Phemex vs Htx: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Phemex and Htx 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

Phemex

Htx

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Phemex is ideal if:

Fast-paced traders value it: With ultra-low latency and deep liquidity, Phemex's high-performance trading engine offers smooth execution and stability.
Tech-savvy users benefit: Advanced tools—like copy trading, bots, and DeFi-style earning products—empower both automation and strategy innovation.
Privacy-conscious users find appeal: Flexible KYC policies and a streamlined onboarding style suit those preferring minimal verification barriers.

Htx is ideal if:

A wide trading toolkit for all levels – HTX serves both beginner and advanced users with spot, margin, futures, copy-trading, automated bots, and staking features, offering real flexibility for growth.
Consistently deep liquidity and broad token access – With over 700 cryptocurrencies and hundreds of trading pairs—including fiat support and various passive income options—it’s great if you want choice and market depth.
Security and transparency at its core – Offering live cold storage, proof-of-reserve commitments, 2FA, withdrawal controls, and regulatory alignment across key regions ensures a secure trading environment you can trust.

Phemex isn’t ideal if:

Fiat-focused users may face limits: Fiat deposit and withdrawal services are unavailable or heavily restricted in numerous countries, reducing accessibility for those relying on bank transfers.
Newcomers could feel overwhelmed: The platform’s advanced features and high-leverage tools offer power—but may feel complex if you’re new to trading.
Risk-averse investors might be uneasy: Derivatives and high-leverage products carry greater risk, making Phemex less suited to those seeking lower-volatility exposure.

Htx isn’t ideal if:

Limited regional access – HTX is unavailable in key markets like the United States, Canada, UK, China, and others, restricting access for traders in many major territories.
Not beginner-friendly – The platform’s advanced interface and rich feature set can overwhelm newcomers who prefer a more intuitive, streamlined onboarding experience.
Customer support delays – Some users report slow response times and limited fiat withdrawal options, which can impact trading during urgent situations.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Spot trading fees start at 0.1% for both maker and taker on the base VIP tier and can decrease via VIP-level benefits tied to trading volume or asset holdings; using the Phemex Token (PT) grants additional discounts—around 20% off spot fees—and those can stack with VIP reductions.

HTX uses a tiered “Prime” structure where both maker and taker fees start around 0.20 % at the entry tier and progressively fall to near zero (maker) and a few hundredths of a percent (taker) at the top tiers; holding the native HT token offers an extra discount on spot taker fees via applied HT deduction.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures (perpetual contracts) begin with a maker fee as low as 0.01% and a taker fee of 0.06%, with lower rates available through VIP status; funding rates vary according to market dynamics and are applied periodically, affecting long or short positions depending on current rates.

Futures contracts (USDT- or coin-margined) begin with maker fees around 0.02 % and takers around 0.05–0.06 %, improving with higher-tier status—even offering negative maker fees at top levels—while funding isn’t a direct HTX charge but rather settled among traders according to position and the prevailing funding rate.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Phemex delivers tight spreads on major spot pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, thanks to deep order-book liquidity and efficient execution, although the exact average spread fluctuates with market conditions and isn’t publicly standardized.

HTX reports tight spreads on major pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT; spreads tend to remain narrow thanks to deep liquidity, though exact percentages aren’t published—indicative of competitive conditions.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat deposits are facilitated via third-party gateways such as MoonPay or Banxa, often with fees imposed by those services; withdrawal in fiat is limited or restricted depending on jurisdiction and may incur fixed charges or banking delays driven by external banking partners.

Fiat can be deposited or withdrawn via common methods (like bank transfers or cards) with fees and processing times varying by method and region; details are available in the platform’s fiat interface, but HTX tends to streamline these operations for ease of use.

On-chain Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals carry network-dependent fees, which vary by chain and congestion

Crypto withdrawals on HTX incur network (mining) fees specific to each blockchain (e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX), dynamically reflecting network conditions rather than fixed, flat charges.

Hidden Costs

Hidden costs may include markups from third-party fiat gateways, potential inactivity penalties (if any), and premium-tier services like expedited KYC—but generally, Phemex avoids additional charges beyond trading, withdrawal, and external service fees.

Beyond trading and network fees, there may be supplemental costs such as currency conversion margins when using non-supported fiat, possible inactivity penalties, or optional express–KYC surcharges, depending on region or promotion—users should review account settings for those.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Example

If you purchase €500 worth of BTC, your total outlay would include a spot taker fee (e.g. ~0.20 %), plus the implied buy-side spread, and on-chain withdrawal would add the relevant network fee—so the net BTC received would reflect those combined, though precise numbers depend on market and network conditions at execution.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Phemex offers several hundred tradable assets across hundreds of spot and futures pairs; among the top by volume you’ll typically see major pairs like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, SOL/USDT, DOGE/USDT, ADA/USDT dominating the leaderboards.

HTX lists over 700 digital assets (some sources suggest over 1,000, though officially it’s 700+) and supports hundreds of trading pairs; the top 20 by volume typically include heavily traded pairs like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, XRP/USDT, and other high-liquidity altcoin-USDT combinations, reflecting mainstream market interest.

Product Range

Phemex delivers a wide product mix including spot and margin trading, perpetual futures, automated copy-trading, grid-trading bots (spot and futures), DCA and Martingale bots, essential lending/borrow via margin, plus crypto earn products and launchpad functionality.

HTX delivers a robust suite

Liquidity

Phemex sees substantial daily volume usually in the hundreds of millions USD, with order-book depth in BTC and ETH strong enough to support sizable trades without excessive slippage, reflecting healthy active liquidity.

HTX maintains high liquidity with daily volumes in the multi-billion-dollar range (for example, around $5.4 billion in one snapshot), offering strong order-book depth in BTC and ETH pairs—meaning large trades face minimal slippage—though depth metrics fluctuate with market behavior.

Tools

The platform includes full order-type support such as limit, market, stop and OCO orders, real-time alerts, advanced interactive charts powered by TradingView, and robust API with WebSocket for seamless automation and live data.

Traders can access advanced tools such as limit orders, stop-limit, OCO orders, along with real-time alerts, sophisticated charting (including TradingView-style analysis), and full API/WebSocket support—ideal for both hands-on and automated strategies.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Certain services—especially derivatives—are restricted in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, parts of Canada, China, and other regions, while spot and earn products may remain accessible depending on local laws.

Derivatives, such as futures and options, are not available in certain jurisdictions—examples include the UK (retail users), Spain, Taiwan, China, and others—so availability varies significantly by country and regulation.

Innovation

Phemex continually expands its ecosystem with launchpad or launchpool-style token sales, and layered earn programs offering both flexible (withdraw anytime) and locked (higher yield) options to fit different investor preferences.

HTX embraces innovation with mechanisms like Launchpool (dual rewards for staking HTX tokens) and both flexible and fixed-term staking options, enabling creative earning paths for users engaging with new tokens or tapping liquidity.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Phemex began in 2019 and is operated under entities such as Phemex Technology Pte. Ltd. in Singapore and Phemex Limited in the British Virgin Islands, placing it under those legal jurisdictions.

HTX originated in China in 2013 but is now legally based in the Republic of Seychelles, with additional offices or operations in locations like Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and previously the U.S., reflecting its international setup reshaped by evolving regulatory environments.

Licenses/Registration

While Phemex holds an MSB registration with FinCEN in the U.S., it currently lacks MiCA or equivalent EU licensing and is not authorized to operate in several regulated regions.

HTX holds multiple regulatory approvals including a Virtual Asset Service Provider registration in Lithuania, a DLT license in Gibraltar, a VARA license in Dubai, a SIBA investment business license in the BVI, AUSTRAC registration in Australia, and permission for payment and remittance services in parts of South America—demonstrating ongoing efforts toward regional legal compliance.

Custody

The exchange maintains full custody of user assets and provides a self-verifiable Merkle-tree proof-of-reserves (PoR) tool that shows assets are backed 1

HTX uses its own custody infrastructure and has implemented a Merkle-Tree–based Proof of Reserves system that publicly verifies 1

Insurance & Protection Funds

There is no publicly disclosed insurance or user protection fund; security relies on reserve mechanisms and risk controls but does not include third-party insurance coverage.

HTX maintains a Security Reserve Mechanism that sets aside a substantial BTC reserve—reportedly around 20,000 BTC—to help compensate users in the unlikely case of a breach, providing an added layer of protection against potential losses.

Incident History

Phemex has not reported any major hacks, though it temporarily suspended a hot-wallet after an internal security review; it also faced regulatory scrutiny in Canada and the UK for compliance issues.

While HTX hasn’t had major publicized hacks recently, its history includes structural changes like being removed from the Seychelles crypto exchange register and a prior license revocation in Thailand—illustrating some regulatory and administrative challenges in its past.

Risk Controls

Users benefit from standard safeguards including mandatory two-factor authentication, IP or address whitelists, anti-phishing protection, segregated sub-accounts, and granular API permission controls.

HTX emphasizes robust account security through features like two-factor authentication (2FA), address whitelisting, anti-phishing tools, structured sub-accounts, and granular API permissions—allowing fine-tuned control and protecting users from unauthorized access.

Transparency

Phemex offers monthly-updated PoR data, public disclosure of partial cold wallet addresses, and reserve ratios, demonstrating a commitment to transparency though without formal SLAs or comprehensive monthly financial reports.

HTX publishes regular (monthly) Proof of Reserves reports and claims that users can verify their own assets via Merkle-root tools; however, it does not appear to offer public wallet addresses, comprehensive monthly financial statements, or formal service-level guarantees like an SLA.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Phemex supports fiat deposits via bank transfers (SWIFT, SEPA, ACH, FPS) and third-party services like MoonPay or Banxa; minimums generally start around $50, maximums reach very high limits, and processing typically takes from instant (via e-wallet) to 1–3 business days for transfers.

HTX accepts fiat deposits via bank transfers (e.g., SEPA), cards (Visa/MasterCard), e-wallets (Advcash), PIX, UPI, etc., with minimum amounts generally starting around €10 or equivalent depending on currency, and processing times ranging from a few minutes to a business day, depending on method and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

There are three user tiers

HTX offers account usage without KYC but limits certain actions like withdrawals; completing basic and advanced KYC quickly unlocks substantially higher daily limits (even up to multiple BTC), with level-up requiring ID documents and, for higher tiers, a live face check or investment capability assessment.

Withdrawals

limits, times, networks (TRC20/ERC20/BEP20, etc.)

limits, timing & networks

Customer Support

chat 24/7, email, response times, knowledge base

HTX provides customer assistance via 24/7 live chat, email support, and an extensive FAQ/knowledge base; response times vary but live chat ensures faster handling while the help center offers self-serve guidance across common topics. (No specific data found; this is based on typical platform structure.)

Languages & Localization

The platform’s interface and support are primarily in English, with fees typically shown in USD or equivalent fiat; some content and interfaces are localized for major regions, though comprehensive local regulation compliance varies by jurisdiction.

The platform is primarily in English but also supports local language interfaces depending on region; fiat amounts and fees display in currency local to the user (e.g., €/USD), with regulatory prompts and guidance tailored to supported jurisdictions. (Platform behavior inferred from multilingual support practices.)

App Quality & Stability

The Phemex mobile app is generally regarded as stable and regularly updated, offering seamless feature parity with desktop—though exact crash rates aren’t disclosed, user feedback reflects a smooth, reliable experience.

HTX’s mobile app is regularly updated and generally delivers stable performance. Although specific crash-rate metrics aren’t disclosed publicly, user reviews suggest it remains reliable, with frequent updates ensuring bug fixes and feature enhancements.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The platform offers a clean, intuitive interface with a low entry barrier for newcomers, while also featuring an advanced “Pro” layout tailored to seasoned users that surfaces more chart tools and analytics—all accessible without overwhelming either group.

HTX offers a dual-mode interface—“Lite” for faster, simplified navigation ideal for newcomers, and “Pro” for advanced users who need comprehensive trading dashboards and customization; this tiered approach smooths the learning curve by letting traders start simply and progressively explore deeper functionality.

Performance

Known for its fast order execution and robust infrastructure, Phemex handles volatility with minimal downtime, though during peak surges KYC and account approval may experience slight delays—performance remains solid overall.

Recent platform updates report a 20% boost in transaction efficiency thanks to UI refinement, reducing delays during order execution; while there’s no widespread evidence of system outages during volatility spikes, we should note that KYC verification can experience delays during market surges, as increased registrations lengthen processing queues.

Education

Phemex Academy offers a rich library of beginner-to-advanced tutorials, while a fully functional Testnet simulator lets users practice trading risk-free; however, Spanish-language educational materials are limited or not as comprehensive.

HTX maintains a Learn & Earn educational track with interactive lessons and quizzes (previously tied to CrossFi projects), though there’s no dedicated demo trading simulator; while core materials are in English, there’s growing on-platform educational content, but supports for Spanish learners appear limited at this time.

Community

Users can join lively communities via Telegram or Discord, participate in referral programs offering significant bonus pools and commissions, and access forums where updates and peer tips circulate regularly.

HTX fosters an active presence across official Telegram channels (English, Portuguese, Chinese), and maintains a Discord server for futures traders, encouraging peer support and platform discussions; referral incentives further engage users, though traditional web‐forum communities seem less prominent.

Integrations

Phemex’s interface embeds native TradingView charts, supports integration with external bot frameworks, and appeals to algorithmic traders via API access, though dedicated tax or accounting tool integrations are limited.

The platform supports native TradingView-style charts and full API/WebSocket connectivity, enabling integration with external trading bots and strategies; although there’s no direct accounting or tax tool within HTX, the open integration ecosystem lets users adapt third-party portfolio trackers for their record-keeping.

Who Each One Is Best For

Phemex stands out for active, tech-savvy or algorithmic traders seeking powerful tools, automation access, and derivatives options; it’s less ideal for ultra-beginners or those requiring local-language education or deep tax integrations.

HTX is highly suitable for intermediate to advanced crypto enthusiasts—those who appreciate interface flexibility, deep liquidity, and integration options—while casual or non-English speakers may find it less approachable, and Spanish-speaking beginners may need external educational support.