Crypto exchange founded in 2012 with spot, margin and derivatives trading fees listed at 0
Bitfinex is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2012 as a peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace. Operated by iFinex Inc., it offers spot trading, margin, derivatives, lending, OTC and tokenized securities products. Bitfinex says its spot, margin and derivatives trading fees are 0.
Raphael Nicolle founded Bitfinex after working on Bitcoinica and continued as a developer until early 2017. Giancarlo Devasini is co-founder and chief financial officer; he also co-founded Tether Holdings Limited. Paolo Ardoino is Bitfinex's chief technology officer and Tether's chief executive. The company is registered in the British Virgin Islands, while its trading platform is headquartered in Hong Kong. Bitfinex has reported 1.6 million users.
The exchange provides an order-book interface with charting, orders and price alerts. Users can trade digital assets on spot markets, borrow or lend through its funding markets, and use margin financing. Derivatives are available through Bitfinex Derivatives and Thalex Derivatives. Other products include Bitfinex Borrow, Bitfinex Pay, Bitfinex Pulse, an API for programmable trading, the LEO utility token and Bitfinex Securities, which offers tokenized investments.
Market data lists 62 coins and 136 trading pairs. The wider platform has supported networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron and Polygon. Funds remain under centralized exchange custody. Margin and derivatives add liquidation and counterparty exposure.
Bitfinex records 0 fees for spot, margin and derivatives trading. The exchange is available in 52 countries and is registered in the British Virgin Islands and regulated in El Salvador. Account verification requirements and regional product restrictions apply, with availability differing by jurisdiction.
Bitfinex was founded in December 2012. A May 2015 breach led to the theft of about 1,500 BTC, valued at approximately $400,000 then. In August 2016, hackers stole 119,756 BTC, worth about $72 million at the time. Customers initially received a 36% balance reduction and BFX tokens. The losses were fully reimbursed by April 2017.
The exchange paid a $75,000 U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission fine in June 2016 over illegal off-exchange financed commodity transactions. The 2016 theft remains a custody risk even after reimbursement. Centralized custody also creates withdrawal-freeze and insolvency exposure. Margin and derivatives can magnify losses. Regional restrictions and identity checks affect access.
He worked on Bitcoinica and continued as a Bitfinex developer until early 2017.
He is Bitfinex's CFO and a co-founder of Tether Holdings Limited.
Bitfinex offers zero-fee spot, margin and derivatives trading with advanced markets, but its custody history includes a major 2016 hack and regulatory penalties.
Bitfinex is a centralized exchange operated by iFinex Inc., with spot, margin, lending, derivatives, OTC and tokenised-securities products. Bitfinex announced zero trading fees for spot, margin and derivatives trading in 2025.
A market listing records 62 coins and 136 pairs. The exchange also supports assets across networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron, Avalanche and Polygon. The wider product set includes Bitfinex Borrow, Bitfinex Pay, Bitfinex Pulse and UNUS SED LEO.
Access is available in 52 countries. Bitfinex is registered in the British Virgin Islands and regulated in El Salvador, while the exchange has reported 1.6 million users. Country eligibility and identity checks determine whether particular products can be used.
The main weakness is custody risk. A May 2015 breach stole about 1,500 BTC. In August 2016, about 119,756 BTC worth roughly $72 million at the time was stolen from customer wallets. Customers initially absorbed a 36% balance reduction, and the loss was fully reimbursed through BFX tokens by April 2017. A June 2016 U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission order also imposed a $75,000 fine for illegal off-exchange financed commodity transactions.
| Markets | Spot, Futures, Margin, OTC · unverified |
|---|---|
| Maker fee | 0% · unverified |
| Taker fee | 0% · unverified |
| Coins listed | 62 · unverified |
| Staking / earn | Yes · unverified |
| Mobile app | Yes · unverified |
| Licenses & registrations | Regulated in El Salvador, Registered in the British Virgin Islands · unverified |
| Futures & perpetuals | Yes · unverified |
| P2P market | Yes · unverified |
| Earn / savings products | Yes · unverified |
Not disclosed by the provider: Fiat deposit methods, KYC required, Accepts US customers, Proof of reserves, Security features, Max leverage (x), Copy trading, User protection fund, Referral program.
Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.
The exchange provides order-book trading for digital assets, with market data listing 62 coins and 136 pairs.
Users can trade with margin financing and access peer-to-peer funding markets for borrowing and lending.
Derivatives are available through Bitfinex Derivatives and Thalex Derivatives, adding liquidation risk to the trading account.
The OTC desk handles digital-asset trades outside the public order book.
Bitfinex Borrow provides borrowing, while the funding market lets users lend assets to margin traders.
The API supports programmable trading and automation alongside the graphical exchange interface.
Bitfinex Securities offers tokenized investment products, including the Crest Fund and Liberty Bitcoin Accumulation Fund.
Bitfinex provides mobile applications for iOS and Android, alongside its browser trading platform.
The core exchange lets users buy and sell digital assets through spot markets. Bitfinex is listed with 62 coins and 136 trading pairs.
Margin trading provides access to margin financing and margin lending functionality. The product is aimed at traders who accept liquidation and borrowing risk.
Bitfinex offers derivatives trading through Bitfinex Derivatives and Thalex Derivatives. Derivatives trading was included in the zero-fee announcement made in 2025.
OTC trading provides over-the-counter digital asset transactions outside the regular exchange order book.
Bitfinex Borrow is the exchange's borrowing productand lets users to borrow against supported digital assets.
Bitfinex Securities is a tokenised-securities platform. In October 2026, it opened subscriptions for CMCC Global's Crest Fund and Liberty Bitcoin Accumulation Fund.
Bitfinex Pay is the platform's crypto payment product for cryptocurrency payments.
Bitfinex Pulse is a platform service listed among Bitfinex's products and features.
The Bitfinex API provides programmable access for trading and automation, including exchange-related market activity.
UNUS SED LEO is Bitfinex's native utility token, used within the exchange's wider product ecosystem.
Users praise the app’s convenience and navigation, but complaints are more numerous. The main problems are US access restrictions, frozen or delayed withdrawals, login and connection failures, and verification or registration issues.
“Bfx merch Been using Bitfinex since 2017 and have stuck to it like a true user! App works good although I wouldn’t use it to do analysis but just to check the price and price actions”
“App Most convenient, fast, secure and reliable Crypto APP!!”
“Dash Of Madness Apparently not able to use in the 🇺🇸”
“Can’t withdraw What kind of foolish app is this I can’t even withdraw my bitcoins it’s been loading for hours and nothing it says I need to approve it in my mail I’ve clicked on the mail but it would only show loading for hours and then it cancels again”
“Please make a real iPhone app The Bitfinex app seems to be kind of a website. When you are in a hurry to trade, it does not easily login, provide the current prices, show the orders placed or even submit the orders. By the time the data loads or is submitted, you are often late.”
“Unable to verify your ID THE LINK IS BROKEN”
Based on 29 App Store reviews, 1 Reddit posts and comments from the last 12 months, checked Oct 18, 2026. These are posts by users on other sites, not reviews submitted on CryptoReview.
No user reviews yet. Have you used Bitfinex? Share your experience below.
Raphael Nicolle founded Bitfinex in 2012, and Giancarlo Devasini is a co-founder and its CFO. Bitfinex is operated by iFinex Inc.; Paolo Ardoino is its chief technology officer and the CEO of Tether.
Bitfinex announced zero trading fees for spot, margin and derivatives trading in 2025.
Bitfinex is available in 52 countries and is regulated in El Salvador, with the company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Product and country eligibility determine the identity checks and services available.
Bitfinex reimbursed customers for the 2016 breach, in which about 119,756 BTC worth roughly $72 million was stolen. A separate May 2015 breach resulted in the theft of about 1,500 BTC, and the exchange remains a centralized custodian of user funds.
Bitfinex is listed with 62 coins and 136 trading pairs. Its supported networks include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron, Avalanche and Polygon.
Yes, UNUS SED LEO is Bitfinex's native utility token. The exchange also offers spot, margin, derivatives, OTC trading, lending and tokenised securities.
Recent public posts from @bitfinex, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.
Institutional liquidity and turnkey trading infrastructure supporting over 1,500 instruments
Regulated U.S. crypto exchange with 0% spot maker fees and over 200 listed assets
Non-custodial swap aggregator offering wallet-to-wallet trading across 2,800+ cryptocurrencies
Regulated Canadian crypto marketplace acquired by Robinhood with Interac e-Transfer funding
European multi-asset broker offering 650+ cryptocurrencies, stocks, and precious metals under MiCAR rules
European crypto exchange with 453 assets, MiCA authorization and fees from 0.00%
Type at least two characters. Press ↵ to see all results.
