BitMEX or AAATrade – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare BitMEX and AAATrade in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
BitMEX is a crypto exchange and derivatives trading platform, launched in 2014. The firm offers a fiat–crypto onramp, spot trading, and crypto derivatives including perpetual contracts, traditional futures and quanto futures. BitMEX offers amongst the largest market liquidity of any cryptocurrency exchange.
AAATrade is a forex and CFD broker established in 2013 and regulated by CySEC. The STP broker offers tens of thousands of Stocks, ETFs, CFDs, securities and cryptocurrency products on the proprietary and MetaTrader platforms. Traders can benefit from standard retail accounts as well as portfolio management and advisory services.
Pros
The Guilds social trading service allows traders to participate in competitions and earn rewards, including a weekly prize pool worth 4,000 USDT at the time of writing
BitMEX continues to deliver a considerable amount of market information for free, as well as trading guides and community channels on Discord, Telegram and more
The broker offers high levels of security, using a combination of hot and cold wallets and cryptography key management
The native token, BMEX, can be staked with up to 15% trading fee discounts, among other exclusive privileges
Comprehensive customizability is available within the platform, with movable widgets and order book filters
Traders have the opportunity to connect with investors using the intuitive inbuilt chat feature
The exclusive crypto platform makes it more streamlined than other multi-asset terminals
Traders can earn interest if they HODL Tether and Bitcoin
The broker offers 2 API systems for seasoned traders
I was glad to see commission-free trading available in the Novice account, though seasoned traders can also benefit from low commissions from 0.125% in the Experienced account
There's a good range of trading platforms, including the new AAATrader™ and MT5 mobile app. I particularly appreciated the broker's in-house crypto exchange platform
I feel assured the AAATrade is regulated by tier-1 authority, the CySEC and is also a member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF)
I like that there is no minimum deposit for both the Novice and Experienced Accounts, making the broker accessible for all traders
I was very impressed to find a $100,000 demo account available with free access to webinars and forex education
Cons
BitMEX is an offshore firm and is not regulated by any reputable authority, though this is common among crypto brokers
BitMEX is geared towards more active traders, with fewer tools and features aimed at newbies
The broker was involved in a legal dispute with US regulators which resulted in fines
Withdrawals are only carried out at a specified time of day
Only Bitcoin is accepted for free withdrawals
I'm a little disappointed that fees charged on deposits, which puts the broker behind most competitors offering free deposits
Crypto trading does not have the same protection or regulation as other markets, though this is industry standard
During my tests, I found thousands of leveraged CFD products across forex, indices, commodities, stocks and cryptocurrencies. Commissions are competitive and I particularly enjoyed using all the free CFD trading resources available in the demo account.
Leverage
1:200
FTSE Spread
0.5
GBPUSD Spread<
0.00002
Oil Spread
0.10
Stocks Spread
Floating
Forex
AAATrade offers 80+ forex pairs, including majors and minors, which is a competitive range and more than most brokers I have reviewed. I was also able to take advantage of the broker's daily technical insights with chart analysis, as well as the live economic calendar.
Assets
10000+
GBPUSD Spread
0.00002
EURUSD Spread
0.00002
EURGBP Spread
0.00002
Cryptocurrency
BitMEX continues to offer a highly competitive crypto trading environment, with cheap $1 contracts and leverage up to 1:100. The broker’s proprietary platform offers cutting-edge trading features, including a customizable order book, a depth chart and dozens of technical indicators.
I was impressed with AAATrade's range of 50 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, which is more than most brokers I review. I was particularly glad to see a good mix of crypto-crypto pairs, as well as some crypto-fiat pairs against USD and EUR.
