As Australia’s digital-asset market moves from experimentation to expectation, the way platforms are judged has changed. Speed and token count alone are no longer enough. Today’s users are looking for structure, security, fair fees, and platforms that can operate inside a regulated environment without sacrificing access to the global market.

Against that backdrop, KuCoin’s recognition as Finder’s Top Pick Crypto Exchange 2025 has landed as more than just an industry accolade; it reflects how Australian users are redefining what “best” actually means.

Finder is one of Australia’s most influential consumer-comparison platforms, known for reviewing financial products based on user experience, cost, accessibility, and real-world performance rather than marketing claims. Its annual Top Pick awards are built on side-by-side analysis rather than sponsorship influence, making the recognition particularly relevant in a market that has grown increasingly sceptical of crypto endorsements.

KuCoin’s placement at the top points to a convergence of factors: product breadth, efficiency, trust infrastructure, and local integration.

Recognition in a Market That Now Demands Proof

Crypto awards often feel ceremonial. This one carries weight because it comes from outside the crypto echo chamber. For Australian users, Finder acts as a filter, translating complexity into clear judgments about usability and value.

The review highlighted KuCoin’s access to hundreds of digital assets far beyond what many local platforms offer. While Australian exchanges often focus exclusively on a limited set of large-cap assets, KuCoin gives users entry into a much broader market that includes Layer-1 networks, AI-linked cryptocurrencies, real-world asset protocols, and early-stage tokens.

For many users, this removes the need to rely on decentralised exchanges simply to gain access to emerging projects, a process that often requires complicated wallet setups, manual transaction approvals, and advanced technical knowledge. KuCoin’s centralised interface simplifies that experience dramatically, allowing users to explore a wide range of assets within one regulated platform.

Cost was another factor in Finder’s decision. While many Australian platforms charge between 0.5% and 1% per transaction, KuCoin’s standard trading fees start between 0.08% and 0.10%, a gap that becomes meaningful for users who trade regularly or at scale. Combined with global liquidity, this fee structure improves execution quality and reduces the hidden cost of wide spreads, a detail that Finder’s reviewers emphasised in their evaluation.

Why KuCoin Rose to the Top

KuCoin’s recognition did not happen in isolation. It coincided with one of the most important developments in the company’s history in Australia: formal regulatory entry.

In November 2025, KuCoin established its Sydney headquarters, appointed James Pinch as Australian Managing Director, and secured AUSTRAC Digital Currency Exchange registration, bringing the platform under official Australian financial oversight. For users, that matters not just symbolically but operationally, it places KuCoin within the same regulatory perimeter as other legitimate financial institutions operating locally.

The company has also partnered with Echuca Trading, an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) holder, to structure derivatives trading under Australian law rather than offshore frameworks. This allowed KuCoin to offer advanced trading tools while remaining aligned with domestic regulatory standards, a combination rarely achieved by global exchanges.

Notably, KuCoin’s Australian expansion also took on a visible cultural dimension through its partnership with Australian golf icon Adam Scott as Global Brand Ambassador. The collaboration launched alongside KuCoin’s refreshed global brand under the principle “Trust First. Trade Next.”

Scott’s appointment brought more than celebrity visibility. It tied KuCoin’s presence to values Australians already associate with his career discipline, longevity, performance under pressure and professional integrity. The partnership has been supported by national campaigns, public visibility, and a brand film centred on trust as a generational value, positioning KuCoin not as a short-term trading venue but as a platform building long-term credibility within Australia.

A Platform Australians Can Use, Not Just Access

One reason Finder’s verdict resonates is that KuCoin has combined global scale with local usability. Australians can fund accounts through familiar channels such as PayID, bank transfer, and cards, with AUD deposits and withdrawals offered at no cost.

The platform is also built around continuity. Rather than pushing users between multiple services, KuCoin integrates spot trading, derivatives, staking, trading bots, copy trading, Web3 wallet functionality and its AI-driven market intelligence feed within one environment.

This ecosystem approach reduces the friction many investors experience when managing assets across multiple platforms and applications, a growing pain point as digital portfolios expand.

For higher-level traders, wholesale derivative access remains available once suitability and knowledge assessments are complete. Meanwhile, beginners are met with one of the simplest onboarding flows in the industry: registration, KYC with Australian ID, instant funding, and access to trading in minutes.

Support is local, operating within Australian hours an overlooked but critical advantage when issues arise outside US or European time zones.

Trust by Design, Not Just Messaging

One reason Finder has taken KuCoin seriously is its emphasis on verifiable security rather than marketing language. Globally, KuCoin supports its platform through a multi-year $2 billion Trust Project, addressing infrastructure integrity, internal controls, independent audits, and user protection systems.

The platform holds internationally recognised certifications including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and CCSS Level 2. These measures govern data protection, wallet safety, information security and system accountability all factors that have become impossible to ignore in an industry shaped by periodic security failures.

In Australia, these global safeguards now operate alongside AUSTRAC oversight, merging international security standards with local regulation.

What the Finder Award Actually Signals

The Finder Top Pick label is not a guarantee of outcomes. Crypto remains volatile. Risks remain real. But what the award does signal is this: Australian users are no longer choosing platforms based on hype alone. They are looking for structure, compliance, fair cost, and sustainable design.

KuCoin’s recognition reflects that shift. Not because it promises profits but because it offers functionality, access and governance under one roof. In a market where trust is earned and quickly lost, Finder’s choice reflects where Australian expectations now sit. KuCoin has set a benchmark that the exchange will now be judged against every day it operates on Australian soil.