Poloniex vs Kuna: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Poloniex and Kuna 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

Poloniex

Kuna

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Poloniex is ideal if:

Access to diverse altcoins and advanced trading tools Offers a broad range of cryptocurrency assets plus tools like futures, margin, and grid trading—great for users seeking variety and sophistication.
Fast, low-latency trading environment Its upgraded matching engine delivers faster order processing, higher throughput, reduced latency, and smoother overall trading performance.
Automated strategies and active trading features Supports automation with grid strategies, trading bots, and lending bots—ideal for users who value efficiency and hands-off execution.

Kuna is ideal if:

Effortless Quick Buys – If you prefer rapid purchases without account creation, Kuna’s “5-click” system lets you buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Tether in around 30 seconds directly to your wallet.
Straightforward and Friendly UI – Kuna offers a clean, intuitive interface (web and mobile) that’s especially suitable for newcomers and those who value simplicity and smooth navigation.
Regional Fiat Flexibility – If you're in supported areas, Kuna enables seamless fiat-to-crypto trades using local methods in UAH, USD, or RUB, plus tools like cash codes—making funding your trades frictionless.

Poloniex isn’t ideal if:

Limited fiat integration may frustrate newcomers — if you don’t already hold crypto, the reliance on third-party fiat gateways can complicate entry.
Past security and regulatory issues might concern safety-prioritized users — a history of breaches and enforcement actions may raise red flags for conservative investors.
Customer support responsiveness remains uneven — multiple reports suggest slow ticket responses and occasional unresolved issues.

Kuna isn’t ideal if:

Limited Asset Variety – If you're looking to trade a wide range of cryptocurrencies or exotic altcoins, Kuna offers only a modest selection that may feel restrictive.
Basic Trading Tools Only – For those seeking advanced charting, technical indicators, or professional-grade trading features, Kuna’s platform remains quite simplistic.
No PayPal or Wallet Options – If you prefer funding your account with PayPal, Skrill, or Neteller, or need live chat or phone support, you’ll find those options aren’t available here.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Poloniex applies a tiered fee structure based on your 30-day trading volume, where higher tiers reduce both maker and taker fees; if you hold TRX in your account, you qualify for an additional discount on those trading fees.

Kuna applies a flat 0.25 % trading fee for both makers and takers, without tiered volumes—though holding at least 100 KUN tokens grants VIP status, which waives maker fees entirely.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures trading on Poloniex charges a flat maker and taker fee regardless of volume—with maker lower than taker—and while funding rates apply to perpetuals, they are variable and not fixed in the fee table.

Kuna does not offer futures or other derivative trading instruments; therefore, there are no associated maker, taker, or funding fees.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Poloniex generally offers competitive spreads on high-liquidity pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, benefiting from its maker-taker model that promotes tighter order book pricing.

Kuna does not publicly disclose spread data, and their simplified fee model suggests minimal hidden spread, though precise average figures for these pairs are not available.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can buy crypto using fiat via integrated third-party gateways such as Simplex or Mercuryo (cards, bank transfer, Apple Pay, etc.); expect a percentage fee and relatively quick fund availability, but withdrawal to fiat isn’t native and must be handled via these services too.

Fiat deposits are accepted (e.g., via credit card for Ukrainian-issued Visa/Mastercard or via methods like Perfect Money, Payeer, Advanced Cash, or Kuna Code), with variable fees depending on the method—withdrawals mirror those deposit options, again with method-dependent fees and typical processing within short timeframes.

On-chain Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals incur a fixed network fee per asset—these vary by blockchain and may adjust with network congestion; you choose the network (e.g., BTC, ETH, TRX) and Poloniex displays the current cost before confirming the withdrawal.

Crypto withdrawal fees are based on asset and network; for example, withdrawing BTC incurs a fixed fee of approximately 0.0005 BTC. Other assets like ETH or TRX may have different dynamic fees, though Kuna doesn’t specify those publicly across all networks.

Hidden Costs

Beyond trading and withdrawal fees, there can be conversion costs when using fiat, indirect costs via third-party gateways, and potential eligibility or limit differences tied to KYC status—but Poloniex doesn’t charge inactivity or express processing fees explicitly.

There’s no explicit information about inactivity fees or express KYC charges; however, currency conversion may incur a flat percent fee embedded in the exchange rate, depending on your selected method.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Suppose you buy €500 worth of BTC via a card gateway—you’d face a gateway fee percentage on top, then the trading fee plus a modest spread, and if you decide to withdraw the BTC on-chain afterward, you’d pay the network fee for that blockchain, all combined.

Buying €500 worth of BTC would incur the standard 0.25 % trading fee and any minor spread embedded by the platform, plus the fixed withdrawal cost of ~0.0005 BTC when sending the funds on-chain—exact totals depend on BTC’s live price at the time.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Poloniex supports over 700 to 770 cryptocurrencies and around 700 to 840 trading pairs; among the top 20 by trading volume, pairs like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, SOL/USDT, DOGE/USDT dominate, typically accounting for a significant share of the 24-hour volume.

Kuna lists approximately 22 to 40 cryptocurrencies and supports around 40 trading pairs, with the most active ones being BTC/UAH, ETH/BTC, ZEC/UAH, DAI/UAH, ZEC/USDT, KUN/USDT, BTC/USDC, and ETH/UAH.

Product Range

Poloniex offers spot trading, margin and perpetual futures (with up to 100x leverage), staking/earn programs, lending services, futures copy trading, spot and futures grid bots, and DCA-style automated strategies—though it does not provide crypto ETFs or options natively.

Kuna’s product suite is straightforward—spot trading only (crypto–crypto and crypto–fiat), no margin, derivatives, ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, automatic DCA, or options; however, it does offer staking rewards through holding certain assets.

Liquidity

Poloniex’s 24-hour trading volume generally ranges between ~$800 M and over $1.2 B, with BTC/USDT alone often seeing hundreds of millions daily, and ETH/USDT also attracting strong liquidity; while exact order-book depth data isn’t public, the high volumes imply solid market depth.

Kuna’s 24-hour volume is modest (several million USD equivalent), with BTC/USDT and ETH markets showing some activity; however, order-book depth is not publicly detailed, suggesting liquidity is appropriate for medium-sized trades but not high-frequency institutional-level operations.

Tools

The platform supports advanced order types like limit, stop, and potentially OCO (One-Cancels-Other), provides real-time charts and advanced technical analysis tools, and offers API and WebSocket access; though it does not explicitly integrate TradingView natively, charting is robust.

Kuna supports basic order types like limit, market, and stop orders, features standard trading charts (not TradingView-native), and provides API access; it doesn’t offer advanced charting tools, OCO orders, price alerts, or built-in TradingView integration.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain services—especially derivatives like margin and futures—are restricted in specific regions; notably, U.S. residents cannot access any Poloniex services, and other jurisdictions may face similar limitations.

While spot trading is broadly available, Kuna does not provide derivatives or advanced products in any region, and its services are restricted for U.S. users; features like staking may also be limited depending on local regulations.

Innovation

Poloniex shows innovation through features like LaunchBase (token sales platform) and a flexible staking/earn framework, offering both open-term (flexible) and potentially locked-earn options, although detailed mechanics may vary.

Kuna’s innovation footprint includes unique tools like Kuna Code (transfer via code), Kuna Pay (payment processing), and browser extensions from the community, but it currently lacks features such as a launchpad, launchpool, or differentiated flexible vs locked earning programs.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Poloniex is operated by Poloniex, LLC, originally founded in 2014, headquartered in Delaware (with a principal business location in Massachusetts), and ultimately owned by Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. based in Seychelles.

Kuna was founded in 2014 in Ukraine and maintained operations through regional entities—including those in the UK and Lithuania—but as of March 2025, the platform has fully ceased operations and is no longer active.

Licenses/Registration

Poloniex is not officially licensed or registered as a VASP in regulated jurisdictions and has previously faced enforcement actions for operating without registrations under U.S. securities laws, notably settling with the SEC for operating an unregistered exchange.

Kuna did not hold formal VASP licenses under European frameworks like MiCA, nor did it register under equivalent regimes; current regulatory programs such as those in the Cayman Islands or EU never applied to Kuna due to its closure prior to implementation of those licensing regimes.

Custody

Poloniex maintains full proof-of-reserves using a Merkle tree system and publishes monthly reserve snapshots, starting with TRX; while traditional third-party audits or detailed cold-storage percentages aren’t publicly disclosed, the reserve transparency program is a step toward accountability.

Kuna undertook what it called “the largest Proof of Reserves in history” to demonstrate backing of user funds, though there is no evidence of third-party audits, formal PoR implementation, or specified cold storage reserve ratios.

Insurance & Protection Funds

The platform does not advertise a dedicated insurance fund or similar institutional-level protection to cover user losses from breaches or insolvency.

No formal insurance products or customer protection funds were publicly offered or advertised by Kuna at any point during its operation.

Incident History

Poloniex settled a major enforcement case with OFAC over sanctions violations and with the SEC for unregistered operations; additionally, it endured a large hot-wallet breach in late 2023 that reportedly resulted in over $114 million in user losses.

Kuna maintained a calm incident history, with no publicly documented hacks, platform outages, account freezes, or regulatory fines reported prior to its closure.

Risk Controls

The exchange offers standard security tools including mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), email freezing, anti-phishing guidance, and users are encouraged to manage account history and log out sessions manually; information on sub-accounts or granular API permissioning is not prominent.

Kuna offered basic security features such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and email confirmations, though advanced tools like withdrawal whitelists, anti-phishing measures, tiered sub-accounting, or granular API permission controls were not prominently supported.

Transparency

Poloniex publishes its Proof-of-Reserves reports monthly and provides tools for users to verify their balances via Merkle proofs; however, it does not regularly publish monthly financial or operational reports, SLA terms, nor a public wallet trace log.

There were no monthly transparency reports, public audit statements, or disclosed service-level agreements. While the platform shared its initiative around reserves, ongoing financial transparency metrics or operational dashboards were not made available.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Users can deposit fiat using third-party gateways like Simplex via credit/debit card, bank transfers, and e-wallets; limits and processing times depend on the gateway and user’s verification level, with weekly caps around $50,000 for deposits.

Fiat deposit options on Kuna include credit cards (limited to Ukrainian-issued Visa/MasterCard) and payment services like Advanced Cash, Perfect Money, Payeer, or Kuna Code; there’s no publicly stated minimum or maximum, and processing times vary—card payments can be nearly instant, while some transfer methods may take several minutes to days depending on method and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Trading and basic withdrawals are accessible without completing KYC (Level 1), capped at modest daily limits; completing full verification (Level 2) unlocks higher withdrawal and trading limits and access to margin/futures.

Kuna requires identity verification to unlock full functionality—basic account creation has limited access, and submitting documents (ID, proof of address) elevates you to a fully verified level, with no public breakdown of tiered access or trading limits, but verification is mandatory for fiat operations.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal limits scale with verification—Level 1 up to ~$10,000/day (higher with 2FA), Level 2 up to ~$1,000,000/day with 2FA and whitelisting; withdrawals are processed via supported blockchains like ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, and timing varies with network congestion.

Cryptocurrency withdrawals on Kuna support networks like ERC-20, TRC-20, BTC (native), and others; BTC withdrawals, for example, incur a 0.0005 BTC fee and typically process within 10 minutes after email and 2FA confirmation—limits are set internally and not publicly disclosed.

Customer Support

Poloniex offers support via email and a self-help knowledge base; live chat and multilingual support appear limited, leading to mixed reviews on response times and ticket resolution.

Kuna offers multilingual support via the help center and ticketing system (English, Ukrainian, Russian), with an extensive FAQ and tutorial base—while there’s no 24/7 live chat, support is accessible through email or tickets, and response times are generally prompt but unspecified.

Languages & Localization

The interface is available primarily in English, supports fiat display in USD/EUR among others, and relies on third-party providers for payment—local regulatory compliance varies by user location.

The platform supports English (as well as Ukrainian and Russian), displays prices and fees in common fiat currencies like €/USD, and reflects some local regulatory positioning (e.g., awareness of Lithuanian VASP licensing), although it remains primarily headquartered in Ukraine.

App Quality & Stability

The Poloniex mobile app is generally stable and regularly updated on major app stores, although a precise crash rate isn’t published; user feedback indicates occasional bugs, but overall smooth trading and wallet use.

Kuna offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android that integrates core features like deposits and withdrawals; while there’s no public data on crash rates or update frequency, documentation includes instructions for confirming withdrawals via the app—suggesting a maintained and functional experience.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The interface balances simplicity with depth—while it doesn’t offer explicit “Lite” or “Pro” modes, the design refresh has made navigation and core features more intuitive for newcomers, yet power users can still access advanced tools once familiar with the layout.

Kuna’s design is widely praised for being intuitive and accessible to beginners, with no separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes—just a unified interface that blends simplicity with functionality to help new traders start quickly while still serving seasoned users.

Performance

Poloniex enhanced performance with its backend overhaul and new trading engine, resulting in reduced latency and improved stability during normal trading; however, very high-volatility periods may still challenge order execution speed, and user reports suggest occasional delays in KYC processing during bull markets.

Users report that orders on Kuna process nearly instantly under normal conditions; while data on crashes during volatile markets or extended KYC backlogs is limited, the lightweight design and responsiveness suggest generally stable performance even under pressure.

Education

While Poloniex lacks a dedicated trading academy or demo simulator on its site, it provides multilingual support (including Spanish) via help articles and blog content to guide users, though comprehensive interactive learning tools aren’t currently offered.

Kuna currently offers limited educational materials and lacks demo or simulator tools; content is primarily in English, Ukrainian, and Russian, with no dedicated academy or learning hub in Spanish available at this time.

Community

Poloniex fosters community engagement through its Referral Center with multi-tier reward programs, ambassador levels offering commission boosts and even airdrops; it also maintains official Telegram and social media channels for announcements and community interaction.

Kuna fosters an active user community via its official Telegram and social media channels, alongside a generous affiliate/referral program (up to ~75% commission), though it doesn’t operate its own dedicated forums or Discord server.

Integrations

The exchange supports bot integrations and external strategies via CCXT-certified APIs; automated bot services (e.g. DCA bots with trading signal support) are in use, and data compatibility with tax tools like Crypto Tax Calculator allows users to export trade history via API or CSV for tax reporting.

The platform doesn’t natively integrate with TradingView or third-party trading bots; there are no built-in tax reporting or accounting tools, making it more suited to straightforward trading rather than advanced automation or reporting workflows.

Who Each One Is Best For

Poloniex is ideal for users who appreciate advanced trading tools with moderate learning curve, enjoy automated bot trading, and prefer a platform that supports integrations—while still being accessible to reasonably tech-savvy beginners—not as suited for those seeking built-in educational simulations or ultra-simplified interfaces.

Kuna shines for casual traders, especially in Eastern Europe, who want a no-frills, easy-to-navigate platform for basic spot trading in fiat and crypto—making it a solid fit for those seeking simplicity and regional accessibility rather than advanced trading features.