Ascendex vs Blocktrade: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Ascendex and Blocktrade 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

Ascendex

Blocktrade

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Ascendex is ideal if:

Versatile trader tools – Offers both beginner-friendly and pro-grade interfaces for spot, margin, futures, staking, copy trading, and yield farming.
Passive-earning focus – Multiple earning paths available (staking, DeFi yield, OTC, Invest programs), ideal if you want crypto to work for you passively.
Robust performance engine – High-throughput tech, advanced analytics, and mobile support make it ideal for active or institutional traders needing speed and reliability.

Blocktrade is ideal if:

Perfect for active traders seeking a playful experience: Blocktrade blends trading with gamified elements like XP, levels, and NFT avatars, delivering a more engaging trading environment.
Well-suited if you value European regulation and security: Fully registered as a VASP under EU rules, it offers peace of mind through strong compliance, clear interface, and robust custody protections.
Great for those who prefer simplicity without passive features: Easy to use with fiat and crypto access and competitive pricing—but without staking, margin trading, or income-generating tools.

Ascendex isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory uncertainty – Lacks formal licensing in many regions, meaning oversight and user protections may be limited.
Customer service concerns – Some users report slow or unhelpful support, particularly for withdrawals or issue resolution.
Past security breach – A significant hack occurred, which may worry users who prioritize platforms with a flawless security record.

Blocktrade isn’t ideal if:

Not for altcoin hunters: Only a small crypto selection is available—too limited if you’re after niche or emerging tokens.
Not for income-driven users: No support for staking, yield-earning programs, or referral bonuses means passive crypto income opportunities are absent.
Not for advanced traders: Lacking leverage, margin, or derivatives tools makes it unsuitable if you're looking for sophisticated or leveraged trading options.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Spot trading fees follow a tiered VIP structure based on your 30-day trade volume and holdings of the native ASD token; larger volume or ASD holdings unlock lower maker and taker rates, especially for major market-cap pairs.

Blocktrade applies a flat trading fee—typically around 0.3% of the trade volume—with slightly lower fees (e.g., 0.25%) on certain native tokens like BTEX or ECS; there are no volume tiers or loyalty-based discounts beyond this.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures (perpetual) trading uses its own VIP-based fee tiers—maker fees can be as low as around 0.02%, takers around 0.05%—and funding payments occur every eight hours to align perpetual contract prices with spot.

Blocktrade currently does not offer futures or derivative trading products, so there are no applicable maker, taker, or funding costs to detail.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT exhibit tight spreads thanks to deep order books and efficient matching, making execution cost minimal beyond standard fees.

Blocktrade offers “Marketplace” trades with no explicit trading fees, but users may face slightly wider real-time spreads compared to order-book transactions, especially on popular pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

You can fund via credit/debit card or bank transfers through third-party processors; while deposits are quick, they may include a dynamic processing fee; withdrawal options and speeds depend on your local banking rails and chosen method.

Users can deposit and withdraw euros via methods like SEPA transfers or credit/debit cards; fees are modest (e.g., a low-percentage fee for SEPA and a small surcharge for cards), with processing and confirmation typically taking between minutes to a few business days depending on method and verification status.

On-chain Withdrawals

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Crypto withdrawals incur fixed fees specific to each asset and network (e.g., a set amount of BTC, ETH, USDT, etc.), meaning costs are predetermined and transparent rather than dynamically calculated by network congestion.

Hidden Costs

Implicit costs may arise from conversion markups when buying crypto with fiat, inactivity penalties, or optional fast-track identity verification services, so even if explicit fees are low, these can add to your total cost.

There are generally no hidden charges like inactivity or expedited verification fees; however, currency conversions (e.g., between fiat or crypto pairs) may include slight margins, and external bank or card fees may apply without being controlled by the platform.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

When you convert €500 into BTC, costs include the processing spread from fiat to crypto, the trading fee on your spot purchase, and any withdrawal network fee—so the net BTC received will be noticeably less than the €500 equivalent due to layered transaction components.

If you purchase €500 worth of BTC via the Marketplace, you’ll face a modest trading spread plus any applicable SEPA or card deposit fee, followed by the fixed on-chain BTC withdrawal fee—resulting in an all-in cost that blends spread, deposit surcharge, and withdrawal fee into one clear total.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

AscendEX supports over 200 to 300 cryptocurrencies across more than 200 trading pairs, with the most liquid top 20 pairs typically dominated by BTC, ETH, USDT, and popular large-cap and DeFi tokens if ranked by volume.

Blocktrade supports just over 50 cryptocurrencies, with trading pairs concentrated around well-known assets like BTC, ETH, USDC, and a handful of altcoins; the top 20 by trading volume are the most popular blue-chip tokens, making up the vast majority of available pairs.

Product Range

The platform offers spot, margin, and perpetual futures, flexible staking and yield programs, copy-trading for futures, and supports automated strategies such as grid bots and DCA through its API and third-party tools—though options and crypto ETFs are not part of the current offering.

Blocktrade currently offers spot trading only—no margin, derivatives, options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy-trading, trading bots, or automated DCA are available on the platform at this time.

Liquidity

With a reported 24-hour trading volume ranging from hundreds of millions to a couple of billion dollars, BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets offer strong depth and tight order books, enabling efficient execution even for substantial orders.

Blocktrade maintains a modest but stable liquidity base; while specific figures aren’t published, liquidity is sufficient to execute spot trades without extreme slippage, particularly on BTC/EUR and ETH/EUR pairs.

Tools

AscendEX features a full suite of order types (limit, market, stop, OCO), advanced charting with customizable indicators, real-time alerts, and robust API/WebSocket access—although it relies on its proprietary charting tools rather than native TradingView integration.

Users benefit from basic functionality including market and limit orders, full TradingView-powered charts, real-time price data, and an open API for integration, though there’s no advanced alert system via the interface.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain regions face limitations such as no access to futures or derivatives features—specifically, users in jurisdictions like the United States and China are restricted from using these products due to compliance considerations.

Because Blocktrade doesn’t offer derivatives or leverage, there are no region-based product restrictions beyond general country eligibility; only spot services are available in approved jurisdictions.

Innovation

AscendEX delivers early access to new token projects via its launchpool platform, and its Earn suite includes both flexible staking options—as well as programs with lock-up periods—giving users choice in how they deploy assets to generate yield.

Blocktrade continues to push its gamified ecosystem forward with features like XP, avatars, and merchant payments, but it does not yet offer launchpad, launchpool, or flexible vs locked yield-earning products (staking and earn programs remain limited or on hold).

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

AscendEX operates under AscendEX Technology S.R.L., legally established in Romania, while the broader group includes BMXDM Technology Pte. Ltd. founded in 2018, with headquarters primarily in Singapore.

Blocktrade is operated by Blocktrade SA, established in 2018 and headquartered in Luxembourg, functioning through licensed subsidiaries in Italy (Blocktrade S.r.l.) and Slovenia (BlocktradeOperations OÜ) to provide services under EU legal frameworks.

Licenses/Registration

The platform adheres to AML/CTF regulations where required, but does not currently hold formal regulatory licenses such as VASP in most jurisdictions nor EU MiCA authorization.

The platform is registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Slovenia, complying with EU anti-money laundering standards (AML5), and is actively preparing for broader MiCA (EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) compliance across its operations.

Custody

Users’ crypto assets are stored primarily in cold, offline wallets managed directly by AscendEX, supported by a defense-in-depth security model; there’s no publicly disclosed proof-of-reserves audit or specific percentage of assets held in cold storage.

Blocktrade’s custodial framework combines in-house infrastructure, including cold and hot wallets, with partnerships for custody solutions; while specific percentages of cold storage or proof-of-reserve disclosures aren’t public, the system is regularly audited and backed by recognized security providers.

Insurance & Protection Funds

AscendEX maintains an internal insurance fund drawn from its own balance sheet to cover potential losses in the event of security incidents.

There is no explicit mention of an exchange-held insurance fund; however, asset security is enhanced through robust infrastructure and institutional-grade custodial practices—though no proprietary insurance or user fund protection scheme is publicly advertised.

Incident History

In December 2021, AscendEX suffered a hot-wallet exploit across several blockchains, but fully reimbursed all impacted users and rebuilt its infrastructure with stronger safeguards.

Blocktrade has maintained a clean operational record with no reported hacks, platform suspensions, account freezes, or regulatory penalties, reflecting its emphasis on security and compliance.

Risk Controls

The platform supports two-factor authentication, device monitoring, anti-phishing alerts, and offers API access with control options and sub-account structuring to help manage risk.

User accounts are safeguarded with mandatory 2FA, encrypted infrastructure, phishing-awareness measures, secure servers located in GDPR-compliant data centers, and API access governed by granular permission settings to mitigate unauthorized access.

Transparency

While offering real-time monitoring and reporting tools, AscendEX does not publish monthly reserve statements, public wallet addresses, or formal service-level agreements.

Operational transparency includes audited infrastructure, GDPR-compliant data handling, and governance under EU regulations; although there are no regular public reports or service-level agreements (SLA) available, the platform emphasizes openness through its licensing disclosures and audit-ready security posture.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

AscendEX supports depositing fiat through third-party providers such as Simplex, MoonPay, Mercuryo, and Banxa via card or bank transfer, offering fast funding for multiple regions, with specific minimums and maximums varying per provider and region.

Blocktrade allows fiat deposits via EUR-only SEPA bank transfers and Visa/Mastercard card payments (including Apple Pay/Google Pay through the app). There’s a minimum trade threshold of around €10, but no official platform-imposed deposit minimums or maximum exposures are specified. SEPA transfers typically clear within 1–5 business days, while card deposits may occur almost instantly.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

AscendEX requires identity verification for full platform access; unverified accounts face strict withdrawal caps (such as 0.75 BTC daily), while verified users enjoy much higher limits, with further tiered levels unlocking even greater flexibility.

There appear to be two user levels

Withdrawals

Withdrawal limits depend on KYC status—unverified accounts are capped at around 0.75 BTC per day, verified users far higher—and users can withdraw via multiple networks (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.), with processing speed tied to blockchain congestion.

Crypto withdrawals follow a standard process

Customer Support

AscendEX offers round-the-clock support via live chat and email, with a comprehensive help center available for self-service; response times generally fall within reasonable hours though may vary based on query complexity.

Support is available via web/app chat for immediate issues, and a ticket/email system for detailed inquiries. The team operates Monday to Friday, 08

Languages & Localization

The interface supports multiple languages including English, and displays prices in common currencies like EUR and USD; it also tailors functionality—and availability—to comply with regional regulations.

The platform uses English as its interface language, with all fees shown in EUR. While regulated in EU jurisdictions, there’s limited localization for non-European users, including lack of native support for other fiat currencies or region-specific compliance.

App Quality & Stability

The AscendEX mobile and desktop apps deliver a polished and responsive experience, receiving regular updates to bolster stability and features, with no widespread reports of performance or crash issues among users.

The mobile app presents a sleek, gamified interface and supports core functions like deposits, trading, and security features. With a moderate rating (around 2.9 on Google Play), there are mixed reviews—some citing stability issues or difficulty with deposits. Recent updates continue to evolve the app experience.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The platform provides both a streamlined “Lite” interface optimized for newcomers and a feature-rich “Pro” mode tailored for experienced traders, offering intuitive navigation while allowing users to progress as their skills evolve.

Blocktrade’s interface is intuitive and engaging thanks to its gamified design featuring XP levels and avatars; while it doesn’t offer distinct “Lite” or “Pro” modes, the clean, mobile-first layout is accessible to both newcomers and seasoned users without overwhelming complexity.

Performance

Order execution is generally fast and stable, though sharp market spikes can occasionally lead to slight delays; during bull runs, KYC processing times may lengthen, though the platform scales verification capacity to mitigate backlogs.

Performance tends to be smooth, with orders executing promptly under normal conditions; although during high-activity spikes the platform may encounter minor slowdowns, the streamlined onboarding helps minimize KYC bottlenecks even during bull markets.

Education

AscendEX hosts an educational hub with articles, investment lessons, and futures tutorials, but it does not currently offer demo trading accounts or Spanish-specific learning modules.

Blocktrade offers a friendly Academy with short beginner courses and articles that explain crypto basics; however, there’s no interactive demo or simulator, and content in Spanish is limited or absent at this time.

Community

Users can connect via numerous official Telegram channels across multiple languages and leverage an active referral program that rewards users for inviting others to the platform.

The platform encourages community interaction via its official Telegram group, and has a referral program that rewards both parties for inviting friends—but it doesn’t currently run public forums or a Discord channel.

Integrations

The exchange offers native TradingView charts and robust API access, enabling integration with third-party bots and tax/accounting tools like CryptoTaxCalculator for portfolio tracking and reporting.

Blocktrade includes TradingView-powered charts and a public API, enabling integrations with external tools, but it lacks built-in support for bot setups, tax-reporting tools, or accounting features.

Who Each One Is Best For

Beginners benefit from the Lite mode and educational resources, active/pro traders gain from the advanced order tools and integrations, and those focused on passive strategies can leverage the automated tools and referral rewards.

Blocktrade shines for users who enjoy a playful, uncomplicated crypto experience with gamified rewards and a user-friendly app—but it may not appeal to advanced traders seeking sophisticated tools, educational depth, or broad ecosystem integrations.