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Bull Bitcoin vs BitMEX: What Works Better For Canadians in 2024?

Oleg Galeev

Last updated March 13, 2024

In the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency trading in Canada, Bull Bitcoin and BitMEX represent two distinct approaches to digital currency exchange. Bull Bitcoin focuses on providing Canadians a straightforward platform for buying bitcoin and paying bills with bitcoin, emphasizing self-custody of assets, while BitMEX offers a more complex derivatives trading platform aimed at experienced traders looking for high leverage options.

Description

Bull Bitcoin is a unique Canadian Bitcoin trading platform with ability to pay bills with bitcoin (cellphone, electricity even taxes to CRA) and that allows you to take self-custody immediately. 

BitMEX is a crypto derivatives exchange that offers futures trading, and perpetual contracts. BitMEX aims to become the world’s largest regulated derivatives exchange. You cannot deposit fiat on BitMEX, only BTC and USDT. The exchange is aimed at experienced traders.

Coins

BTC only

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Terra, Solana, XRP, EOS, Stellar, Tron, Litecoin, Chainlink, Polkadot, Dogecoin, Binance Coin, Bitcoin Cash, Axie Infinity, Avalanche, Cardano

Fees

Bull Bitcoin sends the BTC directly to your wallet so you avoid typical withdrawal and network fees that exchanges often have which is a money saver. Bull Bitcoin does not charge fees for buying bitcoin either. Instead, you’ll get exactly what their “We sell” price is. When paying via debit or cash at Canada Post, you’ll pay a 2% fee. 

  • Free USDT or BTC deposits
  • Free BTC withdrawals
  • Variable USDT withdrawal fees
  • 0.01%/0.05% maker/taker fees

Pros

  • Immediate self-custody of assets
  • Send funds via e-Transfer or wire
  • Pay anonymously with cash
  • No withdrawal fees or wait times
  • Recurring buys directly from your bank account
  • Pay bills with bitcoin
  • Low trading fees
  • Advanced order types
  • No BTC deposit/withdrawal fees
  • Futures/perpetual trading

Cons

Only bitcoin available 

  • Not suitable for buying crypto
  • USDT withdrawal fees
  • Only suitable for traders who understand contracts trading
  • No fiat deposits

Account Limits

  • $10,000,000.00 CAD deposit / day via wire trasnfer
  • $10,000.00 CAD deposit / day via Interac E-transfer
  •  $1,000.00 CAD deposit / day via Cash or Debit at Canada Post
  • Buy & Sell transfer are almost unlimited ( $1,000,000.00 CAD a day)

Low

Methods to buy

When buying cryptocurrency with Bull Bitcoin, you can deposit Canadian dollars via an Interac e-Transfer, wire transfer or cash or debit at Canada Post. With the first two options, you will have to KYC and verify your Bull Bitcoin account. 

Security

  • Full custody of your bitcoin.
  • All BTC held in cold storage
  • Two employees audit all BTC withdrawals
  • BTC deposit addresses externally verified
  • Multisignature wallets

Mobile and Desktop Trading

Bull Bitcoin's platform is designed with simplicity in mind, suitable for beginners, and does not offer a dedicated mobile app, focusing instead on a responsive website that works across various devices. BitMEX, on the other hand, caters to a more advanced audience with a detailed desktop trading experience and a mobile app available on both Android and iOS, designed to mirror the desktop's functionality and cater to traders on the go, despite a steeper learning curve and slightly lower app store ratings.

Bull Bitcoin

Bull Bitcoin has a simple website since all of the transactions happen via your bank. There aren’t many features to get you confused, however, we think their website could be designed a little better.

UI of Bull Bitcoin platform

Major Screen

Buying bitcoin with interac e-transfer on Bull Bitcoin platform

Buying Bitcoin via Bull Bitcoin

Transaction screen on the mobile app

Transaction screen on the mobile app

Bull Bitcoin app screenshot

BitMEX

BitMEX’s exchange is confusing, but that’s because it is aimed at experienced traders who understand perpetual and futures contracts trading. BitMEX has a more outdated interface than Kucoin, making it seem clunky and old. However, the lighter colour scheme makes it easier to see the different menus and tabs.

There is a tab for each cryptocurrency market available, which makes it somewhat easy to navigate, view charts and order books.

To start trading contracts, you will need to sign up but you only need to provide an email address to do so. Once you have deposited your Bitcoin or USDT, you can use that to trade for the other cryptocurrencies available.

Leverage is one of the main features of BitMEX and the platform offers a handy leverage slider that can be adjusted to your risk when you trade.

BitMEX is only available as a desktop platform.

Bitmex desktop app

Bitmex desktop app

Security Compliance

Bull Bitcoin is completely safe since you always take full custody of your bitcoin, you do not need to worry about hackers stealing your funds on the platform. However, there is still a level of trust needed because you do not buy the bitcoin yourself and must wait for it to be sent to your crypto wallet

BitMEX is stating that it utilizes cold storage for all of the bitcoin funds. BitMEX also uses multi-signatures wallets and every bitcoin withdrawal is audited by hand by at least two BitMEX employees. All bitcoin deposit addresses sent by BitMEX are externally verified to ensure the keys match those of the founders. If they do not match, BitMEX will shut down and halt trading. 

Both Bull Bitcoin and BitMEX prioritize security, but they employ different strategies. Bull Bitcoin's approach to security is through immediate self-custody, reducing the risk of platform breaches affecting users' assets. BitMEX implements robust security measures including multi-signature deposits and withdrawals, and all funds are stored in offline cold storage. BitMEX has not reported major security breaches, making it a strong contender in terms of platform security.

Regulatory Compliance

Bull Bitcoin is registered with FINTRAC as a Money Services Business and there is a full KYC procedure meaning Bull Bitcoin is fully compliant with Canadian regulations. 

BitMEX withdrew operations in Ontario, but was not officially named by the OSC. BitMEX is still operational in other Canadian provinces but it is facing legal trouble with the USA due to allegedly offering securities trading illegally. 

While you can use BitMEX safely, trade at your own risk and be aware that they could cease trading in Canada due to regulations. 

Bull Bitcoin is fully compliant with Canadian regulations, registered with FINTRAC, and follows KYC procedures. BitMEX has faced regulatory challenges globally and does not offer services to residents of Ontario and Quebec due to regulatory constraints. Canadians outside these provinces can access BitMEX but must navigate the complex landscape of local laws and regulations carefully.

Customer support

Since it is a small company, it may take some time for them to get back to you. Their opening hours are from 9 AM to 8 PM Mon-Fri with sporadic ability on weekends.The platform has a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot with almost 200 reviews, so it’s clear that customers are extremely satisfied with the service. 

BitMEX offers support via a contact form on their website and has a detailed FAQ section as well. 

Bull Bitcoin offers targeted support to Canadian users, with email support and a high Trustpilot rating indicating a positive customer service experience. BitMEX provides support through email and a ticketing system, backed by a comprehensive FAQ and resources section, though the platform's focus on a global audience may not offer the same localized support experience as Bull Bitcoin.

Conclusion

While both Bull Bitcoin and BitMEX offer valuable services to their respective audiences, Bull Bitcoin emerges as the winner for Canadian users seeking a straightforward, secure platform for buying bitcoin and using it for everyday transactions. Its compliance with Canadian regulations, focus on immediate asset custody, and dedicated support for Canadian clients make it a more suitable choice for users in Canada, particularly for those new to cryptocurrency or preferring simplicity over complex trading options.

Bull Bitcoin is the most cost-effective platform for trading Bitcoin in Canada, offering a unique feature that allows users to pay bills, including phone, electricity, and even taxes to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Author

Oleg is a Canadian citizen & crypto expert who has been trading since 2016. He started out with Coinbase, Kraken and Peer-to-Peer exchanges. After some time, centralized exchanges started charging crazy fees to their users.

He decided to review different crypto exchanges that operate in Canada and start a Youtube channel in order to educate Canadians on what kinds of things are going inside each one while giving them unbiased advice. On top of that, Oleg also has experience with NFT, airdrops, and crypto staking and he is constantly checking on new crypto assets.

His writing has been featured in popular Canadian media sources such as Toronto Sun and Ottawa Citizen.