Best Crypto Exchanges in the US (2026): Fees, State Access and Custody Compared

What's the best crypto exchange in the US in 2026?

There is no single best exchange for every state, but on published fees, state access and disclosures, Kraken is the strongest default for most US residents: Kraken Pro's public table opens at 0.40% for makers and 0.80% for takers (checked October 2026). Binance.US publishes far lower order-book rates but is licensed as a money transmitter in 32 states, and in New York and Maine, two states Kraken stays out of, Gemini is the pick of this group.

Who each exchange suits, in short:

• Kraken: most states; a public fee table, with Pro entry rates below Gemini's base tier and Robinhood's first exchange-routing tier.
• Gemini: New York and Maine residents, whom Kraken does not serve.
• Binance.US: the lowest published maker and taker rates, if it is licensed where you live.
• Robinhood Crypto: existing Robinhood users who want commission-free default routing and a published exchange-routing schedule.
• Coinbase: buyers who value its statement that it takes no payment for order flow and accept seeing simple-trade fees at checkout.

The picks are drawn from what each exchange publishes about its fees, terms and licenses, along with SIPC's investor guidance, rather than first-hand use. Because coinbase.com refused our automated source checks, the Coinbase details come from the Internet Archive's October 2, 2026 snapshot of Coinbase's fee disclosure page.

How the picks were judged

Five criteria, in the order they tend to matter to a new buyer:

1. Fees you can read before signing up. Kraken, Gemini, Robinhood Crypto and Binance.US publish rate tables. Coinbase instead works out each simple-trade fee when the order is placed, so there is no rate to compare in advance.
2. The entry tier of the order book. A small account pays first-tier maker and taker rates, so those are the numbers in the table below.
3. How the simple buy button is priced. Kraken, Coinbase and Binance.US all build a spread into the quoted price of a simple buy, and Kraken and Coinbase add a fee on top.
4. Whether the exchange serves your state. Kraken and Gemini publish which states they serve, and Binance.US says it is licensed in 32 states.
5. Staking commissions and custody disclosures. These matter once you hold coins rather than on day one.

No exchange leads on all five, which is why the answer splits by state and by how you plan to buy.

Published fees side by side

The rates are each exchange's own published figures (checked October 2026; Coinbase from the archived copy named above).

Kraken: the default for most states

Kraken publishes both of its price lists. In the Kraken app the fee is 1% on instant and recurring trades and 1.5% on custom orders, and the quoted price carries a spread. Kraken Pro's first tier costs 0.40% on maker orders and 0.80% on taker orders, falling to 0.30% and 0.60% once your 30-day volume passes $2.5K. Buying through the app will not move you up those tiers, since Kraken leaves Instant Buy volume out of the 30-day figure.

The limit is geography. Residents of Maine and New York are not served, according to Kraken's licensing page. Kraken's FinCEN registration as a money services business covers its US operations, and its Wyoming-chartered special purpose depository institution, Kraken Financial, holds digital assets for eligible clients. Check Kraken Pro's live fee schedule.

Whether moving from the app to the Pro platform pays off is covered in our Kraken Pro vs Kraken app guide.

Gemini: the pick for New York and Maine

Gemini splits its customers by state. New York residents sign the Gemini Trust Company user agreement and Maine residents the Gemini Moonbase agreement, so both states are covered. Its ActiveTrader fee schedule, dated September 1, 2026, starts at 0.600% maker and 1.200% taker and falls to 0.400% and 0.800% at $10K of 30-day volume or $1M in assets. Gemini sets the tier from either your trailing 30-day trading volume (stablecoin pairs excluded) or your total asset balance, whichever earns the lower fee.

Those entry rates are higher than Kraken Pro's on both sides, so Gemini earns its place on access rather than price. Compare Gemini's current fees, and see our Kraken vs Gemini comparison for its simple-mode pricing.

Binance.US: lowest published rates, narrower reach

Binance.US prints the lowest order-book rates in this group: "a flat 0% maker and 0.01% taker fee" on BNB/USD, and "0% maker and 0.02% taker on all other pairs". Simple Buy, Sell and Convert orders work differently; Binance.US says their cost is "a spread built into the price". Bank (ACH) deposits and withdrawals are free, card deposits cost 3.99%, and paying trading fees in BNB earns a 5% discount.

The trade-off is reach. Binance.US describes its operator, BAM Trading Services, as a FinCEN-registered money services business that is "money transmitter licensed in 32 states" and SOC 2 Type II audited. Confirm that your state is covered before you sign up.

Coinbase: fees you see at checkout

Coinbase's archived fee disclosure explains its pricing instead of listing rates. A simple trade carries a Coinbase fee worked out when you place the order, which depends on factors such as how you pay and how large the order is, plus a spread inside the quoted price. Coinbase Advanced drops the spread because you trade against the order book itself, yet the public disclosure page shows no tier table. Coinbase also states that market makers do not pay it for order flow.

Our Coinbase vs Kraken comparison for beginners covers Coinbase's state licenses, how its Advanced tiers work and its subscription in more depth.

Robinhood Crypto: no commission, with a catch

Robinhood Crypto's fee schedule lists "No commissions" for its default Market Maker Routing and discloses that Robinhood receives volume rebates from those market makers. Orders sent through Exchange Routing pay maker and taker fees instead, starting at 0.50% maker and 0.95% taker in the $0-$10K tier, and Robinhood says Legend and advanced-chart orders use exchange routing where it is available. Robinhood charges nothing for crypto transfers, though every transfer still needs a network fee.

No commission is not the same as no cost. Because Robinhood is paid by the market makers on the default route, look at the quoted price as well as the fee line before you confirm an order.

Staking commissions compared

If you plan to stake, each exchange keeps part of the rewards:

• Kraken: 20% on its Rewards program and on flexible staking of assets that have an on-chain unbonding period.
• Robinhood Crypto: 25% of staking rewards.
• Coinbase: 35% as its standard rate, on assets including ETH, SOL and ADA.

The Gemini and Binance.US pages cited here do not list staking commissions, so check those exchanges directly.

What protects your crypto, and what does not

None of these balances is protected the way stocks at a broker are. SIPC's investor guidance is explicit that crypto assets which are not securities fall outside its protection, and the SEC and CFTC have put bitcoin and ether on their list of example digital commodities. At Kraken, SIPC membership sits with Kraken Securities, the broker-dealer for US equities, rather than with the exchange that holds your coins. Custody disclosures, state licenses and fee transparency are the checks that remain, since SIPC coverage does not reach these coins.

How to choose in two steps

1. Start with your state. In New York or Maine, Kraken is unavailable and Gemini covers both. If Binance.US interests you, check that it is licensed where you live.
2. Then decide how you will buy. For an occasional tap of the buy button, compare the total on the order preview, spread included. For regular orders, the order-book tiers above are the numbers that matter.

For a wider view that also covers stock brokers, see our full shortlist.

This guide is general information rather than financial advice, and its picks reflect only the criteria stated above. Investing involves risk, and with crypto that includes the chance of losing the money you put in.

FAQ

Which US crypto exchange has the lowest fees?

On published order-book rates, Binance.US: 0% maker and 0.02% taker on most pairs, against 0.40% / 0.80% at Kraken Pro's first tier, 0.50% / 0.95% at Robinhood's first exchange-routing tier and 0.600% / 1.200% at Gemini's ActiveTrader base tier. Binance.US is licensed in 32 states, and Coinbase's public disclosure page has no Advanced tier table to compare.

Which crypto exchange can I use in New York?

Of the exchanges here, Gemini covers New York residents through its Gemini Trust Company user agreement, while Kraken says it does not offer services there. The Coinbase vs Kraken guide linked above covers Coinbase's New York license.

Is the simple buy button more expensive than the order book?

On Kraken it is, by Kraken's own numbers: 1% plus a spread in the app, against Kraken Pro's opening rates of 0.40% for makers and 0.80% for takers. Coinbase says its Advanced order book carries no spread, and Binance.US prices simple Buy, Sell and Convert orders through a spread rather than its maker-taker fee.

Is crypto on a US exchange protected by SIPC?

No. SIPC steps in when a member brokerage firm fails, and it does not extend that protection to bitcoin, ether or other crypto that is not a security. Read each exchange's custody disclosures instead.

Sources

1. Fee schedule — Kraken (checked October 2026)
2. Where is Kraken licensed or regulated? — Kraken Support (checked October 2026)
3. ActiveTrader Fee Schedule — Gemini (checked October 2026)
4. User Agreement — Gemini (checked October 2026)
5. Coinbase pricing and fees disclosures (Internet Archive capture, October 2, 2026) — Coinbase, via the Internet Archive (checked October 2026)
6. Robinhood Crypto Standard Pricing Fee Schedule — Robinhood Crypto, LLC (checked October 2026)
7. Binance.US Cryptocurrency Trading Fees — Binance.US (checked October 2026)
8. What SIPC Protects — Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) (checked October 2026)