Bitfinex Review

Bitfinex scores 9.8 out of 10 and ranks first of the four venues in our crypto exchange ranking, which compares published trading costs. Since 17 December 2025 it has charged nothing to makers or takers. That applies across spot, margin, perpetual derivatives, spot securities pairs and OTC trading, and no volume, token or tier condition is attached. The one mark below 10 is for disclosure, because the fee page leaves some costs unlisted. Every figure here was checked against Bitfinex's own fee page and announcement on 1 November 2026. This is desk research; no account was opened.

How Bitfinex scores in crypto exchanges

Exchanges are marked on four criteria, each from 0 to 10 and each carrying equal weight under our ratings methodology.

The overall score is the plain average: (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) / 4 = 39 / 4 = 9.75, which rounds to 9.8.

Strongest criteria: cost, conditions and coverage

Entry-tier cost (10). The criterion measures what a small trader pays at the lowest tier. Bitfinex's fee schedule shows 0% maker and 0% taker for spot and margin pairs and for derivatives, and 0% on the OTC desk. A $1,000 spot trade carries no Bitfinex trading fee, whether the order rests on the book or fills against it. Zero is the bottom of the scale, so this is the maximum mark.

Fee conditions (10). The 17 December 2025 announcement made the change effective immediately for all customers. It sets no volume requirement, no token holding and no tier, and it gives no end date. The release describes the change as long-term strategy, not a promotion. Our rubric scores what a headline rate requires, and here it requires nothing. Bitfinex's token, LEO, does appear on the fee page, but only to reduce the fee that Bitfinex keeps from lenders' interest on margin funding. It is not needed for the trading rate.

Product coverage (10). One announcement covers crypto spot and margin pairs, perpetual derivatives contracts, spot securities pairs and OTC trading. No other exchange in this ranking earns a 10 on coverage. Binance scores 8 and Kraken 7.

The one mark below 10: fee disclosure

Fee disclosure (9). The schedule is public and easy to read. It lists trading fees, crypto and fiat deposit fees, bank wire and OpenPayd withdrawal fees, and the margin-funding lender fee. It also lists a $150 charge for recovering a deposit sent without its tag or memo. Two gaps keep the mark at 9:

• The fee page lists no fees for on-chain crypto withdrawals to outside addresses. You see that cost only at the point of withdrawal.
• Securities trading is shown at zero in the announcement, but the fee page itself does not list a securities trading fee.

This is an incomplete disclosure, not evidence of a hidden charge. It still matters, because withdrawal fees are part of what a round trip costs.

What the score does not cover

The ranking leaves out custody, reserves and licensing, so the 9.8 is not a safety rating. A Bitfinex account is custodial: Bitfinex holds the keys to deposited assets. The ranking also does not score non-trading charges. Bitfinex keeps 15% of the interest that lenders earn on margin funding, or 18% on hidden offers. A lender who earns $100 of interest keeps $85 at the standard rate, or a little more if they hold enough LEO in the previous month, at 0.05% off per 10,000 USDt of LEO held, up to 5%. Bank wire withdrawals cost 0.1% with a minimum of 100 USD or EUR, and express wires cost 1% with a minimum of 125. Our guide to where exchange fees hide covers these costs.

A zero trading fee also says nothing about spreads or execution quality, which this ranking does not measure.

Bitfinex vs Binance and Kraken

All three leading venues score 9 for disclosure, so Bitfinex's two-point lead over Binance comes from the other three criteria. Binance charges 0.100% per side at its entry tier and ties its discount and VIP levels to holding BNB. Kraken's discounts carry no token condition, but its entry rate is higher and its coverage narrower. Bitfinex is the only one of the four with nothing to qualify for.

Who it suits

On trading cost alone, Bitfinex suits frequent traders, and especially takers, who would otherwise pay the highest side of a fee schedule. It also suits anyone who trades across spot, margin and perpetuals and wants one rate for all of them. Bitfinex states that US persons are prohibited from holding an account, so the score is irrelevant to US readers. Check the withdrawal fee shown at the moment you withdraw, and weigh custody separately, since this ranking does not score it.