10 Best New Zealand Crypto Exchanges in 2025

The best crypto exchanges in New Zealand include some top-notch underdogs. Since cryptocurrency is recognized legally by the government of New Zealand, Kiwis (New Zealanders) have found confidence in investing in and keeping a large crypto portfolio. But finding the best crypto exchange in NZ, with the right combination of trading features, security measures, and low fees, is hard. Luckily, we did all the legwork, so you don’t have to.

Along with our recommendations, the article below will also help you choose the best platform for your personal needs and highlight the features you want to pay special attention to when researching. We’ll also discuss crypto taxation in NZ and share our actionable step-by-step guide for joining a crypto exchange.

Key Takeaways

• Some of the best NZ crypto exchanges for your trading and crypto investing needs include eToro, Uphold, LBank, MEXC, Changelly, Coinbase, M2 & Kraken.
• Finding the right crypto exchange requires research, user feedback, and testing.
• Crypto exchanges typically don’t provide insurance, so they must provide you with advanced security features.
• Ideally, the crypto exchange you want to trade on should be highly liquid, charge reasonable fees, and support a wide range of cryptocurrencies.
• Additionally, it should be easy to use, support NZD deposits, offer plenty of features, and come with a useful dedicated mobile app.
• New Zealand’s financial authorities levy crypto taxes, so you must understand your tax obligations as a crypto trader.

Best Crypto Exchanges New Zealand 2025 Are…

Why Trust Us?

Our reviews are written by a team of seasoned professionals, experienced in finance, blockchain technology, cybersecurity, and other relevant fields. Each of the platforms that we recommend has been thoroughly examined and has passed our filters for security, transparency, regulatory compliance, and technical reliability.

Comparison Between the Best Crypto Exchange in NZ

How to Choose a Good Crypto Trading Platform in New Zealand

Researching, evaluating, and comparing crypto exchanges can be a tedious and time-consuming process. However, to ensure the safety of your funds and maximize your returns, it is important that you trade on a trustworthy and highly liquid platform.

To make the process of finding the best NZ crypto exchange more manageable, you can focus your efforts on assessing the following key areas:

• License & Regulation Compliance
• NZD Payments
• High Standard Security
• Minimal Trading Fees
• High Liquidity
• Modern Trading Software
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Large Choice of Crypto Assets
• Any Kind of Insurance
• Reputation and History

Any crypto exchange that consistently meets these criteria is likely to be reliable, well-run, and a good option for both beginners and experienced traders. Now, let’s get into more detail on why these factors are so important and how they can impact your trading experience.

License & Regulation Compliance

The easiest way to cut through the noise is to focus your search solely on crypto exchanges that are licensed for operation in New Zealand. Crypto licenses are excellent indicators of reliability, trustworthiness, and commitment to compliance with best practices.

To obtain their licenses, operators of crypto exchanges must meet the regulatory requirements of the financial authorities, in this case, the FMA, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to security, user protection, and transparency in their operations.

By opting to trade on a licensed NZ crypto exchange, you make sure that the platform you are dealing with is legit and avoid losing your funds to a scam, shady practices, or even a forced shutdown by the authorities.

NZD Payments

The second shortcut to narrowing your options is to look at platforms that support NZD deposits. As we all know, the New Zealand dollar is not a globally dominant currency, so the mere support for it is an indicator that the platform caters to localized preferences.

What’s more, the exchanges that support NZD deposits are also likely to support payment methods popular in New Zealand, including options like POLi Pay, OSKO, PayID, and direct online payments via major NZ banks.

Even more importantly, support for NZD will also allow you to deposit directly and avoid converting your New Zealand dollars to another fiat currency like USD or AUD. This will not only make the process easier and more convenient, but it will also save you some money you would otherwise spend on currency conversion fees.

High Standard Security

The best crypto exchange in NZ has to be a dependable platform with high regard for security. To find such an exchange, focus your search on platforms that offer advanced security features that can maximize the safety of your funds and protect your account from unauthorized access.

Some of the key features to look out for include:

• End-to-end encryption
• Biometric verification
• Two-factor authentication
• Security key integration
• Options for cold storage
• Withdrawal whitelisting
• Anti-phishing mechanics
• Security alerts and notifications of suspicious behavior

Unfortunately, crypto exchange accounts are a common target for hackers, so ensuring protection should always be a priority. Enabling the above security measures can drastically change your risk profile and make breaching your account significantly more difficult.

Minimal Trading Fees

A fundamental principle in finance says that there are two primary ways to increase profitability: increase your income, or reduce your costs. One of the most effective ways to reduce costs in crypto trading is to minimize the trading fees you pay every time you make a trade.

Different crypto platforms have different fee structures and models they use to charge their users for their services. Some charge flat, while others charge tiered fees. Furthermore, some charge lower trading fees, but make up for it by charging deposit and withdrawal fees.

To find the most cost-effective option, it is important you consider your trading style and see how it aligns with the exchanges you’re interested in joining. There is no single cheapest option that works for everyone, so you must run the numbers yourself to figure it out.

High Liquidity

Liquidity is another key consideration when picking out a crypto exchange. In simple terms, liquidity is the difficulty, or ease, with which an exchange can fill your order, in a relatively short time, without asking you to adjust your price.

This is because crypto exchanges must match buy orders with corresponding sell orders to execute trades. In other words, the larger the trading volume the exchange handles, the easier it is for it to process your trades.

This goes to say that the best New Zealand Bitcoin exchange has to be a highly liquid exchange, with a large number of active users who frequently trade large volumes of BTC. A platform with low liquidity may struggle to fill your order immediately and subject you to long delays, or even fill your order at a price much less favorable than the market.

Modern Trading Software

In addition to being reliable and cost-effective, a great NZ crypto exchange also has to be easy to use and packed with useful features that can enhance your trading experience. Some of the core functionalities you should look for on a trading platform include:

• Real-time price tracking, technical indicators, and charting tools
• Advanced order types, including stop-loss, limit, and take-profit orders
• Portfolio management and trading history tools
• Support for both PCs and mobile devices
• Customization and personalization options

What’s more, the platform should be expertly designed with a user-friendly interface that allows for easy and intuitive navigation. Usability and functionality go hand in hand, so you should opt for an exchange that you’ll feel comfortable trading on.

24/7 Customer Support

Another key feature that defines the best crypto exchanges is reliable and responsive customer support. All digital platforms experience technical difficulties from time to time, so having access to a dedicated support team that can promptly resolve issues can save you a lot of frustration.

We recommend looking for NZ crypto exchanges that provide round-the-clock support through multiple channels, including live chat, email, and an interactive help center. You can learn about the quality of a platform’s support by reading user reviews and gathering feedback on forums where traders share their experiences.

Large Choice of Crypto Assets

The best crypto exchange in NZ should not limit your access only to mainstream coins and major pairs. Instead, it should support a wide range of cryptocurrencies from all corners of the market, and give you the chance to create a diverse and well-rounded portfolio.

This includes all types of cryptocurrencies, including:

• Store-of-value coins like BTC and ETH
• Legacy altcoins like LTC, BCH, and DASH
• Stablecoins like USDT and USDC
• Utility coins like XRP, BNB, SOL, TRX, and ADA
• Meme coins like DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE
• Cross-chain coins like DOT, ATOM, and KAVA
• DeFi coins like DAI, AAVE, and UNI

By holding a mixed bag of coins, you’ll open yourself to potential gains from various market segments. You’ll also have a better chance of finding higher-yield earning opportunities and explore various ways to use your crypto.

Any Kind of Insurance

To comply with the regulations, crypto trading platforms must clearly disclose the risks involved with trading cryptocurrencies and provide their users with adequate security measures to protect their accounts. However, they are not required to provide coverage in case of losses.

The financial authorities don’t view crypto exchanges as banking institutions, so they aren’t held to the same consumer protection standards. For this reason, most crypto trading platforms don’t provide any sort of insurance to their users, except for the top-tier, industry-leading crypto exchanges that voluntarily offer limited coverage.

If you come across a NZ crypto exchange that offers any sort of insurance, you should take that as an indicator that the platform is one of the best. Just remember that these policies usually don’t cover individual losses due to compromised accounts, and only apply when the platform itself is responsible for a security failure.

Reputation and History

Gathering feedback from other users has never been as easy as it is today. The crypto trading community is very expressive, and crypto traders are not shy about voicing their opinions and concerns about a platform and the way it is operated.

With one quick Google search, you can easily find dozens of user experiences on all kinds of review sites, social media threads, forums, or other community-driven platforms. Going through the comments and reading users’ takes can be very revealing.

However, in addition to user feedback, we recommend you also dig a little deeper on your own. Try to learn about the exchange’s history, whether or not its owners are public and accountable, has it been involved in lawsuits, major security incidents, and similar controversies.

All of this information will help you get a clearer picture of whether the exchange is trustworthy, transparent, and worth joining.

Crypto Apps in New Zealand - Why Are They Important?

In addition to the technical and performance-related factors, user experience is another aspect that can’t really be quantified and measured objectively, like the fees and number of coins supported. However, it is an important part of the overall trading experience, especially when trading on a mobile device.

The best mobile crypto apps are typically offered by the best crypto exchanges as a part of the platform’s complete service offerings. These apps allow traders to trade on the go and provide some additional value that is either unavailable or not as practical on the desktop.

This includes features such as:

• Biometric verification (face scanning, fingerprint ID)
• Signing transactions by scanning QR codes
• Alerts and push notifications for price spikes, drops, or completed orders
• Monitoring trends and portfolio performance at any time from anywhere

Simply put, mobile crypto apps are a valuable extension of any successful trader’s toolkit. They can allow you to enhance your account’s security, make trading more convenient, and allow you to quickly react to market shifts and time-sensitive opportunities.

How To Register on a NZ Crypto Exchange

If you’ve already done your research and found the best NZ crypto exchange you want to join, but need some help with the signup process, the step-by-step instructions below can guide you through the process.

Step 1 - Account Creation

1. Go to the official website of the exchange or download its official app from the app store
2. Click or tap on the “Register” or “Sign Up” button
3. Enter the necessary information and follow the onscreen instructions to proceed

Step 2 - Account Activation

1. Most exchanges would likely require you to activate your account before they allow you to log in
2. Check your email inbox for the activation email sent by the exchange
3. Click or tap on the confirmation link to activate your account, go back to the website/app, and log in

Step 3 - KYC Verification

1. The exchange will also need to verify your identity before it allows you to make any deposits or trades
2. Initiate the KYC verification process and submit the necessary information to confirm your identity
3. Await your approval

Step 4 - Maximizing Account Protection

1. Before you start making transactions, it is a good idea to enable the available security measures
2. Go to the security settings and enable two-factor authentication
3. Go to the login settings and enable the biometric verification

Step 5 - Funding Your Account

1. Deposit either cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies into your account to start trading. If you don’t know how to:
2. Here’s a guide on how to send crypto from wallet to wallet
3. Here’s a guide on how to buy crypto with a credit card

After completing the above steps, you’ve successfully finalized the initial setup and prepared your crypto exchange account for trading.

Crypto Taxes in New Zealand - What You Need to Know

Even though the main purpose of this article is to help you find and join the best crypto exchange in NZ, we thought it would be a good idea for it to address another important topic, and that’s crypto taxation.

The Inland Revenue Department of New Zealand treats cryptocurrencies as property for taxation purposes. The profits that crypto owners make with crypto-related activities are subject to income tax, rather than capital gains tax. However, not all crypto transactions are subject to taxation in NZ.

Some of the common taxable events you may need to report in your annual income tax return include:

• Selling crypto for fiat
• Trading one crypto for another
• Using crypto to purchase goods and services
• Receiving crypto as income, including crypto earnings from mining, staking, and loaning.
• Receiving crypto as a payment for offered goods and services

On the other hand, there are also crypto activities that are not subject to taxation, such as:

• Buying crypto with fiat
• Holding crypto as a long-term investment
• Transferring crypto between your own wallets
• Receiving crypto as a passive airdrop

The taxes you need to pay on crypto-related income are based on your personal income tax rate, which you can find on the official IRD website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

How to File Taxes on Crypto in New Zealand

If you need some help with filing crypto taxes in New Zealand, you may find the detailed step-by-step guide below, helpful and informative:

Step 1 - Collect your crypto transaction history for the current tax year

• Log in to all the crypto platforms you used this year
• Look under “Transactions”, “Activity”, or “Tax Reports
• Export your complete crypto transaction history as CSV files.

Step 2 - Identify the taxable events

• Review your transaction history, or upload the CSV files into a crypto tax tool
• Mark all the taxable events (selling crypto for profit, earning from mining and staking, etc)

Step 3 - Calculate your total crypto income

• Using a crypto tax tool, or manually with a spreadsheet, calculate the NZD value of each taxable event
• Generate a New Zealand-specific tax report

Step 4 - Double-check the accuracy of your report

• See if you included all the taxable events for that year
• Make sure they are correctly categorized
• Make sure all the values are in NZD

Step 5 - File your crypto taxes on the IRD website

• Go to ird.govt.nz and log in to your myIR account
• Navigate to File IR3 return and choose “Other Income”
• Enter the total amount of crypto income from your report and submit

For any questions or additional assistance related to crypto taxation, we strongly recommend you consult a professional tax advisor familiar with IRD’s crypto asset guidelines and tax rules in New Zealand.

Final Tips

Even though it feels like a mundane starting point, the platform you choose to trade on can make a great difference in your overall experience. With the right NZ crypto exchange, you will be able to secure your assets, minimize your fees, and get access to all the cryptocurrencies and features you may need to successfully implement your trading strategy.

In addition to researching and gathering data, we strongly encourage you to join all the exchanges you are interested in and test them first-hand. Creating an account is easy and free of charge, but it can give you a practical feel for the platform and its tools that no review or comparison can replicate.

Frequently Asked Questions