The company began operations in London in 2013 as a Bitcoin exchange and cloud mining provider.
Cex.io mining pool, Ghash.io, was at one time so big it controlled roughly 40% of the total network mining power.
Ghash.io ceased operations in 2015 and Cex.io continues operations solely as a Bitcoin exchange. Cex.io is registered with FinCEN and applies know your customer policies (KYC) and anti-money laundering policies (AML). As a result, you have to verify your identity before you can buy bitcoins on the exchange.
How to Trade
You can buy Bitcoins on Cex.io using your credit card, wire transfer or a SEPA transfer for EU residents. Cex.io transactions are based on Fill-or-Kill orders (FOK). You receive the exact amount you agreed to buy, unlike other exchanges where you may encounter liquidity issues.
For example, if you buy 2 Bitcoins at a certain rate on Cex.io, you will get exactly that. But if you buy 2 Bitcoins on Bitstamp, you will have to wait until someone willing to sell Bitcoins at your price shows up.
For this method to be effective, Cex.io charges clients a premium which translates to a higher exchange rate.
Cex.io trading interface offers three different market orders. They include market order, limit order and stop order. The exchange involves 400,000 traders per month giving clients plenty of opportunities to buy, sell and trade. Cex.io doesn’t support trading with derivate and futures, though offers margin trading in several trading pairs. The current pairs offered are:
- BTC/ETH
- Also using US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro and Ruble
- ETH/BTC
- Also using US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro
- Dash/BTC
- Also using US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro
- ZEC/BTC
- Also using US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro
The leverage for margin trading is 1:2 and 1:3
Trading Accounts
The exchange offers four different account types with certain limits.
- Basic – $500 per day and $2,000 per month
- Verified – $10,000 per day and $100,000 per month
- Verified plus – no limits
- Corporate – no limits
Fees and Charges
Most users complain about the amount of fees and hidden charges by Cex.io. The company charges a 7% service charge from the fiat currency you pay. Thus $1,000 worth of Bitcoins will give you $930 worth. But these fees are only applicable for direct purchases. Different trading services have different fees.
The exchange supports fiat currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP and Russian Ruble. Supported cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Cloud-based hashing power (GHS).
Customer Support and Security
The exchange has an efficient customer support team who respond swiftly, with detailed info both on the platform and on other sites. You will find the support team addressing complaints on review sites such as TrustPilot. This proves the company values its reputation.
Security involves a two-factor authentication with a security question to protect your account. The exchange also provides SMS and email alerts. Identity verification follows industry standards which involve personal information, government-issued identification, proof of residency and a selfie with an ID document.
Cex.io User Experience
Majority of the negative user reviews complain of the ‘hidden fees’, identity verification process or the exchange’s customer support. Users are advised to read the fine print carefully to understand the fees involved and verification process requirements.
Apart from the higher exchange rates which most users don’t seem to understand, Cex.io is a stable exchange. The exchange has grown massively in the last few years to become a leading broker in the industry today. Additionally, the platform’s interface is user-friendly making it simple for newbies.