At a glance
- Spot, Level 0, major (Class A) pairs
- 0.1% maker · 0.1% taker
- Paying fees with KCS
- 20% discount
- Other pair classes
- Higher base rates
- United States
- Exited for at least two years (2025)
Level 0 rate for Class A pairs. Some lower-rated pair classes have higher base rates.
What stands out
- A very wide selection of coins, including many smaller tokens.
- A 0.1% base fee on major pairs, reduced by 20% when paying in KCS.
- VIP tiers with lower fees for high-volume traders.
What to weigh up
- The 2025 US guilty plea and more than US$297 million in penalties.
- Smaller, lower-rated coins can cost more to trade and carry more risk.
- Fee details across KuCoin's own pages don't always match, so check the live schedule.
Fees: 0.1% on major pairs
At Level 0, KuCoin charges 0.1% maker and taker on its major (Class A) pairs. Turning on KCS fee payment cuts trading fees by 20%. VIP levels, based on 30-day volume or KCS holdings, lower fees further.
- Less established coins are grouped into other pair classes with higher base fees.
- KuCoin's own pages don't always agree on those figures, so check the fee shown on your order before trading a smaller token.
The 2025 US guilty plea
In January 2025, PEKEN Global Limited, the Seychelles company that operates KuCoin, pleaded guilty in New York to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. It agreed to pay more than US$297 million and to exit the US market for at least two years, and its two co-founders gave up any role in running it.
- Prosecutors said KuCoin had about 1.5 million US users between 2017 and 2024 without registering with US authorities or filing required suspicious activity reports.
- As with other recent cases, this concerned compliance failures rather than lost customer funds.
Smaller coins, bigger risks
KuCoin's appeal is access to many tokens you won't find on more conservative exchanges. Newer and smaller tokens can be illiquid and volatile, and some fail completely. A wide listing isn't an endorsement of any coin.
- If you trade smaller tokens, check the order book depth before placing a large order, and research the project independently.
Nodora’s take
KuCoin suits experienced traders who want access to a broad range of coins at low fees. Its US plea and exit, and the risks of the smaller tokens it's known for, are the main things to weigh.
Check that KuCoin serves your country, and keep only what you're actively trading on the exchange. We have not opened or funded an account as part of this review, and Nodora has no referral relationship with KuCoin.
KuCoin questions, answered
What are KuCoin’s trading fees?
At Level 0, KuCoin charges 0.1% maker and taker on major pairs. Paying fees with KCS gives a 20% discount, and some smaller pair classes cost more.
Is KuCoin available in the US?
No. As part of its January 2025 guilty plea, KuCoin agreed to exit the US market for at least two years.
Why did KuCoin plead guilty?
The company that operates KuCoin pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business for serving US users without registering, and agreed to pay more than US$297 million.
Is it safe to buy small coins on KuCoin?
Smaller tokens can be illiquid and volatile, and some fail completely. A listing on KuCoin isn't an endorsement; research the project and check order-book depth.
Does Nodora earn a commission from KuCoin?
No. Nodora has no referral relationship with KuCoin, and the link on this page goes to its official website.
More on KuCoin: fees explained · is it safe?
Sources & last check
Checked 26 October 2026. Provider material describes the provider’s own service; it is not independent verification of safety or performance.
- KuCoin: Tiered trading fee discount program
- KuCoin: Fees, a full breakdown
- US Attorney’s Office SDNY: KuCoin pleads guilty to unlicensed money transmission charge
