The Best Crypto-Friendly Brokers in 2026
Buying crypto through a regulated broker is safer than most exchanges — but you give up something too. Here are our top picks and the trade-offs.
Broker vs exchange: the real trade-off
A regulated broker holds your crypto under custodial rules (segregated wallets at qualified custodians like BitGo, Paxos, or Fireblocks), is subject to capital requirements, and is covered by client-money protections. Most crypto-only exchanges — even large ones — are not. In exchange for that safety you give up: (a) the number of coins available (a broker might list 30–75, an exchange 400+), (b) the ability to withdraw to your own wallet (some brokers block this), and (c) usually staking rewards and yield products. If you plan to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum and hold them for years, a regulated broker is the better choice for most people.
eToro — the easiest regulated route
eToro offers 75+ cryptocurrencies with real spot custody at eToro X (Gibraltar Financial Services Commission license). Buy, hold, and — in eligible jurisdictions — withdraw to the eToro Money wallet or an external address. Copy trading extends to crypto portfolios. Spreads are wider than Coinbase Pro or Kraken (typically 1% on BTC, 1.5–3% on altcoins), which is the price of the integrated regulated experience.
Interactive Brokers — crypto as part of a full portfolio
IBKR offers spot crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH and a handful of others) via Paxos Trust Company, with the lowest commission of any regulated route: 0.12%–0.18% per trade, minimum $1.75. No spread markup on top. If you want crypto exposure inside the same account as your stocks and options, and you're comfortable with a shorter coin list, this is the cheapest regulated option in the US.
Coinbase — the middle ground
Not a traditional broker, but a US-listed public company (NASDAQ: COIN) regulated by the NYDFS, FCA, and several EU authorities. Coinbase Advanced offers 300+ tokens with real spot custody, staking on eligible assets, and self-custody via Coinbase Wallet. Fees are competitive on Advanced (0.05%–0.6% taker, tiered by volume). For US investors who want more coins than a broker offers but still want a public, regulated counterparty, Coinbase is the practical choice.
Kraken — for slightly more sophisticated users
MSB-registered in the US, FCA-registered in the UK, and one of the oldest exchanges (founded 2011) with no major security incidents. 200+ tokens, futures, margin, and best-in-class staking. Fees are among the lowest in the industry (0.16% maker / 0.26% taker on the standard tier). The UI is denser than Coinbase but far more powerful.
How to actually store crypto safely
For amounts under about $5,000: leave it at a top-tier regulated broker or exchange with 2FA and a withdrawal whitelist. For amounts above that: withdraw at least the majority to a hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor, or an air-gapped Keystone). Write your seed phrase on paper or metal, in two locations, and never digitally. The single biggest cause of lost crypto in 2026 remains lost seed phrases and phishing — not exchange failures. If your broker doesn't allow withdrawal to your own wallet, that's a real limitation for meaningful sums.