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

Trying to choose between Ascendex and Cryptology 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

Cryptology

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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

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

Yes

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.

Cryptology is ideal if:

User-Friendly Design Enjoys a clean, intuitive interface accessible via both web and mobile.
Security-Focused Traders with Passive Income Interests Values strong asset protection and optional “Earn” products for passive rewards.
Active Crypto Traders (Main Markets) Frequently trades top cryptocurrencies and appreciates streamlined spot/futures access.

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.

Cryptology isn’t ideal if:

You expect fiat support or seamless withdrawals. The platform currently focuses almost exclusively on crypto-only operations, offering limited or no traditional fiat on/off-ramps.
You're after highly advanced trading tools. While competent for spot and basic derivatives, it lacks the level of professional-grade order types and analytics some high-volume traders demand.
You rely on robust global regulatory backing. Though secure in many respects, Cryptology doesn’t operate under a prominent financial regulator, which might concern users seeking widespread licensing.

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.

Both maker and taker fees are a flat 0.20% across all spot volume tiers, with no indication of discounts via a native token.

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.

Maker fee is 0.025% and taker fee is 0.05% for perpetual futures contracts; funding costs are included within maintenance margin and not itemized separately.

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.

Average spreads for major pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT are moderate, reflecting standard market conditions with no unusually high slippage.

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.

You can deposit via debit or credit card (3.53% fee, €5 / $5 minimum), SEPA (0.45% fee, €1 minimum in select European countries), or wire transfer (no fee, from €25 / $25 minimum for fully verified users); fiat withdrawals cost €7 for SEPA EUR and $7 for USD (Unlimint only).

On-chain Withdrawals

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Crypto withdrawals incur fixed network fees—for instance, BTC

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 no hidden conversion fees, inactivity charges, or KYC-express surcharges; fee structure is transparent for each transaction type.

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 buy €500 of BTC using a card (3.53% deposit fee) plus spot fee (0.20%), then withdraw on-chain (0.0005 BTC network fee), your total cost bundles the deposit charge, trading fee, and network transfer.

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.

Cryptology supports around 237 cryptocurrencies and roughly 260 trading pairs, with top-volume pairs including BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, ETH/EUR, and BTC/BUSD—reflecting a diverse and liquid selection.

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.

Cryptology provides spot trading, margin with leverage up to 100x, and perpetual futures contracts; it also features both custodial and non-custodial staking options plus a crypto debit card, though options, ETFs, loans, copy-trading, grid bots, and automated DCA are not offered.

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.

The platform sees approximately $166 million in daily trading volume (about 1,412 BTC), and its order books for BTC and ETH exhibit reasonable depth, indicative of moderate liquidity for most mid-sized trades.

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.

Cryptology supports basic order types like limit and market (with margin/perpetuals), and has recently introduced a beta version of trading bots for futures; however, advanced features—such as OCO orders, built-in TradingView charts, alerts, or a public API/WS—are not prominently available.

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.

Certain products—especially derivatives—are not accessible in restricted countries like the United States, among others; the platform selectively limits features based on user location.

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.

Cryptology offers staking and a crypto debit card, and has rolled out a beta version of trading bots; however, there is no launchpad, launchpool, or differentiated “Earn” structures (flexible vs locked) currently available.

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.

Cryptology is operated by a company legally registered in Lithuania (initially launched in January 2018), with its operations based out of Singapore—combining East Asia market presence with EU incorporation.

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 does not currently hold specific VASP or MiCA licensing, operating instead under general company registration without explicit crypto-asset service provider accreditation.

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.

Assets are custodied internally, with no public proof-of-reserves reports or formal third-party audits; the use of cold storage is mentioned informally but no reserve percentages are published.

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 disclosed insurance coverage or user protection fund backing custodial assets in case of loss or theft.

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.

No major hacks, service suspensions, account freezes, or regulatory fines are publicly recorded, suggesting a relatively clean operating record to date.

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.

Users benefit from standard security features—2FA, anti-phishing protection, whitelisting addresses, and tiered verification layers—but there is no mention of sub-accounts or highly granular API access controls.

Transparency

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

The platform does not provide monthly transparency reports, public wallet addresses, or service-level guarantees (SLAs), reflecting moderate transparency versus leading regulated exchanges.

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.

Users can fund their Cryptology account using wire transfers or credit/debit cards, with minimum and maximum amounts dependent on region and provider; transfer times vary from minutes (card) to multiple days (bank transfers).

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.

The platform mandates KYC for full access, typically distinguishing between basic and advanced verification tiers—each unlocking progressive withdrawal and deposit privileges—while unverified accounts face tight restrictions.

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 operate across major networks (like ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20), with limits and processing speeds that vary by currency, and clearer throughput for popular chains like Ethereum versus slower ones like Bitcoin.

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 both live chat and email, with a comprehensive knowledge base that includes FAQs and tutorials; while live chat is accessible most hours, more complex ticket responses may take several hours.

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’s interface is primarily in English, with fees shown in USD or EUR; although not fully localized regionally, it ensures clarity for international traders rather than catering to local regulatory taxonomies.

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 Cryptology app offers solid performance with consistent updates and a generally stable user experience; while exact crash rates are undisclosed, user feedback indicates reliable functionality across both iOS and Android.

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.

The platform presents a clean and intuitive interface that accommodates both beginners and seasoned users naturally, though it doesn’t explicitly offer separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes to tailor complexity levels.

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.

Cryptology generally delivers swift order execution with minimal delay, and although it has maintained resilience during volatility spikes, some users note that processing times (e.g., KYC) can slow slightly in high-traffic periods.

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.

The platform includes a knowledge base and blog in English and Chinese, but does not currently provide a demo or simulator mode, nor does it offer educational content explicitly in Spanish.

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.

There’s an active official Telegram group and news channel that serve as community hubs, and a referral program is available offering rewards for sign-ups, though broader social platforms or formal forums are not prominently featured.

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.

While direct integration with TradingView, external bots, or tax/accounting tools isn’t offered, users can still manage external wallets or tools independently without integrated support.

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.

Cryptology suits traders who appreciate a straightforward, secure interface and active community touchpoints through Telegram, but those seeking educational tools in Spanish, advanced charting integrations, or demo features might prefer more specialized platforms.