8 Best Crypto Exchanges In Sri Lanka

August 29, 2022
Blog

Choosing the best cryptocurrency exchange in Sri Lanka isn’t easy, given all the options out there and the different features each of them offers. As an avid crypto investor myself, I diligently keep up with the movements of the top exchanges in Sri Lanka, and have made my selections below based on years of research and personal experience.

Crypto.com is the favorite among knowledgeable Sri Lankan crypto investors, both for its high level of security and for its ease of use. Crypto.com's fees are also extremely low, so if you’re looking for a secure, cost-effective way to buy and sell crypto in Sri Lanka, I can’t recommend Crypto.com highly enough.

Here’s something you may not realize: the cryptocurrency exchange you choose matters. Your choice will impact how profitable your trades are, how easily you can buy and sell coins, and whether you can use it in Sri Lanka at all.

Fortunately, I've been investing in crypto for more than 9 years, and I frequently update my list of the top platforms below. So if you’re looking for a safe and secure crypto exchange that’s easy to use, supports the Sri Lankan rupee, and is compatible with the biggest financial institutions in Sri Lanka, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are my top picks for the best crypto exchanges Sri Lanka has to offer.

1. Crypto.com

Best For Altcoins
Crypto.com

Trading fees: 0.4%
Security: 95% cold storage
Signup bonus: $10

Trade with 10x leverage.

★★★★

Rated 4.3/5

Crypto.com is a major global player that brings a mature, proven exchange to experienced crypto investors. It supports 100+ cryptocurrencies, making it an ideal fit for anyone looking to invest in undiscovered altcoins before the masses.

Crypto.com offers some unique features that no other cryptocurrency exchange can match. Users can trade options and futures contracts, earn interest by staking their coins, and make trades with up to 10x leverage when they feel particularly confident in a coin.

Crypto.com also has invested an enormous amount of money into its platform's security, making trading with them extremely safe. The exchange is lightning quick (prices update dozens of times per second), which gives day traders an upper hand over the rest of the market.

Overall, Crypto.com is a solid exchange for investors looking to cash in on brand-new altcoins.

Features

  • Average trading fees (0.4%)
  • Supports 100+ cryptocurrencies
  • Allows up to 10x leverage
  • Trade crypto derivatives (futures and options contracts)
  • Earn daily interest by staking your coins
  • Purchase newly-listed coins at up to 50% off
  • Free deposits from all cryptocurrencies

Cost

  • Account Opening: Free
  • Trading Fees: 0.4%

Best For

Investors looking to buy altcoins and other new crypto assets before they go mainstream.

2. Gate.io

Founded in 2013, Gate.io is among the top 10 crypto exchanges in the world by volume, and it is the largest in terms of offerings: currently, it supports over 1,200 different cryptos. Among the biggest, there’s Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, and Ethereum.

Gate.io has a very interesting rewards system: the GateToken (GT). Similar to Binance’s BNB Coin, GateToken can be purchased from any exchange, and if you’re holding GateTokens when you’re purchasing or selling crypto, you get a significant discount on the fees. If you hold 500 GT in your wallet, you get the maximum discount.

As a new Gate.io user, you can receive a 30%-50% rebate on all your fees. If you have a significant audience, you can signup for their ambassador program and refer friends to earn additional rewards. Keep in mind this bonus stacks with your GateTokens discount, and it’s important to note that Gate.io doesn’t allow for fiat deposits.

Features

  • Earn discounts by holding GateToken (GT)
  • Supports 1,200+ cryptocurrencies
  • Cold and hot wallet storage
  • 2FA authentication and withdrawal password

Cost

  • Maker’s Fees: From 0.2% to 0.155%
  • Maker’s Fees (*Holding GT tokens): From 0.15% to 0.116%
  • Taker’s Fees: From 0.2% to 0.165%
  • Taker’s Fees (*Holding GT tokens): From 0.15% to 0.124%

Signup Bonus

30%-50% off trading fees

Best For

Investors who already have crypto and are looking for a spot trading platform.

3. Huobi Global

Huobi Global is the sixth largest crypto exchange, based in the island nation Seychelles but with strong ties in the Asian market, with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. It also has a strong presence in Europe in countries like Italy and Portugal.

Huobi offers competitively low fees starting at 0.2%. Additionally, it offers plenty of tools veteran investors will appreciate: interactive charts, limit and stop orders, and margins and futures trading. Huobi supports over 400 cryptocurrencies.

New Huobi users will receive a $150 bonus in point cards and will get the chance to start earning Huobi Tokens (HT) for additional discounts—the more Huobi Tokens you hold, the higher the tier and the lower the fees. In terms of security, it offers 2FA authentication and the option to freeze your account.

Features

  • 24/7 customer support available via live chat or email
  • Instant account verification
  • Supports over 400 cryptocurrencies
  • 98% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure
  • Earn crypto rewards through staking
  • Huobi Tokens, earn discounts and rebates just by holding the token

Cost

  • Trading Fees: From 0.20% to 0.07% based on HT tier
  • Maker’s Fees: From 0.0362% to 0.0097% based on HT tier
  • Taker’s Fees: From 0.0462% to 0.0193% based on HT tier

Signup Bonus

$150 in Huobi Point Cards bonus

Best For

Veteran investors looking for the very best investing tools and access to some of the newest cryptocurrencies.

4. Liquid.com

Liquid.com is a cryptocurrency trading platform based in Tokyo, Japan. It supports 10 fiat currencies, including USD, JPY, SGD, and HKD, and over 100+ crypto assets. It was founded in 2014 and consistently ranks among the top 10 exchanges in the world – in terms of volume and liquidity. On top of the spot trading platform, it also supports margin trading with up to 25x leverage on select crypto assets.

In terms of fees, Liquid is ahead of many exchanges – for starters, it doesn’t charge fees for depositing any of their 10 supported fiat currencies or the 100+ supported cryptocurrencies. For crypto withdrawals, you only pay network fees (0.0005 BTC for Bitcoin), and for fiat withdrawals, the fee ranges from 0.1% – 0.55% depending on the method you choose.

Liquid.com uses a tiered maker/take fee system based on volume. Taker’s fees start at 0.30% and can go as low as 0.03% (or even lower if you pay using QASH). Maker’s fees are lower, starting at 0.20%, and users can get up to a 50% rebate by referring friends – coupled with the trading volume rebate, it’s very easy to list your crypto without paying any fee.

Features

  • Margin trading
  • Supports 100+ cryptocurrencies
  • Supports 10+ fiat currencies
  • Customer support available 24/7
  • Up to 25x leverage
  • 95% Cold storage policy
  • Secured with Multi-party computation (MPC) protocols

Cost

  • Maker’s Fees: From 0.20% to 0.0% (based on 30-day trading volume)
  • Taker’s Fees: From 0.30% to 0.03% (based on 30-day trading volume)
  • Deposit Fees (Crypto): Free
  • Withdrawal Fee (Crypto): Depends on the crypto (0.0005 BTC for Bitcoin)
  • Deposit Fees (Fiat): Free
  • Withdrawal Fee (Fiat): From 0.0% to 0.55% (depending on the method)

5. Okcoin

Launched in 2013, Okcoin is a California-based American exchange with over 100,000 crypto investors across 190+ countries. It supports 70+ crypto assets, including the biggest like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also altcoins and lesser-known blockchain protocols.

Okcoin doesn’t charge trading fees – instead, it uses a volume-based fee system, where makers are charged 0.1% – 0.0% (based on the last 30-day trading volume) and takers are charged 0.2% – 0.02%, also based on volume. 

Okcoin is available worldwide and supports SEPA payment deposits in Europe and electronic fund transfers (using the ACH network) in the U.S. One of Okcoin’s best features is its staking platform, where investors can lock in one of the supported cryptos (for a fixed term) and earn up to 17% APY, depending on the asset (10% for BTC).

Fiat deposits using debit cards are on the high side – you can end up paying up 3.99%, so it’s recommended, whenever possible, that you use a different deposit method. Okcoin is licensed in the US and registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Features

  • Supports 70+ cryptocurrencies
  • Quick verification process
  • Set up automatic purchases using dollar-cost averaging
  • Available on Android (4.1/5 rating) and iOS (4/5 rating)
  • Okcoin Earn (Up to 10% APY on BTC deposits)

Cost

  • Trading Fees: Free
  • Spread: 1% – 1.5%
  • Maker’s Fees: From 0.1% to 0.0% (based on trading volume)
  • Taker’s Fees: From 0.2% to 0.02% (based on trading volume)
  • Debit Card Deposit Fees: 3.99%

6. Paybis

Paybis is a cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2014 and is located in the United Kingdom. It enables you to purchase and trade cryptocurrencies, and it’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Paybis allows customers to purchase supported crypto coins in 47 distinct fiat currencies. The Turkish Lira, the Canadian Dollar, US Dollars, Euros, and the Pound Sterling are among the currently supported fiat currencies on the platform.

Features

  • Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  • Instant account verification
  • Wide variety of supported payment methods
  • Has a referral program
  • Supports a wide array of fiat currencies
  • Very fast customer support response time

Cost

  • Credit/debit card purchases: 5% + 0.1 USD
  • Skrill purchases: 3.54% + 0.1 USD
  • Advanced Cash purchases: 3.95% + 0.1 USD
  • Neteller purchases: 3.54 + 0.1 USD
  • Payeer purchases: 4.95% + 0.1 USD
  • Bank wire purchases: 3% + 0.1 USD
  • Bank transfer (SEPA) purchases: 1.5% + 1 EUR

Best For

Investors new to the world of cryptocurrency trading looking for an easy-to-understand crypto exchange.

7. Pursa

Pursa is different than most crypto exchanges on this list. It is a Cameroon-based peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2017 by Mbuh Jude, with the goal to release a fully decentralized trading platform. When you use Pursa you don’t make any deposit to the platform – you actually trade directly with the buyer. 

Using this platform has many benefits compared to regular exchanges; for starters, Pursa doesn’t charge deposit or withdrawal fees—you only pay spreads, which range from 1% – 3%, and there's no registration process. Transactions are completed instantly and anonymously and deposited directly to your wallet.

Pursa is supported in over 200 countries and has an attractive referral program: you can earn up to 20% of all sales your referee makes – with no limits. You can invite as many friends as you want. One major downside is that you can only trade Bitcoin using this platform.

Features

  • Supports (only) Bitcoin
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • No registration needed
  • Instant Bitcoin deposits directly to your wallet
  • Completely anonymous
  • Attractive referral program (earn 20% of your referees’ sales)

Cost

  • Spreads: 1% – 3%

8. SpectroCoin

SpectroCoin was launched in 2013 and is one of the oldest crypto exchanges. It supports 49 of the biggest cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Polygon (MATIC), and Polkadot (POL). It also supports 14 of the biggest payment methods, including SEPA, Skrill, and Neteller.

SpectroCoin doesn’t charge any fees for makers – in fact, makers get paid up to 0.1% for listing their crypto in the market. Taker’s, on the other hand, pay a flat 0.1% fee for every trade. Depositing crypto is completely free, and withdrawing incurs only network fees (0.0005 BTC for Bitcoin). 

SpectroCoin supports collateralized loans with competitive APR (8.55% for BTC) and up to 75% LTV. That means you can consider other investments without ever losing your long position on crypto assets. They also released a crypto debit card, which can be topped up with fiat or crypto and is accepted anywhere Visa is.

One of SpectroCoin’s downsides is its strong ties with the BNK token – holding the tokens is a must if you want to access lower trading fees and lower APR on loans. Their fiat deposit/withdrawal fees can also be very high, going up to 5.5% depending on the payment method. 

Features

  • Supports 49 cryptocurrencies
  • SpectroCoin Visa Debit Card
  • Crypto loans using your crypto as collateral (8.55% APR for BTC)
  • Get paid for increasing liquidity in the market
  • Up to 75% LTV on crypto loans
  • Available in Android (3.7/5 rating) and iOS (2.9/5 rating) 

Cost

  • Maker’s Fees: From 0% to -0.1% (based on BNK holdings)
  • Taker’s Fees: 0.1%
  • Deposit Fees (Crypto): Free
  • Withdrawal Fee (Crypto): Depends on the cryptocurrency (0.0005 BTC for Bitcoin)
  • Deposit Fees (Fiat): Up to 5.5% (depending on the method)
  • Withdrawal Fee (Fiat): Up to 5.5% (depending on the method)

Best For

Investors who can take advantage of collateralized loans.

Why you should trust me

  • Experienced
    I bought my first cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) in 2013, bought Ethereum in 2017, and have held active accounts with at least 5 exchanges since 2018.
  • Unbiased
    All of my selections are supported by multiple data points, including crypto thought leaders, security experts, and Trustpilot reviews.
  • Deep Research
    My team and I spent more than 20 hours researching exchanges before choosing our top picks, and we update them almost daily as the industry continues to change.

What To Look For In A Great Sri Lankan Crypto Exchange

I consider many different factors in my search for the best Sri Lankan crypto exchange. Here are just a few of the more prominent ones:

  • Supported coins: The best Sri Lankan crypto exchanges support a wide variety of coins—at least 20 or 30—including all the major coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Platforms that add new coins regularly tend to be more customer-focused overall, making this a strong indicator of a forward-thinking exchange.
  • User interface: Choosing a platform with an easy-to-use trading interface is important, especially for beginners. If you're a seasoned crypto investor, you'll also want to look out for exchanges that offer more advanced features like advanced order types and transaction exports for tax purposes.
  • Fees: All crypto exchanges charge fees (both in the form of trading commissions and bid-ask spreads), and they can vary by a wide margin. I've specifically chosen low-fee platforms here to help you maximize your profits.
  • Regulation: It's much safer to trade with a well-regulated exchange than an unregulated one, especially when markets aren't moving in your favor. Depositors' insurance is another safeguard offered by some exchanges, which keeps your assets safe even if the platform itself faces liquidity issues.
  • Deposit & withdrawal options: The exchange you choose should offer a variety of payment methods (bank transfers, debit/credit cards, PayPal, etc.) to ensure you can easily transfer funds in and out of your account. The more options you have, the better.
  • Security: Look for an exchange that strictly enforces multiple layers of security, such as two-factor authentication and at least 95% cold storage. Additional security measures like daily offsite backups, third-party security audits, and email confirmations on transactions make your account even more secure.
  • Customer support: The best crypto exchanges pride themselves on having well-trained, responsive support teams who can help users through any problems that come up. I pay particular attention to the channels each exchange offers support through, response times, the thoroughness and helpfulness of their responses, and user feedback on the customer support they've received.

In Summary

Choosing the best cryptocurrency exchange in Sri Lanka isn’t easy, given all the options out there and the different features each of them offers. As an avid crypto investor myself, I diligently keep up with the movements of the top exchanges in Sri Lanka, and have made my selections below based on years of research and personal experience.

Crypto.com is the favorite among knowledgeable Sri Lankan crypto investors, both for its high level of security and for its ease of use. Crypto.com's fees are also extremely low, so if you’re looking for a secure, cost-effective way to buy and sell crypto in Sri Lanka, I can’t recommend Crypto.com highly enough.

Best Crypto Exchange Sri Lanka FAQs

Which Sri Lankan crypto exchange has the lowest fees?

The Sri Lankan crypto exchange with the lowest fees is generally Crypto.com, depending on the specific crypto assets you're trading. In most cases, Crypto.com will be the cheapest option.

What’s the best crypto wallet in Sri Lanka?

The best crypto wallet is the Ledger Nano S hardware wallet. It is the best way to keep your private keys secure and, more importantly, offline. All Ledger wallets are certified by the French National Agency of Security and are among the safest and most cost-efficient wallets out there, and they support 1,200+ crypto assets, coins, and tokens.

What’s the best altcoin exchange in Sri Lanka?

The best altcoin exchange in Sri Lanka is one of Crypto.com or Gate.io. All of them support a wide variety of cryptocurrencies and regularly add more of the altcoins Sri Lankan investors are looking for.

What is the safest crypto wallet in Sri Lanka?

The Ledger Nano S is the safest wallet available today. All Ledger wallets far exceed industry standards for security: they use tamper-resistant Certified Secure Element (SE) with Common Criteria (CC) EAL5+ chips on their nanodevices, which means your private key stays on the secure chip. It also has a proprietary operating system called Blockchain Open Ledger Operating System (BOLOS) that's successfully undergone audits from the French National Agency of Security, many other government agencies, as well as regular audits from independent security organizations. 

What’s the safest crypto exchange in Sri Lanka?

The safest cryptocurrency exchange in Sri Lanka is Crypto.com. They strictly enforce bank-level security protocols, run on servers in secure locations around the world, and undergo frequent financial and security audits to ensure all of their users’ assets are completely safe. They also have some of the lowest fees of any platform in Sri Lanka and are known for being a reputable, trustworthy exchange.

How Can I Sell Bitcoin In Sri Lanka?

There are several different ways to sell Bitcoin in Sri Lanka, though the easiest is to sell it directly from the crypto wallet or exchange that you’re holding it on. Remember to be cautious whenever you transfer coins between wallets, since blockchain transactions are irreversible.

What crypto exchange is best for beginners in Sri Lanka?

The best crypto exchange for beginners in Sri Lanka is generally Crypto.com. Both are ideal for beginners because they verify accounts instantly, have easy-to-use trading platforms, and provide great customer support in case you need any help along the way.

Is cryptocurrency legal in Sri Lanka?

Yes, cryptocurrency is legal in Sri Lanka, and you can buy, sell and use crypto without breaking the law. However, cryptocurrency is not currently considered legal tender in Sri Lanka, which means the Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan businesses are not legally obligated to accept it as payment for goods and services.

What’s the best crypto app in Sri Lanka?

The best crypto app in Sri Lanka is Crypto.com. Its mobile app is very easy to use, has a nice, modern interface, and has very good ratings and reviews on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. If you live in a country like Sudan or Spain instead, you’ll have to double-check to ensure you can get the Crypto.com app in your local app store.

What is the best crypto exchange for day trading in Sri Lanka?

The best crypto exchange for day trading in Sri Lanka is Crypto.com, since it has low trading fees, tight spreads, and its prices update multiple times per second, giving day traders an upper hand over the rest of the market.

Can the Sri Lankan government track cryptocurrency?

Yes. Just like in places such as South Africa, Serbia, Somalia and Spain, Sri Lankan tax authorities can track cryptocurrency trades and transactions—and not only when your digital assets interact with real-world institutions like banks. Some exchanges in Sri Lanka are required by law to provide the government with information about their users’ transactions, including purchase price, purchase date, sale value, and all associated KYC data. If your tax returns don’t match the data the government receives from these exchanges, you may receive a fine.

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