Upbit vs WhiteBIT: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Upbit and WhiteBIT 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 September 13, 2025

Upbit

WhiteBIT

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

yes

Latin America

yes

India

yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

yes

United States

yes

Europe

yes

Latin America

yes

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Upbit is ideal if:

Great for beginner-friendly trading: Offers a clean, intuitive interface and strong security, making it ideal if you're new to crypto and value simplicity.
Strong Asian market presence: Deeply localized in South Korea and Southeast Asia, with excellent liquidity and fiat integration in those regions.
Not suited for advanced instruments: If you're looking for margin, derivatives, or broad global fiat support, Upbit’s limited financial features may not fit your needs.

WhiteBIT is ideal if:

Secure & regulated choice: A centrally licensed European exchange with strong security protocols and asset insurance — ideal if regulation and safety matter to you.
Feature-rich yet user-friendly: Offers diverse tools like lending, demo trading, margin/futures, and intuitive design — perfect for traders who want flexibility without complexity.
Integrated WBT benefits: Holding the native WBT token unlocks perks like reduced fees, referral boosts, and free services — great if you plan to engage actively with the platform.

Upbit isn’t ideal if:

Limited product variety: Lacks margin, futures, copy-trading, loans, or crypto cards, restricting users seeking more advanced financial tools.
Geographically constrained: Primarily serves South Korea and select Asian markets; support and fiat options are limited for most global users.
Basic customer support: Relies mainly on ticket-based assistance with minimal tutorials or live help, which may not satisfy those wanting more hands-on guidance.

WhiteBIT isn’t ideal if:

Limited altcoin library: Offers fewer niche tokens compared to large global exchanges, which may constrain you if you seek rare assets.
Fiat and region constraints: Some deposit methods and countries aren’t supported—so users outside well-covered regions or needing specific fiat options may face limitations.
Customer support delays: While multiple channels are available, response times can sometimes lag, affecting fast-paced or urgent needs.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Upbit applies a flat trading fee—typically around 0.20–0.25%—for both maker and taker spot orders across supported pairs, with no tiered discounts or native token rebates.

Spot trading starts with equal maker and taker fees of 0.1% each, and high-volume or WBT token holders can unlock steep fee discounts—even reaching negative maker rates or nearly eliminated taker costs under certain conditions.

Futures/Derivatives

Upbit does not offer futures or derivative instruments, so there are no maker, taker, or funding fees to consider.

Futures trading offers ultra-competitive fees, with maker rates around 0.01% and taker rates around 0.035%, while funding rates apply dynamically based on market direction, paid between long and short counterparties to balance perpetual contract prices.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

On major spot pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT, spreads are generally tight and reflective of high liquidity, though your precise rate depends on market depth at the time of execution.

Popular pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT enjoy very tight bid-ask spreads—usually around 0.01–0.05%, reflecting strong liquidity and minimal cost slippage when executing market orders.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Upbit supports bank transfers for fiat, with deposit methods varying by region; fees and processing times vary according to local banking systems and verification levels.

Fiat services include card payments and regional e-wallets, with modest processing fees (e.g., an approximate 1.5% rate min. 0.5 GBP up to a cap), and settlement times typically range from near-instant to a few business days depending on the method and region.

On-chain Withdrawals

Upbit charges fixed network fees per asset (e.g. a fixed amount in BTC or ETH), which do not adjust dynamically based on network congestion.

Crypto withdrawals incur blockchain-based fees that vary by asset and network; rather than fixed internal fees, you pay the real network cost for BTC, ETH, TRX, etc., which updates dynamically with network congestion.

Hidden Costs

You might encounter costs such as currency conversion spreads, speedier KYC processing, or cross-border banking charges; these are not labeled as explicit fees but can subtly add to your overall cost.

Beyond trading and withdrawal costs, users may face secondary charges—like currency conversion spreads, inactivity fees, or expedited identity verification fees—that subtly increase total cost if not accounted for.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you purchase €500 in BTC, your total cost includes the platform’s flat trading fee plus the market spread; withdrawing that BTC would then incur the asset’s fixed network withdrawal fee.

Buying €500 worth of BTC would cost a small trading fee (spot maker/taker), a tightening-spread cost reflecting the bid/ask gap, and one withdrawal cost determined by blockchain network conditions—delivering a transparent but slightly higher total than nominal BTC value.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Upbit lists approximately 260-263 cryptocurrencies (depending on the data source) and over 540 trading pairs overall, with the top 20 by volume dominated by KRW pairs like ETH/KRW, XRP/KRW, and BTC/KRW, reflecting its regional liquidity strength.

WhiteBIT supports over 330 cryptocurrencies with more than 550–780 spot pairs and around 180–200 futures pairs, featuring top liquid volumes like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT in its leading offerings.

Product Range

Upbit focuses exclusively on spot markets and does not offer margin, perpetual futures, options, crypto ETFs, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA; however, it does include staking/earn services for select assets.

The platform offers spot, margin (up to 10× leverage), perpetual futures (up to 100× leverage), staking/earn, crypto lending, plus tools like DEX, WhiteSwap, auto-invest (DCA), but doesn’t currently list options, ETFs, copy trading, or grid bots.

Liquidity

Upbit’s 24-hour trading volume typically ranges in the multi-billion-dollar bracket, and its order books for BTC and ETH pairs exhibit strong depth, especially for KRW-denominated pairs, ensuring tight spreads and reliable execution.

WhiteBIT handles daily volumes exceeding $1–1.4 billion, and the BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT pairs show deep order book depth with multi-million-dollar bids and asks, ensuring solid execution.

Tools

The platform supports limit, market, and stop-limit order types, plus charting tools and dashboards, API and WebSocket access, but lacks native TradingView integration and any alerting capabilities.

You get standard and advanced orders (limit, market, stop-limit, stop-market, OCO), platform alerts, powerful charting interfaces, plus API/websocket access and native integration with TradingView for both spot and futures.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Derivatives and advanced instruments are unavailable across the board, and even spot trading is restricted in regions like the United States, Japan, China, and Taiwan due to regulatory limitations.

Certain products like futures or margin may be restricted in specific jurisdictions (e.g., the U.S. and a few others), while some regions also face limits on fiat methods or lending services.

Innovation

While Upbit does not host launchpads, launchpools, or flexible-vs-locked earn programs, it does offer staking options for select chains—but no advanced yield farming or investment pools.

WhiteBIT includes launchpad functionality (exclusive token offerings for WBT holders) and offers both flexible and locked staking/earn options, adding modern utility for active community participants.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Upbit is operated by Dunamu Inc., a South Korean company founded in 2017, with its headquarters located in Seoul and expanding operations through entities such as Upbit Singapore.

WhiteBIT operates under the legal umbrella of multiple entities—primarily UAB Clear White Technologies in Lithuania (founded in 2018, headquartered in Vilnius), with regional branches in the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Australia, Hong Kong, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, and Georgia to support global operations.

Licenses/Registration

Upbit Singapore holds a fully licensed status as a Major Payment Institution under Singapore’s Payment Services Act, enabling regulated digital token services, while its Korean operations continue under the Virtual Asset Service Provider framework.

The exchange holds Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licensing in several jurisdictions (notably across parts of the EU), aligning with evolving regulatory frameworks like MiCA, and has recently expanded into markets such as Italy, Croatia, and Kazakhstan under appropriate local supervision.

Custody

Upbit maintains full custody of user assets, backed by recent audits confirming over-100 percent reserves for both digital assets and cash equivalents, alongside substantial cold-wallet holdings.

WhiteBIT keeps approximately 96% of user funds in cold storage (multisig-protected), audited by a third party (Hacken) to confirm 1

Insurance & Protection Funds

The exchange has set aside dedicated user protection reserves, in the order of tens of millions USD, specifically to shield user assets in case of unexpected events.

The platform maintains an insurance fund—sourced from trading fees—that covers its cold storage holdings, with protections currently valued at around $30 million USD to shield users against losses from unforeseen incidents.

Incident History

In late 2019, Upbit experienced a significant hack that resulted in the loss of roughly USD 48 million in Ethereum; since then, it’s reinforced internal controls and transparency protocols.

WhiteBIT has never suffered a known hack. It actively works with law enforcement, enforces strict AML controls, and maintains a bug bounty program; no freezes, major suspensions, or punitive fines have been reported.

Risk Controls

Upbit employs robust safety measures such as two-factor authentication, internal self-trading restrictions, a proprietary market-monitoring system, and auditing to prevent insider trading, plus granular permission controls for API access.

The platform enforces multiple layered security measures, including mandatory 2FA, anti-phishing codes, IP and address whitelisting, granular API permissions, and optional sub-account creation to segment risk.

Transparency

The exchange publishes periodic transparency reports including audit results and trading-behavior monitoring; while it doesn’t offer public wallet addresses or formal SLAs, it follows regulatory guidelines and discloses operational compliance measures.

WhiteBIT demonstrates commitment to transparency via regular Proof-of-Reserves reports, although detailed monthly financial or SLA disclosures and public wallet listings are limited; communication with regulators and law enforcement remains active.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

WhiteBIT accepts fiat deposits via bank cards (Visa/MasterCard), SEPA transfers (for EUR), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Checkout, Volet.com, and ZEN, with minimums typically around € 10 or equivalent. Deposit speeds vary: card and e-wallet methods often process within minutes, while SEPA transfers may take several business days.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

Upbit allows fiat deposits primarily via local bank transfers (e.g. KRW in Korea, SGD in Singapore) once you reach full verification; minimums vary, processing typically takes 1–3 business days.

KYC (Verification Levels)

Upbit uses a four-level KYC system—ranging from basic identity checks to full verification with bank linkage—and higher levels unlock larger deposit and withdrawal capacities.

KYC verification is mandatory to access fiat deposits, withdrawals, and trading; there are no tiers for limited or anonymous access—users must undergo full KYC (document + liveness check), which unlocks full platform capabilities without predefined tier-based limits.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals are permitted across major networks like ERC-20 and TRC-20, with daily limits scaling by KYC level and typical processing within hours.

Crypto withdrawals are handled via supported networks like TRC20, ERC20, BEP20, etc., with variable network fees and executed quickly (usually within ~10 minutes). Withdrawal limits scale significantly post-KYC—from low caps like 2 BTC/day for unverified to approximately 100 BTC/day for verified accounts.

Customer Support

Support is available through email and a robust FAQ/help center; users in Korea generally experience faster responses, while international users may wait longer and have less localized documentation.

Support is available 24/7 via live chat and email; help center articles and tutorials offer self-service guidance. Users report responses typically within minutes to a few hours, though peak times may extend that slightly.

Languages & Localization

The platform is available in native English and Korean, displays balances in local currencies (KRW or SGD), and adheres to the relevant local regulatory framework for each region.

Interface is fully available in English and several local languages, displaying prices and fees in both €/USD and other fiat. The platform adjusts services based on local regulatory compliance, including availability of certain deposit/withdrawal options per region.

App Quality & Stability

The Upbit mobile app is known for its stability and smooth performance, with regular updates, low crash rates, and quick feature rollouts aimed at both beginners and experienced users.

WhiteBIT’s mobile apps for iOS and Android are known for smooth performance, regular updates, and robust stability; while specific crash rates are not public, user reviews consistently cite reliable functionality and fast feature rollout.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

The Upbit interface strikes a smart balance between clarity and functionality—offering a simplified view for beginners while still providing comprehensive charts and real-time data for more experienced users, although it doesn’t explicitly label modes as “Lite” or “Pro.”

WhiteBIT offers an intuitive interface that balances simplicity and depth, making navigation easy for beginners, while its advanced trading terminal—with switchable Lite and Pro styles—caters to professionals needing detailed analysis tools and market data.

Performance

Order latency remains low even during high volatility, and there are no widespread reports of system crashes; however, during market peaks, KYC verification queues may grow noticeably longer, affecting access for new users.

The platform delivers ultra-low latency via WebSocket and API streams—down to millisecond-level speed—while high-traffic periods remain smooth thanks to colocation and robust infrastructure; KYC verification typically clears quickly even during peak demand.

Education

While Upbit doesn’t offer demo accounts or a Spanish-language academy, it provides a detailed help center and tutorials that guide beginners through trading, deposits, and security.

WhiteBIT provides educational resources like tutorials, help-center articles, and multilingual content, but currently lacks a built-in demo mode or simulator, with most materials available in English and select regional languages.

Community

Official community channels such as forums or Telegram groups are limited; referral programs exist but are less central to the user experience compared to peer-driven groups and third-party platforms.

Users engage through official community channels—including Discord, Telegram, and forums—and benefit from an easy-to-understand referral program that rewards inviting new users, enhancing peer interaction and platform familiarity.

Integrations

Upbit supports Open API and WebSocket for developer access and trading automation, but lacks native TradingView integration, external bot marketplaces, or built-in tax/accounting tool integrations.

The exchange seamlessly integrates with TradingView for charting and order execution, offers API access for external bot automation, and supports tax/accounting tools like Koinly for portfolio tracking and reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

Upbit is best suited for traders who prioritize a clean, stable interface with transparent spot trading, high liquidity, and a regional focus—especially those located in supported Asian markets looking for reliable, everyday trading rather than highly automated or global multi-tool ecosystems.

WhiteBIT suits traders seeking a secure, flexible platform with strong performance, advanced tools, and community engagement—ideal for serious retail and semi-pro users drawn to both usability and robust ecosystem support.