Many crypto exchanges have over the years come out since the breakout of Bitcoin and other altcoins. In this article, we have listed 14 crypto exchanges that support the majority of African countries including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, etc.
Below are the top crypto exchanges in Africa that support several countries in the motherland:
- Binance
- BitMEX
- Gate.io
- HitBTC
- Kraken
- Gemini
- IDAX
- Paxful
- KuCoin
- LocalBitcoins
- BitPanda
- CoinSwitch
- Cryptopia
- Exrates
- Binance
Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange platform based out of Hong Kong. It was founded by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in 2017. CZ is best known for its contributions to Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum. He is also the co-founder of OKCoin, the first Bitcoin exchange in China. In 2018, he started working at Binance where he serves as the CEO. Binance offers its users global coverage with over 40 different countries represented across its platforms. Users have access to a wide range of altcoins including Ripple, Litecoin, Zcash, Monero, Dash, IOTA, Augur REP, Golem, OmiseGO, and many others.
- BitMEX
BitMEX is a cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform designed specifically for professional traders. Founded in 2014, BitMex is headquartered in Hong Kong. Its products include futures contracts, perpetual swap contracts, and options on futures contracts. Bitmex is one of the largest cryptocurrency derivative trading platforms in terms of daily volume. On average, BitMEX accounts for about 20% of the total cryptocurrency market volume. It is one of the top crypto exchanges in Africa.
- Gate.io
Gate.io is a digital asset exchange platform based in Singapore. It was founded in 2013 by Daniel Dabek and Steven Lee. The company is licensed under the regulatory framework provided by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Gate.io is currently ranked number two globally by 24-hour trade volumes. It’s also been featured in major publications such as Forbes Magazine, TechCrunch, CoinMarketCap, and Bloomberg.
- HitBTC
HitBTC is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2011 in Ukraine. It is based in Hong Kong. HitBTC focuses primarily on providing institutional investors access to cryptocurrencies. HitBTC is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It sets itself apart from other cryptocurrency exchanges due to its security protocols and stable infrastructure.
- Kraken
Kraken is a US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2012. It’s operated by the same team behind the popular cryptocurrency wallet service, Blockchain.info. Kraken provides spot trading of fiat currency pairs like EUR/USD, USD/JPY, and GBP/USD. It also offers margin trading services along with a host of other tools and APIs.
- Gemini
Gemini is a regulated U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange platform founded by Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss. Gemini launched in 2015 after the twins received $11 million in funding from the New York Stock Exchange. The platform specializes in serving institutions and high-net-worth individuals. Gemini allows users to leverage their brokerage accounts to gain exposure to digital assets.
- IDAX
IDAX is a cryptocurrency exchange platform focused on European markets. It’s based in Malta and opened in January 2016. IDAX focuses on processing transactions using only blockchain technology. It does not require any third-party verification or centralized servers, making it ideal for both retail and institutional investors.
- Paxful
Paxful is a peer-to-peer electronic currency exchange platform that enables users to buy and sell bitcoins directly from each other. Paxful does not store any customer funds on their servers, instead holding user funds securely on the Ethereum blockchain.
- KuCoin
Kucoin is a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange that focuses primarily on Chinese markets. Founded in 2016, Kucoin claims to have “the fastest transaction processing time” and is considered to be one of the best exchanges in Asia.
- Localbitcoins
Localbitcoins is a P2P (Peer-to-peer) global marketplace where people can buy/sell Bitcoins locally.
- BitPanda
Bitpanda is a digital currency exchange headquartered in South Africa. It’s been around since 2014 and is known as “the African Bitcoin Exchange”.
- CoinSwitch
CoinSwitch is a global cryptocurrency exchange aggregator. It provides users with the tools they need to buy and sell cryptocurrencies without having to go through a single counterparty.
- Cryptopia
Cryptopia is a New Zealand-based cryptocurrency exchange platform that opened for business in 2013. It offers both fiat currency (dollars) and cryptocurrency trading pairs, including BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, ARK, XLM, EOS, BCH, ZEC, ADA, HSR, WAVES, XMR, TRX, DASH, and many others.
- Exrates
Exrates is a cryptocurrency exchange platform designed specifically for traders who prefer to use their payment methods. It supports over 100 different currencies and includes features like margin trading, stop orders, market depth charts, and much more.