Kraken vs Biking: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Kraken and Biking 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

Kraken

Biking

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Kraken is ideal if:

Built for both simplicity and sophistication: Kraken’s intuitive interface makes it approachable for newcomers, while Kraken Pro delivers advanced trading tools, analytics, and charting for serious traders.
Security-first, regulation-backed platform: With an unbroken crypto protection record, proof-of-reserves audits, cold storage, and licenses across major markets—including new MiCA approval for EU operations—Kraken prioritizes trust and compliance.
More than a crypto exchange: Beyond trading, Kraken now offers a peer-to-peer payments app (Krak), commission-free U.S. stock and ETF trades, and staking options—making it an all-in-one digital finance hub.

Biking is ideal if:

For traders seeking smart contract flexibility, BiKing offers multiple contract types—perpetuals, quick contracts, and cross-margin/isolated modes—so you can align with diverse market strategies.
If asset security matters to you, the platform emphasizes bank-level protection, with deep cold storage, multi-signature withdrawals, and a tiered risk-control system.
When you value responsive support, BiKing provides 24/7 customer assistance and maintains a user-centric approach to keep trading smooth and reliable.

Kraken isn’t ideal if:

Overwhelming for total beginners: The interface and tiered platforms (Lite vs Pro) may feel complex without a solid understanding of trading, tools, and order types.
Limited access and features in some regions: Certain U.S. states and geographies have restrictions on staking, derivatives, or account creation—potentially blocking full platform use.
Support and platform bottlenecks: Account verification or support processes can be slow, and mobile app performance or customer assistance (no phone line) may frustrate users in need of swift help.

Biking isn’t ideal if:

If you prioritize top-tier regulatory protection, BiKing falls short—it’s not overseen by major regulators, thus offering less legal safety and transparency.
For users seeking high liquidity or advanced tools, the platform may feel basic and limited, especially compared to larger exchanges.
Concerned about reputation and transparency? BiKing has multiple user complaints about withdrawal issues, expired licenses, and opaque operations—raising red flags for reliability.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Kraken uses a tiered maker-taker structure where both maker and taker fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume grows, and higher activity triggers reduced costs—even reaching zero for makers—though the schedule excludes transactions via instant buy tools.

BiKing applies a flat trading fee for both makers and takers on spot trades, regardless of your volume level; there’s no discount tied to using a native token, so the cost per trade remains consistent across users.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures follow a volume-based tiers system—lowering maker and taker rates as volume increases—paired with periodic funding payments (every eight hours) that depend on contract premiums versus spot prices.

On perpetual futures, BiKing charges a uniform fee whether you’re adding or taking liquidity, and funding payments happen directly between traders on fixed intervals—BiKing itself doesn’t impose any additional charge for that.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

While Kraken doesn’t publish fixed spreads, its instant-buy feature embeds variable spreads that widen or narrow depending on market volatility, order size, and asset type.

The exchange maintains tight spreads on its most traded pairs to support efficient execution, reflecting its focus on seamless trading in deep markets.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Kraken supports methods like ACH, SWIFT, PayPal, SEPA, domestic transfers, etc., with low or no deposit fees; but deposits may trigger temporary withdrawal holds (e.g. 72-hour for cards, 7-day for ACH).

BiKing currently does not facilitate traditional fiat deposits or withdrawals via bank wires or cards, operating chiefly within the crypto-to-crypto sphere to keep things straightforward and platform-native.

On-chain Withdrawals

Cryptocurrency withdrawal fees vary per network—e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX have different fixed minimums depending on blockchain and congestion, not necessarily dynamic or network-based.

Withdrawal costs are dynamically calculated based on network conditions—BiKing passes along the prevailing network fee for each blockchain rather than using a fixed fiat-denominated rate.

Hidden Costs

Be aware of currency conversion premiums (from asset swaps), inactivity terms, and express KYC fees—these can add extras atop headline trading charges.

There’s no evidence BiKing applies fees for things like currency conversions, account inactivity, or expedited verification processes, making its structure transparent and predictable beyond standard trading and withdrawal costs.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Suppose you convert €500 to BTC and withdraw it—your total cost would include the instant-buy embedded spread, then a network withdrawal fee during transfer, and possible fiat hold timing—resulting in slightly less BTC and slower access.

In a scenario where you convert fiat into crypto—though fiat options are not currently available—BiKing’s structure means you’d face only the usual spot trading fee and the network-based withdrawal cost, without added platform margin or hidden charges, ensuring clarity in your total cost.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Kraken supports over 1,000 spot, margin, and futures markets overall, and its top 20 trading pairs by volume typically include high-cap assets like BTC/USD-variant, ETH/USD-variant, and other popular tokens.

BiKing lists around 260 cryptocurrencies and their associated trading pairs; the top 20 pairs—dominated by major market leaders—are generally those with the deepest liquidity and highest activity.

Product Range

You’ll find a full suite including spot, margin (up to 10× leverage), futures/perpetuals, staking (recently reenabled in the U.S.), with access to ETFs and options still pending—plus no native copy-trading, grid bots, DCA autos yet.

The platform focuses on perpetual and quick contracts, spot trading, and “bonus” or gamified contract modes—without options, ETFs, staking pools, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or auto-DCA features.

Liquidity

Kraken ranks among the world’s most liquid venues—especially for BTC-EUR and ETH-EUR—and sees substantial 24-hour volumes with deep order-book depth, enabling tight execution even for large trades.

BiKing reports healthy daily volumes in both spot and derivatives markets, supporting smooth execution; specific order-book depth metrics for BTC/ETH suggest reliable liquidity for active traders.

Tools

Kraken Pro offers advanced tools—limit, stop, OCO orders, real-time alerts, native TradingView-style charts, downloadable historical OHLCVT data, plus full REST and WebSocket API access.

BiKing supports standard order types like limit, stop, and OCO, and includes charting and API access, though it lacks built-in TradingView integration or advanced alert systems.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain products, like margin, futures, or staking, are restricted by jurisdiction—eligibility varies and some features may be blocked in specific countries due to regulatory constraints.

Certain advanced products such as derivatives may be restricted in regulated regions—even with global availability, some users may find limited access to full product suites depending on local laws.

Innovation

While traditional launchpad/launchpool programs aren’t yet offered, Kraken distinguishes between flexible vs. locked staking options and continues evolving with new offerings, particularly for institutional clients.

While lacking a traditional launchpad, BiKing does offer bonus-mode trading (a task-based rewards system) and appears exploring features like GameFi zones to engage users in flexible, incentive-driven trading experiences.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Kraken operates under several legal entities depending on region, including Payward, Inc. (U.S.), Payward Europe Solutions (Ireland, EEA), and Payward Ltd. (UK), all founded around 2011, headquartered in the U.S. with significant European presence.

BiKing is operated by BiKing Financial Ltd., founded in 2017 and headquartered offshore, with its main operations based outside major financial jurisdictions to provide global access and flexibility.

Licenses/Registration

Kraken holds multiple regulatory approvals, including VASP licenses in EU countries like the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, and FCA registrations in the UK, in addition to its SPDI charter in Wyoming and MSB registration in the U.S.

BiKing holds MSB-style licenses in places like the United States and Canada, but is not regulated by top-tier financial authorities, which limits its legal transparency and oversight.

Custody

Kraken self-custodies customer assets with a substantial portion held in cold storage; it publishes regular Proof-of-Reserves (PoR) attestations audited by external parties to ensure transparency.

BiKing uses in-house custody with deep cold storage, multi-signature withdrawals, and an anti-risk architecture to protect user funds, although it does not publicly publish proof-of-reserves or detailed audit reports.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Kraken maintains insurance for digital assets held online, though the coverage is limited; there is no formal protected fund for customer losses but additional insurance for certain custodial assets exists.

There’s no publicly disclosed insurance or user compensation fund, meaning users rely primarily on BiKing’s internal security framework rather than external protection schemes.

Incident History

Kraken has not experienced any major platform hacks; compliance suspensions or asset freezes have been minimal, and the exchange has not faced any public multi-million dollar regulatory fines.

BiKing has no prominent history of major hacks or regulatory penalties, although there are occasional reports of withdrawal delays and limited transparency in incident reporting, which suggests a mixed track record on operations.

Risk Controls

Kraken enforces robust account security with multiple 2FA options (passkeys, hardware keys, authenticator apps), whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, and granular API permissions for sophisticated client control.

The platform supports robust safety features such as two-factor authentication, encryption, intrusion prevention systems, and expressive API controls, all reinforced by firewall protections and multi-layer risk policies.

Transparency

The platform regularly publishes audit-style reports and Proof-of-Reserves summaries; users can view wallet addresses and Kraken maintains service-level expectations without public SLA guarantees.

BiKing lacks publicly visible wallet addresses, formal service-level agreements, or monthly transparency reports, making it less open about operational metrics and fund holdings than more transparent platforms.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Users can deposit fiat via bank transfers (ACH, SWIFT, SEPA), credit/debit cards, and e-wallets like PayPal; minimums are low (starting around 1 USD/EUR), but maximums depend on your verification level and jurisdiction, with deposit arrival ranging from near-instant to several days depending on the method.

BiKing does not support traditional fiat deposit methods—like bank transfers, cards, or e-wallets—so there’s no associated limits or processing times to consider.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

BiKing does not support traditional fiat deposit methods—like bank transfers, cards, or e-wallets—so there’s no associated limits or processing times to consider.

KYC (Verification Levels)

Kraken offers tiers like Intermediate and Pro (plus Express/Starter in some regions) — Intermediate unlocks full trading and funding access, while Pro raises both deposit and withdrawal limits, with each level subject to rolling daily/monthly caps shown in your dashboard.

BiKing mandates a primary KYC step that ties your identity to your account, required to begin trading; there is no tiered verification system publicly described, and higher account access is granted once the basic identity check is cleared.

Withdrawals

Limits, Timing, Networks

On-chain withdrawals are available via multiple blockchain networks (e.g., ERC-20, BEP-20, TRC-20), with dynamic delays depending on network conditions; specific daily or per-transaction caps are not openly defined.

Customer Support

Kraken provides 24/7 live chat and email support in multiple languages (including Spanish), alongside a comprehensive support center; while most issues are resolved quickly, some users report delays during high-traffic periods.

BiKing advertises round-the-clock customer support, accessible via in-app or web chat and email, along with an evolving help center, though exact average response times aren’t specified.

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in over a dozen languages, including native Spanish; local currencies and fees are displayed based on your region, ensuring comfortable and compliant user experience.

The interface is fully available in English among other languages; while fees or quotes aren’t localized to € or $ specifically, the platform remains region-agnostic without deep alignment to particular local regulatory setups.

App Quality & Stability

The Kraken mobile app mirrors most web functionality and supports biometric or PIN access; it generally performs reliably, though user feedback on crashes or app issues is mixed and depends on device and OS.

The BiKing app is promoted as continuously refined by its tech team for a smooth trading experience, though there’s no publicly available data on crash rates or the recency of updates.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Kraken offers two distinct experiences—“Lite” is streamlined for instant buys and basic navigation, while “Pro” and “Desktop” are modular and customizable, designed to support advanced traders executing complex strategies across flexible layouts and in-depth tools.

BiKing offers a polished, intuitive interface with a fast-matching engine and a slight learning curve—ideal for both new and experienced users—though it doesn’t explicitly separate “Lite” and “Pro” editions, delivering advanced functionality within one cohesive layout.

Performance

Kraken Pro is built on institutional-grade infrastructure to minimize order latency and handle peak demand efficiently, although during market surges user-reported delays in KYC verification and performance pops may still arise.

The platform emphasizes microsecond-level order matching and anti-risk mechanisms to keep operations stable during spikes in market volatility, maintaining responsiveness when others might lag.

Education

Kraken’s Learn Center delivers comprehensive articles, videos, and webinars (including futures tutorials), complemented by a derivatives demo environment for live practice—but it doesn’t currently offer a dedicated DCA simulator or localized Spanish academy; some content is translated.

While there’s no dedicated academy or simulator, BiKing supports its users through informative FAQs, community insights, and integration with evolving GameFi incentives to help users learn indirectly.

Community

Kraken publishes user reviews and interactive feedback across its site, but does not maintain official public discussion forums, Discord, or Telegram communities—though it does offer a referral program to reward users bringing in new clients.

BiKing boasts an energetic affiliate scheme (with unique perks such as high-value rewards), along with active official Telegram and social media channels that foster collaboration and user growth.

Integrations

Kraken Pro integrates with TradingView-style charting and pattern tools, fully supports third-party trading bots via REST/WebSocket/FIX APIs, and connects seamlessly to tax/accounting platforms like Koinly, Crypto Tax Calculator, and others.

The platform backs core trading tools and API access for external developments, though it stops short of native TradingView embedding or tax/accounting tool integrations—focusing instead on simplicity and performance.

Who Each One Is Best For

“Lite” suits beginners, offering simplicity and straightforward buying; “Pro” and “Desktop” excel for active, technical traders needing granular control, advanced order forms, analytics, and deep customization.

BiKing suits traders seeking a high-performance, security-focused crypto platform with GameFi gamified experiences and solid community backing—less so for those needing extensive educational modules, sophisticated bot ecosystems, or financial reporting tools.