How to Use KuCoin: Complete Beginner's Guide 2026

KuCoin, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Seychelles, is one of the longer-standing mid-tier exchanges — and its automated trading features are genuinely impressive. Built-in grid trading bots, DCA bots, and a clean copy trading system set it apart from most competitors.

This guide walks through everything a new user needs to know.

Why KuCoin?

700+ trading pairs: Solid altcoin selection, including many mid-caps
Built-in trading bots: Grid bot, DCA bot, Infinity Grid — no third-party software needed
Copy trading: Follow and copy professional traders
KuCoin Earn: Flexible and fixed savings products, up to 15% APY
KCS token discounts: Hold KuCoin Token (KCS) for fee reductions and daily dividend-like payouts

Use code QBSDFQ2Q or register here.

Step 1: Create Your KuCoin Account

Go to kucoin.com/r/rf/QBSDFQ2Q
Click Sign Up
Choose email registration
Enter your email and a strong password
Confirm referral code QBSDFQ2Q is showing
Complete email verification

Step 2: Complete KYC

KuCoin offers two KYC tiers. Individual KYC unlocks full trading and withdrawal access.

Click your profile → Verification
Select Individual Verification
Choose your country
Upload your ID (passport, national ID, or driver's license)
Complete the facial recognition check
Submit and wait for approval (typically 5–30 minutes)

KuCoin KYC Tiers:

Tier	Daily Withdrawal	Required
No KYC	1 BTC	None
Individual KYC	200 BTC	ID + selfie
Advanced KYC	500 BTC	Additional verification

Step 3: Security Setup

After registration:

Enable Google Authenticator: Profile → Security → 2-Step Verification
Enable trading password: A separate password required for placing trades
Enable withdrawal verification: Email + 2FA confirmation for all withdrawals

KuCoin has a strong security history but has experienced one major hack (2020, $275M stolen — most eventually recovered). The extra security layers are worth the 5 minutes.

Step 4: Deposit Funds

Buy with Card

Click Buy Crypto → Credit/Debit Card
Select fiat currency and crypto to buy
Enter amount and complete payment via Visa/Mastercard or Apple Pay

Transfer from Another Exchange

Go to Assets → Deposit
Select cryptocurrency (USDT recommended)
Choose network (TRC-20 for cheapest)
Copy deposit address
Send from your other exchange

Step 5: Spot Trading on KuCoin

Click Spot in the navigation
Search for your trading pair in the search bar (e.g., BTC/USDT)
The trading view opens with the order book, chart, and order form
Select Market (instant fill) or Limit (at your price)
Enter USDT amount and click Buy

KuCoin's spot interface is clean but takes a bit more navigating than Binance. The mobile app is generally easier for beginners.

Step 6: KuCoin Trading Bots (A Standout Feature)

KuCoin's built-in trading bots are available to all users at no extra cost. This is genuinely one of the best features on any exchange.

Grid Bot

Automatically buys and sells within a price range, profiting from price oscillation.

How it works:

You set a price range (e.g., BTC $60,000–$70,000)
KuCoin divides this range into equal "grids"
Bot buys when price drops to a grid, sells when it rises to the next grid
Profits from volatility regardless of direction

Best for: Ranging markets where price is moving up and down within a range.

Setup:

Go to Trade → Trading Bot → Grid Bot
Select trading pair (BTC/USDT)
Choose AI parameters (KuCoin recommends settings based on recent volatility) or set your own
Enter investment amount
Click Create

DCA Bot

Buys a fixed amount of crypto at set intervals — automating dollar-cost averaging.

Setup:

Go to Trade → Trading Bot → DCA Bot
Select your asset
Set interval (daily, weekly, bi-weekly)
Set purchase amount
Create

This is the same as Binance's recurring buy but with more configuration options.

Smart Rebalance Bot

Maintains your target portfolio allocation automatically by selling over-allocated assets and buying under-allocated ones.

Step 7: Copy Trading on KuCoin

Go to More → Copy Trading
Browse the leaderboard of available traders
Filter by ROI, win rate, max drawdown
Click Copy on a trader you like
Set your copy amount and maximum per trade
Activate

KuCoin's copy trading is comparable to Bitget's. Bitget has a larger pool of professional traders, but KuCoin's interface is slightly more intuitive.

Step 8: KuCoin Earn

KuCoin Earn offers flexible and fixed staking for many assets:

Go to Earn in navigation
Browse available assets and APY rates
Select Flexible or choose a fixed term
Enter amount and subscribe

Notable earn products:

USDT Flexible: 3–6% APY
KCS Fixed (90 days): 8–12% APY
BTC Flexible: 1–3% APY

Step 9: KCS Token Benefits

KuCoin Token (KCS) is KuCoin's native exchange token. Holding KCS gives you:

Fee discounts: The more KCS you hold, the lower your trading fees
KCS Bonus: Daily dividends from 50% of KuCoin's trading fees, distributed to KCS holders proportionally
Access to KuCoin Spotlight: New token launches at early prices

KCS Held	Fee Discount
0 KCS	0.1% standard
100 KCS	Small discount
1,000 KCS	Moderate discount
10,000+ KCS	Maximum discount

KuCoin vs Binance vs Bitget

Feature	KuCoin	Binance	Bitget
Spot Fees	0.1% (0.08% w/KCS)	0.1% (0.075% w/BNB)	0.1%
Trading Bots	Built-in (excellent)	Via 3rd party	Limited
Copy Trading	Good	Limited	Excellent
Altcoin Selection	700+	350+	800+
Earn Products	Good	Best selection	Good
P2P Trading	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mobile App	Good	Excellent	Good

When to use KuCoin: When you want built-in trading bots, a solid altcoin selection, and the KCS dividend system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is KuCoin safe after the 2020 hack? Yes — KuCoin fully compensated affected users and significantly upgraded security. They have not had a major security incident since. That said, for large holdings, always use a hardware wallet.

Can Hong Kong users use KuCoin? Yes. KuCoin is accessible from Hong Kong. HKID is accepted for KYC.

What is the minimum deposit on KuCoin? No minimum deposit amount. You can start with any amount. The minimum trade is typically $1–5 USD equivalent.

How do I withdraw HKD from KuCoin? KuCoin supports P2P trading to convert USDT to HKD via bank transfer or FPS. Go to Buy Crypto → P2P → Sell USDT → Select HKD.

Summary

Step	Action
1	Register with code QBSDFQ2Q
2	Complete KYC
3	Enable Google Authenticator + trading password
4	Deposit USDT via TRC-20
5	Explore Spot, set up a Grid Bot or DCA Bot
6	Try Copy Trading for hands-off exposure