5 Best Crypto Exchanges for HODLers

With so many crypto exchanges out there, I know it can be hard to find the right one to trust with your hard-earned money. Many promise cutting-edge security measures, regulatory compliance, and insurance coverage, but who can you really trust?

Take it from me, someone who put in hundreds of hours testing all the major crypto exchanges, to build a comprehensive list of exchanges you can trust, and exchanges you should avoid like the plague. I analyzed every aspect of these exchanges by depositing my own money, testing their trading features in the real world, and comparing their security standards to the industry leaders.

I know there’s no single exchange that can do it all. That’s why I’ve broken things down into various key areas, so you can find the exchange that best suits your needs.

List of Top Crypto Trading Platforms for HODLers

How Did FXEmpire Choose the Best Crypto Platforms for HODLers?

While curating this list, I looked at what makes a good exchange for HODLers, keeping in mind the different criteria I’d rank each exchange against.

• Regulatory Compliance: I’ve seen plenty of shady, unregulated exchanges mishandle user assets. That’s why I prioritize exchanges that are registered with leading regulators like FinCEN in the US, FCA in the UK, and those with EU MiCA licenses. These regulators have the strictest standards on security, custody, and consumer protection, which is crucial when you’re holding coins on an exchange long term. 
• Security Features: This comes in a close second. I know plenty of exchanges that don’t offer basic security features that are standard in the industry in 2026. So I looked for features like 2FA with Google Authenticator, biometric passkeys, withdrawal whitelists, and independent security certifications like SOC 2/ISO 27001, to minimise the risk of your assets being stolen.
• Proof of Reserves: If FTX taught us one thing, it’s that solvency is king when it comes to exchanges. That’s why I only included platforms that publish Proof of Reserves using methods like Merkle Tree or independent audits, looking for a minimum of 100% or higher reserve ratio to ensure full 1:1 backing of user deposits.
• Asset Custody & Cold Storage: This is the bread and butter for any serious HODLing exchange; asset custody is one of the most important features to consider. I looked at how user assets are stored, favoring exchanges that keep most assets in air-gapped cold storage, use institutional-grade custodians, and multi-signature wallets, with clear segregation of user assets from exchange funds.
• Insurance Coverage: If you’re HODLing on an exchange, you should always be prepared for the worst. That’s why I highlight exchanges that offer comprehensive third-party insurance or self-insurance funds that can reimburse users in the event of a hack or security breach.
• Security Track Record & Incident Handling: I prioritize exchanges that haven’t suffered a major hack or loss of user funds within the last 5 years. And if incidents have occurred, I favor platforms that immediately reimburse affected users in full.
• Deposit & Withdrawal Fees: If you’re HODLing, you’re most likely making regular fiat-to-crypto transactions; that’s why I compared all fiat deposit fees, supported fiat currencies, and available payment methods. This makes it more convenient and cost-effective to DCA and HODL your coins.
• Range of Coins: Portfolio diversification matters. That’s why I looked for exchanges that offer a wide range of coins, including major coins like BTC and ETH, popular altcoins like SOL and HYPE, as well as stablecoins. This lets you diversify your long-term portfolios without risking your life savings on risky micro-cap tokens.
• Staking & Passive Income Opportunities: Staking helps you earn passive income on your HODLings. I compared the range of Staking and Earn products on each exchange, including the number of stakeable coins, typical APYs, lock-up flexibility, and commission fees. This helps you put your coins to work, generating passive income as you HODL.
• Fees: Fees are the biggest factor that affects your profits over time. I reviewed the trading fees on almost every exchange to find ones with competitive fees and fee discounts for high-volume trading or native tokens. Lower fees will help you keep more of the profits your coins make.
• Transparency of terms & risk products: You want to minimize risk when HODLing. That’s why I analyzed each exchange’s transparency. I looked at publicly available information about their leadership, corporate structure, communication with users, and clarity on all trading and Earn products.

Best Crypto Exchanges for HODLers Comparison Table

How to Choose the Best Crypto Exchange for HODLing?

What is HODLing?

HODLing is a long-term investment strategy that follows the saying “Time in the market beats timing the market”. The aim is to buy as much crypto as possible and hold it for years, regardless of market cycles, price dips, or FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

Most HODLers focus on large-cap coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum since they tend to be more stable, popular, and adopted worldwide. The key with HODLing is to choose established, stable projects instead of risky altcoins. Holding long-term helps you profit from long-term crypto adoption and scarcity over time.

Should you HODL on an exchange?

While you can HODL on an exchange, I generally advise against it. Crypto exchanges are convenient for buying, selling, and staking coins, but they aren’t banks, so you can’t rely on them in the same way as you do traditional banks.

History’s shown that even the largest exchanges can freeze withdrawals or collapse completely, taking your coins with them. A golden rule of HODLing is “not your keys, not your coins,” which means when your coins are on an exchange, you don’t control the private keys. This leaves you at risk of hacks, insolvency, and regulatory seizures.

The only exception to this rule is storing stablecoins on a secure, reputable exchange. This way, you can react quickly if the market dips. Other than that, I strongly recommend using a hardware wallet for storing large amounts of crypto.

How do I choose a secure exchange for long-term HOLDing?

Choosing a safe and secure exchange can be a challenge, with so many things to consider. If you’re looking for an exchange to trust with your hard-earned money, I suggest looking for:

• Asset Custody: Look for exchanges that store the majority of user assets in air-gapped cold storage facilities.
• Security Measures: As a bare minimum, only consider exchanges that offer 2FA with Google Authenticator, biometric passkeys & withdrawal whitelists. As a bonus, you could look for platforms that support hardware keys for 2FA and have IP whitelists.
• Transparency: I always recommend looking for exchanges that offer full Proof of Reserves with at least a 100% reserve ratio backing user assets. This helps you verify that the exchange holds enough assets in its reserves to back all user deposits.
• Regulatory Compliance: I always favor exchanges that are licensed and regulated by financial authorities in regions like the US, UK, or EU. This helps make sure the exchanges comply with strict financial regulations and operate to the highest standards.
• Past Performance: I prefer when exchanges have a long history of operations without any security breaches or loss of customer funds. As a bare minimum, stay away from exchanges that have suffered a major security breach within the last 5 years, or those that have failed to reimburse users in cases where there were breaches.

What are the biggest risks of HODLing?

As with all types of investing, there are a whole host of risks to consider when it comes to HODLing. Here are some of the major factors and risks to consider if you’re looking to start HODLing crypto:

• Project Risk: This is the risk that the project/coin you have invested in fails and becomes obsolete over time.
• Custodial Risk: The risk of losing your coins due to a hack or insolvency if you store your coins on an exchange
• Private Key Risk: The risk of losing access to your coins if you store them in a self-custody wallet and lose the seed phrase, or if the seed phrase falls into somebody else’s hands.
• Regulatory Changes: As crypto regulation evolves, there is a risk that regulatory changes could restrict your ability to buy or withdraw your chosen coin.
• Market Cycles: Crypto winters are when markets can drop by over 70%, forcing you to watch your portfolio drop during a bear market.

Pro and cons of HODLing

How much of my portfolio should I keep on an exchange vs in self-custody?

I suggest storing 80-90% of your assets in a self-custody or hardware wallet, leaving 10-20% on exchanges primarily for liquidity to buy coins during a market dip. This is just a general rule of thumb, which you can adapt to suit your personal preference. For example, you can keep more of your portfolio on an exchange if you use most of your coins for staking/yield programs or regularly rebalance your portfolio.