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Best Ethereum Trading Brokers

Written by Miro Nikolov
Miro Nikolov is the co-founder of TradingPedia.com and BestBrokers.com. His mission is to help people make profitable investments by giving them access to educational resources and analytics tools.
, | Updated: December 16, 2024

Our team of expert traders tested multiple regulated and trustworthy Ethereum trading brokers and compiled a toplist of the best among them. Each Ethereum broker received a quality score based on several factors, including Trustpilot rating, regulation, fees and commissions, available trading platforms, customer service and more.

  1. Fusion Markets
    Rating: 4.9
    74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  2. Axi
    Rating: 4.8
    The vast majority of retail client accounts lose money
  3. FP Markets
    Rating: 4.7
    73.85% of retail investor accounts lose money
  4. Pepperstone
    Rating: 4.6
    75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money
  5. Global Prime
    Rating: 4.5
    74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  6. XM Group
    Rating: 2.9
    72.82% of retail investor accounts lose money

Top Ten ETH Trading Brokers

choosing a brokerTraders fascinated by Ethereum’s potential will surely be interested in the best ETH brokers, enabling them to seamlessly trade with this digital asset. When picking a trading platform, there are some fundamental features to be considered, including regulations and licenses, fees, commissions, spreads, and leverage.

To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of top-performing brokerage platforms offering ETH trading. We have also covered other important parameters such as accepted payment methods, reputation, user-friendliness, and portfolio diversification.

Over the last decade, an ever-increasing number of people have started toying with the idea of capitalizing on digital currencies. Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market share after Bitcoin, reached an all-time peak of $4,891.70 on November 16, 2021, a record it has not managed to break ever since.

Bitcoin serves as the foundation for Ethereum

Before Bitcoin was launched, the only way to process money digitally was through an intermediary. The blockchain is a system that can be used to build applications and programs and process decentralized payments, eliminating the necessity of using the services of third-party intermediaries like banks, for example. While Bitcoin was the foundation from which Ethereum emerged, the two cryptocurrencies were created for different purposes. The former was intended as a store of value, while the latter was launched primarily to interact with applications on the ETH blockchain.

Ethereum’s launch

Ethereum was initially proposed in 2013 and then introduced to the world in 2014 by Vitalik Buterin, a programming genius of Russian-Canadian origin. The platform was officially launched in July 2015. Much like Bitcoin, Ethereum is a global platform backed by ground-breaking decentralized blockchain technology. Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency is Ether or ETH.

A cornerstone in Ethereum’s history is the split of Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC), which is also known as a hard fork. The original Ethereum blockchain is Ethereum Classic (ETC), and Ethereum (ETH) originated from this hard fork. While ETC’s supply is fixed, ETH managed to gain wider popularity and has no fixed supply.

Tech advancements based on Ethereum

Plenty of the world’s latest technological advancements resulted from the launch of Ethereum. As a blockchain network, Ethereum facilitates the development of smart contracts that can be utilized to create decentralized applications (DApps). To build one such app, developers should learn Ethereum’s coding language, called Solidity.

The platform runs smart contracts without any delays, deceptions, and third-party interference. Smart contracts cannot be edited once deployed on the Ethereum network.

The current article focuses on Ethereum trading, the wealth of opportunities it offers, and the best brokers that facilitate trading with this cryptocurrency. If novice traders struggle to wrap their heads around Ethereum, they are welcome to read more about it.

How ETH Trading Works for Traders and Brokers

How ETH Trading WorksAs we already established, Ethereum is a decentralized network, making use of smart contracts and allowing programs to run without the possibility of deceits and third-party interference.

Proof of Work and Proof of Stake mechanisms

When Ethereum first appeared on the crypto scene, it used the Proof of Work consensus mechanism that involved mining Ethereum blocks to validate transactions on the blockchain. Miners were rewarded for their efforts with specific amounts in Ether coins.

The creators of the Ethereum network foresaw its rapid growth in popularity, and as a result, the network moved to the Proof of Stake consensus mechanism in September 2022 where transactions on the blockchain are confirmed by validators instead of miners through a process called staking. There are multiple benefits to switching to this mechanism, including reduced energy consumption and enhanced network security.

Ethereum’s value over the years

Starting at around $2.77 in 2015, Ether’s price has fluctuated throughout the years, reaching an all-time high of $4,891 in November 2021. Considering its price swings and its huge potential, Ethereum is a thrilling cryptocurrency for speculators and investors alike. Ethereum’s immense volatility enables savvy traders to capitalize on short-term price changes.

We are now going to look at trading Ethereum, first, from the traders’ point of view, and then, from the brokers’ point of view.

How ETH Trading Works for Traders

How ETH Trading Works for TradersFirst of all, traders should make a clear distinction between a broker and an exchange. One difference results from the fact that exchanges facilitate peer-to-peer transactions, which basically means their customers trade Ether with one another. The exchange is merely a mediator between Ether sellers and buyers. Exchanges are better suited to the needs of long-term investors, allowing them to buy, hold, and stake actual Ether coins.

Depending on their pricing model, brokers sometimes trade against their clients and most enable customers only to speculate on the short-term price movements of cryptocurrencies through contracts for difference (CFDs). Here you trade Ethereum against fiat currencies like the US dollar or other digital assets like Bitcoin without purchasing and holding actual Ether coins.

We are now going to outline some of the basic notions that Ethereum traders should be aware of.

CFDs

Crypto CFDs enable traders to speculate both on rising and falling prices. They do not invest directly in a product (or Ethereum in our case). CFDs do not entail actual ownership of the digital assets. Instead, the clients of CFD brokers are trading on the price fluctuations in real time.

To trade Ethereum online, traders have two options. The first one is to speculate on price fluctuations via cryptocurrency CFDs, and the second one is to buy Ether on the spot but very few brokers actually offer this option.

Leverage and greater market exposure

Since cryptocurrency CFDs typically entail using leverage, traders can gain greater market exposure by opening larger positions with borrowed capital. A word of caution, though. While using leverage can considerably increase your potential profits, it carries a significant risk as it can also magnify your losses. Trading ETH through CFDs with a broker does not require setting up a crypto wallet.

Trading styles

As far as trading styles are concerned, you can apply several different strategies. The first one is day trading where you enter and exit positions within the same day. The second one is swing trading, which involves trades conducted in the short to medium-term ranges. The third trading style goes by the name of trend trading and entails trading assets for longer periods.

Copy Trading

Some Ethereum brokers offer a service called copy trading, allowing customers to mimic the positions of experienced traders and potentially replicate their successful Ethereum trades. The traders you copy are called “signal providers” and normally charge small commissions known as “performance fees” for successful trades.

How ETH Trading Works for Brokers

How ETH Trading Works for BrokersWhile some platforms facilitate buying actual cryptocurrencies on the spot at current market prices, most brokers enable customers to profit solely from Ethereum’s price fluctuations through contracts for difference, as we already explained above. This speculative instrument enables clients to open and close positions swiftly and use leverage to inflate their position size with borrowed capital. CFD traders do not own any Ether coins but can open long or short positions to profit from increasing and decreasing prices. We explain how CFD brokers generate profits in the paragraphs below.

Fees and commissions

Most brokers usually profit from fees and commissions but there are different pricing models. Some brokers charge no commissions but widen their spreads to compensate for this. Others charge volume-based commissions but offer considerably lower spreads. With this in mind, most brokers do not impose commissions on cryptocurrency CFDs.

Spreads

The spread is the difference between the bid and ask price of a financial asset. Usually, the bid price is lower than the ask price. Spreads can be narrower or wider, depending on market conditions and volatility levels.

Other Fees

Although most cryptocurrency CFD brokers charge no commissions, additional expenses often result from the overnight charges (swaps) and inactivity fees. Overnight fees are charged for maintaining open positions for more than a single day. As their name suggests, inactivity fees are charged when a trading account remains inactive for a particular period (most commonly 6 to 12 months).

Related Topics

FAQ

1. Is it better to trade Bitcoin or Ethereum?

Essentially, choosing a digital currency to trade with depends on traders' risk tolerance and their profit target. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum carry enormous potential for short-term profits due to their immense volatility and dramatic price movements.

2. When can I trade Ethereum?

Similar to the other cryptocurrency markets, the Ethereum market is open 24/7. This is because, unlike commodities and stocks, crypto trading occurs on decentralized blockchain networks. However, ETH traders should bear in mind that successful trades are accomplished when the market activity is high.

3. Should traders use leverage when trading Ethereum?

Leverage is available to Ethereum traders but the maximum rates depend on one's region and client categorization (professional or retail trader). With proper risk management, research and a suitable strategy, traders can greatly benefit from using leverage. However, they should always bear in mind the highly volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, which coupled with leverage, can result in huge losses.

4. Is there a cap on the maximum number of Ether coins in circulation?

Unlike Bitcoin and other cryptos where the number of coins in circulation is fixed, there is no such cap for Ethereum. While Bitcoin’s maximum cap is set to 21 million, there is no such restriction for Ethereum.

5. What factors impact the value of Ethereum?

Traditionally, there are several major factors, which tend to affect the value of Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. Among the main driving forces are software upgrades, listing on major crypto exchanges, the blockchain network’s applications, and regulatory intervention and developments. Receiving international recognition and support from renowned global companies is yet another important factor.