KuCoin Futures

What KuCoin Futures does

KuCoin Futures is the derivatives trading arm of KuCoin, a Singapore-headquartered cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017. The platform operates as a global self-serve web and mobile venue offering crypto perpetual and futures contracts to retail, institutional, and algorithmic traders, with 24/7 customer support in more than 20 languages and accumulated base of 3.19M traders processing approximately $28.8B in monthly trading volume. Core product surfaces include USDT-margined linear contracts, USDC-margined contracts, coin-margined (inverse) contracts denominated in BTC/ETH, stock index perpetual contracts bridging traditional equities (e.g., Tencent, Xiaomi), and Futures Grid Bots for automated long/short execution. Underlying technology centers on a proprietary high-performance order matching engine built for volatile, high-volume crypto markets, an Insurance Fund protecting against negative balances, Cross Margin Mode and a Unified Trading Account that share collateral across products to maximize capital efficiency, plus comprehensive stop-loss and take-profit risk tooling.

The business model is a pure transaction-fee structure: revenue is generated from tiered trading fees on the 675 listed futures contracts, with higher-volume traders receiving lower fee rates and no subscription or fixed-pricing tier. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, combining self-serve mobile and web onboarding, an open API for algorithmic and programmatic trading, and aggressive referral/affiliate programs offering 35–70% commissions to referrers, KOLs, and agents. Distribution relies on iOS App Store, Google Play, APK, web, and API channels, supplemented by tutorial content (YouTube, web guides), trading competitions (Crypto Cup Live), and active Telegram/community engagement.

The platform is private (no public ticker), operates from Singapore, and is part of a broader KuCoin product family that includes KuCoin Labs, KuCoin Ventures, KuCard, KuCoin Pay, KuCoin Earn, KuMining, GemSPACE, and KuCoin Learn. Fiat access is enabled through third-party on-ramps (Banxa, Simplex, BTC Direct, Onramp), and an AML/CFT compliance program is in place. No explicit revenue, funding rounds, or detailed financial disclosures are provided in the source material.

Name

KuCoin Futures

Legal name

KuCoin.com

Website

https://futures.kucoin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KuCoin Futures is the derivatives arm of Singapore-based KuCoin exchange, offering retail, institutional, and algorithmic traders global access to 675 perpetual and futures contracts with approximately $28.8B monthly trading volume across USDT-, USDC-, and coin-margined products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptocurrency Derivatives Trading

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (523160), Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Crypto Derivatives Exchanges (Futures, Options & Perpetuals) (FSADAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Perpetual Futures (Perps) Venues & Protocols (FSADAGAA), Derivatives Trading Venues (perps, futures, options) (FSAPADAE), Dated Futures & Forwards (Crypto) (FSADAGAB), Market Making, Liquidity & Peg-Stabilization Services (FSADADAJ)

Keywords

• Cryptocurrency derivatives
• Perpetual futures contracts
• Crypto margin trading
• Algorithmic trading API
• Stock index perpetuals

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trading Fees: Tiered transaction fees based on user trading volume. Higher volume traders receive lower fee rates. Fees apply to all futures contracts including USDT-margined, USDC-margined, and coin-margined perpetual contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KuCoin Futures is a cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform that lets users trade perpetual and delivery futures contracts settled in USDT, USDC, or underlying coins (e.g., BTC, ETH), as well as stock index perpetual contracts based on global equity indices. It provides leverage up to 20x, Cross Margin Mode for capital efficiency, automated Futures Grid Bots, and an API for algorithmic trading, serving retail and institutional crypto traders globally.

Product overview

KuCoin Futures operates as a crypto derivatives trading platform offering perpetual contracts and futures across multiple margining models. The core product suite includes USDT-Margined Contracts (USDT-settled linear contracts), USDC-Margined Contracts (USDC-settled linear contracts), and Coin-Margined Contracts (coin-settled inverse contracts), alongside Stock Index Perpetual Contracts for global equity exposure. The platform features advanced trading tools including Futures Grid Bots for automated grid trading strategies and Cross Margin Mode for enhanced capital efficiency. The platform supports 675 tradable futures contracts with features like stop-loss and take-profit risk management, a high-performance order matching engine, and 24/7 customer support in over 20 languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USDT-Margined Contracts USDT-settled linear futures contracts that allow traders to speculate on cryptocurrency price movements using USDT as margin and settlement currency.
• USDC-Margined Contracts USDC-settled linear futures contracts offering an alternative stablecoin-based margin option for trading perpetual contracts.
• Coin-Margined Contracts Coin-settled inverse futures contracts where cryptocurrencies such as BTC or ETH are used as the base currency to calculate margin and PNL, providing exposure to crypto assets without requiring stablecoin holdings.
• Stock Index Perpetual Contracts Perpetual contracts based on global stock indices allowing traders to gain exposure to traditional market indices through cryptocurrency derivatives.
• Futures Grid Bots Automated trading bots that execute grid trading strategies by placing simultaneous long and short orders to profit from market fluctuations across different price levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• $28.8B+ Monthly Trading Volume
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MEXC Global: MEXC is a global crypto exchange focused on altcoin listings and derivatives, offering USDT-margined perpetual futures with high leverage. It competes with KuCoin Futures for retail altcoin-derivatives traders and shares a similar rapid-listing product strategy.
• Bybit: Bybit is a leading crypto derivatives exchange offering USDT perpetual and inverse futures, options, and copy trading. It competes head-to-head with KuCoin Futures for retail derivatives traders globally with similar product breadth and leverage offerings.
• Gate.io: Gate.io (formerly Gate.io) is a long-standing crypto exchange offering perpetual futures, delivery futures, and a wide range of altcoin derivatives. It overlaps directly with KuCoin Futures in product breadth and retail-driven altcoin contract listings.
• OKX (formerly OKEx): OKX is a top-tier crypto exchange offering perpetual swaps, futures, options, and unified margin across spot and derivatives. It directly competes with KuCoin Futures with comparable product structure, multi-margin model, and global retail focus.
• Binance Futures: Binance Futures is the world's largest crypto derivatives venue by volume, offering USDT-margined and coin-margined perpetual and delivery futures with up to 125x leverage. It directly competes with KuCoin Futures across the same retail and institutional customer base with overlapping product set.
• HTX (formerly Huobi): HTX is a global crypto exchange offering perpetual and delivery futures alongside spot trading, serving retail and institutional clients across multiple geographies. It is a comparable derivatives venue to KuCoin Futures with overlapping products and target customers.
• Bitfinex: Bitfinex is a long-established crypto exchange offering perpetual swaps, margin, and derivatives, with a particular focus on professional and institutional traders. It competes with KuCoin Futures' institutional offering in the derivatives segment.
• Bitget: Bitget is a crypto derivatives exchange specializing in USDT-margined perpetual futures and copy trading. It targets the same retail derivatives segment as KuCoin Futures with aggressive referral and affiliate programs and comparable leverage products.

Emerging players

• Deribit: Deribit is the leading crypto options and futures exchange, specializing in Bitcoin and Ethereum derivatives. While more focused on options than KuCoin Futures, it is a relevant peer in the institutional crypto derivatives segment where KuCoin Futures is building presence.

Broad incumbents

• Crypto.com Exchange: Crypto.com operates a crypto exchange offering perpetual and delivery futures as part of a broader retail crypto super-app including cards, earn, and payments. It overlaps with KuCoin Futures' derivatives product while addressing a more compliance-anchored retail audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KuCoinCom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KuCoinExchange
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kucoin-futures
• Instagraminstagram.com/kucoinexchange

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KuCoin Futures