Kraken vs Gatehub: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Kraken and Gatehub This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Kraken

Gatehub

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

yes

United States

yes

Europe

yes

Latin America

yes

India

China

yes

Canada

yes

United Kingdom

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Kraken is ideal if:

Built for both simplicity and sophistication: Kraken’s intuitive interface makes it approachable for newcomers, while Kraken Pro delivers advanced trading tools, analytics, and charting for serious traders.
Security-first, regulation-backed platform: With an unbroken crypto protection record, proof-of-reserves audits, cold storage, and licenses across major markets—including new MiCA approval for EU operations—Kraken prioritizes trust and compliance.
More than a crypto exchange: Beyond trading, Kraken now offers a peer-to-peer payments app (Krak), commission-free U.S. stock and ETF trades, and staking options—making it an all-in-one digital finance hub.

Gatehub is ideal if:

Best for managing XRP and key cryptos: If you regularly work with Ripple and other major coins in one place, GateHub’s wallet-to-exchange setup makes life seamless.
Great for beginners who value simplicity: The web interface is clean and intuitive, with built-in trading and strong security basics like 2FA and AES encryption.
Less suited if you want advanced features: If you're looking for margin trading, a wide altcoin range, or faster customer support, GateHub might feel limiting.

Kraken isn’t ideal if:

Overwhelming for total beginners: The interface and tiered platforms (Lite vs Pro) may feel complex without a solid understanding of trading, tools, and order types.
Limited access and features in some regions: Certain U.S. states and geographies have restrictions on staking, derivatives, or account creation—potentially blocking full platform use.
Support and platform bottlenecks: Account verification or support processes can be slow, and mobile app performance or customer assistance (no phone line) may frustrate users in need of swift help.

Gatehub isn’t ideal if:

Limited altcoin variety: If you're seeking exposure to emerging or niche tokens, GateHub focuses on key cryptos and lacks a broad altcoin selection.
No advanced trading tools: Features like leverage, futures, or margin trading aren't available, limiting options for active or speculative traders.
Higher transfer friction: Users note relatively steep withdrawal and deposit costs, plus extra XRP requirements, which may weigh on frequent movers.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Kraken uses a tiered maker-taker structure where both maker and taker fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume grows, and higher activity triggers reduced costs—even reaching zero for makers—though the schedule excludes transactions via instant buy tools.

GateHub uses a flat fee model for spot trades, applying the same rate to both maker and taker orders rather than tiered pricing; there are no volume-based discounts or native-token incentives for fee reduction.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures follow a volume-based tiers system—lowering maker and taker rates as volume increases—paired with periodic funding payments (every eight hours) that depend on contract premiums versus spot prices.

GateHub does not support futures or derivatives trading, so there are no applicable maker, taker, or funding fees.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While Kraken doesn’t publish fixed spreads, its instant-buy feature embeds variable spreads that widen or narrow depending on market volatility, order size, and asset type.

GateHub doesn’t publicly display real-time spreads, but given its limited market depth, you can expect spreads to be wider than on major exchanges with high liquidity.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Kraken supports methods like ACH, SWIFT, PayPal, SEPA, domestic transfers, etc., with low or no deposit fees; but deposits may trigger temporary withdrawal holds (e.g. 72-hour for cards, 7-day for ACH).

You can deposit via SEPA (EUR) or SWIFT international wire (USD), with SEPA usually processed in 1–3 business days and wires in 4–7 days; deposit fees vary, while SEPA deposits tend to be free.

On-chain Withdrawals

Cryptocurrency withdrawal fees vary per network—e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX have different fixed minimums depending on blockchain and congestion, not necessarily dynamic or network-based.

Withdrawal fees differ by network—BTC withdrawals incur a fixed fee (e.g., specified for BTC), while network-level fees apply to XRPL operations; GateHub uses fixed withdrawal fees for major chains but variable transaction costs for XRPL.

Hidden Costs

Be aware of currency conversion premiums (from asset swaps), inactivity terms, and express KYC fees—these can add extras atop headline trading charges.

GateHub’s potential hidden costs include locked XRP reserve that can’t be spent, fees for certain transfers (even within XRPL issued assets), and optional paid security services; currency conversion may include spread costs.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Suppose you convert €500 to BTC and withdraw it—your total cost would include the instant-buy embedded spread, then a network withdrawal fee during transfer, and possible fiat hold timing—resulting in slightly less BTC and slower access.

If you convert €500 to BTC, you face the flat trading fee, any spread, then withdraw BTC—so the total cost combines that fee plus the possibly larger-than-average BTC withdrawal fee, resulting in noticeably less delivered BTC than the purchase amount.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Kraken supports over 1,000 spot, margin, and futures markets overall, and its top 20 trading pairs by volume typically include high-cap assets like BTC/USD-variant, ETH/USD-variant, and other popular tokens.

GateHub supports over 16 cryptocurrencies, including more than half of the top 20 by market cap, and offers a broad range of trading pairs across fiat and crypto, enabling users to trade XRP-based IOUs versus major assets seamlessly.

Product Range

You’ll find a full suite including spot, margin (up to 10× leverage), futures/perpetuals, staking (recently reenabled in the U.S.), with access to ETFs and options still pending—plus no native copy-trading, grid bots, DCA autos yet.

GateHub provides spot trading and integrated wallet services, and includes staking functionality—but it does not offer margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, loans, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

Liquidity

Kraken ranks among the world’s most liquid venues—especially for BTC-EUR and ETH-EUR—and sees substantial 24-hour volumes with deep order-book depth, enabling tight execution even for large trades.

GateHub’s liquidity is relatively thin compared to major exchanges, with low 24-hour trade volume and limited order book depth for BTC and ETH pairs, meaning larger orders may face noticeable slippage or slower execution.

Tools

Kraken Pro offers advanced tools—limit, stop, OCO orders, real-time alerts, native TradingView-style charts, downloadable historical OHLCVT data, plus full REST and WebSocket API access.

You can place basic order types such as limit or market orders; GateHub includes an order book interface and basic charts, plus a public API, but lacks advanced features like stop orders, OCO, native TradingView integration, or real-time alerts.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain products, like margin, futures, or staking, are restricted by jurisdiction—eligibility varies and some features may be blocked in specific countries due to regulatory constraints.

GateHub focuses primarily on global spot access and wallet services, with no support for derivatives—thus, there are no region-specific limitations on complex products, simply a uniform lack of them everywhere.

Innovation

While traditional launchpad/launchpool programs aren’t yet offered, Kraken distinguishes between flexible vs. locked staking options and continues evolving with new offerings, particularly for institutional clients.

GateHub offers staking as a way to earn rewards and is exploring flexible staking-like models, but it currently does not support launchpad/launchpool mechanisms or offer tiered locked-versus-flexible earning programs.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Kraken operates under several legal entities depending on region, including Payward, Inc. (U.S.), Payward Europe Solutions (Ireland, EEA), and Payward Ltd. (UK), all founded around 2011, headquartered in the U.S. with significant European presence.

GateHub is operated by GateHub Limited, established in 2014 and headquartered in London, UK, where it carries out its core operations within the UK fintech regulatory environment.

Licenses/Registration

Kraken holds multiple regulatory approvals, including VASP licenses in EU countries like the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, and FCA registrations in the UK, in addition to its SPDI charter in Wyoming and MSB registration in the U.S.

GateHub requires users to complete Know-Your-Customer (KYC) verification before accessing certain services, though it does not promote specific VASP or MiCA registrations publicly—its compliance framework relies on standard KYC procedures relevant to its services.

Custody

Kraken self-custodies customer assets with a substantial portion held in cold storage; it publishes regular Proof-of-Reserves (PoR) attestations audited by external parties to ensure transparency.

GateHub provides a custodial wallet where users retain control over private keys, which are encrypted and hashed with strong algorithms; there’s no public proof of reserves or audit reports, and any cold reserve breakdown or PoR data is not openly disclosed.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Kraken maintains insurance for digital assets held online, though the coverage is limited; there is no formal protected fund for customer losses but additional insurance for certain custodial assets exists.

Through the optional Wallet Protect subscription (via Coincover), users can secure multisignature protection and theft insurance coverage up to $1 million per wallet—a paid security enhancement beyond basic account safety measures.

Incident History

Kraken has not experienced any major platform hacks; compliance suspensions or asset freezes have been minimal, and the exchange has not faced any public multi-million dollar regulatory fines.

In 2019, GateHub suffered a cyber-attack affecting a small subset of accounts; encrypted access tokens were compromised, prompting re-encryption of sensitive data and user notifications, with no widespread fund loss reported.

Risk Controls

Kraken enforces robust account security with multiple 2FA options (passkeys, hardware keys, authenticator apps), whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, and granular API permissions for sophisticated client control.

GateHub enforces mandatory 2FA for all accounts, lets users customize anti-phishing messages, offers account freezing in suspicious cases, and supports secure recovery and password practices, though it lacks sub-accounts or granular API permission tiers.

Transparency

The platform regularly publishes audit-style reports and Proof-of-Reserves summaries; users can view wallet addresses and Kraken maintains service-level expectations without public SLA guarantees.

The platform does not publish routine monthly audit reports or wallet addresses; however, its transparency lies in its responsible disclosure policy, bug-bounty program, and clear security guidelines, though formal SLAs and public wallet visibility are not provided.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Users can deposit fiat via bank transfers (ACH, SWIFT, SEPA), credit/debit cards, and e-wallets like PayPal; minimums are low (starting around 1 USD/EUR), but maximums depend on your verification level and jurisdiction, with deposit arrival ranging from near-instant to several days depending on the method.

GateHub allows fiat deposits via bank transfers (SEPA for EUR and SWIFT for USD), with minimums set at 10 EUR or 50 USD; no card or e-wallet options are supported, with processing times generally ranging from 1–3 business days for SEPA and 4–7 for SWIFT

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Kraken offers tiers like Intermediate and Pro (plus Express/Starter in some regions) — Intermediate unlocks full trading and funding access, while Pro raises both deposit and withdrawal limits, with each level subject to rolling daily/monthly caps shown in your dashboard.

GateHub mandates full KYC through an identity verification process (including video and document checks) before enabling fiat gateways—wallet use remains available without verification, but FIAT access is restricted until completion

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing, Networks

limits, timing, networks

Customer Support

Kraken provides 24/7 live chat and email support in multiple languages (including Spanish), alongside a comprehensive support center; while most issues are resolved quickly, some users report delays during high-traffic periods.

GateHub offers 24/7 support via email along with a comprehensive knowledge base for instant help; while there’s no live chat advertised, support claims around-the-clock availability and timely responses via the support portal

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in over a dozen languages, including native Spanish; local currencies and fees are displayed based on your region, ensuring comfortable and compliant user experience.

The platform operates in English, displays pricing and fees in EUR or USD, and offers fiat services through EU/US rails; local regulatory adaptations (e.g., UK restrictions) affect fiat usage, signaling awareness of regional compliance needs

App Quality & Stability

The Kraken mobile app mirrors most web functionality and supports biometric or PIN access; it generally performs reliably, though user feedback on crashes or app issues is mixed and depends on device and OS.

GateHub’s app is updated regularly and integrates web-based wallet and market features, though specific metrics on crash rates or stability are not disclosed; the experience is generally smooth across major platforms, with continuous enhancements evident in release notes

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Kraken offers two distinct experiences—“Lite” is streamlined for instant buys and basic navigation, while “Pro” and “Desktop” are modular and customizable, designed to support advanced traders executing complex strategies across flexible layouts and in-depth tools.

GateHub features a straightforward interface built around its wallet-first design, keeping the learning curve gentle for newcomers, but it doesn’t offer separate Lite or Pro modes—every user interacts with the same streamlined trading panel and wallet dashboard.

Performance

Kraken Pro is built on institutional-grade infrastructure to minimize order latency and handle peak demand efficiently, although during market surges user-reported delays in KYC verification and performance pops may still arise.

The platform’s web-based performance stays reliable under normal conditions, though during high volatility or crypto surges, some users have reported slower processing and delays in order execution or identity verification, reflecting typical strain in peak times.

Education

Kraken’s Learn Center delivers comprehensive articles, videos, and webinars (including futures tutorials), complemented by a derivatives demo environment for live practice—but it doesn’t currently offer a dedicated DCA simulator or localized Spanish academy; some content is translated.

GateHub does not provide a dedicated learning academy, demo simulator, or Spanish-language educational courses; users rely on its knowledge base and general support materials, mostly available in English and focused on functional guidance over structured tutorials.

Community

Kraken publishes user reviews and interactive feedback across its site, but does not maintain official public discussion forums, Discord, or Telegram communities—though it does offer a referral program to reward users bringing in new clients.

Beyond an official Telegram channel and its relatively low-traffic blog or channel posts, GateHub lacks active community forums, Discord groups, or built-in referral programs—user interaction remains limited to support tickets and general platform announcements.

Integrations

Kraken Pro integrates with TradingView-style charting and pattern tools, fully supports third-party trading bots via REST/WebSocket/FIX APIs, and connects seamlessly to tax/accounting platforms like Koinly, Crypto Tax Calculator, and others.

The platform does not integrate with TradingView or external trading bots, but it supports tax-reporting services like Koinly, Cointelli, and CoinLedger via data export or API to ease accounting and crypto tax reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

“Lite” suits beginners, offering simplicity and straightforward buying; “Pro” and “Desktop” excel for active, technical traders needing granular control, advanced order forms, analytics, and deep customization.

GateHub is best suited for users who want a combined wallet and basic spot trading experience on the XRP Ledger, especially those focused on XRP-based IOUs and wanting to bridge fiat and crypto in one place—less ideal for advanced traders or those needing rich integrations.