[Exchanges](https://revain.org/exchanges/) › Poloniex

# Poloniex: licences, security, fees and reviews

Centralized exchange

## Key facts

- **Type**: Centralized exchange
- **Exchange launched**: 2014
- **Official site**: [poloniex.com](https://poloniex.com/)

Key facts checked on 29 October 2026 against official sources and regulator registers.

## What is Poloniex

Poloniex is a centralised crypto exchange that began operating in January 2014 in the United States. It offers spot, margin and futures trading and staking. Its user agreement does not name the operating company and is governed by the laws of Panama.

## Good to know

- The user agreement does not name the operating company. It says services come from the Polo group entity linked to the user's country of residence. [↗](https://www.poloniex.com/support/terms)
- The privacy policy, last revised 4 May 2020, names Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. as the data controller. [↗](https://www.poloniex.com/support/privacy)
- On 25 March 2026 the Seychelles FSA warned that Polo Digital Assets Ltd, named as the alleged operator of poloniex.com, never held authorisation under the Seychelles VASP Act 2024 and was dissolved on 1 January 2022. [↗](https://fsaseychelles.sc/media-corner/regulatory-updates/warning-unauthorised-activity-under-the-virtual-asset-service-providers-act-2055)
- On 27 October 2022 Ontario's Capital Markets Tribunal permanently banned Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. from trading securities or derivatives in Ontario after finding it traded without registration. [↗](https://www.capitalmarketstribunal.ca/sites/default/files/2022-10/rad_20221028_polo-digital-assets_order.pdf)
- The 2021 SEC and 2023 OFAC settlements were with Poloniex, LLC, the earlier US operator, and concern conduct before the platform was sold in 2019. [↗](https://ofac.treasury.gov/media/931701/download?inline)
- Since January 2026 Poloniex advertises a paid Super Membership with zero trading fees for $1 a month; the standard fee schedule still lists the regular rates. [↗](https://www.poloniex.com/)
- The UK FCA has listed Poloniex / Polo Digital Assets, Ltd (poloniex.com, poloniex.org) on its Warning List since 6 December 2023; UK users dealing with it have no access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS protection. [↗](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/poloniex-polo-digital-assets-ltd-poloniexcom-poloniexorg)
- South Korea's FIU lists Poloniex as an unregistered virtual asset operator referred to investigators on 17 August 2022; on 6–7 October 2026 Korea's media regulator decided, at the FIU's request, to block access to its website. [↗](https://www.fsc.go.kr/no010101/87916)
- In October 2026 the Poloniex home page carried an announcement on restricting services for Russian users and an orderly retirement process for them. [↗](https://www.poloniex.com/)

## Services

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Spot trading | Buying and selling digital assets. |
| Margin | Margin trading and leveraged tokens, where permitted. |
| Derivatives | USDT-margined perpetual futures. |
| Staking / Earn | Staking of digital assets held in the account for network rewards. |

## Status in the United States and the United Kingdom

- Poloniex and Polo Digital Assets, Ltd (Eden Island, Seychelles) have been on the FCA Warning List since 6 December 2023, for poloniex.com and poloniex.org. The FCA says the firm is not authorised by it and may be targeting people in the UK. [FCA Warning List](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/poloniex-polo-digital-assets-ltd-poloniexcom-poloniexorg)
- In August 2021 the SEC settled with Poloniex LLC, the former US operator, over an unregistered exchange run from July 2017 to November 2019, when the platform was sold. Without admitting or denying the findings, it agreed to pay $10,388,309. [SEC press release 2021-147 (archived copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/20210810155141/https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-147)
- On 1 May 2023 OFAC announced that Poloniex, LLC had agreed to pay $7,591,630 to settle 65,942 apparent sanctions violations. Between January 2014 and November 2019, users apparently in sanctioned jurisdictions transacted on the platform. [OFAC enforcement release, 1 May 2023](https://ofac.treasury.gov/media/931701/download?inline)
- A search of FinCEN’s register of money services businesses on 29 October 2026 found no entry under “Poloniex” or “Polo Digital”. [FinCEN MSB registrant search](https://msb.fincen.gov/)
- Poloniex’s own user agreement (last revised 1 April 2026) says its services are not offered to people who live in the United States, and it also lists the United Kingdom among restricted territories. [Poloniex user agreement](https://www.poloniex.com/support/terms)

Checked on 29 October 2026 against regulator registers and the text of the law.

## Proof of reserves as of 1 October 2026

| Asset | Reserve ratio |
|---|---|
| BTC | 100.1% |
| ETH | 100.6% |
| USDT | 100.3% |
| TRX | 100.8% |
| XRP | 104.6% |
| SOL | 102.5% |
| HTX | 100.0% |
| XLM | 102.0% |

Method: Monthly Merkle-tree proof of reserves; users can check their own balance in the tree. [↗](https://www.poloniex.com/topic/security/proof-of-reserves)

## Security and audits

- Proof of reserves is published monthly as a Merkle-tree report; the snapshot of 1 October 2026 shows a total reserve ratio of 100.47%. No outside attestor is named.
- Poloniex says it uses cold, warm, hot and multi-party offline wallets.
- In a blog post Poloniex stated it had no financial exposure to FTX or Alameda.
- Poloniex says the code of its proof-of-reserves solution is open-sourced on GitHub.
- Accounts support multi-factor authentication, login alerts and cookie-hijacking protection, according to Poloniex.

## Fees

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Spot maker | 0.20% at the base tier (0.14% with the TRX/HTX deduction) |
| Spot taker | 0.20% at the base tier (0.14% with the TRX/HTX deduction) |
| Futures maker | 0.02% at the base tier (USDT-M perpetual futures) |
| Futures taker | 0.06% at the base tier (USDT-M perpetual futures) |
| TRX/HTX discount | Holding TRX and/or HTX in the Spot account lowers base-tier spot fees from 0.20% to 0.14%. |

## Who can use it

- Verification: Identity verification is required; Poloniex may request documents such as a government-issued photo ID or proof of residence.
- Not available to residents of the United States and US territories, all EU member states, the United Kingdom, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and several sanctioned or conflict regions listed in the terms.

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 2014 | Poloniex began operating its digital asset trading platform in the United States. |
| August 2015 | Poloniex listed ETH/BTC trading pairs; it describes itself as the first exchange to do so. |
| February 2018 | Circle Internet Financial acquired Poloniex. |
| 16 October 2019 | Polo Digital Assets, Ltd., a company incorporated in Seychelles, acquired the platform, according to the Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal; US regulators (SEC, OFAC) date the sale to November 2019. |
| 9 August 2021 | The US SEC settled charges with Poloniex LLC for operating an unregistered digital asset exchange between July 2017 and November 2019; total payment $10,388,309. |
| 17 August 2022 | South Korea's FIU referred Poloniex to investigators as a virtual asset operator not registered with it. |
| 27 October 2022 | Ontario's Capital Markets Tribunal found Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. traded securities without registration and ordered permanent bans, a $1.5 million penalty, disgorgement of USD 1,825,417.89 and costs. |
| 1 May 2023 | OFAC settled with Poloniex, LLC for $7,591,630 over apparent sanctions violations between January 2014 and November 2019. |
| 6 December 2023 | The UK FCA added Poloniex / Polo Digital Assets, Ltd (poloniex.com, poloniex.org) to its Warning List of unauthorised firms. |
| 7 October 2024 | Spain's CNMV warned that poloniex.com is not authorised to provide investment services reserved under Spanish securities law. |
| 25 March 2026 | The Seychelles FSA published a warning that Polo Digital Assets Ltd had no authorisation under the VASP Act 2024 and was dissolved on 1 January 2022. |
| October 2026 | South Korea's media regulator decided, at the FIU's request, to block access to the Poloniex website in Korea. |

## Risks and caveats

- Assets held on Poloniex are not covered by deposit insurance such as FDIC or SIPC.
- Poloniex does not publish a licence, and the Seychelles FSA stated in March 2026 that the company it named as the alleged operator has never been authorised under the Seychelles VASP Act 2024.
- Ontario's Capital Markets Tribunal permanently banned Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. from trading securities and derivatives in Ontario in October 2022.
- The former US operator Poloniex LLC settled with the SEC in 2021 and with OFAC in 2023 over conduct between 2014 and 2019.
- Regulators in the United Kingdom (FCA Warning List, December 2023), Spain (CNMV warning, October 2024) and South Korea (FIU referral in 2022, website blocked in October 2026) have warned about or acted against Poloniex.
- The user agreement tells users to assume forks will not be supported, says Poloniex has no obligation to support airdrops, and lets Poloniex suspend or close accounts at its sole discretion.

## About the company

- **Legal entity**: Not named in the user agreement: services are provided by the relevant Polo group entity for the user's country of residence.
- **Founded**: January 2014, in the United States
- **Formerly**: Operated by the US company Poloniex, LLC; owned by Circle Internet Financial from February 2018 until the platform was sold in 2019.
- **Acquirer (2019)**: Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. (Seychelles) acquired the platform on 16 October 2019, per the Ontario tribunal; the Seychelles FSA says this company was dissolved on 1 January 2022.
- **GDPR representative (EEA)**: Polo Digital Assets Inc., as named in the user agreement
- **Address on FCA warning**: Polo Digital Assets, Ltd., F20, 1st Floor, Eden Plaza, Eden Island, Seychelles

## Official links

- Website: [www.poloniex.com](https://www.poloniex.com/)
- Fees: [www.poloniex.com/fee](https://www.poloniex.com/fee)
- Proof of reserves: [www.poloniex.com/topic/security/proof-of-reserves](https://www.poloniex.com/topic/security/proof-of-reserves)
- Terms of use: [www.poloniex.com/support/terms](https://www.poloniex.com/support/terms)

## Questions and answers

**Is Poloniex regulated?**

Poloniex does not publish a licence. The Seychelles FSA stated on 25 March 2026 that Polo Digital Assets Ltd, the alleged operator, has never been authorised under the Seychelles VASP Act 2024, and Ontario banned it in 2022.

**Does Poloniex publish proof of reserves?**

Yes. It publishes a monthly Merkle-tree proof of reserves without a named outside attestor; the 1 October 2026 snapshot shows a total reserve ratio of 100.47%.

**What are Poloniex's fees?**

At the base tier spot trading costs 0.20% for makers and takers (0.14% with the TRX/HTX deduction), and USDT-M futures cost 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker. Poloniex also advertises a paid Super Membership ($1/month) with zero trading fees; its terms are not published.

**Who owns Poloniex?**

The user agreement does not name the operating company; it refers to the relevant Polo group entity for the user's country of residence. Ontario records say Seychelles-based Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. acquired the platform in October 2019; Circle owned it from 2018 to 2019. The Seychelles FSA says that company was dissolved on 1 January 2022, and the current owner is not disclosed.

**Is Poloniex available in the US or EU?**

No. The terms exclude residents of the United States and US territories, all EU member states and the United Kingdom.

**Has Poloniex faced enforcement actions?**

Its former US operator Poloniex LLC settled with the SEC in 2021 ($10,388,309) and with OFAC in 2023 ($7,591,630). In 2022 Ontario permanently banned Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. from trading securities and derivatives there.

**Is Poloniex allowed in South Korea?**

South Korea's FIU referred Poloniex to investigators in August 2022 as an unregistered virtual asset operator, and access to its website in Korea was ordered blocked in October 2026.

**Are assets on Poloniex insured?**

No. The user agreement says account assets are not covered by deposit insurance such as FDIC or SIPC, and the UK FCA notes that UK users have no FSCS protection. The home page advertises “100% compensation for user assets”; this is the exchange's own claim, not insurance.

## Sources

- [Poloniex — User Agreement](https://www.poloniex.com/support/terms)
- [Poloniex — Privacy Policy](https://www.poloniex.com/support/privacy)
- [Poloniex — Home page](https://www.poloniex.com/)
- [Poloniex — Spot fee schedule](https://www.poloniex.com/fee)
- [Poloniex — Futures fee schedule](https://www.poloniex.com/fee/futures)
- [Poloniex — Proof of Reserves](https://www.poloniex.com/topic/security/proof-of-reserves)
- [Poloniex — Blog: committed to providing a secure crypto trading platform](https://www.poloniex.com/blog/poloniex-is-committed-to-providing-a-secure-crypto-trading-platform)
- [Financial Services Authority Seychelles — Warning: Unauthorised Activity under the VASP Act, 2024 (25 March 2026)](https://fsaseychelles.sc/media-corner/regulatory-updates/warning-unauthorised-activity-under-the-virtual-asset-service-providers-act-2055)
- [Capital Markets Tribunal (Ontario) — Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. (Re), Reasons and Decision, 27 October 2022](https://www.capitalmarketstribunal.ca/sites/default/files/2022-10/rad_20221028_polo-digital-assets_reasons.pdf)
- [Capital Markets Tribunal (Ontario) — Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. (Re), Order, 27 October 2022](https://www.capitalmarketstribunal.ca/sites/default/files/2022-10/rad_20221028_polo-digital-assets_order.pdf)
- [US Treasury OFAC — Enforcement Release, 1 May 2023 (Poloniex, LLC)](https://ofac.treasury.gov/media/931701/download?inline)
- [US SEC — Press release 2021-147 (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20210810155141/https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-147)
- [Financial Conduct Authority (UK) — Warning: Poloniex / Polo Digital Assets, Ltd (6 December 2023)](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/poloniex-polo-digital-assets-ltd-poloniexcom-poloniexorg)
- [CNMV (Spain) — Advertencia al público: poloniex.com (7 October 2024)](https://www.cnmv.es/webservices/verdocumento/ver?e=MaVISLgpkOaOCszcisoVYIbgIfO3RtNU2TGg1f2UJVUILCnUAEn6Pt63MwWh%2bqV8)
- [Financial Services Commission / FIU (Korea) — Press release, 13 October 2026](https://www.fsc.go.kr/no010101/87916)
- [FinCEN MSB registrant search](https://msb.fincen.gov/)

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Page updated: 2026-10-29

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Source: https://revain.org/exchanges/poloniex/