What is Deribit?
Deribit is a centralized exchange specializing in crypto options, futures and perpetuals, and it handles the bulk of global BTC and ETH options volume. It now operates as Deribit by Coinbase after Coinbase acquired it in 2025.
Founded in 2016, Deribit built the deepest order books for bitcoin and ether options and added SOL and other underlyings, linear USDC contracts, futures spreads and block trading.
Tools include an Option Wizard for picking strikes, a Position Builder for simulating payoff, Deribit Metrics for volatility and open-interest data, and a full testnet for strategy rehearsal. Pros can connect over REST, WebSocket and FIX.
Accounts are custodial and require identity verification. Deribit is regulated in Dubai via VARA, and its services are not offered to US residents and certain other jurisdictions.
Support runs 24/7, including a Telegram channel in English, Chinese and Russian. Institutional clients can trade through Coinbase Bermuda as broker at the same fee rates.
Good fit for
- Options and volatility traders
- Funds and market makers needing API access
Not ideal for
- US residents
- Users who want self-custodial onchain trading
Deribit Atlas AI Score
8.5 / 10 Excellent
Confidence: High
Deribit remains the default venue for serious crypto options trading, with transparent fees and deep books. It is custodial and closed to US users, so it is a tool for professionals rather than onchain traders.
Full derivatives suite and pro tooling.
Detailed bps schedule with tiers and caps.
Strong record, but custodial.
Market leader since 2016; US excluded.
API docs, knowledge base, 24/7 support.
Scored by AI from official sources on October 27, 2026. No hands-on testing or security audit. How we score
Deribit features
- Products
- Options, futures, perpetuals, spot
- Underlyings
- BTC, ETH, SOL and more
- Tools
- Option Wizard, Position Builder, Metrics
- Block trading
- RFQ and block trades with fee discounts
- API
- REST, WebSocket, FIX; full testnet
- Fee tiers
- Standard to VIP7, auto-applied
- Support
- 24/7 including Telegram
Deribit fees
| Tier | Perps/futures (maker/taker) | Options (cap) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1.5 / 3.5 bps | 3 / 3 bps (12.5%) |
| VIP1 | 0 / 3 bps | 2.5 / 2.5 bps (10.42%) |
| VIP2 | 0 / 2.5 bps | 2 / 2 bps (8.33%) |
| VIP4 | -0.2 / 1.75 bps | 1.5 / 1.5 bps (6.25%) |
| VIP6 | -0.4 / 1.4 bps | 1 / 1 bps (4.17%) |
Deribit uses a maker-taker model charged as a percentage of the underlying. At the Standard tier, perpetuals and futures cost 1.5 bps maker and 3.5 bps taker, options cost 3 bps for both sides with a cap of 12.5% of the option premium, and routed spot pairs cost 2 bps maker and 5 bps taker.
VIP tiers apply automatically from $100k USDC equity or 30-day volume of $100m and up, lowering options to as little as 1 bp and giving futures makers rebates of up to 0.4 bps. Spot pairs on Deribit's own book trade at 0% fees, and block trades get further discounts.
Deribit pros and cons
Pros
- Deepest crypto options liquidity
- Low, fully published fee schedule with a premium cap
- Professional-grade tools and testnet
- Backed by Coinbase
Cons
- Custodial with mandatory KYC
- Not available to US residents
- Complex for beginners
- Narrow coin selection versus memecoin venues
Deribit vs GMX vs Aevo
The closest alternatives in our catalog: same market first, then the highest-scoring products.
| Feature | Deribit | GMX | Aevo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Centralized crypto options and futures exchange, owned by Coinbase | Decentralized perpetual and spot exchange with pool-based liquidity | Decentralized options and perpetuals exchange on its own Layer 2 |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android, REST/WebSocket/FIX API, testnet · BTC, ETH, SOL and more | Web (app.gmx.io) · Arbitrum, Avalanche, MegaETH, Solana · deposits from Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain · SDK and API | Web, API, MCP · Aevo L2 (OP Stack); deposits from Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base |
| Trading fee | Options 0.03% of underlying (cap 12.5% of premium); perps/futures 0.015% maker, 0.035% taker | 0.04%-0.06% open/close on most markets; swaps 0.05%-0.07%; plus price impact, funding, borrowing and gas | Perps 0.05% maker / 0.08% taker; options 0.03% / 0.05% |
| Custody | Custodial exchange accounts with KYC; not available in the US and other restricted regions | Non-custodial; trades settle from your own wallet or GMX Account | Self-custodial deposits into on-chain contracts; off-chain order matching |
| Telegram | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Atlas AI Score | 8.5 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 | 8.1 / 10 |
| Confidence | High | High | High |
How to get started with Deribit
- Register on deribit.com and complete verification.
- Practise on the testnet with the Position Builder.
- Deposit BTC, ETH or USDC.
- Start with a small defined-risk options position using post-only limit orders.
