Advertiser disclosure: some links on this page may be affiliate links, meaning ExchangeCatalogue may earn a commission if you open an account. This never affects the data shown here, which is drawn from our catalogue and compared mechanically. How we make money.
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 #27 · Founded 2017
Upbit is a cryptocurrency exchange known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive range of digital assets. It provides you with access to a wide variety of cryptocurrencies and offers competitive trading fees.…
Read the Upbit reviewKraken and Upbit 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 717 coins across 1,402 trading pairs. Upbit (founded 2017, headquartered in South Korea) ranks #27 on our trust rank, reports $963.0M in 24-hour trading volume and lists 349 coins across 493 trading pairs.
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 | Upbit |
|---|---|---|
| Trust score | 10 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Trust rank | #2 | #27 |
| 24h trading volume | $1.94B | $963.0M |
| Coins listed | 717 | 349 |
| Trading pairs | 1,402 | 493 |
| Founded | 2011 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | United States | South Korea |
| Exchange type | Centralized (CEX) | Centralized (CEX) |
| Countries available | 44 countries | 1 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 | Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU), VASP registration - South Korea, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC Thailand) - Thailand (through Upbit Exchange), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) - Singapore (through Upbit Singapore Pte. Ltd.) |
| Trading types | Derivatives, Spot | Spot |
| Best-for use cases | Beginner-Friendly, Centralized, High Liquidity, Low-Fee, Margin trading, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) | — |
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.
Only Kraken (44): Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia and 19 more.
Only Upbit (1): South Korea.
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 $963.0M), based on the latest market data in our catalogue.
Kraken lists more coins: 717 at Kraken versus 349 at Upbit.
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; Upbit was founded in 2017.
They overlap in 0 countries. Kraken is additionally available in 44 countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria and 38 more) and Upbit in 1 countries (South Korea).
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.