8 Best Crypto Exchanges In Jamaica

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 Jamaica 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 Jamaican dollar, and is compatible with the biggest financial institutions in Jamaica, you’ve come to the right place.

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

1. Capital – Best Overall

Zero Fees

Trading fees: 0% Supports: 100+ coins Customer support: Excellent Trusted by millions.

★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5

Capital allows users to trade crypto alongside stocks, commodities, forex, market indices, ETFs and more—all without any trading fees. It supports 100+ cryptocurrencies, and users can trade with 2x leverage on crypto (up to 500x leverage on other assets).

Capital charges a tight spread ranging from 0.1% – 0.3% (depending on the asset), making the overall cost of using the platform (0% trading commissions + 0.1% – 0.3% spreads) very low. It has a fully functional desktop platform, a well-rated mobile app (4.7/5 on Android and iOS), and an excellent demo account where you can practice trading with real assets in real time.

Capital is licensed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, which means it’s a safe, secure platform. Every user receives a dedicated account manager they can reach by email or phone anytime, which is part of the reason Capital’s customer support team receives such positive reviews.

Deposits and withdrawals are always free with Capital, and you’ll never pay trading commissions regardless of whether you place spot orders or limit orders. Capital is ISO 27001 certified for meeting robust information security standards, making it an extremely safe platform to trade with.

The biggest drawback of Capital is that it can take several days to have your account verified since their verifications team is overwhelmed with signups right now. If you sign up using my referral link, though, you can skip the waitlist and start trading immediately.

I’ve personally used Capital for more than 4 years, and based on my experiences and those of millions of other users, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Features

• Zero trading commissions
• Tight spreads (0.1% – 0.3%) 
• Supports 100+ cryptocurrencies
• Allows up to 500x leverage (2x leverage on crypto)
• Fully functional demo account for paper trading
• Free deposits and withdrawals via debit/credit cards, bank transfer, POLi, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.
• Dedicated account manager you can reach at any time
• Excellent desktop trading platform
• Well-rated mobile app (4.7/5 on both Apple and Google)
• Licensed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
• ISO 27001-certified for meeting extremely high information security standards

Cost

• Trading fees: 0%
• Spreads: 0.1% – 0.3%
• Deposits & Withdrawals: Free

Signup Bonus

Skip the waitlist and have your account approved immediately by using my referral link below.

Best For

Investors looking for the best overall crypto trading experience with no trading commissions.

2. Kraken – Extremely Narrow Spreads

Best Overall

Fees: 0.16% Security: Best in class Customer Support: Excellent Top-notch security + lowest fees.

★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5

Based in the United States, Kraken is a highly transparent exchange with a longstanding history of reliability. As one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, Kraken outperforms smaller exchanges for a number of reasons.

For starters, Kraken's fees are far lower than most other exchanges, with most users paying 0.16% per transaction (fees decrease down to 0% if you trade high volumes). Kraken's spreads are also absurdly low, typically around $0.10 per Bitcoin, which is 0.0003%. Compare that with other exchanges—which routinely charge up to 2% in trading commissions plus an additional 2% or more in spreads—and it's easy to see why Kraken is such a popular exchange.

Kraken also has better customer support than most other exchanges, and is one of the only exchanges out there that still offers telephone support (available in English, French and Spanish). It supports 100+ cryptocurrencies and has a world-class trading platform and mobile app that's powerful yet easy to use.

If that wasn't enough, Kraken's trading platform is professional and robust, offering features like NFT trading, staking and support for a wide range of fiat currencies including USD, EUR, and more.

Overall, Kraken is an excellent fit for many crypto investors because it has lower fees, better support and a better trading platform overall. If you're looking to start trading crypto, we strongly recommend Kraken.

Features

• Extremely low trading commissions (0.16%)
• Extremely low spreads (0.0003%)
• Trade 100+ cryptocurrencies
• Stake 100+ cryptocurrencies
• Simple, intuitive user interface
• Kraken Crypto Watch allows you to keep track of the crypto market
• NFT trading inside the Kraken app
• 24/7 customer support via phone, email and live chat
• Plenty of free educational resources available to users
• 95% cold storage policy

Cost

• Trading Fees: 0.16% (spot trades cost 0.26%)
• Spreads: 0.0003%
• Fiat Deposit Fee: 0%
• Fiat Withdrawal Fee: $0 – $5 USD

Best For

Cryptocurrency investors looking to trade with extremely low fees.

3. Binance

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.

4. CoinSmart

Very Secure

Total Fees: ~3% Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $50 Great bonus but high fees.

★★★★ Rated 4.4/5

CoinSmart supports 16 cryptocurrencies, verifies accounts instantly, prides itself on its helpful customer service reps, and has a beautiful, well-rated app.

As a Canadian exchange, CoinSmart is regulated by several Canadian financial authorities, which keeps your money safe and secure. CoinSmart is also a publicly-traded company on Toronto’s NEO stock exchange, which means they’re subject to third-party financial and security audits at least once per year.

I've personally used CoinSmart for over a year, and I’ve had nothing but excellent experiences with them. I've tried out many of the other cryptocurrency exchanges on this list, so I'm confident that CoinSmart is a solid, reputable platform for most crypto investors.

From now until December 22, 2024, CoinSmart is offering a $50 signup bonus to Yore Oyster readers who fund their accounts with $200 or more. If you’re looking for a highly-respected exchange that offers the lowest fees, excellent customer service, and a slick mobile app, open a CoinSmart account today.

Features

• Extremely low trading fees (just 0.20% per trade)
• 24/7 customer support available via phone, live chat or email
• Instant account verification
• Supports 16 cryptocurrencies
• Immediate deposits and withdrawals
• User-friendly for both beginners and advanced traders
• 95% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Trading Fees: 0.20%

Signup Bonus

$50 bonus when you sign up using the link below and the CoinSmart promo code YOREOYSTER

Best For

Investors looking to trade stablecoins or altcoins with some of the industry’s lowest fees.

5. 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.

6. CEX.IO

CEX.io is a cryptocurrency exchange based in the United Kingdom that was founded in 2013 and has worldwide availability. Traders and investors may use it to buy, sell, borrow, and earn various cryptocurrencies.

There are a lot of tradable assets and sophisticated trading tools available, which will appeal to seasoned cryptocurrency traders. Beginners, on the other hand, may get lost in the plethora of advanced features offered by the platform.

Features

• Plenty of cryptocurrencies supported (100+)
• Allows you to do margin trading
• Allows you to stake cryptocurrencies and earn rewards for doing so
• Institutional services for businesses and advanced traders
• 24/7 customer support
• Mobile access

Cost

• Maker fee: Between 0.10% and 0.25%
• Taker fee: Between 0% and 0.16%
• Deposit fees: 2.99%

Best For

Cryptocurrency investors looking for an exchange with a wide array of supported altcoins and stablecoins.

7. Pursa

Pursa is different than most crypto exchanges on this list. It is a Cameroon-based peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2017 by Mbuh Jude, with the goal to release a fully decentralized trading platform. When you use Pursa you don’t make any deposit to the platform – you actually trade directly with the buyer. 

Using this platform has many benefits compared to regular exchanges; for starters, Pursa doesn’t charge deposit or withdrawal fees—you only pay spreads, which range from 1% – 3%, and there's no registration process. Transactions are completed instantly and anonymously and deposited directly to your wallet.

Pursa is supported in over 200 countries and has an attractive referral program: you can earn up to 20% of all sales your referee makes – with no limits. You can invite as many friends as you want. One major downside is that you can only trade Bitcoin using this platform.

Features

• Supports (only) Bitcoin
• No deposit or withdrawal fees
• No registration needed
• Instant Bitcoin deposits directly to your wallet
• Completely anonymous
• Attractive referral program (earn 20% of your referees’ sales)

Cost

• Spreads: 1% – 3%

8. 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.

What To Look For In A Great Jamaican Crypto Exchange

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

• Supported coins: The best Jamaican 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 Jamaica 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 Jamaica, and have made my selections below based on years of research and personal experience.

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

Best Crypto Exchange Jamaica FAQs

Which Jamaican crypto exchange has the lowest fees?

The Jamaican crypto exchange with the lowest fees is Capital or Kraken, depending on the specific crypto assets you're trading. In most cases, Capital will be the cheapest option.

What’s the best crypto wallet in Jamaica?

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 Jamaica?

The best altcoin exchange in Jamaica is one of Capital, Kraken, or CoinSmart. All of them support a wide variety of cryptocurrencies and regularly add more of the altcoins Jamaican investors are looking for.

What is the safest crypto wallet in Jamaica?

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 Jamaica?

The safest cryptocurrency exchange in Jamaica is Capital. 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 Jamaica and are known for being a reputable, trustworthy exchange.

How Can I Sell Bitcoin In Jamaica?

There are several different ways to sell Bitcoin in Jamaica, though the easiest is to sell it directly from the crypto wallet or exchange that 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 Jamaica?

The best crypto exchange for beginners in Jamaica is Capital, followed by Kraken. Both are 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 Jamaica?

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

What’s the best crypto app in Jamaica?

The best crypto app in Jamaica is Capital. 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. If you live in a country like Japan or Italy instead, you’ll have to double-check to ensure you can get the Capital app in your local app store.

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

The best crypto exchange for day trading in Jamaica is Capital, 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 Jamaican government track cryptocurrency?

Yes. Just like in places like Belize, India, Chile and even Bostwana, the Jamaican 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 Jamaica 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.