KuCoin vs Deribit

KuCoin or Deribit: which to use

KuCoin vs Deribit is two centralized exchanges that both match on an order book, so the choice rests on fees, market range and leverage. Deribit's base tier is 1.5 bp maker and 3.5 bp taker, against KuCoin's 2 bp and 6 bp. KuCoin lists 686 perp markets, 159 of them real-world assets, and goes up to 125x. Deribit lists 134 markets, 34 of them real-world assets, goes up to 50x and pays funding every hour on every market. Pick KuCoin for breadth and leverage. Pick Deribit for lower base fees and a fixed hourly funding schedule.

How each exchange is built

KuCoin and Deribit are both centralized exchanges (CEX): you open an account with the company, and the account holds your funds. Both match orders on a central limit order book. You trade through an account and a verification process on each.

Fees and what they mean

KuCoin's base tier is 2 bp maker and 6 bp taker, per KuCoin's futures fee announcement. Deribit's base tier is 1.5 bp maker and 3.5 bp taker. We read Deribit's rates from its API, since it has no fee page to link.

A market order pays the taker fee on entry and again on exit. That is 12 bp per round trip on KuCoin and 7 bp on Deribit. A limit order that rests on the book pays the maker fee instead: 2 bp on KuCoin and 1.5 bp on Deribit.

Fees are only part of a trade's cost. Slippage is the price you move by eating through the order book, and it grows with size. The cost table above adds the taker fee twice and the measured slippage at each size from $1k to $5M. Every exchange's trading cost is also compared on one page.

Markets, leverage and funding

As of 1 October 2026 KuCoin has 686 active perpetual markets, 159 of them stocks, commodities, FX or other real-world assets. Deribit has 134, of which 34 are real-world assets. If you want stocks and commodities next to crypto, KuCoin gives you more of both to choose from.

KuCoin offers up to 125x on its highest-leverage market and Deribit up to 50x. Most markets on both allow less, so check the cap on the specific market you plan to trade.

Funding is the periodic payment between longs and shorts, and a positive rate means longs pay shorts. Deribit pays it every hour on every market. KuCoin pays every 1 hour, 4 hours or 8 hours depending on the market. An hourly market settles 24 times a day and an 8-hour market three times. A position held across settlements pays or receives funding at each one, so look up a KuCoin market's interval before you hold it. The list of markets both exchanges have, further down this page, shows each one's funding rate and the spread between the two.

Who can use them

Both exchanges require KYC. KuCoin asks for standard KYC, an ID and face check, for any product, and has done so since August 2023.

Deribit asks for ID, proof of address and a financial profile before any deposit. It is closed to the US, Canada, Japan and retail UK clients. Check your region before you start the process.

Token

KuCoin has a token, $KCS.

Reading the numbers on this page

Both exchanges publish open interest as one side of open positions. The open interest row and chart above are therefore a like-for-like comparison, unlike pairs where one exchange counts longs plus shorts.

Neither exchange has a TVL row or chart. Centralized exchanges publish none, so that part of the page stays empty for this pair. For size, use the volume chart and the open interest chart above. The Head to head table highlights the better figure in each row.

Which one fits you

• Pick KuCoin if you want more markets: 686 perps against Deribit's 134.
• Pick KuCoin if you trade stocks, commodities or FX perps next to crypto: 159 real-world asset markets against 34.
• Pick KuCoin if you need more than 50x: it goes up to 125x on its highest-leverage market.
• Pick KuCoin if you want the $KCS token.
• Pick Deribit if you trade mostly with market orders: 3.5 bp taker against 6 bp.
• Pick Deribit if you rest limit orders and want the lower maker rate: 1.5 bp against 2 bp.
• Pick Deribit if you want every market on an hourly funding schedule, with no 4-hour or 8-hour markets to check.