Best crypto trading platforms in Singapore: 8 MAS-licensed options reviewed

Search for "best crypto exchange Singapore" and you get lists that skip the basic questions. Does this platform actually hold a MAS licence? Does it take retail customers? Is that fee from the official page, or copied from another blog? This ranking includes only platforms licensed for digital payment token (DPT) services in Singapore and open to ordinary residents.

If the local rules are new to you — why local credit cards don't work, why there are no sign-up bonuses — read our guide to buying crypto in Singapore first, then come back to pick a platform.

01Best crypto exchanges in Singapore, 2026

Scores weight licence and safety (30%), real cost (25%), SGD deposits and withdrawals (20%), app and website experience (15%) and coins and features (10%). They are editorial opinions, not investment advice; see our methodology.

1. Editor’s pick · transparent fees

   Independent ReserveMAS Major Payment Institution · Australian roots

   One of the few Singapore retail platforms that publishes a full fee schedule. PayNow deposits are free, the base trading fee is 0.5%, and it falls with 30-day volume to as low as 0.02%. The interface is plain, but you get a real order book, limit orders and an OTC desk — ideal if you want to know exactly what you pay.

   • Trading fee from 0.5%
   • Free PayNow deposits
   • FAST withdrawal S$1.50
   • OTC desk
   8.8/10

   Official site ↗
2. Best local app for beginners

   CoinhakoMAS Major Payment Institution · Hako Technology

   One of Singapore’s best-known home-grown crypto apps, reportedly with more than 400,000 registered local users. PayNow and FAST deposits are free and instant; the standard buy/sell fee is about 0.6%, and limit or recurring buys about 0.5%. Japan’s SBI Holdings took a majority stake on 16 July 2026. Note that prices come from liquidity providers, not a public order book.

   • Standard fee about 0.6%
   • Limit / recurring about 0.5%
   • GrabPay funding about 2.8%
   • Majority-owned by SBI
   8.6/10

   Official site ↗
3. OKX SGMAS Major Payment Institution

   Since November 2024 OKX SG has offered PayNow and FAST through DBS, with SGD deposits and withdrawals reported to be instant and free, plus Singpass onboarding. The pro interface is clean and the coin list is longer than local brokers’. OKX Pay lets you pay GrabPay SGQR merchants in USDT or USDC. We could not read its Singapore fee page — check it before trading.

   • SGD in/out reported free
   • Singpass onboarding
   • OKX Pay at SGQR merchants
   • Fees: check official page
   8.6/10

   Official site ↗ Read →
4. CoinbaseCoinbase Singapore · US-listed

   One of the friendliest interfaces for first-timers, with a MAS Major Payment Institution licence and a sizeable local team (about 200 staff, according to press reports). The catch is cost: Simple buy bundles a spread with a fee, which can add up to noticeably more than order-book trading. Use Advanced trade if you want to keep costs down.

   • Beginner-friendly
   • MAS-licensed
   • Simple buy includes spread
   • Bank-transfer funding
   8.4/10

   Official site ↗ Read →
5. Crypto.comForis DAX Asia

   A polished all-in-one app, MAS-licensed in Singapore, with a Visa crypto card available locally. Buying inside the app includes a spread; the separate Exchange order book is cheaper. Because of MAS rules, retail users in Singapore will not see rewards or leverage features.

   • Polished app
   • Visa crypto card
   • App prices include spread
   • MAS-licensed
   8.2/10

   Official site ↗ Read →
6. GeminiUS exchange · Singapore entity

   Known for compliance and security, but pricey for small trades: the ActiveTrader base tier is 0.60% maker / 1.20% taker on the global schedule. Gemini reportedly obtained a MAS licence in 2023, but it was not named in a 2026 industry list — check its current status in the MAS directory before you sign up.

   • ActiveTrader 0.60% / 1.20%
   • Verify licence status
   • Strong security record
   7.6/10

   Official site ↗
7. Bitstampby Robinhood

   Founded in 2011 and now owned by Robinhood, Bitstamp reportedly holds a MAS Major Payment Institution licence and serves retail customers. The coin list is short but covers the majors. Check fees and SGD funding options on its Singapore pages.

   • Veteran exchange
   • Major coins
   • Fees: check official page
   7.5/10

   Official site ↗
8. Upbit SingaporeAffiliate of Korea’s Upbit

   The Singapore arm of Korea’s largest exchange, reportedly MAS-licensed and, as of July 2026, one of the Singapore Police Force Cyber Command’s anti-scam partners. We could not verify its SGD funding options or fees, and there is less community information about it than about the platforms above.

   • MAS-licensed (reported)
   • SPF anti-scam partner
   • Fees unverified
   7.4/10

   Official site ↗

02Fees compared: who is actually cheap?

Singapore's retail platforms usually charge more than the global giants. The reason is no mystery: a small market, high compliance costs and a ban on incentives leave trading fees as the main way to pay the bills. The chart shows base-tier trading fees only — and note the labels: only Independent Reserve's and Gemini's figures were verified on official pages.

Trading fees are only part of the bill. Three other items decide what you really pay: the spread (one-tap "buy" prices in apps such as Coinbase Simple buy or the Crypto.com app sit above the order book), deposit fees (PayNow is mostly free; GrabPay funding on Coinhako reportedly costs 2.8%) and withdrawal fees (S$1.50 per FAST withdrawal at Independent Reserve, reportedly about S$2 at Coinhako).

For the bigger picture on costs, see our crypto fees guide.

Our view is simple. If you invest a few hundred dollars a month, the gap between 0.1% and 0.6% is tens of dollars a year — pick the app you find easiest. If you are buying tens of thousands in one go, use limit orders, an order book or an OTC desk to squeeze the spread.

03Website, app and onboarding UX

In Singapore, onboarding quality comes down to three things: Singpass MyInfo support, how clearly the risk-awareness assessment is designed, and whether a PayNow deposit lands in one scan. The scores below (1–5) are our editorial view based on each platform's documented sign-up flow and interface — not lab measurements.

For a wider app comparison, see best crypto apps.

04Coinhako review: strengths and limits of a local favourite

"Is Coinhako good?" is one of the most common questions from Singapore readers. It is run by Hako Technology under a MAS Major Payment Institution licence, and since 16 July 2026 Japan's SBI Holdings has held a majority stake — putting a large financial group behind it.

05StraitsX and DBS Digital Exchange: not regular exchanges, worth knowing

StraitsX mainly mints and redeems XSGD and XUSD, and also offers a retail wallet. If you need a Singapore-dollar stablecoin for on-chain transfers or payments, it is more direct than swapping back and forth on an exchange. It is not a "pick a coin and buy" platform, so it is not in the ranking above.

DBS's Digital Exchange (DDEx) is licensed through DBS Vickers but is open only to institutional and accredited investors. Even long-standing DBS retail customers cannot use it to buy crypto.

06How to check a platform in the MAS directory

1. Open the MAS Financial Institutions Directory

   Go to eservices.mas.gov.sg/fid — the official MAS register, not a third-party site.

2. Search the operating company’s legal name

   Hako Technology for Coinhako, Foris DAX Asia for Crypto.com, Coinbase Singapore for Coinbase. App brand names often return nothing.

3. Check the licence type and activities

   Look for Major or Standard Payment Institution, with “digital payment token service” among the licensed activities.

4. Confirm it serves retail customers

   Many licensees serve only institutional or accredited investors (DBS DDEx is one). Check the platform’s own site to confirm ordinary residents can sign up.

5. Search the Investor Alert List too

   Search the platform name or domain on the MAS Investor Alert List. A listing means MAS thinks it could be mistaken for a licensed firm.

Tokenize Xchange operated as a licence applicant until MAS rejected it, and customers were left facing a shortfall of about S$266 million. That is why we insist: if it is not in the directory, it does not count. For more on judging exchanges, read exchange safety and licences; for storage after you buy, see best crypto wallets.

Comparing other markets? See the Hong Kong exchange ranking and our Malaysia guide.

FAQ

Sources

• MAS Financial Institutions Directory · checked Oct 2026
• Independent Reserve Singapore — fees · checked 1 Oct 2026
• Gemini — API / ActiveTrader fee schedule · checked Oct 2026
• StraitsX — licences · checked Oct 2026
• MAS Investor Alert List · checked Oct 2026

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