Which Countries Does KuCoin Restrict?
KuCoin defines its excluded markets in Article 17(5) of its Terms of Use, most recently updated in late January. Anyone residing in or registered in these locations is barred from the platform, and the list can change at any time without notice.
Sanctioned countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Cuba no longer appear by name. The same article instead bars anyone on applicable international sanctions registers, so embargoed jurisdictions are blocked through screening rather than a published list.
The Canadian entry is narrower than a national ban. Only Ontario and British Columbia are excluded, so residents of other provinces can still register.
If you live in a restricted region, our guide to the best no-KYC crypto exchanges covers platforms that accept users without identity checks.
Why KuCoin Blocks These Locations
Each exclusion traces back to a specific legal pressure, and the type of pressure tells you how likely a block is to lift.
What drives the list:
- Sanctions obligations: KuCoin screens every user against sanctions registers, including the programmes run by the US Treasury's OFAC, the office that enforces American financial sanctions. Comprehensive measures against Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and the occupied Ukrainian territories leave no lawful way to serve them.
- Missing licences: Singapore's Monetary Authority requires a Payment Services Act licence that KuCoin does not hold, and France and the Netherlands demand registrations the exchange never completed. Rather than operate without authorisation, KuCoin blocks residents of these markets outright.
- Court orders and enforcement: After criminal and civil actions by American authorities, a federal court order now bars KuCoin from serving US participants at all.
- National bans: Mainland China maintains a blanket prohibition on crypto trading for its residents, so KuCoin ceased serving the market where the company was originally founded.
KuCoin Supported Countries
KuCoin reports more than 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions, announced in its ninth-anniversary review this July. The platform lists over 1,500 digital assets and ranks among the largest exchanges by spot volume.
Traffic data shows where its audience sits. According to Similarweb, the Philippines led visits to kucoin.com in May at 8.6%, followed by Turkey at 6.7%, the United States at 5.47%, Singapore at 4.84%, and Argentina at 4.8%. The American and Singaporean numbers come from people loading the website rather than live accounts, since neither market can register or log in.
Growth now concentrates in markets where KuCoin holds formal registrations. India runs through the exchange's registration with the country's Financial Intelligence Unit, Australia through its AUSTRAC listing, and Turkey and Latin America through local payment integrations on the P2P marketplace, where users trade directly with each other.
Can I Use KuCoin in the EU Under MiCA?
Not yet, and the situation is unusual. KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH, a Vienna-based subsidiary, received a crypto-asset service provider authorisation from Austria's Financial Market Authority on 27 November 2025 under MiCA, the EU regulation that lets a platform licensed in one member state serve the whole European Economic Area. It covers 29 EEA markets, with Malta outside its scope.
The launch barely lasted. KuCoin EU began serving European customers in January, then suspended trading and deposits within weeks, and the FMA prohibited it from taking on new business after the departure of its anti-money-laundering and sanctions compliance officers, roles every licensed provider must keep filled. The regulator lifted that prohibition on 18 May once the positions were refilled, but a separate administrative decision still blocks the entity from commencing operations until governance requirements and senior management appointments satisfy the FMA.
The practical result is a holding pattern. France and the Netherlands remain excluded on the global platform, KuCoin has said EEA users will migrate to the licensed entity, and that entity cannot open its doors. European traders who want a regulated venue today can compare the best MiCA-licensed crypto exchanges that are already operating.
Is KuCoin Available in the USA?
No, and the door has now closed indefinitely. KuCoin left the American market in January 2025 after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, paying over $297 million in fines and forfeitures. Prosecutors found the exchange had served roughly 1.5 million US users without anti-money-laundering controls, and both founders stepped down from management as part of the resolution.
The original deal required a two-year exit, which left room for a return in 2027. That window shut this March, when a federal court entered a consent order sought by the CFTC, the US derivatives regulator. The order permanently bars operator Peken Global Limited from letting US participants trade on the platform unless it registers with the CFTC as a foreign board of trade, alongside a $500,000 civil penalty.
Registration would mean a full American compliance build, and KuCoin has announced no plans to pursue one. Our guide to the best crypto exchanges in the USA covers the platforms American residents can use lawfully.
KuCoin Licences and Regulation
KuCoin has spent the period since its US settlement assembling registrations under what it calls the Trust Project, a $2 billion programme running through 2028 that covers compliance, security, and transparency.
The registrations and certifications currently in force:
- Austria and the EEA (FMA): KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH holds a MiCA crypto-asset service provider licence granted in November 2025, though the FMA has not yet permitted the entity to commence operations.
- India (FIU-IND): KuCoin is registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India as a virtual asset service provider, covering the country's anti-money-laundering and tax reporting rules.
- Australia (AUSTRAC): The exchange is registered with AUSTRAC as a digital currency exchange provider, the listing that underpins its Australian services.
- Security certifications: KuCoin holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and ISO 27701 certifications alongside Hacken-audited proof of reserves, independent checks on its data controls and asset backing.
The US enforcement record and the Austrian operational freeze both show regulators willing to act against the exchange, so its licence list should be read alongside its enforcement history.
Does KuCoin Require KYC?
Yes, KuCoin has mandated identity verification for all new users since 2023, and the ID you submit decides whether the restricted list applies to you. Paperwork from an excluded location fails verification before any money is deposited.
The three verification tiers work like this:
- Unverified accounts: Legacy accounts opened before the mandate can only sell assets, close open positions, and redeem Earn products, with withdrawals capped at 30,000 USDT per day and no new deposits.
- Individual verification: Submitting a government-issued ID and passing a face check unlocks the full product range, with daily withdrawals of up to 999,999 USDT.
- Institutional verification: Corporate applicants provide company documents through a dedicated review team and receive custom limits, sub-accounts, and priority support.
About KuCoin
KuCoin launched in 2017 and grew into one of the largest altcoin venues in crypto, with a catalogue that now exceeds 1,500 assets across spot, futures, margin, and automated trading bots. The KCS token discounts trading fees, and the KuCard and KuCoin Pay products extend balances into everyday spending.
The corporate structure has shifted with its compliance push. Operator Peken Global Limited is incorporated in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which now govern the platform's Terms of Use, and company announcements are issued from Providenciales. BC Wong has led the exchange as CEO since the US settlement, steering the licensing programme. For a closer look at fees, security, and the product range, read our full KuCoin review.
Final Thoughts
KuCoin keeps expanding where it holds registrations, as India and Australia show, while its biggest regulatory bets have gone against it. The American exit is now permanent by court order, and the European licence sits frozen just after launch.
Anyone outside the excluded list can verify and trade the full product range, and the exchange's scale in Southeast Asia, Turkey, and Latin America brings liquidity few mid-tier platforms match.
The Terms of Use are the document to consult for any specific country, and they have changed within the past year. Check the current version before funding an account.
