Kraken vs KuCoin
Compare public API availability and response times, then examine funding rates where both venues have recent data. Reliability and holding costs answer different questions.
Reliability differences
Median: KuCoin 15 ms vs Kraken 251 ms.
Data age: Kraken ≈0 ms vs KuCoin 481 ms.
Funding rates on shared contracts
There are not enough recent, comparable observations to compare current rates. A missing value is not a zero fee.
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API reliability
p95 / p99: 95% / 99% of observed requests completed within this time. Lower latency does not guarantee successful order execution.
What the reliability figures tell you
Availability and response times describe the public interfaces observed from Tokyo, JP, starting 2026-09-11. They do not measure order completion, withdrawals or the safety of customer funds. Small differences can reflect changing network conditions. Read these figures as observations, not a promise of future performance.
The sign indicates payment direction, not quality. 1 basis point (bps) = 0.01 percentage points.
Funding rates on shared contracts
Compare the same contract and settlement currency before comparing rates. The table shows each venue’s reported rate and its equivalent over 24 hours.
No recent, comparable funding rates are available for this pair. This does not mean either venue has no perpetual contracts or charges no funding fees.
The 24-hour figure assumes an unchanged rate and position value. It is not a forecast or a record of fees paid. Actual fees depend on the rate and position held at each settlement; trading fees and slippage are separate.
Why the settlement interval matters · Explanation and examples
Illustration · same rate, different frequency
Hypothetical example: a constant 10,000 USDT position, a positive 0.01% rate at every settlement, and a position held through all settlements in a full 24 hours. These are example values, not the current rates of either venue.
24-hour equivalent = rate per settlement × 24 ÷ interval in hours
How to read the comparison
A positive funding rate means long holders pay short holders; a negative rate reverses the payment. A lower signed rate reduces the funding cost for a long position under the same assumptions, but the direction is reversed for a short position. No single rate makes a venue better for every trader.
Sources and method
Only observations no more than 30 minutes old at page generation are compared; the two observation times must be within 10 minutes.