Bitflyer vs Hitbtc: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Bitflyer and Hitbtc 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

Bitflyer

Hitbtc

⚠️ We look for what’s best for you.

₿ Getting into crypto? With eToro you can start in minutes: buy/sell top coins, set recurring buys, track markets, and use Social/CopyTrader features.

👉 Start here and explore the crypto offer.

Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

Thinking about starting with crypto? This is for you.

In select regions, eToro offers a $10 welcome bonus when you open an account today.*

🎯 An account built to help you start with crypto—without the hassle.

➕ Buy and sell top cryptocurrencies in minutes

➕ Recurring buys, price alerts, and advanced charts

➕ Social/CopyTrader™ to follow experienced investors

➕ One of the largest and most trusted platforms worldwide

Limited-time promotion — still available.

*Offer subject to terms, eligibility and regional availability. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Bitflyer is ideal if:

Great for cautious starters – Offers a clean, beginner-friendly interface with strong regulation and security, especially suited if you value peace of mind and a guided experience.
Smart for professionals too – Its Lightning platform and API support advanced trading styles while remaining within a trusted, compliant ecosystem.
Best for mainstream assets – Focuses on the core major cryptocurrencies rather than obscure altcoins—ideal if you're after simplicity, not a sprawling asset list.

Hitbtc is ideal if:

Sophisticated API-driven tooling Perfect for algorithmic and pro traders leveraging fast REST, WebSocket, or FIX services and advanced order types like scaled or trailing entries
Extensive demo zone and broad pair availability Great for learning or testing strategies without risk, while enjoying access to hundreds of spot, margin, and futures pairs
Robust security and transparency systems Ideal if you value strong safeguards like cold storage, 2FA, session monitoring, and audit-friendly reporting

Bitflyer isn’t ideal if:

Not for altcoin hunters — Offers only a small selection of mainstream cryptocurrencies, limiting your options if you're looking to explore lesser-known tokens.
Limited advanced trading tools — Lacks robust derivatives, futures, lending, and staking features that active or margin traders often need.
Less competitive for cost-focused users — May involve higher spreads or fewer deposit options compared to more versatile, low-cost exchanges.

Hitbtc isn’t ideal if:

Frustration-prone customer support Resolving urgent account or withdrawal issues may take days or longer, leaving critical calls pending
Opaque corporate governance Unclear headquarters, anonymous leadership, and regulation gaps can hinder your confidence and legal recourse
Inactivity-fee risks & asset access issues Long idle periods may lead to unexpected charges or frozen funds without clear notifications

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

On bitFlyer’s Lightning Spot, maker and taker fees decrease progressively as your 30-day trading volume grows—from about 0.10 % at lower volumes down to roughly 0.03 % for very high turnover, with potential bespoke discounts for particularly active users or sizeable trades.

HitBTC applies a tiered fee system where initial maker/taker rates decrease with higher 30-day trading volumes, and the highest tiers may even reward maker activity—while holding the native HIT token can further reduce spot and margin trading costs.

Futures/Derivatives

bitFlyer offers Bitcoin futures and crypto CFDs with margin, where trading fees fall in the same low double-digit-basis-point range, plus a funding cost applied at fixed intervals based on price divergence from spot—creating a small rollover cost for open positions.

Futures (including perpetuals) follow fixed maker/taker pricing that can drop with volume tiers, and while there’s a funding or liquidation cost element applied per position, no dynamic funding fees like funding rate cycles are noted.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Spread information isn’t explicitly disclosed on bitFlyer, but based on its exchange design, liquid pairs typically carry modest spreads that are embedded in prices, especially via the Easy Exchange interface where the buy/sell price includes conversion margin rather than a separate fee.

Spreads on major liquid pairs remain competitive, typically tight due to deep order books and active liquidity, though exact spread sizes aren’t publicly fixed and fluctuate with market conditions.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

methods, fees, timing

HitBTC doesn’t directly support fiat deposits or withdrawals through bank or wire; instead, you must use third-party providers (like credit/debit card services) to buy crypto, which incurs third-party fees and varies in speed depending on provider.

On-chain Withdrawals

fixed vs dynamic fees

Withdrawal costs are adjusted dynamically based on each network’s conditions—this means fees adapt in real time depending on blockchain traffic rather than being a fixed flat fee.

Hidden Costs

There are no apparent idle-account or express-KYC charges; however, minor implicit costs can stem from currency conversion spreads if you’re using a non-native fiat, and any third-party wire or bank fees—which vary regionally—can affect your overall cost.

While no explicit fees for inactivity, KYC acceleration, or base currency conversion are listed, indirect costs may arise through third-party fiat services, prolonged KYC delays, or transaction spread during conversions.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Buying €500 worth of BTC would entail a small embedded spread (via Easy Exchange) or low Lightning fee, plus the flat withdrawal charge (e.g., ~0.0004 BTC) if you choose to withdraw—resulting in a modest overall impact relative to the value but with no hidden or percentage-based surprises.

If you purchase €500 worth of BTC via a credit card provider, you’d incur that provider’s fee (often a few percent), face the execution spread on BTC, and then pay a dynamic network withdrawal cost when moving BTC off-platform—creating a bundled cost beyond a simple fee.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

bitFlyer supports around 7–8 core cryptocurrencies with roughly 10–12 trading pairs, mainly focused on major assets like BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ETC, LSK, MONA, and a few fiat pairings—its offering remains intentionally compact.

HitBTC hosts between roughly 300 to over 500 cryptocurrencies and hundreds—likely between 500 to 2,300—trading pairs, while the top 20 by volume typically includes heavy-hitters like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, ADA/USDT, SOL/USDT and AAVE/USDT.

Product Range

The platform offers spot trading, margin trading (up to around 2×–4× leverage depending on region), Bitcoin futures (derivatives), Ethereum staking (upcoming), and OTC for large volume trades—but lacks more exotic features like options, ETFs, lending, copy-trading, automated bots, or full DCA tools.

HitBTC supports spot, margin, and perpetual futures trading, along with staking functionality; it does not offer options, crypto ETFs, copy trading, or automatic DCA tools.

Liquidity

bitFlyer handles daily trading volumes in the low-hundreds of millions USD (with top pairs like BTC/JPY and ETH/JPY dominating), while its order book depth on main pairs remains modest compared with major global exchanges—sufficient for moderate trades but not for ultra-large orders.

The exchange processes substantial 24-hour trading volume—often several hundred million dollars—and offers solid book depth for liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, fostering efficient execution in large-size orders.

Tools

Advanced users benefit from a Lightning platform offering standard order types (limit, stop), custom alerts, charting, API and WebSocket access, and a native professional interface—but there’s no built-in TradingView integration or OCO orders.

HitBTC provides advanced trading tools, including limit, stop, and OCO order types, customizable price alerts, TradingView-integrated charting, and robust API access via REST, WebSocket, and FIX.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and margin capabilities vary by region, with limited pairs available in the U.S. (e.g., BTC/USD, ETH/USD, BCH/BTC) and broader altcoin access in Europe and Japan, reflecting regulatory constraints across jurisdictions.

Derivatives and some advanced features are unavailable in jurisdictions such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and various sanctioned regions, even while spot trading remains globally accessible in most locales.

Innovation

Recent enhancements include ETH staking (pending launch) and ongoing CFD asset expansions. However, bitFlyer does not currently offer launchpads, flexible vs locked Earn products, or structured innovative financial instruments.

The platform does not currently support launchpads or launchpools, and while it offers staking, it appears geared toward flexible-use models rather than fixed-term or locked reward schemes.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

bitFlyer, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan; it has extended operations internationally through regulated subsidiaries such as bitFlyer Europe to serve multiple regions globally.

Htechno Business LTD (and operators such as Ullus Corporations/Hit Solutions Limited) runs the platform, having launched around 2013 with ties to both Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Hong Kong, plus branch operations in Chile.

Licenses/Registration

It holds Virtual Asset Exchange licensing under Japan’s FSA, and its European arm is a fully regulated payment institution in Luxembourg, holds the first VASP registration there, and undergoes annual audits by a Big Four firm.

The exchange does not hold explicit financial licenses (e.g., VASP or MiCA-based EU registration), and while it conducts KYC and AML compliance, its regulatory standing remains relatively informal and varies by user region.

Custody

Customer assets are stored offline in proprietary cold wallets (often over 80–100%), with multilayer physical security; while specific Proof of Reserves disclosure isn’t public, financial statements undergo external audit and assets are held separately from company funds.

HitBTC retains a high percentage of assets in cold storage (roughly 80–90 %), conducts external wallet-balance proofs, and states it’s never been breached or lost custody of user funds—though full audit reports are not publicly published.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There’s coverage for unauthorized withdrawal via encrypted authentication and secure wallet infrastructure, but no widely advertised comprehensive insurance fund for hacks or exchange-level failures.

There appears to be no formal insurance coverage or dedicated protection fund for user assets, meaning that gamblers with large holdings are not shielded against operational or platform risks.

Incident History

Apart from regulatory enforcement fines (e.g., levied by New York DFS), bitFlyer does not have public records of hacks or fund losses, reflecting a clean operational history with no major security breaches or customer fund suspensions.

The platform claims zero successful hacks or asset losses since inception; however, users have occasionally reported account freezes or withdrawal delays, though there’s no record of formal penalties or regulatory sanctions.

Risk Controls

The platform enforces strong password policies, two-factor authentication, account lockouts, encryption, and segregates client and company funds; features such as whitelists, sub-accounts, anti-phishing, and granular API permissions enhance security.

Security tools include mandatory two-factor authentication (via app or YubiKey), withdrawal whitelists, phishing safeguards, session kill-switches, and granular API access, plus identity recovery protocols for lost 2FA.

Transparency

While bitFlyer doesn’t publish monthly reserve reports or wallet addresses, it provides audited compliance, segregated custodian practices, encryption standards transparency, and maintains clear regulatory and operational SLAs via its regional legal frameworks.

HitBTC supports transparency through public wallet-address disclosures for proof-of-reserves, but does not regularly publish monthly audit reports or uptime SLAs, and further formal documentation remains limited.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Bank transfers (like SEPA, ACH, Fedwire) are available (sometimes free), with PayPal accepted in Europe; credit/debit card options depend on region, and deposit limits lift with full Trade Pro verification, while processing ranges from instant (cards) to 1–3 business days (bank transfers).

HitBTC does not support direct fiat deposits via bank transfer or e-wallets; any fiat funding goes through third-party providers such as card processors, which bring their own limits and variable processing times.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Accounts start at a basic (Standby) level with entry-only access, upgrade to Trade Class to deposit and trade within limits, and finally Trade Pro unlocks unrestricted activity—requiring progressively more ID documentation during verification.

HitBTC offers tiered account statuses—unverified “starter”, “verified”, and “qualified”—each unlocking progressively higher crypto withdrawal and (insider-access to) fiat limits, with basic trading accessible even without KYC.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals have fixed minimums (e.g., 0.001 BTC plus fee), fiat withdrawals via bank take about 1–3 business days, and supported networks include the standard ones like BTC and ETH—no TRC20/BEP20 options mentioned.

limits, timing & networks

Customer Support

Support is accessible via email and contact form (weekdays during business hours), with response typically within that timeframe; a FAQ/help center exists, but there’s no live 24/7 chat available.

Support is primarily via ticket or email (not live chat), with a knowledge base available, and response times can slow during busy periods despite claims of 24/7 availability.

Languages & Localization

The platform offers native-level English (and other EU languages like French); pricing and fees are shown in local fiat (€/USD/JPY), with region-specific regulatory compliance embedded per locale.

The platform is natively in English, shows prices in USD or EUR, but does not tailor regulatory disclosures or fees for local jurisdictions—geospecific clarity is limited.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app supports core functions, is generally stable, though users report some limitations in advanced trading features, occasional minor bugs, and mixed ratings—recent updates aim to improve usability and reliability.

HitBTC’s mobile app is actively maintained and used for trading on the go, though it may lack some features from the web interface; official crash-rate data isn’t published, but periodic updates continue to improve stability and UX.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

bitFlyer strikes a balance between accessibility and power—casual users will find the Lite interface intuitive with a gentle learning curve, while experienced traders can switch to a Pro mode that offers deeper functionality without overwhelming novice users.

The platform balances usability for beginners with depth for pros; while there’s no “Lite/Pro” toggle, the demo mode offers a simplified environment, and the main interface supports both intuitive order entry and advanced API-driven workflows.

Performance

Order execution is generally responsive during normal conditions, but like many exchanges, there can be brief latency or slight slowdown during high-volatility spikes; KYC queues may also lengthen during strong bull runs, potentially delaying onboarding.

HitBTC generally delivers low-latency order execution, though market surges can spike system load; its real-time system monitor dashboard reveals live queues and statuses of deposits, withdrawals, and trading availability.

Education

The bitFlyer Academy provides beginner-friendly articles and guides to help users understand crypto fundamentals, though there’s no live demo or simulator, and educational content in languages other than English is limited.

The exchange offers a fully functional demo/simulator with virtual funds to practice strategies across spot, margin, and futures markets, supplemented by support articles and multilingual content; while resources exist, dedicated Spanish-language materials are limited.

Community

bitFlyer maintains an official help center and blog for updates, but lacks public community forums like Discord or Telegram; it does offer a referral program to incentivize bringing new users—but no broad peer-to-peer community space is currently provided.

HitBTC supports community engagement via its blog, Reddit, and Telegram channels, and runs a referral program, though standalone forums or Discord-based discussions appear minimal.

Integrations

The platform supports API and WebSocket access for automated trading, yet does not offer native TradingView charts, external bot marketplaces, or integrated tax/accounting tools—so users typically rely on external systems for advanced analytics or bookkeeping.

The platform integrates with TradingView-style charts natively, supports robust external bots through REST, WebSocket, and FIX APIs, and while it doesn’t offer tax tools, traders can export trade reports for accounting tasks.

Who Each One Is Best For

bitFlyer is ideal for traders who want a secure, regulated platform with a choice between streamlined and professional UIs, while those who prefer community-driven tools, extensive integrations, or a learning sandbox may find more options on other platforms.

HitBTC suits algorithmic and experienced traders seeking deep asset coverage and programmatic access, while demo tools lower the entry barrier—but newcomers without comfort in API or report-driven accounting may find it less straightforward.