1. Why Low Fees and Ease of Use Matter
Crypto trading costs and user experience heavily influence profitability and security. For smaller investments or frequent trades, even small fee differences—say 0.25% vs. 1%—can significantly affect returns. Choosing exchanges with low fees, transparent pricing, and regulatory compliance is especially important for U.S. and Swiss users, where regulations require careful adherence to anti-money-laundering, custody, and consumer protection standards.
2. U.S.-Based Exchanges With Competitive Fees
Kraken (U.S.)
Kraken’s U.S. platform charges 0.25% maker / 0.40% taker fees for users with 30-day volume under $10K; fees drop as volume increases to as low as 0.02% maker / 0.12% taker for institutional clients. Deposits are often free via ACH or SWIFT, and their advanced Kraken Pro interface unlocks tiered discounts.
Coinbase Advanced Trade (formerly Pro)
Offers maker fees as low as 0.4% for <$10K volume and 0.6% taker fees, with higher-volume tiers reducing costs to 0.00–0.05%. Rumors of A/B test changes suggest varying rates, but current published tiers remain valid. Fiat deposits often entail small fees.
Binance.US
While Binance International offers 0.10% maker/taker fees and fee discounts for BNB holders, Binance.US restricts asset access but provides 0% fees on Tier‑0 trading pairs plus easy ACH deposit. Additional discounts with BNB and VIP levels apply.
Security & Regulation
These platforms are regulated in the U.S., hold licenses or collaborate with banks, and implement 2FA, cold storage, and insurance policies. Coinbase’s leadership has explicitly ruled out ultra-low pricing wars, prioritizing regulatory compliance and coverage.
3. Swiss Platforms for Low-Fee & Simple Trading
Kraken (CHF Support)
Swiss users benefit from Kraken’s BTC/CHF and EUR/CHF trading pairs, zero-fee CHF deposits (via Bank Frick), and tight spreads. Reddit communities endorse Kraken as the cheapest option for CHF crypto deposits and withdrawal.
SwissBorg (App-Based)
SwissBorg offers transparent exchange rates, low spreads (~1%), easy mobile-first interface, and allows users to earn passive yield on crypto holdings. Fiat withdrawals (even in CHF) incur a fixed0.10% execution fee, often capped at 5 CHF or 110 CHF.
Bity / Relai (Swiss-Native)
These apps focus solely on BTC (Relai) or include broader asset support (Bity Wallet). Fees are typically ≤1%; no KYC is required for trades under
4. Fee Comparison
| Platform | Maker / Taker Fee (USD pairs) | Fiat Deposit Fee | Asset Support / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken (US) | 0.25 % / 0 | ACH/SWIFT: often free | Extensive asset list, regulated in U.S. |
| Coinbase Advanced | 0.40 % / 0.60 % (≤$10K), volume discounts | USD bank wires incur small charges | Beginner-friendly, but higher base fees |
| Binance.US | 0– | ACH: free, Wire: small fees | Fewer coins than |
| Kraken (CH) | Same fee tiers as U.S. team | CHF via Bank Frick | Supports CHF pairs, widely endorsed in CHF community |
| SwissBorg | ~1% | CHF withdrawal: 0.10 % fee | Mobile-first, staking/earn options |
| Bity / Relai | ~0.8–1.0% | Minimal or none if small amounts | Simple BTC/ETH access in CHF |
5. Tips to Keep Trading Costs Low 💸
5.1 Use Maker Limit Orders Whenever Possible
- Place limit orders instead of market orders to add liquidity to order books. This balance typically classifies your trades as maker rather than taker, which incurs notably lower fees—e.g. Kraken and Binance.US charge only ~0.1% maker fees versus 0.40–0.60% taker fees.
- Enabling “post-only” flag ensures your order won’t execute instantly and become a taker trade, thus locking in maker rates.
5.2 Build 30‑Day Trading Volume & Use Native Token Discounts
-Kraken & Binance.US employ 30-day rolling volume tiers: as your volume increases, maker/taker rates decline (e.g. Kraken discounts some fees to 0.02% at high tiers).
- Binance.US allows users who hold and pay fees in BNB tokens to receive an additional 25% discount on fees.
5.3 Opt for Low-Fee Deposit Channels
- In the U.S., use ACH or FedWire bank transfers, which are generally fee-free, to avoid fee-laden credit/debit card purchases.
- For Swiss traders, Kraken allows CZK–CHF transfers via Bank Frick without deposit fees.(Reddit users report occasional fringe fees, likely from intermediary banks—so checking the full wire path matters.)
5.4 Use Efficient Withdrawal Networks
- On-chain withdrawals can vary in cost by token and network. On Kraken/Binance, USDC or USDT via Solana or Polygon often incurs ~1–2 US cents per transfer, versus $10–30 on Ethereum (ERC-20). If trading in Switzerland, consider Kraken’s BTC/CHF or ETH/CHF pairs to avoid inter-chain conversion fees and still use CHF rails.
5.5 Trade in Local Fiat Currencies
- Swiss residents can trade BTC/CHF or ETH/CHF directly via Kraken or SwissBorg, eliminating volatile FX conversions and forex spread costs.
- U.S. users are often better priced trading crypto/USD spot rather than building positions with stablecoins or cross-currency instruments on non‑U.S. platforms.
5.6 Offset Trading Costs Through Tax-Loss Harvesting
- Given that U.S. crypto is treated as property, the IRS wash-sale rule does not apply, allowing immediate repurchase of the same asset after a loss–sale.
- With active trades, you can nominate crypto losses to offset income or gains up to $3,000/year and carry forward excess, a process called tax-loss harvesting. But beware: each trade incurs fees, so net savings must exceed the costs (typical round-trip fee of ~0.7% may diminish benefit).
- Use software tools (e.g. Taxbit, Koinly) to monitor unrealized losses and identify cost-effective positions to harvest.
5.7 Leverage Yield Programs to Offset Fees
- In Switzerland, SwissBorg Earn allows holders to generate passive yield (~2–4% APR on stablecoins or BTC/ETH) to effectively subsidize spread-based trading costs.
- Kraken Staking or Binance savings products can similarly generate returns that offset trading or withdrawal costs, though staking or lock-up terms and tax treatment vary by region.
5.8 Prefer Long-Term Hold / Dollar-Cost Averaging
- Frequent day trading accumulates fees even with low percentage rate. For smaller positions, consider DCA strategies (e.g. weekly fixed purchases) to minimize transaction count and reduce per-trade expense.
- Many platforms
5.9 Avoid Rapid Exchange-Switching
- Transferring coins cross-exchange can incur withdrawal fees (~$5–25 depending on chain) plus on-chain miner fees. Instead, try to stay within one platform or use stablecoin rails to move between wallets efficiently.
- In the U.S., fiduciary platforms like Kraken or Coinbase have networks offering cheaper internal transfers than on-chain.
6. Conclusion
Trading crypto easily and cost-effectively is fully achievable in the U.S. and Switzerland:
- Kraken offers one of
- For mobile users or smaller trades in Switzerland, SwissBorg or **Bity/RelBity/Relai provide frictionless access.
- Coinbase Advanced Trade and Binance.US are viable U.S. options, with fairly low maker/t
Regardless of the platform, the keys to low-cost trading are choosing the right provider, using efficient order types, and maximizing
🔗 Original Sources & Links
- Kraken trading‑fee structure https://support.kraken.com/articles/201893638-how-trading-fees-work-on-kraken
- Kraken Pro vs Standard maker/taker fees (Reddit discussion) https://www.reddit.com/r/Kraken/comments/1ioxrii/kraken_pro_lower_fees/
- Binance.US BNB discount & VIP launch announce https://support.binance.us/en/articles/9843536-binance-us-launches-trading-fee-discount-and-vip-program-with-bnb
- Bank Frick vs SWIFT deposit fees (Kraken Support Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/KrakenSupport/comments/1d9mow8/kraken_deposit_fees_using_swift_bank_frick_are/
- Swiss Personal Finance thread: converting crypto to CHF/USD https://www.reddit.com/r/SwissPersonalFinance/comments/1kbe2qk/best_options_to_convert_crypto_to_fiat_usd_or_chf