Bithumb Review 2027 Fees, Features and Safety

This Bithumb review for 2027 looks at the Seoul, South Korea-based crypto exchange, founded in 2014, and covers trading fees, security record and regulation, so you can decide whether it fits the way you trade.

Introducing Bithumb (2027)

Bithumb is one of South Korea's oldest and largest cryptocurrency exchanges. It opened in 2014 and for several years was the dominant platform in a country famous for intense retail crypto trading. Upbit overtook it after 2017, but Bithumb remains firmly in second place, typically handling between a fifth and a third of Korean volume, and on active days it ranks among the bigger spot exchanges globally.

Like its rival, Bithumb is a domestic exchange. It trades in Korean won and is designed for residents of South Korea.

Markets and services

Bithumb lists several hundred cryptocurrencies against the won, more than most Korean competitors. It has a reputation for adding new tokens quickly, and a Bithumb listing often triggers a sharp short-term move in price as Korean retail traders pile in.

Services include:

• KRW spot market, the core of the platform, plus a smaller BTC market.
• Staking for popular proof-of-stake coins, with rewards credited automatically.
• Lending services that allow eligible users to borrow against their holdings.
• Auto-trading tools and recurring purchase plans.

Korean regulations prohibit domestic exchanges from offering futures or leveraged derivatives to retail clients, so Bithumb is a spot-only venue.

Fees and promotions

Bithumb's listed trading fee is 0.25%, but in practice almost everyone pays far less. A free fee coupon available to all users reduces the rate to 0.04% per trade, which undercuts Upbit's standard 0.05%.

Price competition has been central to Bithumb's strategy. From October 2023 to early February 2024 it removed trading fees entirely, a bold campaign that lifted its market share at the cost of several months of revenue. It continues to run frequent reward events for new and returning customers.

Banking and account opening

Korean law requires every exchange customer to trade through a real-name bank account at a partner bank. Bithumb worked with NH NongHyup Bank for years and switched to KB Kookmin Bank, the country's largest retail lender, in March 2025. The move was widely seen as an effort to reach younger customers and close the gap with Upbit.

To register you need a Korean mobile phone number, a local identity document and an account at the partner bank. Foreigners without Korean residency generally cannot use the won market.

Security history

Bithumb has been attacked several times. In 2017 an employee's computer was compromised and personal data on tens of thousands of customers leaked. In June 2018 hackers stole about $31 million in cryptocurrency, part of which was later recovered. In March 2019 a further theft of roughly $19 million occurred, which the company suspected involved insiders. In each case Bithumb said it compensated customers from its own funds.

The exchange has not reported a breach on that scale since 2019. It has invested heavily in security, holds Korea's national information-security certifications, stores the bulk of assets in cold wallets and maintains reserves and insurance as required by law.

Regulation

Bithumb is a registered virtual asset service provider under the supervision of Korea's Financial Services Commission and Financial Intelligence Unit. Since July 2024 it has also been subject to the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which obliges exchanges to keep customer cash at banks, hold at least 80% of customer crypto offline and report suspicious trading.

Korean exchanges are inspected regularly, and Bithumb has faced regulatory scrutiny on several occasions, including reviews of its anti-money-laundering controls and its lending service.

Ownership and plans

Bithumb's ownership structure has long been complicated, involving a chain of holding companies and a series of failed takeover attempts and court cases. The company has been reorganising its business and has stated its intention to pursue a stock market listing. For customers, the practical point is that governance at Bithumb has historically been less straightforward than at Upbit's parent, Dunamu.

Who is Bithumb best for?

Bithumb is a strong option for Korean residents who want low fees, a broad coin list and frequent promotions, or who prefer KB Kookmin as their bank. Many active Korean traders keep accounts on both major exchanges to capture listing differences. Outside Korea, Bithumb is mainly relevant as a market signal.

Pros and cons

• Pros: very low effective fees, wide choice of won-traded coins, major bank partner, strict Korean regulation, over a decade of operation.
• Cons: limited to Korean residents, no derivatives, multiple hacks between 2017 and 2019, complex ownership history.

Bithumb review: verdict for 2027

Bithumb is the determined challenger of the Korean market. It has matured from a hack-prone early exchange into a tightly regulated platform that competes hard on price and selection. For those eligible to use it, Bithumb is a credible and often cheaper alternative to the market leader.

Compare this Bithumb review with all 40 crypto exchanges in our 2027 list, and confirm the latest terms on the official Bithumb website before you open an account.