For crypto traders seeking to maximize their limited capital, leverage trading can be an attractive option. By borrowing funds to increase their trading positions, traders can potentially profit more from successful trades. This guide compares the best crypto leverage trading platforms, evaluating factors such as leverage ratios, fees, and security.
Top 6 Cryptocurrency Leverage Trading Platforms Ranked
Listed below are the 10 best crypto leverage trading platforms in the market today:
- MEXC: Offers leveraged futures across many different cryptocurrencies. Maximum leverage limit of 200x.
- OKX: Traders will find fully-fledged options chains for BTC and ETH, maturity dates extend to September 2024.
- Bybit: Popular crypto derivatives platform supporting perpetual and traditional futures.
- Binance: More than 600 cryptocurrencies can be traded with leverage. Binance supports perpetual futures and options.
- Gate.io: Trade more than 100 cryptocurrencies via perpetual futures contracts. Offers leverage of up to 100x.
- Coinbase: Apply up to 10x leverage on more than 250 cryptos. 98% of assets are stored in cold storage.
Reviewing the Top Bitcoin Leverage Trading Platforms
Let’s delve into our in-depth reviews of the leading platforms that provide leveraged crypto trading.
MEXC – Trade Crypto Futures With Leverage of 200x and 0.01% Futures Taker Fees
MEXC is a prominent cryptocurrency exchange that provides futures trading, monthly futures contests, spot trading, and its own native MX token, which rewards holders and grants them access to airdrops.
Regarding supported markets, MEXC offers leveraged cryptocurrency futures and crypto spot trading. Unlike traditional futures, there’s no expiration date, allowing you to maintain leveraged positions indefinitely.
MEXC stands out with its industry-leading 200x leverage limits for crypto trading. This means that for every $100 invested, you can gain access to trading capital worth up to $20,000. We appreciate MEXC’s support for a diverse range of leveraged futures markets, encompassing stablecoins, web3.0, the metaverse, NFTs, and more.
Moreover, MEXC futures support both long and short positions, allowing you to profit from both rising and falling market prices. The platform boasts substantial liquidity and can handle up to 1.4 million orders per second. MEXC is also recognized as one of the top crypto exchanges for low fees, offering a 0% futures maker fee and a 0.01% futures taker fee.
If you prefer to utilize MEXC’s spot trading features, you’ll enjoy commission-free trading, except for a minor 0.1% spot taker fee. Another advantage is that MEXC doesn’t require a mandatory KYC process, similar to other popular exchanges that have waived KYC requirements. The only exceptions are fiat currency deposits or the need to increase your 24-hour trading limits to 80 BTC. While MEXC operates as a global crypto exchange, it’s currently unavailable in the United States and Canada.
Pros 
- Maximum leverage limits of up to 200x
- Offers leveraged futures that never expire
- Supports Bitcoin and plenty of altcoin markets
- Futures trading commission of just 0.02%
Cons 
- Is not available in the US, Canada, or China
OKX – A Comprehensive Range of Bitcoin and Ethereum Options Markets
OKX is a leading crypto leverage trading platform that excels in options trading. While it exclusively supports Bitcoin and Ethereum, it offers a comprehensive options chain with a wide range of maturity dates extending from November 2023 to September 2024. Each maturity date provides numerous strike prices. For instance, strike prices on Bitcoin options expiring in September 2024 range from $5,000 to over $140,000. Beyond options, OKX also supports other leveraged markets like perpetual futures and margin accounts, encompassing a broader spectrum of cryptocurrencies including Polygon, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, Aave, and Cardano.
Regarding limits, OKX offers leverage up to 20x in ‘full liquidation’ mode, where the entire trade is liquidated upon reaching a certain percentage decline. In ‘partial liquidation’ mode, leverage can reach 100x. Perpetual futures fees start at 0.05%, while options fees begin at 0.03%.
Pros
- Best crypto leverage trading platform for options
- Full options chain with a wide selection of maturity dates and strike prices
- Also supports perpetual futures and margin accounts
- Offers one of the best decentralized crypto wallets for desktop and mobile users
Cons
- Does not accept US clients
- Leveraged crypto markets are not available to UK traders
Bybit – Perpetual and Traditional Futures Contracts With 125x Leverage
Bybit is another noteworthy platform for leveraged crypto trading. With over $2 million in cryptocurrency traded within the last 24 hours, Bybit offers substantial liquidity. The platform provides a diverse range of leveraged products, including perpetual futures with a maximum Bitcoin leverage of 125x.
Other supported cryptocurrencies include Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, and XRP, although altcoins may have lower leverage limits. Bybit also offers traditional crypto futures, focusing on Bitcoin and Ethereum, with contract maturity dates spanning December 2023 to June 2024.
Bybit is a leading platform for ‘inverse’ contracts, which are settled and margined in the underlying cryptocurrency rather than USDT. Commissions start at 0.055% for futures and 0.02% for options. Additionally, Bybit offers competitive spot trading fees with market takers paying only 0.1%.
Pros
- Get up to 125x leverage on perpetual Bitcoin futures
- Supports long and short positions
- Also supports traditional futures and options
- Inverse contracts are settled and margined in the underlying cryptocurrency
Cons
- Slightly higher futures trading fees than other platforms
- Regulatory status remains questionable
Binance – Leveraged Markets on Over 600 Cryptocurrencies With Low Fees
Binance is a leading crypto leverage trading platform supporting over 600 cryptocurrencies, each with leverage options. The primary product for most traders is perpetual futures, offering leverage up to 125x on Bitcoin futures and lower levels for other cryptocurrencies. For example, Ethereum has a maximum leverage of 100x, while Uniswap is limited to 20x.
Another option on Binance is leveraged options, which require a small upfront payment known as the premium. Traders can select strike rates and expiry dates based on their preferred strategies.
Fees vary depending on the leveraged product and monthly trading volume. Futures can be traded from 0.05%, while options start at 0.03%. Beyond leveraged products, Binance also offers spot trading markets with commissions starting at 0.01%.
Pros
- Get premium liquidity at the world’s largest crypto exchange
- Supports more than 600 leveraged markets
- Access leverage through futures or options
- Very low trading commissions
- Live chat support is available 24/7
Cons
- Binance was recently fined over $4 billion for money laundering offenses
Gate.io – Perpetual Futures and Options on Over 100 Cryptocurrencies
While Gate.io excels in spot trading, it also boasts a robust margin facility. The platform offers perpetual futures contracts for over 100 cryptocurrencies, encompassing major players like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and extending to Chainlink, Dogecoin, and SushiSwap. Gate.io even supports futures on emerging cryptocurrencies like ORDI.
The maximum leverage limit reaches 100x, although it may be adjusted for less liquid markets. Additionally, Gate.io positions itself as a top platform for options trading with leverage. They also offer leveraged tokens, with interest rates determined by the peer-to-peer market.
Trading fees for futures and options contracts are set at 0.05% of the contract value. Traders who achieve a monthly trading volume of $60,000 benefit from reduced commissions.
Pros
- Offers futures markets on over 100 cryptocurrencies
- Maximum leverage limit of 100x
- Also offers options markets for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin
- Earn passive income by funding futures loans
Cons
- Lower leverage limits are offered on less popular altcoins
Coinbase – Leveraged Trading on Over 250 Cryptocurrencies
Coinbase, a leading global crypto exchange with over 100 million users, offers leveraged trading on a wide range of digital assets. Investors can apply up to 10x leverage to their trades.
Coinbase stands out for its diverse trading options, providing access to over 250 cryptocurrencies. You can invest in both large-cap coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as popular meme tokens such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.
For high-risk investors seeking to amplify their trades, Coinbase employs a variable pricing structure where fees are determined by the trading volume. For example, a $0.99 fee is charged for trades up to $10, while trades between $50 and $200 incur a $2.99 fee. A spread is also applied per transaction.
Coinbase is known as one of the best crypto exchanges for generating passive income. Investors can stake their cryptocurrencies on the platform to earn returns. Coinbase also offers innovative features like ‘Coinbase Earn,’ where users are rewarded with crypto for completing educational modules.
A secure trading platform, Coinbase stores 98% of user funds in cold storage. In 2021, Coinbase made a significant milestone by listing its shares on the US Nasdaq exchange.
Investors can deposit cryptocurrencies through P2P trading, debit/credit cards, and bank transfers. A 3.99% fee is charged when using debit/credit cards.
Pros
- Trade over 250 cryptos
- Stores 98% of assets in cold storage
- Publicly traded platform
- Access staking options
Cons
- Maximum leverage of 10x
Understanding Cryptocurrency Leverage Trading
Leverage enables traders to amplify their positions, allowing them to access more trading capital than they have in their exchange account. Essentially, leverage is expressed as a multiple, such as 100x. This means for every $1 staked, you can trade with $100.
It’s crucial to remember that leverage amplifies both profits and losses. If your leveraged position is liquidated, the exchange will automatically close it, resulting in the loss of your entire stake. Liquidation occurs when your position declines by a predetermined percentage.
For instance, with a 50x leverage, every $1 staked grants you $50 worth of trading funds. A decline of just $1 in the position could trigger liquidation. To avoid liquidation, you must add more funds to the position.
Leverage trading is supported by various crypto trading products, with perpetual futures being one of the most popular. These function similarly to traditional futures contracts but lack an expiration date. Top-tier crypto leverage trading platforms also offer options and leveraged tokens, which eliminate the risk of liquidation.
The Distinction Between Leverage and Margin Trading
While “leverage” and “margin” trading essentially refer to the same concept of trading with more capital than you have in your exchange account, there’s a slight difference in their calculation:
- Leverage: This term represents the multiple by which you’re amplifying your position. For example, staking $10 at a leverage of 10x would increase the position to $100.
- Margin: Margin refers to the amount of money you need to deposit to access a leveraged position. In the same example, if the margin requirement for a $100 position is 10%, you’d need to put up $10.
In both cases, a $10 stake is being amplified to $100.
Key Considerations When Choosing a Crypto Leverage Trading Platform
Risk Management Tools
Ensure the platform supports essential risk management tools like stop-loss orders to mitigate potential losses.
Payment Methods
- Deposit Methods: Consider your preferred deposit method (cryptocurrencies or fiat money) and associated fees.
- KYC Requirements: Understand if KYC is necessary for your chosen deposit method.
- Fees: Compare payment fees, especially for fiat currency deposits, and minimum deposit requirements.
- Withdrawal Times: Evaluate the platform’s speed and efficiency in processing withdrawals.
Customer Service
- Availability: Opt for platforms with 24/7 live chat support for timely assistance.
- Responsiveness: Assess the speed and quality of customer service interactions.
User Experience
- Intuitive Interface: Ensure the platform offers a user-friendly interface for navigating leveraged products.
- Clear Information: Look for clear presentation of key metrics like maturity dates, strike prices, and order setup.
- Efficient Processes: Evaluate the ease of account opening, KYC verification, and deposit/withdrawal procedures.
Leverage Trading Crypto: A Step-by-Step Guide
Once you’ve selected a suitable platform, follow these steps to leverage trade crypto:
- Fund Your Account: Deposit funds using your preferred method.
- Choose a Leveraged Product: Select the desired leveraged product (perpetual futures, traditional futures, options, or leveraged tokens).
- Open a Position: Determine the cryptocurrency, leverage level, and position size.
- Set Stop-Loss and Take-Profit Orders: Implement risk management strategies to protect your position.
- Monitor and Manage: Continuously monitor your position, adjusting as needed based on market movements.
- Close the Position: When ready, close your position to realize profits or minimize losses.
Benefits of Leveraged Crypto Trading
While leveraged trading carries significant risks, experienced traders often employ leverage for various strategic reasons:
Increased Buying Power: Leverage enables traders to open positions that exceed their initial margin, facilitating diversification across multiple cryptocurrencies.
Potential for Higher Profits: Leverage can magnify both profits and losses. It’s particularly advantageous for day trading, where traders can capitalize on small market movements.
Liquidity: Leveraged trading allows traders to free up capital for other investments while maintaining open positions.
Advanced Trading Strategies: Leverage opens doors to more sophisticated trading strategies like arbitrage and hedging.
Conclusion
Despite the inherent risks of liquidation and increased fees, leveraged crypto trading can be advantageous, particularly for those with limited trading capital.
Among the reviewed platforms, Margex stands out as the top choice for crypto leverage trading. It offers a maximum leverage of 100x and includes a valuable copy trading feature.
