There used to be a platform called WCEX, which was bought out by what is now Trade8. Even before that there was another platform very similar to WCEX (1Broker), but was shut down due to not having a KYC protocol.
So what is Trade8? Essentially, it’s a leveraged CDF broker that allows you to trade a wide range of assets with leverage. You can only deposit and withdraw Bitcoin, no fiat currency here. All wins and losses are denominated in Bitcoin. In a way, Trade8 is similar to PrimeXBT, but offers more markets and some other interesting options.
Let’s get into it!
Markets
Trade8 is a really winner when it comes to the variety of markets they offer. They offer everything from ALT coin trading, both with ALT/BTC pairs and ALT/USD pairs, Forex markets, Commodities markets, US Treasury Bonds, major US stocks, and indicies such as the SP500 and China50. Over all they offer OVER 110 trading pairs! This alone should be enough to peak your interest. You can check out the full list of pairs they have on their website trade8.to/markets
Fees
You’re probably thinking, I bet they have high fees! Well, actually, no. Trade8 doesn’t really have ‘fees’ per-say. When you open and close a trade, you won’t pay a fee on that trade, rather you’ll have to pay a “funding fee” or what they call a “decay” fee. Each asset has a slightly different rate of decay, but overall it’s quite fair. If you were to hold a position open for a week, you’d likely only wind up paying a few dollars in “decay” for that position. Obviously this isn’t great for people who are looking for really long term holds, but it’s still amazing that Trade8 offers such a competative and unique fee structure. Note: decay rates vary anywhere from 0.02%-0.3%
Trading and Leverage
The platform is simple and easy to use, with the ability to place market orders, and limit orders with a specified amount of leverage. They have an easy to use integrated stop loss and take profit order system as well. Overall, the platform is great. Veteran traders might be wishing for more advanced order types and features, but it’s likely these will come along at some point in the future. Leverage ranges on products, but to give you an idea leverage ranges from 5x all the way up to 300x. All Forex products offer leverage up to 300x. Crypto pairs and BTC are anywhere from 5x to 20x, commodities are typically up to 20x leverage, and stocks range similar to the crypto pairs from 5x-20x.
Security
Well, is it safe?
From what they claim, yes it is very safe. They use typical protocols that other exchanges use, such as keeping 98% of their Bitcoin in cold storage wallets.
Their servers are set up in a way to facilitate enhanced security. They have advanced DDos protection, and a firewall system.
In order to register an account on Trade8 you’ll have to do a full KYC, meaning you’ll have to upload a selfie and a copy of your passport or other identity document. Unfortunately, if you’re a US citizen, you won’t be allowed to trade on Trade8. This is because the SEC doesn’t like these types of ‘unregulated’ exchanges; but most other countries are allowed to register.
Deposits and Withdraw
Deposits and withdraws have no fees and are generally handled quickly. You only have to pay the BTC network fee, which is not associated with the exchange, but rather is the fee everyone has to pay when transferring BTC.
Remember, it’s a BTC only exchange, so you can’t use a debit/credit card, you have to fund your account in BTC, and you can only withdraw BTC.
Withdraws must be confirmed via a link sent to your e-mail.
What’s not to like ?
All of this seems great. Access to loads of markets, virtually no fees, easy to use, whats the catch then? Well, overall, in our view Trade8 is a solid platform. You may not like the BTC only in and out, or you may be looking for more advanced features, but even the people asking for these things can’t ignore the value that Trade8 is bringing to the table.
Some people may not also be in agreements with the KYC rule that the exchange asks for, as some people prefer being able to have an anonymous account.
Conclusion
Overall, we like and recommend Trade8. The ease of use, extremely low fees, and wide range of markets makes Trade8 a very interesting and attractive exchange to consider and use. Moreover, they offer up to 300x leverage on Forex products, which is something you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
If you’re looking for a place to trade more assest you can keep track of, and that’s easy to use, definitly consider Trade8