In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in the US, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best crypto brokers for short selling in the US 2026. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
Bybit - Best for short selling in the US
Bybit is a leading cryptocurrency exchange specializing in derivatives trading. Its proprietary trading platform is user-friendly but caters primarily to experienced traders who are comfortable with advanced financial instruments. Integration with TradingView provides seamless market analysis and trade execution. Bybit is regulated by the AFSA (Astana Financial Services Authority - Kazakhstan), holds a preliminary license from the VARA (Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority - Dubai) and secures MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) license from Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA).
Bybit allows highly leveraged trading of up to 100x with a clear and transparent fee structure. For those seeking alternative investment strategies, Bybit offers copy trading programs for both derivatives and spot markets, enabling users to automatically replicate the trades of successful investors. The exchange provides 24/7 customer support, a safe banking environment, and instant deposits/withdrawals. Additionally, Bybit offers a crypto debit card, allowing users to spend their digital assets on everyday purchases.
👍 Advantages of trading with Bybit for traders from the US:
•Convenient trading platform;
•Integration with TradingView;
•Combination of futures and perpetual contracts trading;
•There is an order book;
•It has a minimum entry threshold;
•It is possible to open long and short positions with subsequent mutual recalculation;
•Opportunities for Muslim traders to participate in the crypto market.
👎 Disadvantages of Bybit for traders from the US:
•Difficult conditions for trading futures;
•Lacks a mechanism to protect the interests of traders.
2
Binance - Best for short selling in the US
The Binance exchange is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world with its headquarters in Hong Kong. According to the CoinMarketCap cryptocurrency portal, Binance holds the top spot in terms of aggregate indicators of the platform's daily turnover, the number of novices and active users, liquidity, and web traffic (ranking, queries, statistics in search engines, etc.). The exchange is also a cryptocurrency startup that has its own “native asset” used in the Binance ecosystem as the “basis gas” (payment internal unit). More about Binance Card
👍 Advantages of trading with Binance for traders from the US:
•Low trading fees.
•Multifunctional P2P platform.
•Two-factor authentication (2FA).
•High liquidity and trading volume.
•Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU).
•Access to spot, futures, and options markets.
•Opportunities for passive income (staking, savings).
👎 Disadvantages of Binance for traders from the US:
•Regulatory pressure and geographical restrictions.
•Complex interface for novice investors.
3
Interactive Brokers - Best for short selling in the US
Interactive Brokers is among the best-known global online brokers. Based in the US, it has been operating since 1977. Interactive Brokers allows clients to trade products from 160 exchanges including stocks, option, currencies, bonds, funds and more from a single unified platform. The company is regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the UK Financial Regulatory Authority (FCA, 208159), and other international financial regulation commissions. Interactive Brokers has earned recognition as a top broker, garnering multiple awards and accolades from respected industry sources such as Barron's, Investopedia, Stockbrokers.com,and many others. Also, the broker is popular in other countries. Here you can read reviews of Interactive Brokers in Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland.
👍 Advantages of trading with Interactive Brokers for traders from the US:
•extensive and free educational resources through the IBKR Campus;
•access to160markets in 36 countries and territories;
•trading in stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds and more from a single unified platform.
👎 Disadvantages of Interactive Brokers for traders from the US:
•Support service does not work on Saturday;
4
FTMO - Best for short selling in the US
FTMO is a prop trading firm offering experienced traders the chance to manage a funded account of up to $200,000 with a wide range of instruments including Forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. To qualify, traders must pass a two-step evaluation process.
Beginners may start with a Free Trial account which has the same trading conditions as the challenge ones. Long-term traders are free to use a Swing Account that has no restrictions on holding positions over the weekend or trading during macroeconomic releases. The company offers trading with the most popular platforms – MT 4/5, cTrader, and DXtrade. The leverage is up to 1:100.
Additionally, FTMO is recognized for its educational resources and continuous support.
👍 Advantages of trading with FTMO for traders from the US:
•Quite low testing cost is €155.
•Classic platforms such as MT4, MT5, and Ctrader are familiar to many traders. For these platforms, hundreds of indicators, scripts, and advisers have been developed.
•The starting reward is 80%.
•Diversification of tariff plans. Candidates can choose a demo deposit from 10 thousand to 200 thousand US dollars. There are tariff plans that span from standard to aggressive trading.
•Leverage is up to 1:100.
👎 Disadvantages of FTMO for traders from the US:
•Strict requirements for the test period. The allowable maximum loss is 10% of the deposit amount. The target profit is 10%.
•There is no information about how the company is funded.
5
Phemex - Best for short selling in the US
The Phemex exchange is a platform for spot and contract trading of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin (₿), Litecoin (Ł), Ethereum (Ξ), Tether (₮), Dash (Ð), Ripple, DOGE, DOT, ADA, and many other cryptocurrencies and tokens are available for trading on this platform. The exchange stands out for its low fees: 0.1% for spot, and 0.075/-0.025% for contracts (taker/maker, respectively). Premium account reduces spot fees to 0%, and there are no withdrawal limits. The only fiat currency available on the site is the US dollar. All basic deposit/withdrawal options are available, including direct transfers from bank cards. The exchange offers a demo account, educational guides with the possibility of earning cryptocurrency, and a welcome bonus for newcomers. There are investment solutions with payouts of up to 10% per annum. The platform is lightning fast and is stable. Also, there are mobile versions.
👍 Advantages of trading with Phemex for traders from the US:
•spot and contracts, loads of cryptocurrencies, tokens, and the US dollar;
•the ability to reduce spot trading fees to 0%;
•leverage x100 is available for contract trading;
•minimum deposit only ₿0.00000001 (or the equivalent);
•demo accounts and free premium mode test;
•extensive knowledge base, and tutorial guides with crypto payouts;
•referral program with discounts on commissions;
•investment programs with flexible and fixed deposits;
•Star Composition program gives users new opportunities;
•cold storage of funds, high levels of data protection.
👎 Disadvantages of Phemex for traders from the US:
•communication with technical support is conducted via email only;
•without a premium account, trading conditions are less favorable.
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
Bybit Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union experts analyzed the Bybit platform documents regulating the trading conditions for differentiation of commissions. The commission depends on which category is assigned to the trader: Maker or Taker. The Taker commission is 0.075%; whereas the Maker commission is 0.025%.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From $ 20 |
No |
Binance Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union experts analyzed the Binance exchange’s trading terms for the difference in commissions. Exchange commissions depend on the following parameters: the trader's activity (trading turnover per month), the volume of the traders’ investments in the BNB exchange token, on the asset type. There is a withdrawal fee the size of which depends on the name of the cryptocurrency.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
from $6 |
Yes |
Interactive Brokers Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts have verified Interactive Brokers for hidden fees and assessed the commission level in the company. You can withdraw funds for free once a month; if you withdraw funds more often, you’ll have to pay a fee, the amount of which varies depending on the base currency of the account and the payment system.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Real |
From $2 |
Depending on the currency and withdrawal method |
FTMO Commissions and Fees
The experts at the Traders Union analyzed the trading conditions of FTMO. The support service reported on a separate request that the spread is ranging from 0-3 pips on majors. The fee for testing depends on the chosen strategy and the deposit amount. The minimum deposit is €155, the maximum is €1080.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard/Swing |
From $6 |
No |
Phemex Commissions and Fees
The Phemex cryptocurrency exchange charges users a commission for each trade conducted on the site. Commissions are not affected by a customer's trading volume. The only factor that is taken into account when calculating their size is the presence or absence of a premium account. Standard commissions for the average user are as follows:
-
0.1% for a taker/maker on a spot;
-
0.1% for bot;
-
0.075% for a taker on contracts;
-
-0.025% for makers on contracts.
For Premium account holders the difference is that the spot fees for taker/maker positions are 0%. All users have the opportunity to get a 10% discount on the taker commission for each invited referral (the discount is cumulative only up to 30%) for 30 days.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
Up to 0.1% per order |
Yes |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from the US, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best crypto brokers for short selling in the US 2026. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best Crypto Brokers For Short Selling in the US
| Bybit | Binance | Interactive Brokers | FTMO | Phemex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9.2 |
8.9 |
7 |
8.48 |
8.16 |
|
Execution of orders |
8.57 |
9.1 |
6.45 |
8.6 |
7.44 |
|
Investment instruments |
9.8 |
9.8 |
10 |
8.9 |
10 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
9.3 |
8.5 |
9 |
7.5 |
8.3 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.7 |
9 |
6.5 |
8 |
7.8 |
|
Variety of instruments |
0 |
0 |
7.34 |
7.52 |
0 |
|
Trading platform |
9.2 |
8.2 |
5.6 |
8 |
8 |
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FAQ
Why is a license important for a broker?
License is the key document testifying to the broker’s reliability. It means that the company complies with the requirements of the financial regulatory authority that issued it. It is recommended that you choose brokers with licenses from top financial regulators: the USA, European Union, the UK, as these jurisdictions have the strictest licensing requirements.
What commissions and fees should I take into consideration when I am choosing a broker?
The commissions and fees in the financial markets are divided into trading and non-tradings ones. Trading fees are the fees that are charged directly during trading (spread, commission per lot, etc.), while non-trading fees are the ones charged outside the trading process (for example, account fee, inactivity fee, deposit and withdrawal fee).
How much money do I need in order to start working in the financial markets?
The initial capital depends on the assets you plan to trade. However, in the majority of cases, $300-500 is a good amount for a start.
Is it possible to work with offshore brokers?
It is best not to work with offshore brokers. However, if you have chosen such a company, you need to check and analyze it very thoroughly. There are offshore brokers with good reputations. Before you start working with such a company, deposit the minimum amount and start trading. Once you’ve worked with the broker for a little while and checked how it operates and how quickly it processes withdrawals, you can start depositing higher amounts.
Best Crypto Brokers For Short Selling by Countries
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.
