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Data refreshed 5 Nov 2026 · Compiled by Charlie Williams
Trust score 10 / 10 · Trust rank #2 · Founded 2011
Kraken is a well-established cryptocurrency exchange known for its robust security measures and comprehensive range of digital assets. It provides a user-friendly platform suitable for both beginners and experienced traders, offering competitive…
Read the Kraken review
Trust score 8 / 10 · Trust rank #21 · Founded 2017
KuCoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange that provides a wide range of digital assets for trading. You will benefit from its user-friendly interface and competitive trading fees. The platform supports numerous cryptocurrencies…
Read the KuCoin reviewKraken and KuCoin are both centralized exchanges. Kraken (founded 2011, headquartered in United States) ranks #2 on our trust rank, reports $1.94B in 24-hour trading volume and lists 719 coins across 1,424 trading pairs. KuCoin (founded 2017, headquartered in Seychelles) ranks #21 on our trust rank, reports $1.69B in 24-hour trading volume and lists 810 coins across 961 trading pairs. The two overlap in 34 countries; Kraken is available in 10 countries where KuCoin is not, and KuCoin in 11 where Kraken is not.
Scored on 7 measurable dimensions where both exchanges have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
| Criteria | Kraken | KuCoin |
|---|---|---|
| Trust score | 10 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Trust rank | #2 | #21 |
| 24h trading volume | $1.94B | $1.69B |
| Coins listed | 719 | 810 |
| Trading pairs | 1,424 | 961 |
| Founded | 2011 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | United States | Seychelles |
| Exchange type | Centralized (CEX) | Centralized (CEX) |
| Countries available | 44 countries | 45 countries |
| Licences / registrations | Central Bank of Ireland, MiCA licence - Ireland, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), cryptoasset registration - United Kingdom, Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), registered platform - Canada, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), broker-dealer licence - United Arab Emirates | Financial Market Authority (FMA), MiCA licence - Austria, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND), registration - India |
| Trading types | Derivatives, Spot | Derivatives, Spot |
| Best-for use cases | Beginner-Friendly, Centralized, High Liquidity, Low-Fee, Margin trading, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) | Centralized, Copy Trading, High Liquidity, Low-Fee, Margin trading |
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that exchange — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Available at both (34): Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Only Kraken (10): Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates.
Only KuCoin (11): Albania, Czechia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine, Vietnam.
Availability reflects the countries each exchange declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the exchange's own site before signing up.
Kraken reports the higher 24-hour trading volume ($1.94B vs $1.69B), based on the latest market data in our catalogue.
KuCoin lists more coins: 719 at Kraken versus 810 at KuCoin.
Kraken has the higher trust score (10 / 10 vs 8 / 10). The score reflects liquidity, scale of operations and cyber-security signals as tracked in our catalogue.
Kraken is the older of the two, founded in 2011; KuCoin was founded in 2017.
They overlap in 34 countries. Kraken is additionally available in 10 countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Peru, Saudi Arabia and 4 more) and KuCoin in 11 countries (Albania, Czechia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines and 5 more).
Risk warning: cryptoassets are highly volatile and largely unregulated in many jurisdictions. You may lose the entire amount you deposit. Nothing on this page is financial advice; check availability and terms with the exchange before opening an account. Full risk disclosure.