, too. It offers a lot of features, trading pairs, security, and liquidity along with low fees. Its <\/span>Binance Coin<\/span><\/a> also incentivizes trading and lowers fees. <\/span><\/p>\n Bittrex<\/span><\/a> is based in Seattle and they\u2019ve gained a reputation for wanting to strictly follow U.S. regulations. They\u2019re a safe, well-established option for trading with good customer support.<\/span><\/p>\n Cryptopia is known as an exchange for trading niche or less popular altcoins. They have low fees and good customer support. However, they don\u2019t accept Ethereum and the small nature of the exchange means low volume for trading.<\/span><\/p>\n KuCoin<\/span><\/a> is a Hong Kong based crypto exchange. The unique part of their approach is they redistribute the profits from the operation of the exchange through their native currency, <\/span>KuCoin Shares<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Poloniex<\/span><\/a> was among the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. However, its popularity has waned in the face of new competitors, customer support issues, and problems with withdrawals.<\/span><\/p>\n Those are the top cryptocurrency exchanges for U.S. investors in 2018. If you find one that strikes your fancy, click the link to learn more in our comprehensive exchange reviews. Then, signing up at each exchange\u2019s website is usually straightforward. If you\u2019re new to crypto investing, be sure to read up on best practices for keeping your crypto secure like using <\/span>two-factor authentication<\/span><\/a> and moving your coins to a <\/span>private wallet<\/span><\/a> once you\u2019ve purchased them.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It can be difficult to sort through all the options when it comes to finding the top cryptocurrency exchanges. This guide focuses on the best exchanges for U.S. investors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"iawp_total_views":32,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5712],"tags":[5779,6061],"class_list":{"0":"post-8225","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-guides","8":"tag-exchange-reviews","9":"tag-exchanges"},"wppr_data":[],"yoast_head":"\nFiat Exchanges (USD)<\/b><\/h2>\n
Coinbase<\/span><\/h3>\n
CoinMama<\/span><\/h3>\n
GDAX<\/span><\/h3>\n
Kraken<\/span><\/h3>\n
CEX.io<\/span><\/h3>\n
LocalBitcoins<\/span><\/h3>\n
BitStamp<\/span><\/h3>\n
Gemini<\/span><\/h3>\n
BitFlyer<\/span><\/h3>\n
BitQuick<\/span><\/h3>\n
Paxful<\/span><\/h3>\n
Crypto-to-Crypto Exchanges<\/b><\/h2>\n
Binance<\/span><\/h3>\n
Bittrex<\/span><\/h3>\n
Cryptopia<\/span><\/h3>\n
KuCoin<\/span><\/h3>\n
Poloniex<\/span><\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n