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Crypto exchanges · Review

KuCoin Review 2026: 800+ Assets, KCS Discount, March 2024 DOJ Settlement

KuCoin 2026 review — 800+ cryptocurrencies (one of the widest listings), 0.10%/0.10% spot fees, KCS token discounts, March 2024 US DOJ settlement ($300M), Sep 2020 hack aftermath.

By Eric Nkando, senior writer · 2 min read · Updated 16 Sep 2026
XLinkedIn
Our verdict
3.7/5
Solid
Best for
Non-US traders who want the widest altcoin selection outside of DEX access, competitive fees, and don't need US regulatory framework. Not available to US retail post-March 2024 settlement.
Score breakdown
  • Regulatory posture2.8
  • Trading fees4.3
  • Security + reserves3.5
  • Asset selection4.8
  • Fiat rails3.5
  • Product depth4.5
  • User experience4.0
The facts
Founded
2017
CEO / co-founder
Johnny Lyu
Headquarters
Seychelles (registered)
Native token
KCS (KuCoin Shares) — revenue-share to holders
Spot fees (base)
0.10% maker / 0.10% taker
KCS discount
20% off with KCS payment
US access
Not available to US retail (Mar 2024 settlement)
Assets
800+ cryptocurrencies
Products
Spot, futures, launchpad, earn, bots, P2P, KCS pool
Pros
  • 800+ cryptocurrencies — one of the broadest CEX listings
  • 0.10%/0.10% spot maker/taker base; KCS token holders get 20% discount
  • Deep derivatives, launchpad, earn, bots, P2P
  • Founded 2017, one of the older non-US exchanges still active
  • KCS token pays a share of daily trading fees to holders (revenue-share)
Cons
  • March 2024: US DOJ settlement ($300M) for AML/BSA violations; KuCoin exited US retail
  • September 2020: ~$285M hack via API key compromise (users made whole; assets partially recovered)
  • Not available to US retail as of 2024
  • Regulatory clarity varies globally — restricted in multiple jurisdictions

The short answer

KuCoin is the go-to non-US CEX for wide altcoin selection. 800+ listed cryptocurrencies, competitive fees, and a revenue-share model via KCS token. Not available to US retail after the March 2024 DOJ settlement.

Score: 7.4 / 10 for non-US traders. Loses points on regulatory posture (2024 settlement is a real event) and the historical Sep 2020 hack. Wins on asset selection and fees.

Fee schedule

  • Base spot: 0.10% maker / 0.10% taker
  • KCS discount: 20% off when paying fees in KCS → 0.08%/0.08% effective
  • VIP volume tiers: drop to 0.005%/0.02% at VIP 12 (very high volume)
  • Derivatives: 0.02% maker / 0.06% taker on perpetuals

The March 2024 DOJ settlement

  • Charged: March 2024
  • Penalty: $297 million combined (forfeiture + civil penalty)
  • Charges: Bank Secrecy Act violations, running unlicensed money-transmitting business in the US
  • KuCoin's response: exited US retail; blocks US IPs from new accounts
  • Founders: Chun Gan and Ke Tang charged personally; separate settlements reached later

Post-2024, KuCoin operates only for non-US customers. Existing US accounts were wound down.

The September 2020 hack

  • Date: September 26, 2020
  • Amount lost: ~$285 million in various crypto assets from hot wallets
  • Cause: leaked private key
  • User impact: zero — all users made whole
  • Recovery: ~78% of stolen funds recovered via cross-industry coordination (token issuers froze and reissued stolen assets)
  • Attribution: Lazarus Group (North Korea)

KCS token in brief

KCS is KuCoin's native exchange token, with two utilities:

  1. 20% fee discount when paying fees in KCS
  2. KCS Bonus — holders of 6+ KCS receive a share of daily trading fees (roughly 0.5% of total exchange revenue distributed daily to KCS holders proportional to holdings)

Effectively a revenue-share model. Whether to hold depends on KuCoin trading volume outlook.

Product depth

  • Spot trading (800+ assets)
  • Perpetual + quarterly futures
  • Launchpad (new token distributions)
  • Earn (flexible + locked)
  • Trading bots (grid, DCA)
  • P2P (fiat-to-crypto)
  • KuCoin Card (limited regions)
  • Copy trading

Frequently asked questions

Is KuCoin safe to use in 2026?
Operationally, KuCoin has continued to process trades and honor withdrawals through multiple events. It publishes Proof of Reserves and maintains security best practices. Two historical incidents to know: (1) September 2020 hack — ~$285M stolen via API compromise; users made whole via a mix of insurance, recovered funds, and KuCoin corporate resources. (2) March 2024 US DOJ settlement — $300M penalty; KuCoin exited US retail. Neither event impacted current customer funds. For long-term holdings, hardware wallet.
What happened in March 2024?
In March 2024, the US Department of Justice announced settlement with KuCoin for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and running an unlicensed money-transmitting business in the US. Total penalty: $297 million. KuCoin agreed to exit US retail. Two founders were charged personally; both later reached separate settlements. Post-2024, KuCoin operates non-US only for retail customers.
What is KCS?
KuCoin Shares (KCS) is KuCoin's native exchange token. Two main utilities: (1) 20% discount on trading fees when used to pay fees, (2) KCS Bonus — holders of 6+ KCS receive a share of daily trading fees proportional to their KCS balance (roughly 0.5% of total daily trading fees are distributed). This is a revenue-share model — KCS holders effectively receive a fraction of KuCoin's exchange revenue.
Can US customers use KuCoin?
No, not for retail as of 2024. Post-DOJ settlement, KuCoin blocks US IPs from onboarding new accounts and has been winding down existing US customer accounts. Attempting VPN circumvention violates ToS. US retail traders needing the broad altcoin selection KuCoin offered should look at Kraken (US-regulated, 240 assets) or specialized platforms.
What was the September 2020 KuCoin hack?
On September 26, 2020, KuCoin disclosed that ~$285 million in crypto assets had been transferred from its hot wallets without authorization due to a leaked private key. Response: (1) users were made fully whole via a combination of insurance, corporate reserves, and coordinated efforts with token issuers to freeze/reissue the stolen assets; (2) approximately 78% of stolen funds were recovered through this cross-industry coordination; (3) attribution was linked to Lazarus Group (North Korea state actors). No customer lost money.
How does KuCoin compare to Binance?
Binance is larger by volume and asset count. KuCoin has broader listings of smaller altcoins (many memecoin listings hit KuCoin first). Fees are similar (0.10% base). Both have KCS/BNB fee discount tokens. Binance had the larger US regulatory event (Nov 2023, $4.3B); KuCoin had a smaller but real one (Mar 2024, $300M).

Sources

  1. KuCoin fee schedule — accessed Sep 16, 2026
  2. US DOJ KuCoin settlement (Mar 2024) — accessed Sep 16, 2026
  3. KuCoin Proof of Reserves — accessed Sep 16, 2026