Borderpost

Availability · eligibility · local rules

Which crypto exchange serves your country?

Borderpost maps where crypto exchanges are actually available, what the local rules are, and how eligibility, KYC and legality differ from one country to the next. Every claim is dated. None of it is financial or legal advice.

Best exchange by countryStart with the UK

Every country claim dated · not financial or legal advice

The availability board
NUKEUUSCAAUCoinbaseKrakenCrypto.comBitpandaBinanceKuCoin
● served◑ limited / conditional⊘ barred — named only, never linked

Latest dispatches

All dispatches →
13Oct 13, 2026

Buy Bitcoin in Singapore: MAS-Licensed Crypto Exchanges Compared

Where to buy bitcoin in Singapore: the MAS-licensed exchanges, SGD funding costs, and the MAS rules on incentives, credit cards and staking.

Dispatch →12Oct 13, 2026

Best Crypto Exchanges in the UAE: VARA and ADGM Licensing Explained

Who licenses crypto exchanges in the UAE and which firms hold a VARA licence, with issue dates. Checked 9 Oct 2026.

Dispatch →11Oct 13, 2026

Is Kraken Available in New York? Licensed NY Crypto Exchanges

Kraken does not serve New York. Here is who NYDFS has licensed or chartered, which coins NY apps can list, and how to buy bitcoin in New York.

Dispatch →10Sep 9, 2026

How to Buy Crypto in India: Legal, but Heavily Taxed

Crypto is legal in India but taxed hard — a flat 30% on gains plus a 1% transaction levy — and exchanges must register with the financial-intelligence unit. A dated guide. Checked 2026-09-10.

Dispatch →09Sep 8, 2026

Using a Foreign Crypto Exchange and VPNs: The Honest Take

Reaching an exchange that is blocked in your country with a VPN or false details breaks its terms and can freeze your funds. Why geo-blocks exist and what to do instead. Checked 2026-09-10.

Dispatch →08Sep 6, 2026

Does Your Country Tax Crypto? A Pointer, Not Advice

In most countries, yes — selling, swapping or spending crypto is usually a taxable event, though the rules differ sharply. A dated pointer to the concepts and the authorities. Checked 2026-09-10.

Dispatch →

The single most useful question when you start with crypto is not which coin to buy or where the price is going. It is a question almost every ranking site skips: can you actually, legally, use this exchange where you live? That answer changes everything, and it is different in London, Berlin, New York, Toronto and Sydney.

Availability decides your shortlist, not price

An exchange has to be licensed or registered to offer its services to retail customers in each country, and most are not authorised everywhere. Binance closed new UK signups in October 2023 and suspended its EU services in 2026; KuCoin is barred from the United States until at least 2027. Meanwhile a handful of broadly reputable venues — Coinbase and Kraken among them — hold registrations across the UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia. So the first filter is never the fee table. It is the map. Our best crypto exchange by country hub lays out who serves where.

Because that map moves, everything on Borderpost carries a check-date. Rules that were true when we last looked — the ones marked 'checked 2026-09-10' — can change with a single regulator announcement, which is exactly why we date them and tell you to confirm the current position yourself.

What Borderpost covers, and what it deliberately does not

We own the 'where': which exchanges serve which country, the local regulatory frame (the UK's FCA financial-promotions regime, the EU's MiCA, Canada's CSA registration, Australia's AUSTRAC), local payment rails, and pointers to tax and legality. We do not rank coins, predict prices, tell you 'what to buy', or teach you to dodge a geo-block. If a country bars an exchange, we say so and name it — but we never send you there.

Start with the big markets: the best crypto exchange in the UK, or the dispatches on Canada, Australia, the EU under MiCA and the US landscape. If you are wondering whether any of this is even legal where you are, read is crypto legal around the world.

A geo-block is usually a sign that an exchange is not licensed to protect you in your country. The fix is an exchange that is authorised where you live — not a VPN.

Questions at the border

Why can't I use the same crypto exchange as someone in another country?
Because a crypto exchange has to be licensed or registered to serve retail users in each country, and most are not authorised everywhere. Binance closed new UK signups in October 2023 and suspended EU services in 2026; KuCoin is barred from the US until at least 2027. Reputable multi-market venues like Coinbase and Kraken hold registrations across the UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia, which is why availability, not price, decides your shortlist. Checked 2026-09-10 — verify current eligibility in your country.
Is crypto legal in my country?
In most major markets — the UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia — owning and trading crypto is legal but regulated, not banned. What changes is the rulebook: the UK runs an FCA financial-promotions regime, the EU applies MiCA, Canada registers platforms through the CSA, and Australia requires AUSTRAC registration. A handful of countries restrict or ban it outright. This is dated general information, checked 2026-09-10, not legal advice — confirm the current position with your national regulator.
Can I use a VPN to access an exchange that isn't available where I live?
You can technically, but you shouldn't, and we don't help you do it. Using a VPN or false details to get past a country block or KYC check breaks the exchange's terms of service and can get your account frozen and your withdrawals blocked — people have lost access to real money this way. Geo-restrictions usually exist because the exchange is not licensed to protect you in your country. The safer route is an exchange that is authorised where you actually live.
Do I pay tax on crypto in my country?
Almost certainly, in most countries, though the rules differ sharply. The UK, US, Canada and Australia generally tax crypto gains (as capital gains or income depending on the activity); India applies a flat 30% tax plus a 1% transaction levy. Some jurisdictions tax it lightly or not at all. We point you to the concepts and your tax authority — we do not give tax advice, and you should check your own country's current rules or ask a professional.
How do you decide which exchanges to recommend for a country?
We only shortlist exchanges that are authorised or registered to serve retail users in that specific market, and we only ever place an affiliate link to one that is compliant there. Where a venue is barred — Binance or KuCoin in the UK, EU or US, for example — we name it so you understand the landscape but never link it. Some of the exchanges we rate highly, like Bitstamp, pay us nothing; a payout never buys a place on a list.