Bithumb Review: Pros, Cons, Key Features, Pricing (2024)

Key Features:

• Beginner-friendly interface for easy spot trading
• Low trading fees on each transaction
• Large daily trading volume

This Bithumb review will help you make an informed decision of whether you should trade crypto on the exchange, or not.

Is Bithumb legit and safe to trade on?

By trading volume, the Seoul-based crypto exchange is one of the top 20 crypto exchanges in the world. It offers a variety of crypto assets, low fees, an intuitive interface, and zero deposit fees.

But is it right for you?

Pros and Cons of Bithumb

What is Bithumb Global?

Bithumb is an online cryptocurrency exchange based in South Korea that utilizes blockchain technology for digital currency trading.

In plain terms, the cryptocurrency trading platform lets you deposit fiat currency to buy, sell and trade various digital assets.

Bithumb was founded in 2014 and today, it has grown to be one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea. The platform also boasts of having the largest cryptocurrency trading volume.

Bithumb Origin

Bithumb started operating as a crypto exchange in 2014 using the name ‘Xcoin’ but they later rebranded to Bithumb in 2015.

The company is fully based in South Korea and supports many other countries across the world with its services. 

Due to its excellence, Bithumb has bagged certifications and earned multiple awards from various South Korean institutions over the years.

Who owns Bithumb?

Bithumb is owned and operated by a company called BTC Korea.com Co. Ltd. Little information is known about this company and its management online.

However, according to Bithumb’s CrunchBase page, We found Javier Sim listed as the crypto exchange’s Founder, Back Young Heo as CEO and Junga Lee as VP.

To date, Bithumb has raised over $200M in funding.

How is Bithumb different from Other Crypto Exchanges?

Bithumb differs from other cryptocurrency exchanges in various ways.

First, its base currencies are Bitcoin (BTC) and South Korean Won (KRW). This means you can only trade other digital assets by holding any of those two in your account.

According to international standards, the Bithumb exchange has one of the lowest trading fees. The exchange maintains a range of 0.04% - 0.25% in fees, letting you save a lot when you purchase trading coupons.

Also, Bithumb leads the way when it comes to large trading volumes and liquidity pools. Despite being a South Korean company, the platform is available in 190+ countries and 8 languages.

Its excellent customer support and above-average security systems are also worth mentioning.

Notable Figures from Bithumb Global

Bithumb Fees & Pricing

Bithumb has lower trading fees compared to other crypto exchanges in South Korea.

The trading fee varies from 0.04% to 0.25% for market makers and takers in the KRW and BTC markets.

For any transaction, the exact fee you get charged depends on the coupon you purchase.

Check out the Bithumb usage fee guide for more information on the crypto exchange fee structure.

Bithumb Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Bithumb supports fiat deposits and crypto deposits from other crypto wallets as well.

But you can only deposit fiat money in the form of Korean Won (KRW) via debit or credit cards. This lack of support for other fiat currencies is limiting and a pain point for most Bithumb users. For crypto deposit, you only need to create a deposit address in Bithumb and send your crypto assets over.

On the bright side, crypto and fiat (KRW) deposits are free of charge. However, you might be charged a little fee for deposits below the minimum amount for certain assets.

For withdrawals, Bithumb lets you send out your crypto to other wallets for a small fee.

Simply enter your withdrawal wallet address, enter coin quantity, proceed with the user verification process and the withdrawal will be processed. 

Bithumb withdrawal fees are charged from the amount you’re withdrawing and depends on the particular asset.

You can learn more about deposits and withdrawals on the Bithumb user guide section.

Bithumb Products & Features

Exchange

The Exchange section houses the main Bithumb product. You get a glance of various trading pairs available in the BTC and KRW markets. 

For each trading pair, you get to see its trading chart along with real-time data on price, 24H trade volume, % change, and 24H price change. Plus, you can easily search for desired crypto pairs instead of scrolling all the way down.

To trade on any market pair, just scroll to the bottom of the chart, click on either Buy or Sell, enter order quantity and proceed.

Bithumb Cash

Bithumb Cash is a wallet where you can store KRW and the amount of virtual assets converted into KRW.

Basically, this service allows you to convert your crypto assets from Bithumb into KRW and transfer/withdraw.

To use Bithumb Cash, you need to create a coin wallet address after your first crypto transaction. After creating a wallet, you’ll only be able to transfer 100% of your held KRW and 90% of your crypto assets.

Check out the Bithumb Cash user guide to learn more.

Other Services 

Bithumb offers additional services to complement your crypto trading game ranging from auto trading, lending, staking and more.

Let’s take a look.

Auto-trading

Auto-trading lets you enjoy 24/7 automated, algorithmic trading with a one-time setting.

In this case, you'll be able to obtain stable consistent profit by repeating low-priced buy and high-priced sell conditions for a particular price range. You can also leverage integrated AI recommendations for a performance-based setting.

Auto-trading services in Bithumb are provided and operated by Crom Innovation Co.

Staking

Staking allows you to manage your virtual assets easily.

You can buy or deposit from a variety of assets available for staking based on the estimated annual interest rate.

By holding a minimum quantity of the particular asset, you’ll earn daily rewards in the form of airdrops at an amount equal to the daily rate of return.

Club B

Bithumb runs an exclusive, optimal trading environment known as Club B. 

As a member of Club B, you get to join an organization of trading experts while enjoying special fee discounts and an optimized API.

To be eligible for Club B, you must have cumulatively traded over 100B KRW in 30 days, cumulatively traded over 30B KRW in 7 days and hold a deposit of over 500million BithumbCash.

Asset Lending

Bithumb’s lending service allows you to borrow crypto assets - mainly Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) - while using KRW or other crypto assets as collateral.

Borrowing crypto assets will help you maximize profits, whether it’s a bull or bear market. However, be mindful that there’s a basic service fee, daily service fee, borrow period and max limit before diving into crypto asset lending.

Available Cryptocurrencies on Bithumb Global

According to CoinMarketCap, Bithumb supports 200+ cryptocurrencies and 290+ trading markets on the exchange.

This list of cryptocurrencies includes the lesser-known altcoins along with all the top crypto coins such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), and Solana (SOL) as well.

For trading pairs, Bithumb uses BTC and KRW as their only trading base. This means you’ll need to deposit or hold tokens in KRW or BTC to be able to buy other cryptocurrencies.

Bithumb Supported Countries

Bithumb is available to a wide range of countries across the world.

But due to local regulatory constraints and strict anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, some jurisdictions have been prohibited from using the service including the United States of America, Trinidad, Tobago and Bahama.

Let’s take a look.

Europe

In Europe, Bithumb is available to most countries on the continent except for a few countries like Serbia.

Asia

Bithumb supports countries from this region but still locks out users from North Korea, Iran, Iraq, China, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia.

Africa

Bithumb supports every country in Africa except Ghana, Botswana, Tunisia, and Ethiopia.

Getting Started on Bithumb

To get started with cryptocurrency trading on Bithumb, you need to create an account.

According to their terms of service, you can sign up for an account as long as you’re NOT:

• Under the Korean age of 19
• Using third-party names or information to register for an account
• Providing false or unverified documents

Here are the steps to create a Bithumb account.

How to create an account (step-by-step)?

Creating an account on Bithumb.com can be done via the website by following the steps below.

1. Visit the Bithumb website and click the "sign-up" button located in the top right corner.

2. You’ll be taken to the sign-up page. Click on “Mobile ID Verification” to verify your mobile number in your name.

3. Next, you’ll need to select your mobile carrier and proceed to authenticate with PASS or by text message (SMS).

4. To authenticate with PASS, simply enter your name, mobile number, and required captcha and click “Confirm” to proceed. For SMS authentication, enter your name, date of birth/gender, mobile number, captcha, and click Confirm to proceed.

5. After verifying your mobile number with your name, you can now sign up as a regular member using your email address as Bithumb ID and real name. Next, you'll need to proceed with resident address verification. This is to foster a safe trading environment for all users.

Bithumb Privacy and Security

Bithumb has been unfortunate with security breaches in the past.

In 2017, their servers were hacked which led to a loss of crypto assets worth nearly 100 billion Won ($94 million as of then). The personal information of about 31,000 users was also accessed by the criminals. To compensate for losses from the cyber attack, Bithumb offered $900 to each account holder.

Since the Bithumb hack incident, the trading platform has strengthened its security systems to ensure adequate protection of customer funds and data.

Since it’s a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, Bithumb is guarded with strong regulations and high-level responsibility.

During registration, you’ll be required to go through a thorough name, address and identity verification process. And for fund withdrawal, you’ll also need to submit identity verification documents. No anonymous trading is allowed.

Other security solutions applied by the Bithumb exchange include two-factor authentication (2FA), 24/7 server monitoring and SSL encryption technology.

Bithumb Customer Reviews Around the World

The Bithumb exchange is used by crypto investors around the world.

But how do some of these users feel about their experience on the crypto exchange? Let’s find out.

• On G2.com, Bithumb has a rating of 3.3 with just 2 reviews. This is quite low to provide buying insight about Bithumb. From both reviews, I found complaints mostly about the complicated registration process and how some pages are only available in the Korean language.
• While on TrustPilot, Bithumb has a poor rating of 1.6 from 33 reviews. This is terrible and shows a high-level dissatisfaction among users. But what are the issues? I skimmed through the reviews and found complaints mostly about slow node upgrade, freezing of withdrawals and unjust closure of accounts.

This shows that Bithumb has a ton of improvements to work on. And I hope the management responsively takes action on these complaints.

Bithumb Alternatives - Which is Best?

In case you’re not convinced enough to jump right into Bithumb, here’s how it compares to its close rivals.

Bithumb Vs Bybit

Bithumb helps beginners buy, sell and sell their favorite assets. While Bybit is an advanced exchange suited for crypto professionals to trade derivatives. Bithumb’s strength lies in its user-friendly interface, large volume and low fees. On the security end, Bithumb isn’t too impressive given that its servers have been previously compromised.

Plus, the platform lacks a variety of fiat currency bases and was built with the South Korean audience in mind. Bybit is perfect for traders looking beyond regular spot trading. It’s a great pick for derivatives trading while having low fees, an intuitive interface and top-notch security features as its upside.

Bithumb Vs Gate.io

Gate.io and Bithumb are both centralized cryptocurrency platforms similar in various ways: low fees, spot and margin trading, and no fiat payment support. On security, Gate.io is far ahead with multiple security and privacy mechanisms for funds protection. Gate.io also has a wide selection of cryptocurrency and trading pairs. While Bithumb has fewer trading pairs with a large daily trading volume.

Bithumb Vs Binance

Binance is a leading cryptocurrency exchange popularly known around the world to buy, sell, trade, and store assets. While Binance is available to everyone worldwide, Bithumb was made with the South Korean market in mind. Both exchanges offer low fees, huge daily trading volumes and a wide range of crypto/trading pairs. However, Binance shines more with its strict security mechanism, outstanding customer support derivative platform, fiat-crypto support and NFT marketplace.

Bithumb FAQs

Verdict - Is Bithumb Legit?

Bithumb is a legitimate exchange that helps you buy, sell, and trade your favorite digital assets.

Its major strengths are lower trading fees, large trading volume, charge-free deposit methods, a wide range of top cryptocurrencies and decent customer support.

On security, the exchange has been previously back but they’ve strengthened their systems ever since.

Bithumb’s strict focus on the South Korean market, limited base currencies and lack of support for other currencies are its major challenges.

Overall, I think Bithumb is a safe and reliable crypto exchange, but mostly for the Korean market. If you’re a beginner trader or professional, especially based in the region of origin, you should give it a shot.