KuCoin achieves record growth and regulatory milestones in 2024, sets bold vision for 2025

KuCoin, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges we’ve been covering since its launch in 2017, has released its highly anticipated annual report. The year 2024 proved to be a transformative chapter for KuCoin, marked by formidable challenges and extraordinary milestones that showcased the exchange’s resilience and forward-thinking approach. Market twists, regulatory hurdles, and major wins reflected the broader shifts in the crypto industry.

Through it all, KuCoin didn’t just keep pace—it pushed ahead. The exchange sharpened its focus on security, leveled up its compliance game, and introduced new features that kept users engaged. Amid fluctuating markets and evolving regulatory landscapes, KuCoin thrived by doubling down on its commitment to security and compliance, ensuring users could trade with confidence while continuing to innovate with cutting-edge tools that set new industry standards.

Through shifting markets and new regulations, KuCoin adapted, strengthened its focus on security and compliance, and kept pushing the envelope with innovations. Looking ahead, KuCoin is taking everything it learned in 2024 and using it to push its mission even further: creating a platform that’s safe, clear, and built with users in mind. The future is looking good, and KuCoin is set to keep leading the way in the crypto world. Stick around—there’s a lot more coming.

Growing the Global User Base

KuCoin’s global presence soared in 2024, surpassing 38 million users. Growth was particularly strong in Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) regions. Spot trading volumes in MENA tripled, and Europe saw a 144% increase. The platform doubled its new listings, hitting a record 170% growth in Q4. KuCoin’s futures market also expanded, adding 125 new assets and drawing in over 3 million new traders.

Report Highlights:

• Global User Growth: KuCoin surpassed 38 million users in 2024, with Latin America and MENA leading the charge in user adoption.
• Spot Trading Surge: Trading volume in MENA tripled, while Europe experienced a 144% increase, highlighting strong regional momentum.
• Accelerated Listings: The number of new listings doubled in 2024, with a standout 170% growth in Q4, reflecting a faster listing pace.
• Futures Market Expansion: KuCoin added 125 new assets to its futures market, bringing in over 3 million new traders.
• Rewards Hub Growth: 15 million new users joined the Rewards Hub, driven by a mix of incentives and exclusive campaigns that boosted engagement.
• KCS Ecosystem Milestone: The KCS ecosystem crossed 2 million holders, with its total market cap reaching $1.7 billion.
• Compliance Achievements: KuCoin became the first global exchange registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and secured five regulatory licenses worldwide, with more on the way.

Boosting User Engagement

KuCoin’s Rewards Hub pulled in 15 million new users in 2024, thanks to creative incentives and exclusive campaigns. The KCS ecosystem also saw solid growth, with over 2 million holders and a total market cap hitting $1.7 billion.

Compliance and Security Milestones

KuCoin made significant progress on the regulatory front, becoming the first global exchange registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The exchange secured five regulatory licenses worldwide, with more approvals on the horizon. Risk management and security also got a boost, with expanded anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, enhanced KYC verification, real-time transaction monitoring, and partnerships like the bug bounty program with Bugcrowd.

Crypto Market Trends in 2024

The crypto industry in 2024 was shaped by new regulations, increased institutional adoption, and macroeconomic shifts. Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $100,000, driven by ETF approvals, growing institutional interest, and its fourth halving event. Ethereum completed the Cancun Audit and also secured ETF approval.

Meme coins surged past a $100 billion market cap, fueled by strong community backing and broader adoption. Europe took steps toward regulatory structure with the MiCA regulation, while Asia showed mixed trends—with China and South Korea tightening restrictions and Singapore and Hong Kong opening up to support innovation.

Macroeconomic changes also played a role. The Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in four years boosted investor confidence and market liquidity.

Explosive Growth in Listings and New Features

KuCoin added over 300 new token listings in 2024, reflecting a 98% year-over-year growth. In Q4 alone, 119 new tokens were listed—a 170% jump from Q3. KuCoin became the first centralized exchange to list HyperLiquid’s HYPE token and embraced trending meme assets like WIF, SUNDOG, MOONDENG, BRETT, and MEW. New features like GemPool and GemVote brought more community engagement, driving $1.73 billion in staking value.

Pre-Market Trading and Futures Growth

KuCoin’s Pre-Market Trading platform saw strong growth, listing 40 coins and hitting $42 million in trading volume. The platform attracted over 100,000 active traders eager to get in on new tokens before broader market availability.

Futures trading also took off in 2024. KuCoin added 125 new futures assets, bringing the total to 24 million users by year-end. Trading activity rose 30%, boosted by better market conditions. The platform introduced cross-margin modes, copy trading options, and reward-driven campaigns that attracted over 3 million users.

Automated Trading with Bots

KuCoin’s Trading Bot platform experienced a 36% year-over-year increase, with 7.5 million bots created in 2024. Q4 alone saw a 49% quarter-over-quarter jump, adding 1.8 million new bots. Total trading volume exceeded 25 billion USDT. KuCoin revamped its Trading Bot homepage, introduced AI-driven futures strategies, and expanded to 12 advanced trading bot strategies on its web trading page.

KuCard and KuCoin Pay

In Q4 2024, KuCard saw a 48% jump in transactions compared to Q3, with 87% of users willing to recommend it to friends. The card offers 1.7% cashback on transactions, and 97% of these rewards were converted into KCS, adding to its ecosystem value. KuCard became the first crypto card to support Apple Pay and offers competitive cashback rates, transactions in 54 cryptocurrencies, and fast processing speeds.

KuCoin Pay was launched as a new merchant solution, allowing businesses to accept crypto payments easily. Customers can complete purchases by simply scanning a QR code, streamlining the payment process.

Reward Hub and Community Growth

The KuCoin Reward Hub attracted 15 million new participants, distributing over 5 million USDT in rewards to 2.5 million users. Referral programs were a big hit, bringing in 300,000 new users, with 65% becoming long-term KuCoin members.

Investments and Innovation

KuCoin Ventures invested in various blockchain and AI projects in 2024, including Uxlink, Opinion Labs, Xion, Lumoz, and more. Many of these projects launched tokens on major exchanges. KuCoin Labs also supported early-stage entrepreneurs through partnerships with industry incubators and hackathons.

Customer Service Improvements

KuCoin’s customer support assisted 3 million users in 2024, handling 1.5 million inquiries via human reps and 2.5 million through AI. New features like live video verification and optimized trading history downloads boosted user satisfaction by 13%.

KuCoin News and Education

KuCoin launched its news platform in June 2024, offering real-time updates on market trends and regulatory changes. Its AI-powered News Flash feature keeps users updated 24/7.

KuCoin Learn attracted over 3 million users in 2024, offering tutorials and insights on Web3, wallets, AI, and meme coins. The Learn & Earn program launched in Q4, with 500,000+ participants earning rewards by engaging with educational content.

Proof of Reserves and Transparency

KuCoin publishes monthly Proof of Reserves reports to maintain transparency. As of December 31, 2024, the exchange’s BTC reserve ratio stood at 107%, ETH at 123%, USDT at 108%, and USDC at 108%.

Awards and Recognition

KuCoin earned over 100 industry awards in 2024, a 21% increase from the previous year. Recognitions include “Best Crypto Exchange of 2024” by Coinbureau and “Best Crypto Lending Platforms in 2024” by CCN.

Corporate Social Responsibility

KuCoin expanded its CSR efforts in 2024. Projects included distributing 10,000 solar lamps to children in Africa, providing reusable menstrual kits, and delivering relief buckets to communities affected by climate change. Following Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam, KuCoin airdropped 10,000 KCS to affected families.

Looking Ahead to 2025

In 2025, KuCoin plans to double down on security, innovation, and user experience. The company will introduce new technologies, expand KuCard, strengthen Web3 initiatives, and enhance trading tools—all while deepening its regulatory engagement and maintaining its focus on compliance.

With security as the foundation and user experience front and center, KuCoin is positioning itself for another transformative year ahead.

Founded in 2017, the Seychelles-based KuCoin is a recognized name in the digital economy, offering wallets, trading, payments, wealth management tools, and more. With over 37 million users, the platform continues to lead with a focus on user experience and accessibility. KuCoin has earned accolades such as “Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges” by Forbes and was named one of the “Top 50 Global Unicorns” by Hurun in 2024, reflecting its consistent commitment to innovation and service excellence.

You can find the full report here.