Crypto Exchanges Available in California
14 exchanges currently serve residents of California. Strike ranks highest overall in California on fees, asset selection, and trust. Last verified September 3, 2026.
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All Exchanges Serving California
| # | Exchange | Type | Assets | Typical fee | KYC | Payment methods | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strike | broker | 1 | $5.55 | Required | bank transfer, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, wire transfer, direct deposit | Visit Strike |
| 2 | Bitstamp by Robinhood | centralized exchange | 40 | $11.00 | Required | bank transfer, card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Visit Bitstamp by Robinhood |
| 3 | Kraken | centralized exchange | 102 | — | Required | ACH, wire transfer, SEPA, Faster Payments, debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Interac e-Transfer, iDEAL, PIX, spei | Visit Kraken |
| 4 | Crypto.com Exchange | centralized exchange | 68 | — | Required | bank transfer | Visit Crypto.com Exchange |
| 5 | Coinbase Exchange | centralized exchange | 76 | — | Required | — | Visit Coinbase Exchange |
| 6 | Uphold | broker | 63 | — | Required | ACH, wire transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, samsung pay, PayPal, venmo | Visit Uphold |
| 7 | Toobit | centralized exchange | 71 | — | Not required | credit card, debit card | Visit Toobit |
| 8 | eToro | broker | 33 | — | Required | bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PayPal, neteller, skrill, iDEAL, trustly, przelewy24, etoro money | Visit eToro |
| 9 | Gemini | centralized exchange | 38 | — | Required | ACH, wire transfer, debit card, PayPal | Visit Gemini |
| 10 | Binance US | centralized exchange | 43 | — | Required | ACH, wire transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto deposit | Visit Binance US |
| 11 | bitFlyer | centralized exchange | 4 | — | Required | bank transfer, quick deposit, convenience store, wire transfer, SEPA, PayPal | Visit bitFlyer |
| 12 | PayPal | broker | 7 | — | Required | paypal balance, bank transfer, debit card | Visit PayPal |
| 13 | Bullish | centralized exchange | 20 | — | Required | wire transfer, SEPA | Visit Bullish |
| 14 | Cash App | broker | 1 | $13.75 | Required | cash app balance, bank transfer, debit card, direct deposit | Visit Cash App |
Fees are estimated from each exchange's published schedule for a $500 market buy using the cheapest common payment method. Rankings are not influenced by affiliate relationships. Scores are explained in our methodology.
Crypto Regulation in California
California is the exception to the money-transmitter-only pattern. The Digital Financial Assets Law, signed as A.B. 39 and S.B. 401 on October 13, 2023, gives the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation a dedicated license for digital financial asset business activity. The Department began taking applications through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System on March 9, 2026, and from July 1, 2026 a firm serving California residents must hold a license or have a completed application on file. Federal law comes first: a business that exchanges dollars for crypto on your behalf is a money transmitter under 31 CFR 1010.100(ff)(5) and has to register with FinCEN as a money services business, renewing that registration every two years. California has enacted the Conference of State Bank Supervisors' Money Transmission Modernization Act (A.B. 1116, effective January 1, 2025, in part), the model law that standardizes net worth, surety bond and permissible investment requirements; thirty-one states had adopted it in whole or in part as of the CSBS legislative update dated June 2026. As of September 2026, Binance US lists California among its fully supported states and Kraken records no California restriction on its supported-states page.
Most Popular Assets in California
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which exchange is best in California?
- Strike ranks highest on our composite score in California, which weighs cost, availability, asset selection, trust, and usability. See the methodology page for the weights.
- Is crypto legal in California?
- 14 exchanges we have verified serve residents of California. We have not recorded a jurisdiction-wide restriction. See the regulation section on this page for detail.
- Can I use Crypto.com Exchange in California?
- Yes. Crypto.com Exchange serves California residents. US retail users get USD cash deposit/withdrawal via ACH. Derivatives trading is separately restricted for the US.
- Do I pay tax on crypto in California?
- The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property under Notice 2014-21, so selling or swapping it produces a capital gain or loss, short-term if you held the asset a year or less. California applies no crypto-specific tax rule, so a gain that is taxable federally is reported on your California individual income tax return and taxed at the state's individual income tax rates. Rates and brackets change from year to year, so check the current California schedule before you file. Accurate as of September 2026.