
Each year, we conduct an extensive review of crypto trading platforms available in India. To arrive at these picks, we’ve compared more than 20 platforms on factors such as user experience, fees, payment methods and selection of coins.
You may want to use multiple exchanges to benefit from their unique combination of services, such as using one for its range of coins and another for access to NFTs.
Finder India’s best crypto exchanges and trading platforms
Best for INR deposits and trading:
Best global trading platforms (for USD or other fiat deposits):
- Kraken (award winner)
- Binance
- Crypto.com
- KuCoin
- Bybit
Kraken – Best global crypto exchange
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Supported cryptos
Fiat currencies
Kraken is one of the longest-running platforms in the industry and has maintained its legacy by constantly improving its services. It's a feature-rich exchange with a strong emphasis on education, which is why it won Finder's 2022 Crypto Trading Platform award for best global crypto exchange.
Kraken is popular with over 9 million users and exceeds a daily trading volume of US$500 million, which makes it one of the world's largest exchanges. But for overall features and trading tools, Kraken really blows everyone out of the water. It is clearly made for traders, but it doesn't leave novices behind either.
Kraken has a broad range of staking options and advanced trading features. It prides itself on offering low spreads and providing deep liquidity across markets. This means that you don't need to worry as much about slippage.
While new traders may feel daunted by the exchange at first, the large variety of guides Kraken offers can help anyone become knowledgeable about cryptocurrency, its underlying technology and the different forms of trading. Meanwhile, more experienced traders will appreciate its high-quality system and easy-to-use UI (user interface) as well as be pleasantly surprised by how straightforward it is to trade, move crypto and manage assets.
- 170 supported coins
- Launched in 2013: one of the longest-running crypto exchanges
- Low fees for active traders
- Earn yield through staking
- High-quality educational guides and tools
- Doesn’t allow INR deposits
- Higher fees for credit card purchases
- No crypto debit card available for spending, unlike some alternatives
Fees and deposit Methods | Bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT, Visa and Mastercard debit/credit card, ACH online banking, Digital Wallet purchases |
---|---|
Deposit Fees | Fees vary |
Withdrawal Fees | Fees vary |
Trading Fees | Maker: 0.00-0.16% Taker: 0.10-0.26% |
How to choose the best crypto exchange in India
It's important to research a wide range of crypto platforms and compare the pros and cons of each option. The best crypto exchange for you depends on what you're looking for, so consider the following:
Using RBI-registered exchanges to buy cryptocurrency
There are plenty of places to buy crypto, including platforms founded here in India or based in locations all around the world. Exchanges headquartered locally are required to register with the RBI and comply with requirements that don't apply to global platforms. Depending on your goals, this may have some benefits or drawbacks.
Pros
- India-based exchanges must comply with the RBI's Anti-money Laundering (AML) and Counter-terrorism Financing (CTF) reporting obligations.
- You can usually buy crypto with INR.
- Exchanges in India typically support local payment methods.
- You may be able to access local customer support.
- Subject to local laws.
Cons
- You'll need to provide your personal details and proof of ID – a disadvantage if you want to trade anonymously.
- Overseas trading platforms may provide better liquidity.
- INR-to-crypto prices are sometimes slightly higher than USD-to-crypto prices, meaning you sometimes pay a premium for buying directly with Indian rupees.
- Some features are simply not available on RBI-registered exchanges. For example, margin trading, DeFi features and some altcoins.
Compare more crypto exchanges in India
Use our table to compare crypto exchanges and platforms on fees, range of cryptos, deposit methods and more. Once you've found the right fit, select Go to site to get started.How to use a cryptocurrency exchange
For the sake of our example, let's assume that you have Nu.500 that you want to use to buy Bitcoin (BTC).
- Compare cryptocurrency exchanges to find one that offers the right service for you.
- Register for an account on the platform and provide any personal details and proof of ID required.
- Navigate your way to the "Buy" screen.
- Select BTC as the cryptocurrency you want to buy.
- Select your payment currency, which in this case is INR, and specify the amount you want to spend as Nu.500.
- Select your payment method, such as a credit card payment or bank transfer.
- Enter your payment details, such as your account number if sending a bank transfer or your card number and CVV if paying by credit card.
- Review the full details of your transaction, including the fees that will apply and the amount of BTC you are purchasing.
- If you're happy to proceed, click "Buy BTC".
- Once the transaction has been processed, the BTC will be deposited into your exchange wallet. However, please note that some brokers will automatically send your purchased BTC to an external wallet address that you nominate.
How to pay for your cryptocurrency in India
Crypto exchanges in India support a range of deposit methods, including the following:
- Credit and debit cards
- Bank and wire transfers
- PayPal and other payment apps
- Cryptocurrency transfers
- Neteller, Skrill and other online payment services
- UPI, IMPS, NEFT and RTGS transfers
Accepted payment methods vary between exchanges. Prior to signing up, it's worth checking that your preferred payment method is supported.
The different types of cryptocurrency exchanges
The term "exchange" may refer to a variety of cryptocurrency brokers, trading platforms and other services. Different types of exchange are often more geared toward beginners or experienced users.
- Cryptocurrency brokers (suited to beginners). Buy directly from cryptocurrency dealers for simple and quick purchases. Many beginners use brokers for their first purchase. A broker will facilitate an instant purchase of the digital asset of your choosing and will not offer spot trading.
- Cryptocurrency trading platforms (suited to beginner/intermediate users). Buy and sell cryptocurrency on an open market for competitive fees, a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and optional features like margin trading. Many exchanges now offer brokerage services to be more beginner-friendly.
- Cryptocurrency derivatives platforms (suited to advanced users). These trading platforms don't sell cryptocurrency outright. Instead, they let you trade cryptocurrency derivatives. They're for advanced traders who want high speed, high leverage and deeply liquid platforms with a full range of features
It's difficult to find one exchange with all the coins and features you want. I spread my trading around several exchanges to make sure I'm getting exactly what I need, while also diversifying my risk should the exchange get hacked or shut down. To further reduce risk I use one registered locally so it's subject to local laws and regulations.
James Edwards
Finder's Global Crypto Editor
Risks of using a crypto exchange
- Cybersecurity breaches. Hacks and scams are, unfortunately, commonplace in the crypto space. Exchange-related security breaches and targeted phishing scams remain a major concern for exchanges and their customers.
- Not your keys. "Not your keys, not your crypto" is a common industry saying and refers to holding your digital assets in a wallet that another person or company controls, such as on an exchange. By storing cryptos on an exchange rather than in a non-custodial wallet, you're relinquishing full ownership of those assets and putting trust in a third party – which some may see as contradictory to the decentralised philosophy of crypto.
- Lack of consumer protection. While crypto exchanges are increasingly regulated in India and may be registered with the RBI, they are still lacking a lot of consumer protections such as mandatory insurance or strict rules about how user assets are managed.
- Proof of reserves. Since the widely publicised collapse of FTX, many traders and investors have demanded centralised exchanges provide proof of reserves and user deposits. This may be done by a third-party auditor or through the use of on-chain data. Proof of reserves is still an evolving concept, and it's not clear yet what the best practices are or how reliable it will prove to be.
- Transaction limits. Most crypto trading platforms have daily deposit and withdrawal limits. This means that even though you may have, for example, 10,000 INR available, you may not be able to access and withdraw the total balance. Transaction limits depend on the exchange and the RBI stipulations and typically increase as you provide additional KYC information.
- Frozen accounts. Crypto exchanges freezing deposits and withdrawals can happen without warning. If your account is frozen, you will not be allowed to remove your funds until the exchange approves or denies your request. Precautionary measures such as only holding a trading balance on an exchange are recommended.
- Asset delistings. Centralised exchanges can opt to delist a cryptocurrency at any time. This can happen for numerous reasons, including poor asset performance, security concerns or anti-money laundering (AML) breaches. If delisting is taking place, you will be notified by the exchange and forced to sell your assets or remove them from the platform.
Is it safe to store your cryptocurrency on an exchange?
Cryptocurrency is held in digital wallets. Some exchanges will give you your own wallet that lets you hold cryptocurrency in your exchange account and then transfer it anywhere as desired.
However, once you have purchased what you consider to be a sizable amount of digital assets, you may want to consider transferring the private keys to those assets to a self-custodial wallet.
This is because the exchange controls the private key to your wallet, which means you don't have total control of your funds. And with exchanges sometimes falling victim to hackers, there is some degree of risk involved with leaving the private keys to your crypto in the hands of a centralised exchange.
Learn more about cryptocurrency wallets2023 crypto exchange industry predictions report
In the wake of FTX's implosion, trust in crypto exchanges and other centralised crypto platforms lowered. Crypto investors are waiting to see how both major crypto industry players and government regulators will react.
We polled 56 specialists in the fintech industry to get their opinion on what the future looks like for centralised crypto exchanges and what the demise of FTX means for the crypto industry.
The vast majority of our panellists (83.93%) don't think the collapse of FTX was the beginning of the end for crypto, while 8.93% think it was and 7.14% are unsure.
However, because of the FTX collapse, more than half of our panellists (58.49%) believe that crypto exchanges should be regulated just as much as other financial trading platforms.
22.64% believe that crypto exchanges should be regulated, but less so than other financial trading platforms. 15.09% don't believe that crypto exchanges should be regulated to the same degree.
"Crypto exchanges are not different from any other entities operating retail money," Yard CEO Yaroslav Shakula said. "Regulatory frameworks are well-aged and could be easily upgraded to protect the retail funds without undermining the innovation."
Over one-third of our panellists (35.19%) believe all crypto exchanges will be regulated as traditional financial institutions by 2030. A further 22.22% believe this will happen by 2025 and another 14.81% think it will happen by 2024.
"[Centralised] exchanges are vital for the growth of crypto," claimed Nisheta Sachdev, managing director at Luna PR. Sachdev thinks most crypto exchanges will be regulated by 2030 and should be regulated as much as other trading platforms.
The future of crypto exchanges
In the future, the majority of our panellists (86.79%) feel that crypto exchanges should be required to disclose both their proof of reserves (PoR) and records of their liabilities.
Dr Iwa Salami, co-director for the Centre of FinTech at the University of East London, believes that exchanges that aren't transparent are doing a great disservice to their customers.
"The absence of information fosters doubt that these exchanges are determined to be transparent and that they place investors' interest as a priority," claimed Dr Salami.
In fact, 42.31% think that more crypto exchanges will face bankruptcy as a result of a reduction in their customer base.
15.38% believe this will play out over the next 5 years while a quarter (26.92%) think it'll happen within the year. On the other hand, exactly half of our panellists (50%) do not think we will see more crypto exchanges go bankrupt as a result of losing their customers.
Despite this, more than half of our panellists (54.72%) do not think centralised crypto exchanges will cease to exist.
Dr Matthew Shillito, law lecturer at University of Liverpool, believes it will be some time before we see centralised exchanges disappear.
"In the short to medium term, exchanges are of critical importance to the viability of cryptocurrencies," claimed Shillito.
They offer familiarity and ease of use to those transitioning from traditional forms of finance. To that end, it is important that they are regulated in such a way as to remove bad actors, and assure those looking to invest in crypto."
Bottom line
Not all crypto exchanges are created equal and not all crypto buyers and sellers have the same trading needs. The best exchange or platform for one person might not necessarily be the right choice for someone else, so it's essential to do your own research.
Read our reviews of some of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges in India and around the world before you decide which to use. Compare the features, fees and pros and cons of each platform and consider whether they align with your investment goals and budget.
FAQs
Methodology
To evaluate our 2023 picks for the best crypto exchanges in India, we compared trading platforms on a range of criteria, including the following:
- Supported assets. Does the platform offer a good breadth of coins, tokens and NFTs?
- Payment methods. What account funding options are available? Does the exchange accept bank transfers, credit and debit cards or crypto-only transfers?
- Fees. What trading fees, withdrawal fees and other miscellaneous charges are levied by the exchange, and are these rates comparable with competitor exchanges?
- User experience. Is the platform simple to use for both beginners and advanced crypto traders?
- Platform features. What tools, charts and functionalities are available on the exchange? Is there support for advanced trading features such as derivatives or hedging?
- Security. What measures are taken by the exchange to protect its customers' assets and prevent theft or loss? Are additional security features in place, including two-factor authentication (2FA), cold storage of assets, regular audits and insurance coverage?
- Regulator registration. Is the platform registered with the RBI?
- Customer support. How do existing users rate the exchange's customer support? Does the exchange offer various methods of contact, such as email, instant chat, phone or social media?
Finder's crypto exchange reviews
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WazirX review 2023
Finder’s WazirX review covers all the information you will need about the exchange. Learn about the cryptocurrencies WazirX offers as well as its fees and incentives.
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Finder Crypto Trading Platform Awards 2022
Find out how major crypto exchanges fared in our latest crypto trading platform awards.
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Review: ZebPay cryptocurrency exchange
Read the ZebPay review to find out how to use the app and what to watch out for.
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AscendEX (BitMax) Cryptocurrency Exchange Review
A complete review of the AscendEX exchange, covering trading and DeFi features, associated fees, regulation and security. Is AscendEX right for you?
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Review: FTX cryptocurrency exchange
Trade cryptocurrency, derivatives and speculate on stocks with this fully-featured exchange created “by traders, for traders”.
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Kraken cryptocurrency exchange review
Kraken is a reputable bitcoin and altcoin exchange that is designed with the advanced trader in mind.
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Coinbase review
Check out our complete review of Coinbase to see if it’s safe, weigh up pros and cons, compare fees and learn what you can do on it beyond simply buying cryptocurrency.
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Review: Binance cryptocurrency exchange
In this deep-dive review we look at the trading and investment options available, and assess what type of cryptocurrency investor Binance is right for.
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Review: Crypto.com cryptocurrency app and exchange
Learn more about the Crypto.com platform in our complete review.
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How Finder rates crypto trading platforms
Our full methodology explains how we analyse, score and rate crypto platforms on the features that matter most.