Crypto Exchange Fees
Maker/taker model, spot vs futures fees — how to minimize trading costs.
Fees are a key profitability factor — especially for active traders. Understanding fee structure saves money.
Maker vs Taker:
•Maker — places order in order book (limit order, waits)
•Taker — takes existing order (market order, instant)
•Maker is better for exchange → gets lower fee
Binance fee structure (example):
•Spot: Maker 0.10%, Taker 0.10%
•With BNB payment: 25% discount → 0.075%
•VIP tier: with higher volume fee drops (VIP 1: 0.09%, VIP 9: 0.02%)
•Futures: Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.05%
OKX fee structure:
•Spot: Maker 0.08%, Taker 0.10%
•Futures: Maker 0.02%, Taker 0.05%
Kraken:
•Spot: Maker 0.16%, Taker 0.26% (without discount)
•More expensive, but longest security track record
Hidden fees:
•Spread — difference between bid/ask (especially small altcoins)
•Withdrawal fee — varies by network
•Deposit fee — usually free for crypto, sometimes for fiat
•Funding rate — for perp futures
How to reduce fees:
•Use limit order instead of market
•Hold BNB on Binance for fee discount
•Increase volume for VIP tier
•Consolidate trading on one exchange