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

Trying to choose between Bitmart and Ascendex 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

Bitmart

Ascendex

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Bitmart is ideal if:

Wide crypto selection for altcoin enthusiasts — Great if you're exploring a broad range of tokens, including niche and newly launched assets.
Beginners and advanced users both catered to — Offers a simple Buy/Sell tool for newcomers and robust futures, spot, and charting interfaces for experienced traders.
Social and copy trading opportunities — Ideal if you want to mirror expert strategies or explore passive exposure through copy/social trading tools.

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.

Bitmart isn’t ideal if:

No demo or practice mode — Beginners lacking a risk-free environment may find it harder to learn before committing real funds.
Security concerns persist post-2021 breach — Even with improved measures, the prior major hack may still cause hesitation around fund safety.
Limited fiat access and tools — Less ideal if you prefer direct fiat deposits/withdrawals or need features like bots, proof-of-reserves, or wallet insurance.

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.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

BitMart uses tiered spot fees based on trading volume and a pairing class system (Class A, B, C). You can also reduce costs by holding or using the BMX native token, which typically grants a sizable discount on maker/taker rates.

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.

Futures/Derivatives

Maker/Taker and Funding

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.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

For high-liquidity pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, spreads usually remain narrow and market-competitive, making them more cost-efficient for active traders.

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.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Methods, Fees, Times

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.

On-chain Withdrawals

Fixed vs. Dynamic by Network (BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

Currency Conversion, Inactivity, KYC Express, etc.

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.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Buying €500 in BTC (Fee + Spread + Withdrawal)

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.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

BitMart supports a wide cryptocurrency catalog (1,400+ assets) and offers over 1,050 spot trading pairs; its top 20 by volume typically include the usual heavyweights like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT among others.

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.

Product Range

You’ll find a full trading suite on BitMart

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.

Liquidity

BitMart regularly achieves multi-billion-dollar daily volumes; its order books for liquid assets like BTC and ETH are deep and tight enough for efficient execution in most conditions.

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.

Tools

The platform offers limit, stop, and OCO orders, alongside charting tools, alerts, a native API/WebSocket interface, and integration with TradingView for advanced analysis.

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.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Product availability varies by region—certain jurisdictions may face restrictions, particularly around derivatives (e.g. perps and margin aren’t always available everywhere due to regulation).

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.

Innovation

BitMart continues innovating with features like a flexible vs. locked earn program, its in-house token launchpad, and expanded copy trading options that enhance user engagement.

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.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

BitMart is operated by GBM Global Holdings Ltd., founded in 2017, and headquartered in the Cayman Islands.

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.

Licenses/Registration

It holds a Money Services Business (MSB) license from the U.S. FinCEN, indicating strong anti-money-laundering compliance—but lacks broader EU or MiCA-specific licenses.

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.

Custody

BitMart manages assets through a hybrid hot/cold wallet setup, with partial disclosures of hot wallet addresses as part of its transparency push; however, full proof-of-reserves or cold storage percentage data remains pending.

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.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There’s no public information about dedicated insurance or user protection funds being in place to cover losses from hacks or other security incidents.

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

Incident History

In December 2021, BitMart suffered a high-profile security breach that resulted in around $196 million stolen; the team pledged reimbursements and has since reinforced security infrastructures.

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.

Risk Controls

The platform includes standard safety features like two-factor authentication, anti-phishing codes, API key restrictions, and an institutional-grade sub-account system.

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.

Transparency

BitMart has taken steps toward openness by sharing hot wallet addresses and working on Merkle-tree based proof-of-reserves, although regular audit reports, SLA commitments, or full public reserve disclosures are not yet available.

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

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

BitMart supports fiat deposits via credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard), bank transfers, and integrated third-party gateways like Simplex, MoonPay, Banxa and others; minimums start around USD 30, and processing varies by provider—from instant to a few days.

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.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

BitMart offers non-KYC access, plus two personal levels—Starter and Advanced—that unlock higher daily withdrawal caps (Starter

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.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals support a broad range of networks (e.g., ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20), with limits and speeds depending on KYC level and network congestion; fiat withdrawals are also routed through select third-party gateways with similar variability.

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.

Customer Support

BitMart offers 24/7 live chat, email/ticket support, and a help center; response speed is inconsistent by user feedback, and the knowledge base provides general guidance but may lack deeper troubleshooting.

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.

Languages & Localization

The user interface is available in English (with fiat shown in EUR/USD based on user region), though localized regulatory disclaimers can vary depending on where you access the platform from.

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.

App Quality & Stability

The BitMart mobile app is available for iOS and Android, offering a smooth trading experience overall; while occasional bugs or temporary crashes occur, regular updates aim to enhance stability and add new features.

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.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

BitMart provides both “Lite” and “Pro” interface modes—“Lite” is clean and beginner-friendly, while “Pro” offers deeper charts and tools—so the learning curve remains gentle and scalable whether you’re new or advanced.

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.

Performance

The upgrade to Futures V2.0 halved order latency and boosted system stability and matching capabilities, delivering smoother performance even during surges, though occasional order connector quirks reported by bot users can emerge.

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.

Education

BitMart Academy equips users with structured content from beginner to advanced levels, but there’s no live demo or simulated trading available, and Spanish-language materials are limited or mixed with machine translations.

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.

Community

BitMart supports an affiliate/referral program, and while active user groups exist on Discord or Telegram unofficially, the platform doesn’t yet operate fully centralized forums or reward-based official communities.

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.

Integrations

With full TradingView charting access via the “BITMART:” prefix, plus a robust API and WebSocket support, BitMart integrates seamlessly with external bots and tools—though tax/accounting tool partnerships remain sparse.

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.

Who Each One Is Best For

BitMart suits traders seeking a quick-start experience with flexible interfaces and strong third-party integrations, while developers or algorithmic traders benefit from reliable API access and TradingView support.

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.