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Global exchange reviews are written for buyers in the US or Europe. They rarely ask whether a platform accepts a Bahamian address, whether a Bahamian debit card will clear, or how you get US dollars back into a Nassau account. Those questions decide whether an exchange is usable here, so they come first in every review.
All reviews
How we review
Availability. We read each platform’s restricted-country list or terms. If they exclude The Bahamas or bury it in contradictions, we say so.
SCB DARE status. We check the Securities Commission’s latest register for the exact legal entity and note whether that entity serves retail users. A group company on the register does not always mean your account sits there.
Funding from Bahamian banks. We check whether Visa and Mastercard debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay or SWIFT wires are accepted, and price them with fees the banks report to the Central Bank, plus 1.5% Stamp duty (FX) A 1.5% government tax on converting Bahamian dollars into foreign currency, charged by your bank. Glossary.
Cash-out. We check whether you can sell and get US dollars back to a local bank or card, and what that costs.
Fees and licences. We read the official fee page and licence disclosures. If we cannot confirm something, the review says so.
The exchanges side by side
| Exchange | SCB register | Access from The Bahamas | How you pay | Headline fees | Licences elsewhere | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01CEX.IOBuying with a Bahamian debit card from $20 | Not listedNot on SCB register | Bahamas not on its 30-country unsupported list | Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto | Card 0.49%–4.99% + service charge; min $20 | UK FCA (FRN 1007192), US FinCEN MSB, Bank of Spain VASP | Visit site Read review |
| 02OKXWide altcoin choice and a large USD P2P board | RegisteredOKX Bahamas FinTech (institutional) | Terms route Bahamas retail users to an El Salvador entity; confirm eligibility | Card via partners, USD P2P, crypto | Spot from 0.08% maker / 0.10% taker | EU MiCA (Malta), Lithuania, Dubai VARA, US | Visit site Read review |
| 03UpholdA local registration with SCB oversight | RegisteredUphold Worldwide Ltd (exchange) | Bahamas-registered entity | Cards, bank transfer, crypto | Spread-based; BTC/ETH about 2% on published schedules | SCB DARE registration (exchange, custody, staking) | Visit site Read review |
| 04GateSpot and derivatives with a Bahamas entity | RegisteredGate Global Ltd | Bahamas site (gate.com/en-bs); confirm eligibility in writing | Card via partners, P2P, crypto | Tiered spot fees; see Gate fee page | SCB DARE registration; EU entity in Malta | Visit site Read review |
| 05KrakenLarger USD wires from a Bahamian bank | Not listedNot on SCB register | Bahamas not on its prohibited-country list | USD wire (SWIFT), crypto | Instant buy 1%–1.5% + spread; SWIFT withdrawal US$14 | US FinCEN & Wyoming SPDI, EU MiCA (Ireland), UK FCA | Visit site Read review |
| 06CoinbaseSelf-custody wallet and USDC | Not listedNot on SCB register | Listed for USDC and wallet trading; fiat buying unconfirmed | Crypto deposits; fiat limited | Varies by product | NYDFS BitLicense, EU MiCA (Luxembourg), Bermuda DABA | Visit site Read review |
| 07BitfinexActive traders moving existing crypto | RegisteredBitfinex Biz Ltd & Bitfinex Tech Inc. | Two Bahamas-registered entities | Crypto, on-ramp partner for cards | 0% maker / 0% taker on spot | SCB DARE registration | Visit site |
| 08GeminiConservative USD-wire buyers | Not listedNot on SCB register | Bahamas listed on Areas of Availability page | USD wire, crypto | See Gemini fee schedule | NYDFS trust charter, EU MiCA (Malta), UK FCA | Visit site |
| 09BinanceUSD P2P liquidity (BSD board is empty) | Not listedNot on SCB register | Bahamas not on lists we could read | USD P2P (Zelle, Wise, SWIFT), crypto | P2P takers typically 0% | ADGM (Abu Dhabi) and other national registrations | Visit site Read review |
| 10BybitA second USD P2P marketplace | Not listedNot on SCB register | Bahamas not on its excluded-country list | USD P2P, card via partners, crypto | See Bybit fee page | EU MiCA (Austria), Dubai VARA | Visit site |
What SCB registration does and doesn’t tell you
Under the DARE Act The Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act 2024, the Bahamian law that requires crypto businesses operating in or from The Bahamas to register with the Securities Commission. Glossary 2024, any business offering crypto services to non-accredited Bahamas residents must register, wherever it is based. Most global exchanges have not. That doesn’t make your account illegal; it means no Bahamian regulator can take your complaint. The SCB’s 2021–2026 supervision report also found only 1,376 Bahamas residents among more than two million clients of registered firms, so registration often serves clients abroad. Our registered companies guide covers all 35 firms.
Start small, whichever you choose
Verify your ID, buy B$20–B$50 with your debit card and move it to your own wallet.
Next, see what your bank charges on our Bahamian banks page, fix card declines with our card guide, plan the exit with our cash-out guide, or go back to the exchange comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which crypto exchanges are registered in The Bahamas?
The latest SCB register lists 35 businesses. Consumer brands include Uphold Worldwide, Gate Global, Bitfinex and an OKX entity that serves institutions. CEX.IO, Kraken, Coinbase and Binance are not on it.
Is it legal to use an exchange that is not SCB-registered?
Yes. The DARE Act 2024 puts the registration duty on businesses, not users. You simply have no Bahamian regulator to complain to.
Why don’t you give exchanges a score out of 10?
A single number hides the trade-off that matters most here: local registration on one side, card acceptance or licences abroad on the other. We describe each in concrete terms instead.
How often are these reviews updated?
We re-check country lists, fees and the SCB register monthly and update each review when something changes.
Before you open an account
Sources and verification
- Securities Commission of The Bahamas: DARE register
- Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act, 2024 29 Jul 2024
- Central Bank of The Bahamas: Commercial Bank Fees Schedule, December 2025 Jul 2026
- SCB: Digital Asset Supervision and Surveillance Report 2021–2026
- CEX.IO: countries and territories not supported
- Kraken: geographic restrictions