6 Best Crypto Exchanges In China

Here’s something you may not realize: the cryptocurrency exchange you choose matters. Your choice will impact how profitable your trades are, how easily you can buy and sell coins, and whether you can use it in China at all.

Fortunately, I've been investing in crypto for more than 9 years, and I frequently update my list of the top platforms below. So if you’re looking for a safe and secure crypto exchange that’s easy to use, supports the Chinese yuan, and is compatible with the biggest financial institutions in China, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are my top picks for the best crypto exchanges China has to offer.

1. Binance — Best Overall

Binance is an international cryptocurrency exchange that currently serves as the world’s largest crypto trading platform by volume of daily trading. It began operations in 2017 and is now headquartered in the Cayman Islands.

Binance was founded in Hong Kong but later moved its headquarters overseas due to increased government intervention in cryptocurrencies. It has several notable characteristics, including powerful charting tools, access to DeFi yield farming through Binance Earn, and the Binance Visa Card.

Features

• Wide array of supported cryptocurrencies (300+)
• Wide array of supported fiat currencies (50+)
• Binance Earn allows users to stake coins and earn interest on their crypto holdings
• Earn up to 8% back in BNB on every transaction made with a Binance Visa Card
• Get access to lower fees by transacting in Binance's native currency Binance Coin (BNB)

Cost

• Crypto deposit fees: Free
• Fiat deposit fees: From 0% to 3.5%
• Crypto withdrawal fees: From 0% to 2,5%
• Taker fees: From 0.04 to 0.1%
• Maker fees: From 0.02 to 0.1%
• Futures trading maker fees: 0.02%
• Futures trading taker fees: 0.04%
• Instant buy/sell trade fees: 0.5%
• Debit/credit card purchases: 4.5%

Best For

Investors looking for a secure, internationally-recognized exchange.

3. Huobi Global

Huobi Global is the sixth largest crypto exchange, based in the island nation Seychelles but with strong ties in the Asian market, with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. It also has a strong presence in Europe in countries like Italy and Portugal.

Huobi offers competitively low fees starting at 0.2%. Additionally, it offers plenty of tools veteran investors will appreciate: interactive charts, limit and stop orders, and margins and futures trading. Huobi supports over 400 cryptocurrencies.

New Huobi users will receive a $150 bonus in point cards and will get the chance to start earning Huobi Tokens (HT) for additional discounts—the more Huobi Tokens you hold, the higher the tier and the lower the fees. In terms of security, it offers 2FA authentication and the option to freeze your account.

Features

• 24/7 customer support available via live chat or email
• Instant account verification
• Supports over 400 cryptocurrencies
• 98% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure
• Earn crypto rewards through staking
• Huobi Tokens, earn discounts and rebates just by holding the token

Cost

• Trading Fees: From 0.20% to 0.07% based on HT tier
• Maker’s Fees: From 0.0362% to 0.0097% based on HT tier
• Taker’s Fees: From 0.0462% to 0.0193% based on HT tier

Signup Bonus

$150 in Huobi Point Cards bonus

Best For

Veteran investors looking for the very best investing tools and access to some of the newest cryptocurrencies.

4. Okcoin

Launched in 2013, Okcoin is a California-based American exchange with over 100,000 crypto investors across 190+ countries. It supports 70+ crypto assets, including the biggest like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also altcoins and lesser-known blockchain protocols.

Okcoin doesn’t charge trading fees – instead, it uses a volume-based fee system, where makers are charged 0.1% – 0.0% (based on the last 30-day trading volume) and takers are charged 0.2% – 0.02%, also based on volume. 

Okcoin is available worldwide and supports SEPA payment deposits in Europe and electronic fund transfers (using the ACH network) in the U.S. One of Okcoin’s best features is its staking platform, where investors can lock in one of the supported cryptos (for a fixed term) and earn up to 17% APY, depending on the asset (10% for BTC).

Fiat deposits using debit cards are on the high side – you can end up paying up 3.99%, so it’s recommended, whenever possible, that you use a different deposit method. Okcoin is licensed in the US and registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Features

• Supports 70+ cryptocurrencies
• Quick verification process
• Set up automatic purchases using dollar-cost averaging
• Available on Android (4.1/5 rating) and iOS (4/5 rating)
• Okcoin Earn (Up to 10% APY on BTC deposits)

Cost

• Trading Fees: Free
• Spread: 1% – 1.5%
• Maker’s Fees: From 0.1% to 0.0% (based on trading volume)
• Taker’s Fees: From 0.2% to 0.02% (based on trading volume)
• Debit Card Deposit Fees: 3.99%

5. Coinbase

Coinbase is an American cryptocurrency exchange that was originally founded in 2012. It’s based in San Francisco and it’s one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. It’s also the second-largest crypto exchange in the world, the first being Binance.

Coinbase was designed to be one of the easiest places to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency, and it serves retail investors, businesses, and institutions alike. The sign-up process is quick, and after you create your account, you will gain access to your personal online wallet.

Originally, Coinbase only supported Bitcoin, but it now supports over 100 of the biggest cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Ethereum, and Litecoin. As a new user, you will receive a $10 bonus, and trading fees range from $0.99 to $2.99 for trades below $200 and from 1.49% to 3.99% for trades over $200.

Features

• Supports 100+ cryptocurrencies
• Coinbase Pro, access to research tools and graphs
• Coinbase Earn, earn crypto for free by watching tutorials
• Manage your crypto from your phone with the Coinbase Wallet app
• Secure platform, Biometric auth, 2FA and access to Secure Enclave
• User-friendly for both beginners and advanced traders
• Earn rewards by staking certain coins

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Purchase Fees (Below $200): Flat fee, from $0.99 to $2.99 per transaction.
• Purchase Fees (Over $200): 1.49% (US banks), 3.99% (Debit Card and PayPal)
• Credit Transaction: 2% 
• Bank Account:1.49%
• Wire Transfers: From $10 to $25
• ACH Transfer: Free

Signup Bonus

$10 signup bonus

Best For

New investors looking for an easy-to-use platform or for veteran investors looking for advanced research tools.

6. Kraken

Founded in 2011, Kraken supports 87+ cryptocurrency assets and various order types (including stop loss and stop-limit orders). As a US-based exchange, Kraken has to meet extremely demanding security protocols, making it a highly secure exchange.

Intermediate and Pro users can trade futures contracts and use up to 5x leverage on 30+ cryptocurrencies. It keeps 95% of its crypto holdings offline in cold storage and has a Global Settings Lock (GSL) and Master Key system that blocks unauthorized changes to your account, even if your password and 2FA are compromised.

Kraken's fees range from 0.16% for makers to 0.26% for takers and decrease if you've traded more than $50,000 in the previous 30 days. It provides price data for digital assets to the Bloomberg Terminal and is accessible in more than 175 countries, making it one of the most international crypto exchanges worldwide.

Kraken offers a staking platform on 17 assets (including the US dollar). However, at a maximum APY of 23%, it pays lower interest than some other staking providers (e.g., just 0.25% APY on Bitcoin).

Features

• Supports 87+ cryptocurrencies
• 95% cold storage policy
• Well-rated mobile app (4.7/5 on iOS, 4.2/5 on Android)
• 24/7 live chat and email support
• Cryptowatch and custom alerts make tracking the entire market easy
• 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, and email
• Deposit methods include bank transfers (PayID), wire transfers, OSKO, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT, SEPA, and cryptocurrency

Cost

• Maker fees: 0.16%
• Taker fees: 0.26%
• Crypto credit card purchases: 3.75% + €0.25
• ACH crypto purchases: 1.5%

Best For

Cryptocurrency investors looking for crypto exchanges with a wide array of supported altcoins and stablecoins.

7. Bitstamp

Bitstamp is one of the world's largest and oldest crypto exchanges; it is geared towards experienced traders and has over 4 million active users worldwide. It offers competitively low fees ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% and many payment options; you can use credit or debit cards and SEPA transfers.

Bitstamp is partnered with large financial institutions like Swissquote, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Crédit Agricole. Bitstamp fully insures your assets and keeps them safe offline – in cold storage. Bitstamp provides both hot and cold storage.

New Bitstamp users receive a $20 bonus after funding their account, and you can immediately use it to buy any of the 53 cryptocurrencies available.

Features

• Extremely low trading fees (0.1%-0.5%)
• Buy crypto with fiat currency, credit cards or bank transfers
• 24/7 customer support available via phone, live chat or email
• Instant account verification
• Supports 53 of the largest cryptocurrencies
• Access to a crypto wallet
• Hot and cold wallet storage

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Credit Card Purchases: 5%
• Debit Card Withdrawal: Flat $10 (USD)
• SEPA Fees: €0 for deposits, €3 for withdrawals
• Trading Fees: From 0.5% to 0.1% (0.5% for trades below $10,000)
• International Wire Transfer: 0.05% for deposits, 0.1% for withdrawals

Signup Bonus

$20 signup bonus

Best For

Experienced investors looking for professional investing tools and data.

What To Look For In A Great Chinese Crypto Exchange

I consider many different factors in my search for the best Chinese crypto exchange. Here are just a few of the more prominent ones:

• Supported coins: The best Chinese crypto exchanges support a wide variety of coins—at least 20 or 30—including all the major coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Platforms that add new coins regularly tend to be more customer-focused overall, making this a strong indicator of a forward-thinking exchange.
• User interface: Choosing a platform with an easy-to-use trading interface is important, especially for beginners. If you're a seasoned crypto investor, you'll also want to look out for exchanges that offer more advanced features like advanced order types and transaction exports for tax purposes.
• Fees: All crypto exchanges charge fees (both in the form of trading commissions and bid-ask spreads), and they can vary by a wide margin. I've specifically chosen low-fee platforms here to help you maximize your profits.
• Regulation: It's much safer to trade with a well-regulated exchange than an unregulated one, especially when markets aren't moving in your favor. Depositors' insurance is another safeguard offered by some exchanges, which keeps your assets safe even if the platform itself faces liquidity issues.
• Deposit & withdrawal options: The exchange you choose should offer a variety of payment methods (bank transfers, debit/credit cards, PayPal, etc.) to ensure you can easily transfer funds in and out of your account. The more options you have, the better.
• Security: Look for an exchange that strictly enforces multiple layers of security, such as two-factor authentication and at least 95% cold storage. Additional security measures like daily offsite backups, third-party security audits, and email confirmations on transactions make your account even more secure.
• Customer support: The best crypto exchanges pride themselves on having well-trained, responsive support teams who can help users through any problems that come up. I pay particular attention to the channels each exchange offers support through, response times, the thoroughness and helpfulness of their responses, and user feedback on the customer support they've received.

In Summary

Choosing the best cryptocurrency exchange in China isn’t easy, given all the options out there and the different features each of them offers. As an avid crypto investor myself, I diligently keep up with the movements of the top exchanges in China, and have made my selections below based on years of research and personal experience.

Binance is the favorite among knowledgeable Chinese crypto investors, both for its high level of security and its ease of use. Binance‘s fees are also extremely low, so if you’re looking for a secure, cost-effective way to buy and sell crypto in China, I can’t recommend Binance highly enough.

Best Crypto Exchange China FAQs

Which Chinese crypto exchange has the lowest fees?

The Chinese crypto exchange with the lowest fees is generally Binance, depending on the specific crypto assets you're trading. In most cases, Binance will be the cheapest option.

What’s the best crypto wallet in China?

The best crypto wallet is the Ledger Nano S hardware wallet. It is the best way to keep your private keys secure and, more importantly, offline. All Ledger wallets are certified by the French National Agency of Security and are among the safest and most cost-efficient wallets out there, and they support 1,200+ crypto assets, coins, and tokens.

What’s the best altcoin exchange in China?

The best altcoin exchange in China is one of Binance or Capital. Both support a wide variety of cryptocurrencies and regularly add more of the altcoins Chinese investors are looking for.

What is the safest crypto wallet in China?

The Ledger Nano S is the safest wallet available today. All Ledger wallets far exceed industry standards for security: they use tamper-resistant Certified Secure Element (SE) with Common Criteria (CC) EAL5+ chips on their nanodevices, which means your private key stays on the secure chip. It also has a proprietary operating system called Blockchain Open Ledger Operating System (BOLOS) that's successfully undergone audits from the French National Agency of Security, many other government agencies, as well as regular audits from independent security organizations. 

What’s the safest crypto exchange in China?

The safest cryptocurrency exchange in China is Binance. They strictly enforce bank-level security protocols, run on servers in secure locations around the world, and undergo frequent financial and security audits to ensure all of their users’ assets are completely safe. They also have some of the lowest fees of any platform in China and are known for being a reputable, trustworthy exchange.

How Can I Sell Bitcoin In China?

There are several ways to sell Bitcoin in China, though the easiest is to sell it directly from the crypto wallet or exchange you’re holding it on. Remember to be cautious whenever you transfer coins between wallets since blockchain transactions are irreversible.

What crypto exchange is best for beginners in China?

The best crypto exchange for beginners in China is Binance. They're ideal for beginners because they verify accounts instantly, have easy-to-use trading platforms, and provide great customer support in case you need any help along the way.

Is cryptocurrency legal in China?

Yes, cryptocurrency is legal in China, and you can buy, sell and use crypto without breaking the law. However, cryptocurrency is not currently considered legal tender in China, which means the Chinese government and Chinese businesses are not legally obligated to accept it as payment for goods and services.

What’s the best crypto app in China?

The best crypto app in China is Binance. Its mobile app is very easy to use, has a nice, modern interface, and has very good ratings and reviews on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

What is the best crypto exchange for day trading in China?

The best crypto exchange for day trading in China is Binance, since it has low trading fees, tight spreads, and its prices update multiple times per second, giving day traders an upper hand over the rest of the market.

Can the Chinese government track cryptocurrency?

Yes. Just like in places like India, Hong Kong and Germany, the Chinese tax authorities can track cryptocurrency trades and transactions—and not only when your digital assets interact with real-world institutions like banks. Some exchanges in China are required by law to provide the government with information about their users’ transactions, including purchase price, purchase date, sale value, and all associated KYC data. If your tax returns don’t match the data the government receives from these exchanges, you may receive a fine.