Trading Bitcoin? Here Are the Top Platforms for 2018

For the new investor, trying to find the best bitcoin trading platform can be challenging. Different platforms excel in different areas, making head-to-head comparisons difficult.

A trading platform differs from a brokerage website like Coinbase or a direct trading service like LocalBitcoins.com. A trading platform is a conduit for researching commodity positioning and connecting buyers and sellers together to facilitate buy and sell orders. Trading platforms require more due diligence and interactivity than a brokerage firm - which automates buying and selling - but gives the trader more control over transactions.

This article discusses the five best bitcoin trading platforms, per Bitcoin Market Journal's research. Armed with this information, you can determine how they can best satisfy your own investment needs.

Platform User Friendliness	Fees	Security	Altcoins Services	Payment Methods
Bitstamp 3/5	Tiered structure based on trade volume	5/5	Bitcoin Ripple Litecoin Ether Bitcoin Cash	Bank transfer, altcoin trade, Visa/MasterCard
Kraken     3/5	Tiered structure based on trade volume	5/5	Bitcoin Ether Bitcoin Cash Monero Dash Litecoin Ripple Stellar/Lumens Ethereum Classic Auger REP ICONOMI Melon Zcash Dogecoin Tether Gnosis EOS	Bank transfer, altcoin trade
Gemini     4/5	Tiered structure based on trade volume	5/5	Bitcoin Ether	Bank transfer, altcoin trade
Bittrex       5/5	0.25%	5/5	Over 271 coins, including: Bitcoin Ether Litecoin Ubiq/Jumbucks Dash Gambit Blackcoin Gridcoin	Bank transfer, altcoin transfer
GDAX          4/5	Tiered structure based on trade volume for price taker (buyer), 0%   fee for price maker (seller)	4/5	Bitcoin Ether Litecoin Bitcoin Cash	Bank transfer, altcoin transfer

Bitstamp

One of the first licensed bitcoin trading platforms in Europe, Bitstamp is an industry standard, with acceptance on this platform typically being seen as a mark of excellence for altcoins. Currently, five coins (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Litecoin, and Ripple) are traded on the platform.

The platform has a challenging interface that requires a steep learning curve to understand and it is typically used for low volume trading. The platform, however, has a mobile app, making it suited for the hobbyist or amateur investor.

Kraken

One of the oldest bitcoin trading platforms, Kraken offers more coins than Bitstamp, making it a more viable choice for investors seeking to diversify in smaller-yield coins. This platform, however, punishes ignorance with a complicated interface, making it unfriendly for casual users. Its high transaction fees make the platform attractive only for high volume trades. 

Gemini

Limited to America-based traders only and founded by the Winklevoss Twins, Gemini is limited in the coins it offers. However, it is easy to use, remarkably secure, and has fees that are at market averages. This makes this platform well-suited to newcomers and novices. Gemini is planning to open to worldwide trading in 2018.

Bittrex

If you are offering a new altcoin, the first step post-ICO is to get your coin listed on Bittrex. The industry's "exchange of record" for publicly-traded coins, Bittrex is the choice for those seeking to trade in the less-popular coins. This availability in product choice is, however, offset by highly-criticized customer service issues, which include a number of unexplained account suspensions. 

As a rule, you should not store your coins where you trade your coins. As purely a trading medium, Bittrex is useful, but the platform should not be trusted for other coin services, such as wallet management or storage.

GDAX

Coinbase's professional exchange, GDAX - or, the Global Digital Asset Exchange - is one of the more popular options currently available. This has a lot to do with the fact that Coinbase is one of the largest wallet providers in the market. For a newbie, the fact that you can access a brokerage firm, wallet provider, and trading platform with just one log-in is a nice touch. Coinbase's fees reflect the convenience factor, however.

GDAX is known for its customer service. It once went to exuberant extents to assure its customers'money was refunded following a hack. GDAX trades the coins it offers in its other services: bitcoin, Litecoin, Ether, and Bitcoin Cash.

Trading altcoins can be a lucrative venture, as long as you do your due diligence and refrain from investing more than you are willing to lose. In the world of altcoin trading, knowledge is power. Want to become more knowledgeable about altcoin investment? Read Bitcoin Market Journal and learn to invest like a pro!