BitMEX is quite a popular cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. However, since multiple recommended exchanges offer similar services, in this BitMEX review, I'll try to reveal what makes it stand out.
We'll go over all the necessary information about BitMEX, including the details about the company (and its controversial past), security, trading fees, aspects regarding BitMEX leverage and futures trading, as well as supported countries, and more.
Just note that, unlike Binance or Kraken, BitMEX primarily focuses on leveraged trading and derivatives, meaning that it’s usually recommended for more experienced traders. Though it is integrating more and more beginner-friendly features, like spot trading.
Verdict at a Glance:
BitMEX is a long-running crypto derivatives exchange known for offering advanced trading products like perpetual swaps, futures, and high-leverage options. While it built a reputation as a go-to platform for professional traders, its history is clouded by US charges over money laundering controls and massive fines. However, it's also the first corporation in history that received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
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Pros
- Strong security
- Various derivatives products
- Low fees
- Spot trading available
Cons
- Not available in the US
- Limited crypto asset variety
Table of Contents
- 1. BitMEX Review: The Colorful History of the Company
- 2. BitMEX Review: PROS
- 2.1. Strong Security – Assets are Kept in Cold Storage
- 2.2. A Variety of Crypto Derivative Products
- 2.3. Practice Trading With BitMEX TestNet
- 2.4. Spot Trading, Convert, One-Click Buy, and More
- 2.5. Low BitMEX Fees
- 2.6. BitMEX App – Available
- 2.7. Helpful Customer Service
- 3. BitMEX Review: CONS
- 3.1. BitMEX USA – Not Available
- 3.2. A Small Number of Crypto Assets Available
- 4. BMEX Token
- 5. How to Use BitMEX?
- 5.1. How to Register on BitMEX?
- 5.2. How to Make a Deposit on BitMEX?
- 6. Conclusions
BitMEX Review: The Colorful History of the Company
BitMEX was founded by Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed in 2014. They had financial support from friends and family, which helped them start such a successful business.
In 2018, Ben Delo became the first billionaire with the help of Bitcoin in the UK. He was also the youngest billionaire who managed to achieve this on his own.
Sounds like a dream come true; however, that’s not what happened afterward. In 2019, cryptocurrency critic Nouriel Roubini framed the company of illegal activities, claiming that there was too much risk involved for customers when trading.
A few days after this happened, Bloomberg reported that BitMEX was being investigated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the US crypto derivatives markets. The main goal of the investigation was to find out whether any rules were broken by allowing Americans to use the platform.
What happened afterward was even bigger, to say the least. On October 1, 2020, all three founders of BitMEX were charged by the US Department of Justice for violating the Bank Secrecy Act, accused of failing to implement proper anti-money-laundering measures. Gregory Dwyer, the company’s first employee, was also charged.
In 2022, the three founders each pleaded guilty, agreeing to pay $10 million fines. Hayes received six months of home confinement and two years’ probation, Delo got 30 months of probation, and Reed also received probation.
The company itself did not escape scrutiny. In July 2024, BitMEX pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. In January 2025, a federal judge fined the exchange $100 million and sentenced it to two years’ probation.
In a turn of events, on March 29, 2025, Donald Trump pardoned all three founders and BitMEX itself, making it the first corporation in history to receive a presidential pardon.
Today, the BitMEX cryptocurrency derivatives platform is owned by HDR Global Trading Limited, registered in Seychelles (an island country in the Indian Ocean), with offices worldwide.
If this information about the BitMEX exchange deters you from using it, you can always check out other top-rated cryptocurrency exchanges that offer robust security and compliance, like Binance and Kraken.
However, it doesn't have to, as the platform eventually fell in line. So, if you’re still interested in finding out more, we'll explore it together in this BitMEX review.
BitMEX Review: PROS
Let’s begin with the positive aspects of the BitMEX exchange and focus on the strongest features of the platform.
Strong Security – Assets are Kept in Cold Storage
When it comes to any service that requires investment and stores your private information, it’s crucial to pay attention to security measurements and find out whether or not it’s actually safe to use. That’s the main reason I would like to begin this BitMEX review with security.
As stated in the platform's security and custody page:
Since 2014, we've lost zero crypto.
BitMEX seems to be a truly secure platform that takes your safety and privacy super seriously. That includes wallet, system, trading and communication security.
Let’s begin with wallet security. BitMEX features a multi-signature deposit and withdrawal system that will require you to undergo multiple verification methods to complete any of these actions.
What is more, the exchange keeps all the addresses in a cold wallet. If you’re not aware yet, cold wallets are considered to be among the most secure storage for your cryptocurrencies. The reason for that is that your private keys are stored offline, so even if your personal information is compromised, a hacker won’t be able to access your wallet.
On the same note, I'd recommend getting a secure hardware wallet and transferring at least part of your assets to it. It’s always a better idea to keep some of your crypto separately.
As for the most recommended hardware wallets, you should definitely check out Ledger Flex and Trezor Safe 5. Users really appreciate them, not only due to security but also usability and design.
Getting back to user funds on BitMEX, it's also worth noting that the assets are segregated at the account level and ring-fenced from company assets. So, they are not traded, staked, lent, or used otherwise on behalf of the company.
Now, moving to the BitMEX system protection, the company uses Amazon Web Services' top-tier security. What is more, all the BitMEX systems demand multiple authentication forms. Plus, BitMEX has insurance funds set in place and verifiable Proof of Reserves.
Talking about trading engine security, the company uses the same database and toolset that some of the most trusted banks are using in trading applications. After you make an order, trade, deposit or withdrawal, BitMEX makes a full risk assessment on each of them.
All things considered, if you were concerned about BitMEX exchange security, there’s completely nothing to be worried about. Of course, if you want to take additional security measures, you should definitely get yourself a hardware wallet.
📚 Read More: Best Hardware Wallets
A Variety of Crypto Derivative Products
Initially being a derivatives-focused exchange, BitMEX offers several derivatives products, including futures contracts, perpetual contracts, pre-launch futures, and prediction market contracts.
Understanding how BitMEX futures work is quite easy. It’s when you make a deal to buy or sell a specific asset, for example, Bitcoin or Ethereum, at a certain price and at a specific time in the future. That deal or agreement is called a “futures contract”.
It’s quite risky because the cryptocurrency market is so volatile, and you can never know when prices will increase or drop instantly. That’s why you can either gain quite a generous amount or lose (of course). Make sure that you know what you’re doing before making such agreements.
When it comes to perpetual contracts, they’re the same as futures contracts, except for the fact that there’s no specific time in the future when you have to sell them. That said, when you purchase such a contract, you can keep it as long as you want, and no one will tell you when to sell it.
Both futures and perpetual contracts can be traded with leverage, which means that the exchange supports margin trading.
BitMEX margin trading is a type of trading method in which you practice trading financial assets using money borrowed from a broker. The exchange offers margin trading with up to 250x leverage for its futures and perps.
Though, the allowed leverage depends on the contract in question – most support up to 100x or less. If you trade with 100x, for example, it means that by investing $10, you can trade as if you have $1,000. It works almost like a loan.
Trading with high leverage comes with great responsibility.[1] The higher your leverage is, the higher your gains AND loses can be.
Besides the usual futures contracts, BitMEX also offers pre-launch futures, which are special contracts for tokens that aren’t yet live on spot markets. They allow traders to speculate on the future value of a token before an official price index exists. These contracts are margined and settled in USDT, and they allow up to 2x leverage.
On top of that, the exchange also allows trading prediction market contracts, which let traders speculate on real-world events instead of only crypto prices. Each contract is priced between 0 and 100, reflecting the probability of the event happening.
For example, you can bet whether a Bitcoin ETF will be approved. If the event occurs, the contract settles at 100; if not, it settles at 0. Trading is done in USDT with no leverage, keeping risks limited and outcomes simple to understand.
📚 Related: Best Crypto ETFs
Overall, BitMEX supports over 100 derivatives products. That said, when you deal with crypto derivatives trading, you're not really trading crypto coins, only exchange derivatives. What does that mean exactly?
Derivatives can be explained as a financial product that gets its value from a specific asset, for example, Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other altcoin. It means that you won’t actually have those coins and trade contracts instead.
However, having all the things we've discussed in mind, margin trading with leverage, futures contracts, perpetual futures, and other processes can be quite difficult to grasp and quite risky for users who haven’t done this before.
Let’s take BitMEX futures trading as an example of how you might make a risky decision.
Imagine you enter a futures contract to buy 1 BTC for $120,000 on January 1. If, when that date comes, Bitcoin’s market price is only $100,000, you would be down $20,000, while the counterparty would gain the same amount.
To make such predictions, you have to perform thorough research, analyze the market, and invest an amount of money that you wouldn’t be too afraid of losing. Needless to say, this is not recommended for beginners.
It's worth mentioning, though, that BitMEX will never allow your balance to go below zero. The platform uses a smart margin and liquidation process that will automatically close all the open positions and protect you from going bankrupt. If you want to use margin trading, you should make sure that the platform offers these features. Otherwise, you might lose everything.
Since BitMEX offers such amazing functionality, you should make sure that you understand how everything works before starting to use it. There’s no better way to do that than to start practicing in the “learning” mode. With that said, let’s move further and take a look at BitMEX TestNet.
Practice Trading With BitMEX TestNet
If this is not the first BitMEX review you're reading, you’ve probably heard about BitMEX TestNet multiple times. It’s a simulation environment where you can practice trading without any risks.
Even though the platform is not the most recommended for beginners, the simulation could be amazing for those who have no previous experience when it comes to placing, executing and canceling orders.
Using BitMEX TestNet, you can practice trading with up to 250x leverage. The simulated trading will provide you with the current market view, based on which you’ll be able to perform various actions.
If you want to practice trading on BitMEX TestNet, you’ll need to create a separate account from BitMEX.com. It will take you only a few minutes, though.
Spot Trading, Convert, One-Click Buy, and More
For years, BitMEX has had a reputation as the place to go for high-leverage crypto derivatives (and it still is). It was definitely not considered to be a suitable option for beginners.
One of the reasons mentioned in several user BitMEX reviews was the fact that withdrawals and deposits could only be made in Bitcoin. This meant that you wouldn't be able to purchase cryptocurrencies using fiat currencies, such as USD and EUR, and would have to transfer Bitcoin from another platform to BitMEX.
However, the exchange has stepped out of its "only for pros" shadow and now offers a much friendlier toolkit for everyday traders, too:
1
Spot Trading. BitMEX now supports 14+ spot pairs, so you can trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and other popular assets without messing around with leverage. It’s straightforward buy-and-sell trading, the kind of setup beginners actually want when starting out.
2
One-Click Buy. BitMEX didn't allow fiat currency purchases in the past, so it was a bit difficult to make deposits for those who didn't have crypto yet. To solve this, it teamed up with Onramper to let you buy BTC, ETH, or USDT directly with fiat. Credit card, bank transfer, and local payment methods – all are supported.
3
Crypto Converter. If you have some ETH and want it in USDT without digging through order books, you can use the Crypto Converter. It provides you with instant and smooth crypto conversion.
4
Copy Trading. Not everyone wants to spend hours staring at charts. With copy trading, you can just follow traders who (hopefully) know what they’re doing and mirror their moves. Though, copy trading has its risks,[2] so stay cautious.
5
Trading Bots. For the more hands-off (or tech-curious), BitMEX also supports trading bots. You set the rules, or use ready-made strategies, and let the bot do the buying and selling while you sleep. Just remember – it’s not free money, but it can help automate your game.
So, as you can see, BitMEX isn’t just about derivatives trading anymore. However, its focus still remains on that, with its new features currently being quite limited.
Low BitMEX Fees
If you want to maximize your earnings, you have to minimize your spending – that’s pretty simple. Now, if you want to gain as much as you can from a trading platform, you should always take a look at the fees. They might seem almost unnoticeable; however, when you’re making multiple trades, you’ll notice the difference.
The good news is that BitMEX fees are quite low. Whether we’re talking about perpetual contracts or traditional futures, the fees are the same for all derivative products. They start at 0.05% for both makers and takers, but can be lowered by increasing trading volume or staking the BMEX token.
30D Trading Volume | BMEX Staked | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.05% | 0.05% |
Regular 2 | ≥ $1,000,000 | ≥ 1,000 | 0.045% | 0.05% |
Regular 3 | ≥ $2,500,000 | ≥ 10,000 | 0.04% | 0.05% |
VIP 1 | ≥ $10,000,000 | ≥ 50,000 | 0.025% | 0.05% |
VIP 2 | ≥ $25,000,000 | ≥ 150,000 | 0.022% | 0.045% |
VIP 3 | ≥ $50,000,000 | ≥ 300,000 | 0.02% | 0.04% |
VIP 4 | ≥ $100,000,000 | ≥ 750,000 | 0.018% | 0.035% |
VIP5 | ≥ $250,000,000 | ≥ 2,000,000 | 0.015% | 0.032% |
Table: BitMEX fees for derivatives trading
The same goes for spot trading – the fees start at 0.1% for both makers and takers but can be decreased as you increase your fee level. At VIP 5, spot makers and takers have to pay a 0.045% trading fee.
If you’re not aware yet, the market maker is the one that adds liquidity to the market and sets a price, while the market taker is the one that trades at a price that is set by the market maker.
FYI, BitMEX doesn’t charge any fees for deposits and Bitcoin withdrawals. When you withdraw BTC, you’ll only need to cover the standard Bitcoin network fee, which varies depending on blockchain congestion. For other cryptocurrencies, however, BitMEX applies a small fixed withdrawal fee for that specific asset.
BitMEX App – Available
Every crypto fan knows how important it is to have the ability to keep track of the assets and trade cryptocurrencies on the go. However, that would be difficult without a mobile app that the majority of top-rated crypto exchanges have.
You can find not only a desktop but also a mobile BitMEX app that you can download on Google Play and the App Store. The app is rated 4.1 out of 5 on Google Play, so you should definitely give it a try.
The majority of the customers claim that they haven’t experienced any technical issues while using this app. What is more, the app has a clear interface and is easy to use if you know what you’re doing.
The BitMEX app allows you to access real-time market data, make deposits and withdrawals easily, increase your security through multiple authentications and login notifications, and so much more. So, if you decide that BitMEX is a suitable platform for your needs, you should probably download the app, as well.
Helpful Customer Service
When it comes to advanced exchanges or cryptocurrency derivatives trading platforms that have very extensive features, you might come across some issues. That’s when you’ll need helpful customer support.
When having troubles or simply some questions whilst using BitMEX, you can contact their customer support by filling out a form and submitting a request. The support is available in English, Chinese, Turkish, and Russian.
According to multiple user BitMEX reviews, it has very helpful customer support that can solve multiple issues and answer the most important questions when needed. That being said, you can rely on BitMEX support in case you’re experiencing any issues when using the platform.
Moreover, you can visit the company’s Knowledge Base, where you’ll find information about liquidation, contracts, leverage, fees, deposits, security, and more. All the answers to generic questions can be found there; however, if you have more specific ones or face some sensitive matters that need to be discussed, you should definitely contact them via the aforementioned form.
Did you know?
All Crypto Exchanges may look similar to you but they're NOT all the same!
BitMEX Review: CONS
Even though BitMEX seems to be a good platform that offers amazing functionality, robust security, low fees, and other great benefits, not everything is just as good. To find out what this crypto derivatives platform is missing, it’s time to move into the less-pleasant part of this BitMEX review and consider all the cons.
BitMEX USA – Not Available
Before deciding which cryptocurrency exchange to use, it’s crucial to make sure that it’s supported in your country. If not, you might experience some law issues.
You probably know that the US is very strict when it comes to cryptocurrencies and trading platforms, especially regarding decentralized/unregulated ones. That’s why it might be difficult for US citizens to find a truly good crypto exchange platform that would allow them to trade without worrying about legalities (Kraken and Coinbase are such platforms, though).
While BitMEX is supported in multiple countries all over the world, there are some places where you cannot use BitMEX services. Based on the information found on the BitMEX official site, you cannot use BitMEX services in these areas:
- US
- Cuba
- Iran
- The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Crimea and Sevastopol
- Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic
- Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast
- Seychelles
- Bermuda
- Hong Kong SAR
- Canada
- Myanmar
- Russia
While these are the main countries or areas that are not supported by BitMEX, you should also make sure to check out the laws of individual countries to ensure that there are no laws against crypto and trading.
📚 Related: Best US Crypto Exchanges
A Small Number of Crypto Assets Available
In the past, BitMEX only handled Bitcoin, meaning that all the provided information, including profits and losses, was presented in Bitcoin.
While this is not the case anymore, BitMEX is still quite limited when it comes to crypto variety. It offers 100+ derivatives products, which is quite decent, but its spot market currently allows trading only 20 crypto assets:
✓ BMEX | ✓ ETH | ✓ BONK | ✓ POL |
✓ USDT | ✓ SOL | ✓ FTR | ✓ RLUSD |
✓ BTC | ✓ ATOM | ✓ GOAT | ✓ S |
✓ XRP | ✓ APE | ✓ LINK | ✓ TRX |
✓ STLS | ✓ AXS | ✓ LOT | ✓ UNI |
Table: Cryptocurrencies supported on the BitMEX spot market
While you can see some of the popular crypto assets here, the number of options is still very limited compared to some of the top-rated crypto exchanges, such as Binance, Bybit or MEXC, that offer hundreds or even thousands of coins and tokens to choose from.
BMEX Token
Just like is custom for a reputable crypto exchange, BitMEX has its own native utility token, BMEX. It was launched in 2022 as an ERC‑20 token with a maximum supply of 450 million tokens.
BMEX holders get a variety of perks within the BitMEX ecosystem:
- Trading Fee Discounts. Staking BMEX reduces up to 70% off trading fees, depending on the amount staked and VIP tier.
- Withdrawal Fee Refunds. BMEX stakers also get regular refunds on withdrawal fees, often several times per week, even reaching up to 25 refunds weekly for top-tier users.
- Staking Rewards. On top of that, you can earn up to 7.5% annualized yield for staking BMEX.
- VIP Services & Perks. Large-scale holders also enjoy VIP account management, early access to new products, exclusive swag, and special event invitations.
When it comes to tokenomics, it's worth noting that BMEX employs a monthly burn mechanism that actively reduces its circulating supply to drive scarcity and support long-term value.
Besides, BMEX tokens are distributed gradually as part of a structured multi-year vesting schedule. The goal is to align incentives among stakeholders (platform developers, liquidity providers, and long-term participants) and ensure stability as the token ecosystem matures.
How to Use BitMEX?
If you decide to use BitMEX, you’ll probably need a step-by-step guide on how to do that. Below you’ll find information on how to register on BitMEX and make a deposit.
How to Register on BitMEX?
The account creation process on BitMEX is pretty standard, just like on most other CEXs.
You'll need to verify that you're not a US citizen or resident and pass a full KYC verification process, including providing personal details about yourself, uploading your photo and ID, providing proof of address, and some details about your funding experience.
After that, you can access your BitMEX account and make your first deposit.
How to Make a Deposit on BitMEX?
First of all, note that you can only deposit crypto into BitMEX. Though, while in the past you could transfer only Bitcoin, now other cryptocurrencies can be deposited, too.
![BitMEX review: the [Deposit] button in the BitMEX wallet.](https://assets.bitdegree.org/images/bitmex-review-deposit-button.jpg "BitMEX review: the [Deposit] button in the BitMEX wallet.")
Just make sure to match the withdrawal address with the deposit address. Otherwise, your funds will be lost!
If you don’t own any crypto yet, you can use BitMEX's "One-Click Buy" feature to purchase crypto using fiat currencies.
- Secure and reliable
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Lots of trading options
- Reputable exchange
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Offers various trading options
- Beginner-friendly
- Secure
- Decent trading and withdrawal fees
- Crypto.com Visa Card
- Automated tools & bots
- Ecosystem synergy with CRO
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Simple to use
- Supports only trusted cryptocurrencies
- A leading cryptocurrency exchange platform
- Best for all type investors
- Accepts fiat currencies
Conclusions
To conclude this BitMEX review, let's take a look at the most important aspects that were discussed. BitMEX is a well-known cryptocurrency derivative trading platform that was founded in 2014 by Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed. Currently, it’s owned by HDR Global Trading Limited.
BitMEX comes with advanced functionality that requires knowledge to minimize risks. Such features include futures contracts, perpetual contracts, margin trading with up to 250x leverage, and more.
It’s recommended to choose BitMEX crypto exchange for its security. The platform seems to be very reliable when it comes to wallet, system, trading and communication security. That includes multi-signature deposit and withdrawal systems, multiple verification methods, a cold wallet instead of a hot wallet, and additional safety measures.
What is more, BitMEX allows you to practice using BitMEX TestNet. It allows users to practice margin trading with leverage completely risk-free, as well as try other amazing features that the platform offers. Also, BitMEX fees are quite low, so it’s definitely recommended for those who are into daily trading.
However, as always, there are a few drawbacks that you should take into account. First of all, it’s not available in some countries, including the US, Cuba, Canada, etc. (so there's definitely no BitMEX USA). Also, the variety of crypto assets the exchange supports is quite limited compared to what you can find on other crypto exchanges these days.
The content published on this website is not aimed to give any kind of financial, investment, trading, or any other form of advice. BitDegree.org does not endorse or suggest you to buy, sell or hold any kind of cryptocurrency. Before making financial investment decisions, do consult your financial advisor.
Scientific References
1. Wang Z., Qin K., Minh D. V., Gervais A.: 'Speculative Multipliers on DeFi: Quantifying On-Chain Leverage Risks';
2. Kawai D., Soska K., Routledge B., Zetlin-Jones A., Christin N.: 'Stranger Danger? Investor Behavior and Incentives on Cryptocurrency Copy-Trading Platforms'.
About Article's Experts & Analysts
- + Strong security
- + Various derivatives products
- + Low fees
- + Spot trading available
- - Not available in the US
- - Limited crypto asset variety
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A veteran crypto derivatives-focused exchange with a strong security record.
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