Mercatox Crypto Exchange Review: Pros, Cons, and Real User Experiences in 2025

When you’re looking for a crypto exchange that’s been around for over a decade, Mercatox comes up. Founded in Canada in 2015, it’s not flashy like Binance or as big as Coinbase, but it’s still operating. That alone says something. But should you use it in 2025? Let’s cut through the marketing and look at what actually happens when you trade, deposit, or try to withdraw your crypto from Mercatox.

What Mercatox Actually Offers

Mercatox isn’t just a place to buy and sell Bitcoin. It’s built as a full crypto financial platform. You can trade over 100 cryptocurrencies, lend your assets to earn interest, use a multi-currency wallet, and even process payments through their system. That’s more than most small exchanges offer. If you want to keep your crypto, earn passive income, and trade-all in one place-it sounds convenient.

The interface is web-based and customizable. You can rearrange charts, set your own order types, and track your trade history without switching tabs. That’s good for people who don’t want to juggle multiple apps. They also offer API access, which matters if you’re automating trades or using portfolio tools like Koinly or CoinLedger. Integration with those services makes tax reporting easier, which is a real plus.

They support mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus desktop clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux. That’s solid coverage. No one’s forcing you to use a browser-only platform. You can trade from your phone during lunch or from your laptop at home.

Fees: Not Low, But Not Crazy Either

Mercatox charges a flat 0.25% fee on every trade. That’s the same as what Binance charges for standard spot trading, and slightly higher than Kraken’s 0.16% for high-volume users. So when Mercatox says "low fees," that’s misleading. It’s average. Not bad, not great.

Deposits are free for most cryptocurrencies. Withdrawals vary by coin. For Bitcoin, it’s usually 0.0005 BTC. For Ethereum, around 0.01 ETH. Those numbers haven’t changed in years. Compared to exchanges that charge $5 per withdrawal, Mercatox is fair. But if you’re moving large amounts frequently, you’ll want to compare those fees against bigger platforms where volume discounts kick in.

There are no hidden fees for account maintenance or inactivity. That’s one thing they got right. No surprise charges. Just the trading fee and the blockchain network fee (which you pay directly to miners, not Mercatox).

Trading Volume and Liquidity: The Real Problem

Here’s the hard truth: Mercatox doesn’t move much crypto compared to the big players.

In 2021, its 24-hour volume hit $36 million. That sounds like a lot until you remember Binance was doing $30 billion the same day. That’s 833 times more. Even smaller exchanges like KuCoin or Gate.io regularly trade over $100 million daily. Mercatox sits in the bottom 20% of exchanges by volume.

What does that mean for you? Slower fills, wider spreads, and price slippage. If you’re trying to buy 10 BTC, you might not find enough sellers on Mercatox. You’ll have to wait or pay more. For small trades under $500, it’s fine. For anything bigger, you’re risking poor execution.

There’s also less market depth. That means if you’re day trading or using technical strategies, you’re working with outdated or incomplete data. Many professional traders avoid low-volume exchanges for this exact reason.

Customer Support: Mixed Signals

Mercatox claims 24/7 support. And technically, they have live reps available. But user reports tell a different story.

On Reviews.io, multiple users from September 2025 describe being locked out of their accounts for weeks. Some say they requested withdrawals and got no response for over 30 days. Others mention having to hire third-party fund recovery services just to get their crypto back.

One user wrote: "I sent 3.2 ETH to withdraw. After 17 days, they said my account needed verification again-despite being verified for 4 years. I had to send ID documents twice. Still no funds."

Another said: "I finally got my withdrawal processed after contacting them 12 times. Took 22 days. I lost $400 in price drop while waiting. They didn’t apologize. Didn’t offer anything. Just said ‘it’s normal.’"

There’s a pattern here. Not every user has problems. Some say their withdrawals went through smoothly. But enough people report serious delays that it’s not an anomaly. It’s a red flag.

Support hours are limited for non-emergency issues. If you’re not in a crisis, you might wait 24-48 hours for a reply. That’s unacceptable for a platform handling your life savings.

User Ratings: A 2.5 Out of 5 Warning

Cryptogeek gives Mercatox a 2.5/5 rating based on 30 reviews. That’s below average. The top complaints? Withdrawal delays, poor communication, and difficulty recovering funds.

There’s no way to sugarcoat this: users feel abandoned when things go wrong. And in crypto, when you can’t access your money, time is money. A 22-day delay isn’t a glitch-it’s a risk.

Compare that to Kraken, which has a 4.6/5 rating with thousands of reviews. Or even smaller exchanges like Bitrue or MEXC, which have far better support track records despite lower volume.

Mercatox’s longevity doesn’t mean reliability. It just means they haven’t shut down yet. Many exchanges with worse reputations have disappeared. Mercatox is still here, but that doesn’t make it safe.

Security: What We Know (and Don’t)

Mercatox doesn’t publish details about cold storage percentages or insurance coverage. That’s unusual. Most reputable exchanges are transparent about this. Binance, for example, uses a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). Coinbase carries crime insurance.

Mercatox says they use "industry-standard security." That’s vague. No one can verify what that means. No third-party audit reports are publicly available. That’s a red flag.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is supported. So is email confirmation for withdrawals. That’s basic. But without knowing how much of your funds are offline or insured, you’re trusting them on faith.

If you’re holding more than $1,000 on Mercatox, you’re taking a risk most experts wouldn’t recommend.

Who Should Use Mercatox?

There are only two types of people who might still find Mercatox useful:

• Small traders with low-volume needs-If you’re buying $100 of Bitcoin every few months and don’t care about speed, it’s fine. The interface works. The fees are acceptable.
• Users already locked in-If you’ve had an account since 2018 and haven’t had issues, maybe stick with it. But don’t deposit more.

Everyone else should look elsewhere.

Alternatives That Actually Deliver

If you’re looking for better options, here are three that outperform Mercatox in key areas:

• Kraken-Lower fees, better support, transparent security, and higher liquidity. Great for beginners and pros.
• MEXC-Higher trading volume, 1,000+ coins, and faster withdrawals. Often has better deals on new tokens.
• Bitstamp-One of the oldest EU-based exchanges. Strong regulatory compliance and reliable customer service.

None of these have the same fund recovery horror stories. None of them leave you waiting weeks for a withdrawal.

Final Verdict: Proceed With Extreme Caution

Mercatox isn’t a scam. It’s been around. It hasn’t been hacked. It offers decent features. But it’s also the kind of exchange where you’re one bad day away from losing access to your crypto.

The trading platform works. The fee structure is fair. But the support system is unreliable. The withdrawal delays are too common to ignore. And the lack of transparency around security is a dealbreaker for anyone serious about crypto.

If you’re just dipping your toes in and only plan to trade small amounts, Mercatox might work as a starter exchange. But if you’re holding real value, you’re better off moving to a platform with proven reliability.

Don’t let the fact that it’s been around for 10 years fool you. In crypto, longevity doesn’t equal safety. It just means they’ve survived long enough to collect your funds-and then make you wait for them.