Cat.Ex Crypto Exchange Review: Fees, Features, and Risks in 2026
1 February 2026

Is Cat.Ex Crypto Exchange Worth Your Time in 2026?

If you're looking for a crypto exchange that lets you trade and earn tokens just by buying and selling, Cat.Ex might catch your eye. It’s been around since 2018, claims low trading fees, and gives you CATT tokens for every trade you make. But here’s the catch: it’s not regulated anywhere, charges brutal withdrawal fees, and blocks users from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, and 18 other major countries. This isn’t just another exchange-it’s a high-risk niche platform with serious trade-offs.

How Cat.Ex Works: Trading and Earning CATT Tokens

Cat.Ex doesn’t just let you trade crypto-it rewards you for it. Every time you make a trade, you earn a portion of your trading fee back as CATT, the platform’s native token. That’s called transaction mining. Unlike staking or yield farming, you don’t lock up your assets. You just trade, and you get paid in CATT. For active traders, that adds up. If you trade $1,000 a week, you could earn several hundred CATT tokens a month, depending on your tier.

The catch? CATT isn’t just a reward-it’s your key to lowering fees. Cat.Ex has an 11-tier system where holding more CATT reduces your withdrawal fees. At Tier 10, with 20 million CATT, you get 100% fee waivers. Sounds great, right? Except most users never reach that level. To get even to Tier 5, you’d need to hold over 1 million CATT. That’s roughly $5,000-$10,000 depending on price swings. For most, the system feels like a maze with no clear exit.

Fees: Low Trading, High Withdrawals

Cat.Ex boasts maker fees as low as 0.01% and taker fees down to 0.02%. That’s competitive-better than some big exchanges. But here’s where it falls apart: withdrawal fees. Every time you pull money out, you pay 3.5%-no exceptions. That’s not a typo. For Bitcoin, you pay 0.0005 BTC. For Ethereum, it’s 0.008 ETH. For USDT? A flat 5 USDT. If you’re withdrawing $100, you lose $3.50. If you’re withdrawing $1,000, you lose $35. That’s not a fee-it’s a tax.

Compare that to Binance (0.1%-0.5% for withdrawals) or Kraken (free for many assets). Cat.Ex makes money not from trading volume, but from locking you in. The more you trade, the more CATT you earn. The more CATT you hold, the more you’re incentivized to keep your funds there. It’s a clever loop, but it’s not user-friendly. It’s a trap for casual users who just want to cash out.

What You Can Trade

Cat.Ex lists around 29 cryptocurrencies with 40 trading pairs. That’s not a lot compared to Binance’s 1,000+ coins, but it’s enough for most traders. You’ll find Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and a few lesser-known altcoins like IOST and XRP. But here’s the problem: not all coins you can deposit can be withdrawn. XRP? You can send it in, but you can’t take it out. IOST? You can withdraw, but you can’t deposit. That’s not a bug-it’s a feature of poorly managed liquidity.

The exchange only supports spot trading. No margin. No futures. No leverage. That’s fine if you’re a beginner or prefer low-risk trading. But if you’re looking to hedge, short, or use advanced strategies, you’ll need to go elsewhere. Cat.Ex is built for simple buys and sells, not active trading.

A child tries to open a locked treasure chest labeled 'Cat.Ex' while coins disappear into a 3.5% fee symbol.

Security and Regulation: A Major Red Flag

Cat.Ex is registered in China. That’s not just a detail-it’s a warning. China banned all crypto exchanges in 2021. Any platform still operating under Chinese registration is either ignoring the law or operating in a gray zone. There’s no license from the SEC, FCA, ASIC, or any other major financial authority. That means if the platform shuts down, freezes funds, or gets hacked, you have zero legal recourse.

Security features? Two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory for logins, trades, and withdrawals. That’s good-basic, but necessary. No cold storage details are published. No proof of reserves. No third-party audits. You’re trusting an anonymous team with your money. That’s a gamble most serious traders won’t take.

Who Can Use Cat.Ex?

Over 23 countries are blocked, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and China. If you’re in one of those places, you’ll get a message saying access is denied. Some users try VPNs to get around it-but that violates their terms. If caught, your account could be frozen without warning.

That leaves users in places like Brazil, South Korea, parts of Southeast Asia, and some Eastern European countries. These are markets where regulation is lax, and users are more tolerant of risk. But even there, the 3.5% withdrawal fee makes Cat.Ex a poor long-term choice. It’s better for short-term trading, not holding.

User Experience: Simple Interface, Confusing Rules

The interface is clean. Navigation is straightforward. Charts are functional. Technical indicators are available. For beginners, it’s easier than many exchanges. But the moment you try to withdraw, things get messy. The tier system isn’t explained clearly. The CATT token economics are buried in a PDF you have to download. Customer support? Only via ticket or Telegram. No live chat. No phone. Response times vary. Some users report replies in hours. Others wait days.

Documentation is inconsistent. Some guides say you can stake CATT. Others say you can’t. Some say you can earn from faucets. Others say those faucets pay pennies. The platform feels like it was built by developers who care more about mechanics than user experience.

Animals stand on a cliff, choosing between a safe castle and a crumbling tower labeled 'Cat.Ex'.

Alternatives That Actually Make Sense

If you want low fees and passive earning, look at Binance. It offers lower withdrawal fees, 200+ coins, and a rewards program that doesn’t require holding millions of tokens. Kraken has better security, regulatory compliance, and free withdrawals for many assets. For decentralized options, try Uniswap or dYdX-no KYC, no geographic blocks, and full control of your keys.

Cat.Ex isn’t a scam. It’s operational. It’s not fake. But it’s designed for a specific, narrow audience: people who don’t care about regulation, don’t mind paying high exit fees, and are okay with being locked into a platform that could disappear tomorrow.

Final Verdict: Only for High-Risk, Low-Expectation Traders

Cat.Ex isn’t for everyone. It’s not for beginners who want to buy Bitcoin and hold. It’s not for investors who want safety. It’s not for anyone in the U.S., U.K., or EU. It’s for experienced traders in permitted countries who treat crypto like a high-risk casino-and want to earn CATT tokens while they play. If you’re okay with losing 3.5% every time you cash out, and you’re fine with zero legal protection, then maybe it’s worth a small test trade.

But if you’re looking for a reliable, long-term exchange? Keep looking. Cat.Ex is a niche tool with big risks and even bigger fees. Don’t let the low trading costs fool you. The real cost is hidden in the withdrawals-and the lack of any safety net.

Is Cat.Ex a legitimate crypto exchange?

Cat.Ex is operational and has been running since 2018, so it’s not a scam in the traditional sense. But it’s not legitimate in the regulatory sense. It has no license from any major financial authority like the SEC or FCA. It’s registered in China, where crypto exchanges are banned. That means there’s no legal protection if things go wrong.

Can I withdraw my crypto from Cat.Ex without paying high fees?

Only if you hold 20 million CATT tokens-that’s Tier 10. That’s roughly $5,000-$10,000 worth, depending on the token’s price. For everyone else, withdrawal fees are a flat 3.5% across all assets. There’s no way around it. Even if you trade heavily, the fee discount system is designed to keep you locked in, not to help you save.

Why can’t I withdraw XRP from Cat.Ex even though I can deposit it?

Cat.Ex has inconsistent liquidity management. Some coins can be deposited but not withdrawn because the platform doesn’t have enough reserves to cover withdrawals for those assets. This is common on smaller exchanges with limited funding. It’s a red flag-it means your funds might be stuck if you need to move them.

Does Cat.Ex offer margin or futures trading?

No. Cat.Ex only supports spot trading at 1:1 leverage. There’s no margin, no futures, no options, and no derivatives. If you want to trade with leverage or short assets, you’ll need to use another platform.

Is Cat.Ex safe to use in 2026?

It’s as safe as your willingness to accept risk. It has 2FA, which is good. But it has no audits, no proof of reserves, no regulatory oversight, and no customer protection. If the platform disappears tomorrow, you have no recourse. Most experts advise against using unregulated exchanges unless you’re only trading small amounts you can afford to lose.

What countries are blocked on Cat.Ex?

Cat.Ex blocks users from over 23 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. If you’re in one of these countries, you won’t be able to access the platform-even with a VPN, which violates their terms and risks account suspension.

Can I earn passive income on Cat.Ex besides trading?

Yes, but only minimally. You can earn CATT tokens from trading (transaction mining), and there are crypto faucets that pay tiny amounts for completing tasks. There’s no staking, no yield farming, no lending, and no liquidity pools. Passive income options are extremely limited compared to other exchanges.

How does Cat.Ex compare to Binance or Coinbase?

Binance and Coinbase offer far more assets, lower withdrawal fees, regulatory compliance, insurance funds, live support, and advanced trading tools. Cat.Ex only beats them on one thing: low trading fees for active users. But that’s not enough to outweigh the risks, restrictions, and hidden costs. For most people, the big exchanges are safer and more practical.

What to Do Next

If you’re still considering Cat.Ex, start with a tiny deposit-under $50. Test the interface, try a few trades, and then attempt a withdrawal. See how long it takes. See how much you lose in fees. See if the CATT token rewards are worth it. If you’re happy with the results, fine. But if you feel like you’re being nickel-and-dimed or confused by the system, walk away. There are better options out there.

Don’t let the promise of free tokens blind you. In crypto, the real value isn’t in earning small rewards-it’s in protecting your capital. Cat.Ex doesn’t do that. And in 2026, that’s a dealbreaker for anyone serious about crypto.

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