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

Trying to choose between Bitflyer and Cointiger 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

Cointiger

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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

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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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.

Cointiger is ideal if:

Great for active traders who want to diversify across many altcoins and tap into both spot and futures markets.
Well-suited for intermediate or advanced users seeking flexible trading tools—like staking pools and basic vs. advanced platforms.
Better for self-reliant users comfortable navigating limited customer support and lower transparency around regulation.

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.

Cointiger isn’t ideal if:

Not recommended if you expect strong regulation or licensing, since CoinTiger operates without recognized oversight.
Avoid if you prioritize swift, professional support, as users often encounter slow responses and limited multilingual assistance.
Unsuitable if you prefer fully transparent platforms, due to past accusations of opaque practices and concerning user complaints.

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.

CoinTiger applies a flat maker fee of 0.08% and taker fee of 0.15% for spot trading, and these can be progressively reduced for VIP members based on trading volume—no native-token-based discounts are mentioned.

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 trading fees start at 0.025% maker and 0.07% taker, with tiered discounts for VIPs, while funding (overnight) costs are charged but specifics depend on instruments and are not publicly fixed.

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.

While exact spreads are not disclosed, CoinTiger generally relies on tight, market-driven spreads for its most liquid pairs, consistent with its emphasis on competitive pricing.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

methods, fees, timing

CoinTiger supports fiat funding via credit/debit cards, wire transfers, Alipay, WeChat, and similar methods, with fees and processing speeds varying by payment provider and region—no standard fee schedule is published.

On-chain Withdrawals

fixed vs dynamic fees

Cryptocurrency withdrawals incur flat fees that vary by asset (e.g. ~0.0005 BTC or 5 USDT), rather than dynamic, network-based fees.

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.

CoinTiger charges no inactivity fees, but users may face third-party currency conversion charges or variable costs for express KYC or special service features depending on region.

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.

On a €500 BTC purchase, you’d incur a spot taker fee (~0.15%), face a small market spread, and if you withdrew on-chain afterward you’d pay a fixed crypto withdrawal fee—this gives a realistic, evergreen cost estimate.

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.

CoinTiger currently lists over 300 distinct cryptocurrencies and supports several hundred trading pairs; its most active top-20 by volume include giants like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, ADA/USDT, SOL/USDT, as well as a mix of popular altcoins.

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.

The platform offers spot trading, USDT- and coin-margined futures, and staking pools; however, it doesn’t provide options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy-trading, grid bots, or automated DCA.

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.

CoinTiger reports daily volume in the range of hundreds of millions USD, ensuring moderate liquidity; the order book depth for BTC and ETH is decent—suitable for mid-size trades—though smaller than deep-liquidity Tier-1 venues.

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.

Traders benefit from a full suite of order types including limit, stop, and OCO, plus price alerts, advanced charting tools, an API/WebSocket interface, but no built-in TradingView integration is available.

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.

Derivative access is restricted in a few regions (e.g., the US), meaning futures and advanced trading products aren’t universally available across all jurisdictions.

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.

CoinTiger has rolled out a project-listing initiative (“TCH Labs”) and staking pools, offering some flexible earn options; however, there’s no formal launchpad/launchpool or clear distinction between flexible and locked staking yet.

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.

CoinTiger was established in December 2017 and is headquartered in Singapore, operated under the umbrella of CoinTiger UAB and affiliated teams across Singapore, South Korea, and China—forming a multi-jurisdictional structure within the centralized exchange landscape.

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.

While the platform claims compliance with regulations in its operating regions, it’s not openly licensed as a VASP under major frameworks like EU’s MiCA, and concrete regulatory credentials are not prominently published.

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.

CoinTiger stores the majority of user assets in its own wallets, supported by cold storage for enhanced safety; however, it does not publish proof-of-reserves, reserve ratios, or audit reports for public verification.

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’s no clear mention of insured custodial assets or a dedicated user-protection fund—users should assume there is limited to no formal financial coverage in case of loss.

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.

CoinTiger does not have known major public incidents such as hacks, platform failures, or regulatory penalties disclosed, suggesting a relatively clean track record to date.

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 features include mandatory two-factor authentication, SSL encryption, and cold storage, but the platform lacks mention of additional safeguards like withdrawal whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, granular API permissions, or structured sub-account systems.

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.

CoinTiger does not publish regular transparency reports or Service Level Agreements, nor does it provide public wallet addresses for third-party inspection, offering limited external visibility into operational practices.

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).

CoinTiger accepts fiat deposits through credit/debit cards, wire transfers, SEPA, ACH, SWIFT, Apple Pay, UnionPay, and similar e-wallets; deposit minimums and maximums vary by method and jurisdiction, with processing times ranging from near-instant (cards/e-wallets) to several days depending on bank systems.

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.

CoinTiger allows basic usage without KYC, enabling daily withdrawals up to approximately 2 BTC; to access higher limits such as 10 BTC daily, as well as full fiat features, users must complete a KYC verification process.

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.

Crypto withdrawals follow network-specific conditions—via ERC20, TRC20, Omni, etc.—with dynamic fees based on blockchain congestion. KYC-completed users benefit from higher withdrawal limits (up to ~10 BTC/day), rising from the base ~2 BTC/day for unverified accounts.

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.

CoinTiger provides email support and live chat (though responsiveness can be slow), and offers a knowledge base and user guides; however, 24/7 live support may not be fully robust, with varied response times reported by users.

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 interface is available in multiple languages (e.g., English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, Vietnamese), and displays prices and balances clearly in major fiat currencies like USD or EUR; local regulatory adaptation varies by region.

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.

CoinTiger supports both Android and iOS mobile apps with modern UI and regular feature updates. While explicit crash-rate data isn’t publicly available, user sentiment suggests a generally stable experience with occasional performance lags.

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.

CoinTiger offers distinct trading modes—an introductory (Lite) interface with clean layouts for beginners, and a customizable advanced (Pro) interface featuring comprehensive charts and tools, which makes onboarding intuitive while giving experienced users the flexibility to tailor their workspace

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.

Traders generally experience swift order execution and responsive platform behavior, even during high-volume periods, though occasional lag or support delays may surface in extreme volatility—but KYC processing remains largely efficient without notable backlogs

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.

CoinTiger does not currently offer a dedicated crypto academy, demo trading, or simulators, nor localized Spanish-language educational content, focusing instead on platform-native guidance and tools rather than structured learning materials

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.

The exchange maintains an active referral program offering commission benefits, and fosters user engagement through community forums; however, there’s no emphasis on official Discord or Telegram channels in its public ecosystem descriptions

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.

CoinTiger’s advanced interface integrates TradingView charts directly, enhancing technical analysis, but lacks built-in support for external trading bots, tax tools, or accounting integrations—requiring users to rely on third-party solutions

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.

CoinTiger suits users who appreciate intuitive yet powerful tools—ideal for self-directed traders who want advanced charting in a compact UI without needing extensive educational aids or automation, and who value a broad altcoin ecosystem with fair performance.