Best Crypto CFD Brokers in Australia (2026)

Quick verdict: crypto CFD brokers in Australia

Eightcap is the best crypto CFD broker in Australia, with 250+ crypto CFDs, the widest range of the twelve ASIC-regulated brokers we tested. IC Markets has the tightest Bitcoin spread at around $13 on the Raw account, and eToro is the pick for copy trading crypto. Every broker here is capped at 2:1 retail leverage.

1. Eightcap: deepest crypto range, 250+ CFDs.
2. IC Markets: tightest Bitcoin spread, around $13 on Raw.
3. Pepperstone: low-cost crypto with ECN execution.
4. CMC Markets: 39 crypto pairs on Next Generation.
5. Plus500: simplest casual crypto platform.
6. eToro: copy trading crypto through CopyTrader.
7. FP Markets: 15 crypto pairs across four platforms.
8. Capital.com: 100+ crypto CFDs on a polished platform.
9. Vantage: dedicated crypto CFD account.
10. Mitrade: app-based crypto CFDs, spread only.

Range, cost and copy trading pull in different directions here. The table and reviews below show which trade-off each broker makes.

Crypto CFDs are not the same as buying spot crypto on Independent Reserve or Swyftx. We cover the difference further down. The tax treatment is also different, which trips up most new traders. If forex is your main market, start with our best forex brokers in Australia guide.

Comparison table: AU crypto CFD brokers

Live BTC/USD spreads move with volatility, so check each broker’s current schedule before funding an account. Weekend hours change without notice when liquidity providers adjust.

Watch: Best crypto CFD brokers.

All twelve hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and are members of AFCA. All are bound by ASIC’s Product Intervention Order: 2:1 leverage cap on crypto CFDs, mandatory negative balance protection, margin close-out at 50% of initial margin, no bonuses to retail clients.

1. Eightcap: widest crypto CFD range in Australia

Eightcap lists more than 250 crypto derivative markets, the largest published count of any broker on this page, from bitcoin and ether through a long list of altcoins. The Raw account adds A$3.50 per side commission, the Standard account is spread only, and crypto markets trade through the weekend. Execution runs natively inside TradingView as well as on MT4, MT5 and TradeLocker. Retail leverage on crypto CFDs is capped at 2:1 under ASIC rules, here and at every broker on this list. The minimum deposit is A$100, and Eightcap has held AFSL 391441 since 2009.

2. Pepperstone: tight crypto pricing on Razor

Pepperstone runs 30+ crypto CFDs with weekend trading available, priced through the same Standard and Razor account structure as its forex range. Platform choice is a strength: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView and Pepperstone’s own web platform from one login, each with a mobile app. There is no minimum deposit, no inactivity fee, and withdrawals are free on most methods, with 24/7 support behind the account. Retail crypto CFD leverage is capped at 2:1 under ASIC rules. Pepperstone has held AFSL 414530 since 2010.

3. IC Markets: tightest Bitcoin spread on the Raw account

IC Markets offers 18+ crypto CFDs beside its forex and index range, traded on MT4, MT5 or cTrader with crypto markets open through the weekend. The case for it is execution quality: IC Markets consistently places among the fastest brokers we track, useful on markets that move as abruptly as bitcoin and ether. The minimum deposit is A$200, support runs 24/7 on live chat, and the ASIC retail leverage cap of 2:1 on crypto CFDs applies. International Capital Markets has operated under AFSL 335692 since 2007.

4. FP Markets: 15 crypto pairs across four platforms

FP Markets includes crypto CFDs within its multi-asset range, subject to ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap, without publishing a coin count for the class. The draw is account flexibility: Raw pricing with A$3.50 per side forex commission or a spread-only Standard account, on MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with a A$100 minimum deposit and no inactivity fee. Note that its Islamic swap-free account does not extend to crypto CFDs. First Prudential Markets has held AFSL 286354 since 2005, one of the longest continuous ASIC records on this page.

5. CMC Markets: proprietary platform with 39 pairs

CMC Markets offers 39 crypto CFDs, including bitcoin, ether, XRP, ADA and SOL, on its Next Generation platform, with crypto markets covered through the weekend. The Standard account is spread only with no minimum deposit, and Next Generation adds pattern recognition scanning and client sentiment data that suit chart-led crypto traders. The wider book of 12,000+ CFD instruments means crypto positions can sit beside indices, forex and commodities on one login. Retail leverage is capped at 2:1 on crypto CFDs under ASIC rules. CMC Markets Asia Pacific has held AFSL 238054 since 2002.

6. Plus500: simplest casual trading platform

Plus500 keeps crypto CFDs to the major pairs, traded on its own WebTrader with the weekend covered. What it lacks in range it makes up in risk controls: guaranteed stop-loss orders are available with the premium charged only if triggered, which suits leveraged exposure to volatile coins under the ASIC 2:1 retail cap. The account is spread only with no commission, most applications were approved within 30 minutes in our account-opening test, and the minimum deposit is A$100. Plus500AU has held AFSL 417727 since 2012.

7. eToro: social and copy trading

eToro combines 70+ cryptocurrencies with the option to hold selected coins outright as well as trading them as CFDs under the ASIC 2:1 retail cap. Markets run through the weekend, and CopyTrader lets users mirror crypto-focused traders with no separate copy fee. A free demo with US$100,000 in virtual funds runs on the same platform, with no time limit. The account is USD-denominated, so AUD deposits and withdrawals carry a conversion cost, and the minimum deposit is US$50. eToro AUS Capital has held AFSL 491139 since 2018.

8. Capital.com: 100+ crypto CFDs on a proprietary platform

Capital.com lists 100+ crypto CFDs, one of the wider selections here, with weekend trading available and pricing built into the spread rather than charged as commission. Its WebTrader platform and native TradingView integration carry the full crypto range, there is no inactivity fee, and the A$20 minimum deposit keeps the entry point low. ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap applies across the class. ASIC issued Capital Com Australia AFSL 513393 in 2021, within a group also regulated by the FCA and CySEC.

9. Vantage: dedicated crypto account

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Vantage approaches crypto differently from the forex-first brokers above it: alongside the Standard STP and RAW accounts sits a Perpetual account built for crypto CFDs, priced from 0.1 pips with a 0.025% commission. Major crypto CFDs trade under ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap on MT4, MT5, native TradingView or the Vantage App, and funding is fee-free across PayID, BPAY, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Minimum deposits stay low at A$50 for Standard and RAW and US$50 for the Perpetual account. One caution: an inactivity fee of US$25 per month applies after 90 days without trading. Vantage Global Prime Pty Ltd holds AFSL 428901, first issued in 2009, with AFCA membership and negative balance protection. ## 10. App-based crypto CFDs: Mitrade Mitrade closes the list for traders who want crypto exposure from a phone without wiring up MetaTrader. Its proprietary platform runs on web, iOS and Android with TradingView charting built in, and covers major crypto CFDs including bitcoin, ether, XRP, litecoin, ADA and SOL, all priced spread only with no commission. ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap applies to crypto CFDs, and negative balance protection is mandatory on the Australian entity. The minimum deposit is A$100, one of the lower entry points in this comparison, and there are no expert advisors or automation, which keeps the product deliberately simple. Melbourne-headquartered Mitrade Global Pty Ltd has held ASIC AFSL 398528 since around 2018 and is an AFCA member.

10. Mitrade: app-based crypto CFDs

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Mitrade closes the list for traders who want crypto exposure from a phone without wiring up MetaTrader. Its proprietary platform runs on web, iOS and Android with TradingView charting built in, and covers major crypto CFDs including bitcoin, ether, XRP, litecoin, ADA and SOL, all priced spread only with no commission. ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap applies to crypto CFDs, and negative balance protection is mandatory on the Australian entity. The minimum deposit is A$100, one of the lower entry points in this comparison, and there are no expert advisors or automation, which keeps the product deliberately simple. Melbourne-headquartered Mitrade Global Pty Ltd has held ASIC AFSL 398528 since around 2018 and is an AFCA member.

ASIC’s 2:1 retail leverage cap on crypto CFDs

Choosing an ASIC-regulated broker over an offshore platform is a deliberate trade-off. You get AFCA membership, segregated client money and negative balance protection, and you give up the triple-digit leverage those offshore venues advertise.

The single most important fact for an Australian crypto CFD trader: retail leverage is capped at 2:1. That’s been the rule since ASIC’s Product Intervention Order took effect on 29 March 2021 and the order has since been extended by ASIC to 23 May 2027.

What that means in practice: if you want to open a notional AUD 10,000 BTC position, you need AUD 5,000 in margin. The same trade on an offshore platform offering 100:1 might require AUD 100. The leverage cap is real and it’s not negotiable on a retail account.

How AU compares to other jurisdictions

ASIC sits at the strict end. The UK is stricter still: retail crypto CFDs are banned outright. The cap applies equally to all twelve brokers in our table. None of them can offer higher retail leverage on crypto, regardless of platform or account tier.

The wholesale exception

Wholesale (professional) clients can be offered higher leverage at the broker’s discretion. Typical wholesale leverage on crypto sits between 5:1 and 10:1 even for sophisticated traders. To qualify for wholesale classification under the Corporations Act, you need net assets of AUD 2.5 million, or gross income of AUD 250,000 in each of the last two financial years, certified by a qualified accountant. This is not a retail product. Don’t try to game the classification.

Crypto CFDs vs spot crypto on AU exchanges

This is the question most new crypto CFD traders ask. The two products are fundamentally different.

Crypto CFDs are derivatives. You don’t own the underlying coin. You’re trading a contract that tracks the price. Profits and losses are settled in your account currency (usually AUD). Leverage is available (capped at 2:1 retail). You can short. You pay a spread plus an overnight financing cost on positions held past 5pm New York. The broker is the counterparty.

Spot crypto on an AU exchange is the underlying coin. You buy actual BTC, ETH, SOL or whatever and hold it in the exchange wallet or transfer to a self-custody wallet. No leverage on most retail products. No overnight financing. You can hold it indefinitely. You can also lose it if the exchange fails (no AFCA equivalent for spot crypto).

AU spot crypto exchanges (not on this site, listed for context)

For traders who want spot crypto rather than CFDs, the established AU exchanges are:

• Independent Reserve: AUSTRAC-registered, AU-headquartered, ISO 27001 certified
• Swyftx: AUSTRAC-registered, large AU retail base
• CoinSpot: AUSTRAC-registered, longest-running AU exchange
• Kraken AU: global exchange with an AU operating entity

We don’t review spot exchanges on this site. CompareForexBrokers covers ASIC-regulated CFD and forex brokers only. The list above is for context.

When CFDs make sense over spot

• You want to short crypto without borrowing
• You already hold an AUD CFD account and want crypto exposure in the same platform
• You trade actively and want fast execution alongside forex and indices
• You want negative balance protection and AFCA dispute resolution
• You’re trading inside a tax structure that treats CFD profits as assessable income (see below)

When spot makes sense over CFDs

• You want to hold crypto for years rather than weeks
• You want to self-custody (move coins off the exchange to a hardware wallet)
• You want to use crypto for actual transactions, not just price exposure
• You want to capture potential CGT discount treatment after 12 months (see ATO guidance)

Tax treatment for AU crypto CFD traders

This trips up most new traders. CFD profits and spot crypto gains are taxed differently in Australia.

Crypto CFD profits are generally treated as assessable income by the ATO under TR 2005/15, the same as forex CFD profits. The activity is treated as trading, not investing. CFD losses are deductible against income. There is no 12-month CGT discount on CFD profits.

Spot crypto gains are generally treated under the CGT regime when held as an investment. Hold for more than 12 months and an individual can access the 50% CGT discount. Gains realised on spot crypto held as part of a trading business may be assessable as income; the ATO looks at intention, frequency and scale.

The two regimes can produce very different tax outcomes on the same dollar of profit. A $10,000 CFD profit goes onto your assessable income at your marginal rate. A $10,000 long-term spot crypto gain (held 18 months) is taxed at half your marginal rate.

We are not licensed to provide tax advice. Speak to a registered tax agent about your circumstances before you assume either treatment applies to your situation.

Weekend crypto trading on AU CFD platforms

Crypto markets run 24/7 on spot exchanges. CFD brokers approximate that, but with caveats.

Most AU CFD brokers offer weekend trading on the largest pairs (BTC, ETH, sometimes XRP, LTC, BCH). Weekend hours and pair coverage vary by broker:

Spreads typically widen on weekends. Liquidity is thinner. Slippage on stops is more common. If you’re trading around a weekend catalyst (US political news, ETF flows, Asian session moves on Sunday morning), expect wider quotes than weekday hours.

Compare brokers by the factor that decides it

Each shortlist below re-ranks the market for one decision factor, tested the same way as this page.