Looking for the top broker accepting crypto? Based on our hands-on analysis, we’ve identified 4 best options tailored to various trading needs. Practical tips from our experts are included.
Our team of experts has identified brokers’ strengths and weaknesses using FX Empire’s comprehensive methodology. Here’s how we test.
Now let’s dive into the selected brokers.
FP Markets was founded in 2005 in Sydney, Australia. The broker has garnered a reputation as a reliable partner with a well-balanced offering. It is authorized by ASIC in Australia and CySEC in Europe, ensuring top-tier protection.
Key Features:
The broker incorporates the popular MetaTrader 4&5 and the sophisticated cTrader platforms. cTrader is a feature-rich platform supporting a vast amount of indicators and drawing tools, which is ideal for trading highly volatile cryptocurrencies.
The St. Vincent entity of the broker accepts crypto payments via popular crypto wallets Letnowpay and Finrax. Transactions are processed fairly quickly and without any handling fees for deposits or withdrawals.
I tested FP Markets’ Raw account type, which offers spreads starting from 0.0 pips and a $6 round-turn commission per traded lot. I executed a full-sized (100,000 units) EUR/USD trade and measured its value at $8, which is below the industry average.
FXGT is a forex and CFD broker headquartered in Seychelles and founded in 2019. A relative newcomer to the trading industry, FXGT stands out with its broad crypto offering. In addition to the assortment of 33 crypto CFDs, which exceeds the industry average, FXGT also offers several synthetic cryptos, multiple NFTs, and even a crypto index called GTi12.
Key Features:
I opened an ECN account with FXGT and tested its pricing mechanism. The account type features raw spreads starting from 0.0 pips and a $6 round-turn commission per traded lot. I placed a full-sized EUR/USD trade (100,000 units) and measured its value at $10, meeting the industry average.
FXGT supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. I consider the latter better for cryptocurrency trading because it affords more technical indicators and drawing tools, and it also has an impressive 21 timeframes. This variety is crucial for conducting penetrating technical analyses.
Founded in 2011, OCTA is headquartered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is regulated by CySEC and FSA. The broker serves over 10 million trading accounts from 150+ countries, according to OCTA’s website. It has worked hard for over a decade to facilitate professional-grade conditions catering to the needs of seasoned traders.
Key Features:
The broker offers renowned MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 as well as its own intuitive OctaTrader platform. The latter has essential features like one-click trading, trading from the chart, and allows for the partial termination of open positions. It also has a wealth of technical indicators and drawing tools.
The broker’s two account types support commission-free trading and floating spreads starting from 0.6 pips. At the time of my review, I measured the spread on the EUR/USD at 0.9 pips which is below the industry average.
Experienced traders can benefit from OCTA’s diverse account types, which accommodate high-frequency and high-volume trading. Scalping and hedging are also permitted. As an experienced vet myself, I appreciated its ultra-fast order execution in under 0.1 seconds. Swift and precise order filling is essential, especially when trading highly volatile instruments like cryptocurrencies.
Aussie CFD industry giant Pepperstone was founded in 2010 by a team of experienced traders. It now has a global presence and is licensed by multiple Tier-1 regulators. Traders can work with a fabulous range of platforms, from the popular MetaTrader 4 and 5 to the more intuitive cTrader and cutting-edge TradingView. Crypto CFDs include major and minor pairs along with crypto indices.
Key Features:
Pepperstone platforms can accommodate advanced traders working with automated strategies and beginners seeking a simple, intuitive interface. The broker also provides various third-party tools like Capitalize.ai and Autochartist, as well as custom indicators and Expert Advisors for MetaTrader 4 and 5.
I found Pepperstone to be an exciting broker to test thanks to its advanced technology, user-friendly client portal, reliable customer support, and first-class education and research materials. My tests showed that this broker’s fees are kept to a bare minimum, with no inactivity fee and no fees for deposits and withdrawals.
Beyond crypto, Pepperstone offers an impressive range of tradable instruments, including CFDs on forex, stocks, ETFs, stock indices, and currency indices. Within commodities, you can trade instruments as varied as rough rice and high-grade copper. Spreads in the standard account are good overall, and more competitive trading costs can be accessed via the Razor account type.
Now that we have covered our picks for the best brokers in each category, let’s discuss some key factors that traders should consider when selecting a broker.
Cryptocurrencies are naturally prone to large price swings, and when used in leveraged derivatives, this instability often increases. Because of this, not all regions allow trading in cryptocurrency-based contracts for difference (CFDs). Therefore, traders should confirm if such trading is legal in their area.
And if they are, then traders need to look for two main safety mechanisms in a broker’s service:
Read more about Best regulated forex brokers.
A broker may have several account types, each with different pricing mechanisms. The question is, how to know which one is best fitted for your particular style of trading? I will try to answer this question by providing an example with two distinct accounts, one STP and the other ECN:
The biggest difference between STP and ECN accounts, apart from the execution model, is the pricing mechanism. Usually, STP accounts afford commission-free trading and floating spreads, whereas ECN accounts have fixed commissions and raw spreads (typically starting from 0.1 pips). At first glance, the former sounds more favorable because you only have to pay one cost – the spread – rather than two.
Read more about Best STP forex brokers and Best ECN forex brokers.
Many brokers recognize the psychological significance of this sort of thinking and seek to exploit it by raising the spreads on their STP accounts to the point where they are no longer the more competitive option. I will now demonstrate how to do a quick test for yourself to evaluate the competitiveness of a broker’s ECN and STP accounts.
Pick an instrument, say, the EURUSD. Suppose also that the spread on the pair is 0.9 pips on a broker’s STP account and 0.1 pips on its ECN account. There is also a $6 commission for trading a 1 lot (100,000 units) contract. If the EURUSD pip value is $10, you can do a simple calculation to determine the value of a hypothetical position on the EURUSD executed on both account types. The formula is the value of a trade = spread x pip value + commission. When we pop in the above values, this is what we discover about our hypothetical broker:
Account Type | Spread | Commission | Net Cost |
STP | 0.9 pips | $0 | $9 |
ECN | 0.1 pips | $6 | $7 |
This is just a hypothetical example, but hopefully, it illustrates how more can be less in trading. So it’s worthwhile evaluating the costs of a broker you consider opening an account with for yourself before doing so. And if you are still uncertain, you can always check out our database of reviews to sort out the most competitive brokers.
Read more about Best lowest spread forex brokers.
During the most action-packed moments of the day when trading activity reaches a peak, volatility on most crypto assets is also bolstered. And when price fluctuations are at their highest, order-filling becomes more difficult.
Suppose you place a long market order on BTC/USD to enter at the current spot price of 16800.00, but your order gets filled at 16805.00 instead. This discrepancy is called slippage, and it comes at your expense. In essence, slippage is the result of low liquidity.
Slippage is never pleasant regardless of the traded instrument, but heightened volatility can be especially detrimental when trading crypto CFDs. That is why I can recommend choosing a broker with access to a deep pool of liquidity providers. When brokers derive their liquidity from at least several top-tier banks and other financial institutions, they are more likely to fill trading orders swiftly and precisely, even under strenuous market conditions.
Successfully trading cryptocurrencies requires a keen awareness of current market trends and developments. Here is a list of the types of tools you need to look for in a broker:
Check out our dedicated guide on Best forex trading platforms.
Here are the five must-do things when selecting a broker:
To avoid forex and crypto scams, traders should first check the broker’s regulations. If the broker is regulated by top-tier regulators, you are mostly protected. An unregulated broker is the most suspicious one by definition. In addition to regulations, check the following red flags:
Here at FX Empire, we have pioneered a unique and comprehensive methodology for evaluating the services of Over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives brokers worldwide. We aim to help retail traders make informed decisions when looking for a trustworthy partner.
Our team of dedicated professionals is working continuously to improve our system and keep it up-to-date with current market trends. We test each broker systematically by employing over 250 variables across nine categories:
After completing hundreds of reviews in over a decade, we have refined a system that underscores all the pros and cons of a broker honestly and as objectively as possible. We review the licenses of all the subsidiaries of a broker and check the fine print in its Client Agreements. We strive to evaluate its transparency and the overall protections entitled to a client of the company.
For this guide, we scrutinized each broker’s regulatory adherence and safety measures for maximum client protection. We compared brokers’ offered crypto deposit and withdrawal methods, assessed the associated fees, and the estimated speed of order execution given the volatility of crypto CFDs. We also checked the usability of their platforms, including the number of built-in tools and user-friendly layout.
Moreover, we investigated each broker’s range of tradable instruments across different asset classes, including available cryptocurrency CFDs. We analyzed the scope and quality of their educational and research materials, along with the practicality of any third-party tools provided. Lastly, we assessed the reliability and usefulness of each broker’s customer support in answering questions of varying complexity.
We abide by our strict guidelines for editorial integrity based on the objective standards we have set for our reviews. You can read more about our review process here.
The team of forex and CFD analysts and editors at FXEmpire is composed of trading industry professionals and seasoned financial journalists. Our experts have been published on leading financial websites such as Investopedia and Forbes. In addition, they all have extensive trading experience.
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licenced futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
In more than 15 years of trading in the financial markets, Vladimir dealt with a wide range of brokers and financial instruments. His career as a day-trader at a proprietary trading firm goes back to 2007. Later, Vladimir turned to longer time frames and became an independent trader and analyst managing his own portfolio. Using his experience, he helps traders find the best broker in his reviews.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.