Best crypto exchange UK: 4 FCA-registered options compared

The best crypto exchange in the UK, of those we could verify, is Kraken: its UK entity has been on the FCA’s cryptoasset register since 2021, it lists GBP among its currencies and Kraken Pro starts at 0.40% maker. Coinbase, Crypto.com and Bitpanda are also FCA-registered and serve UK users, each with a catch.

Brokers & Exchanges focuses on Europe, so this UK page is deliberately short. We only rank exchanges whose UK availability our data confirms, and we only state UK rules we could check on FCA and GOV.UK pages on 23 October 2026. Crypto is a high risk investment: prices can fall sharply and you can lose all the money you put in.

Best crypto exchanges for UK users at a glance

Four exchanges in our data clearly serve UK users through an FCA-registered UK entity. The table shows the trading fees on a £500 buy at each one’s published entry-level rate.

Exchange	UK entity	GBP support	Fee on a £500 market buy	Lower-cost order
Kraken	Payward Limited	Yes	£4.00 (0.80%, Kraken Pro)	£2.00 limit order (0.40%)
Coinbase	CB Payments Ltd	Yes	£6.00 (1.20%, Advanced Trade)	£3.00 limit order (0.60%)
Crypto.com	Foris DAX UK Limited	Yes	£2.50 (0.50%, Exchange)	£1.25 limit order (0.25%)
Bitpanda	Bitpanda Broker UK Ltd	Not confirmed	£4.95 (0.99% Bitcoin premium)	No order book fee in the app

These are percentage trading fees from each provider’s published schedule; we couldn’t confirm that UK accounts pay exactly the same rates, or the GBP deposit and GBP withdrawal fee for UK accounts, so check the actual cost in the order preview. Instant crypto purchases in the apps add a spread on top.

1. Kraken: best overall UK crypto exchange

Kraken is the best UK crypto exchange in our data for active traders and long-term buyers alike, with the Kraken Pro trading interface for order-book trading and a long record. Founded in 2011, it serves UK customers through Payward Limited, which has held FCA cryptoasset registration under the money laundering regulations since November 2021, while Payward Services Limited is an FCA-authorised electronic money institution (FRN 1010381).

• Trading fees: Kraken Pro charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker at the entry tier since a July 2026 change, falling with volume. Simple app purchases cost 1% plus a spread: £5.00 on £500.
• GBP and withdrawals: Kraken’s public API lists GBP trading pairs. The withdrawal fee to send Bitcoin to an external wallet is 0.000015 BTC.
• Checks: a Merkle-tree proof of reserves, most recently for 30 June 2026. Kraken’s card page says major assets are covered by £125 million of insurance, without detailing the scope.

The catch: the July 2026 fee change made small market orders dearer, so use limit orders for active trading. See our Kraken review and Coinbase vs Kraken.

2. Coinbase: Advanced Trade at a large, listed provider

Coinbase suits UK investors who value a Nasdaq-listed provider and a simple app over low fees. UK customers are served by CB Payments Ltd, which is FCA-registered, and Coinbase lists GBP among its fiat currencies.

Use Advanced Trade rather than simple buys: Advanced starts at 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker, while simple buys add a spread plus a fee that depends on your payment method, both shown before you confirm. The catch is its record with UK regulators: in 2024 the FCA fined CB Payments £3.5 million for onboarding high-risk customers in breach of a 2020 voluntary requirement. Read our Coinbase review.

3. Crypto.com: app, card and a separate exchange

Crypto.com suits UK users who want a prepaid crypto card and an all-in-one app. Foris DAX UK Limited has been registered with the FCA for cryptoasset activities since August 2022, according to Crypto.com and press reports, and GBP is one of its fiat currencies.

Crypto.com runs two products with different pricing. The Crypto.com Exchange order book charges 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker, £2.50 on a £500 market order. The app prices buys with a fee plus a spread; we only have the EEA app schedule, so we haven’t verified UK app fees. Crypto.com says it holds client crypto 1:1 with strict access controls on cold and hot wallets, but publishes no cold storage percentage, and its derivatives are geo-restricted for the UK. See our Crypto.com review or Coinbase vs Crypto.com.

4. Bitpanda: crypto alongside other investments

Bitpanda suits UK investors who want crypto in a multi-asset app and don’t mind paying a premium. UK users are served by Bitpanda Broker UK Ltd, which received FCA registration in February 2025, according to press reports; we haven’t checked the type of registration on the FCA register.

Bitpanda builds its fee into the price: 0.99% for Bitcoin and stablecoins and 1.49% for most other crypto, so a £500 Bitcoin purchase costs about £4.95. The catch is UK account eligibility: we couldn’t confirm whether you can deposit GBP, or which of its investment products are open to UK residents. Read our Bitpanda review.

UK crypto rules: FCA registration is not FCA authorisation

UK crypto exchanges must register with the FCA if their services fall under the money laundering regulations, but that registration covers anti money laundering and counter terrorist financing checks, not your money. The FCA’s own consumer page says crypto is “not regulated yet in the UK” and that it is highly unlikely you will be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

What the FCA does regulate today:

• Registration: you can search the FCA register for cryptoasset firms it registers and supervises for anti-money-laundering purposes.
• Marketing: since 8 October 2023 crypto promotions to UK consumers must be clear, fair and not misleading and carry prominent risk warnings, wherever the firm is based. Refer-a-friend bonuses are banned, and first-time investors with a firm get a 24-hour cooling-off period.
• Crypto derivatives: since 6 January 2021 firms may not sell crypto futures, options, CFDs or crypto ETNs to retail customers.

A full regime is on the way. The FCA expects its new cryptoasset rules to come into force on 25 October 2027, with firms applying for FCA authorisation between 30 September 2026 and 28 February 2027. Until then, check each firm’s regulatory status yourself on the FCA register before buying crypto. The FCA page doesn’t say whether the Financial Ombudsman Service can handle crypto complaints, so ask the firm before you sign up.

Regulatory status of other big exchanges in the UK

Several dedicated crypto exchanges popular elsewhere have left the UK market, reach it only through partners, or don’t have a UK status we could confirm.

• Binance: paused new UK sign-ups in October 2023 after the FCA restricted its UK financial promotions approver; we couldn’t confirm its current UK onboarding.
• Gemini: closed all UK accounts on 6 April 2026.
• OKX and Bitget: both reach UK users only through promotions approved by an FCA-authorised partner; we found no FCA registration of their own. Bitget paused new UK sign-ups in May 2024.
• Gate and MEXC: their terms exclude UK residents.
• Bybit, Bitvavo and KuCoin: UK status unclear in our data, so not ranked.

We also haven’t reviewed Revolut X, the crypto exchange from Revolut, or checked eToro’s UK crypto offer, so neither appears in the picks.

Which is the safest crypto exchange in the UK?

No licence makes a cryptocurrency exchange safe for your money, so we don’t crown one the safest crypto exchange. What you can compare is how each firm is supervised and what it publishes: Kraken publishes a proof of reserves, Coinbase publishes quarterly financial statements as a listed company (but no Merkle-tree proof of reserves), and all four picks say they are registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering purposes. None of that covers price falls, and the FSCS is highly unlikely to pay out if a crypto firm fails.

Capital Gains Tax on crypto in the UK

UK residents may owe Capital Gains Tax when they dispose of crypto: selling crypto, swapping it for a different crypto asset, using it to pay for things or giving it away (gifts to a spouse, civil partner or charity excepted). You only report and pay when your total gains for the tax year (6 April to 5 April) are above the tax-free allowance, currently £3,000 for individuals.

Gains go in the cryptoasset section of your Self Assessment return, in pounds. If you received crypto as earnings from employment, Income Tax applies to it, and Capital Gains Tax only to later gains.

Keep your trade history

Keep full transaction records from every UK platform you use, because you need them to work out each disposal. Export your trade history at least once a year, and before you close an account.

How to buy crypto in the UK

Buying crypto in the UK takes the same few steps at any of our picks, and the most important one comes first.

This page compares UK crypto services; it is not investment advice. If you live in the EU instead, see our pages on the best crypto exchange in the Netherlands and in Germany.