OKX Expands Low-Cost Margin Trading in Europe With 10 New Crypto Pairs

By Lidia Yadlos

A leveraged Bitcoin trade that could cost €8.60 on a competing platform would cost just €0.08 on OKX under the exchange's current borrowing rates, according to a new comparison from the company.

OKX Europe is using that difference to make its case for lower-cost leveraged trading as it expands Spot Margin with 10 additional USDC pairs: HYPE, ZEC, LINK, ONDO, ENA, AAVE, NEAR, TRUMP, OKB and BNB.

The expansion gives European customers more markets in which they can take long or short positions with up to 10x leverage on selected assets.

Borrowing Rates Start at 0.5% APR

Unlike perpetual futures, Spot Margin allows traders to borrow assets directly and use them to increase the size of a spot position.

OKX says borrowing rates currently start from as little as 0.5% APR for BTC. Interest is calculated hourly and applies only to the amount actually borrowed. The exchange does not charge a separate fee to open a margin position or impose recurring rollover fees for keeping it open.

That fee structure can make a significant difference for positions held over several days.

OKX gives the example of a €1,000 Bitcoin position using 5x leverage and held for one week. Assuming BTC's price does not move and excluding trading and liquidation fees, the borrowing cost at a 0.5% APR would be approximately €0.08.

According to OKX, the same position on a platform charging a 0.02% opening fee followed by another 0.02% every four hours could cost approximately €8.60 over the same period.

That works out to more than 100 times the financing cost in OKX's example.

More Markets for European Margin Traders

The 10 new USDC pairs significantly broaden the types of assets available through OKX Spot Margin.

The additions range from established cryptocurrencies such as BNB, LINK, AAVE and ZEC to newer markets including HYPE, ONDO and ENA. NEAR, OKB and TRUMP are also included in the expansion.

For active traders, adding more assets to the same margin platform makes it possible to move between positions without switching venues, while the USDC pairings provide a common quote asset across all 10 markets.

The expansion comes as crypto exchanges increasingly compete for sophisticated traders on financing costs as well as leverage and market selection. For traders who keep leveraged positions open for longer periods, borrowing rates and recurring fees can materially affect returns.

With borrowing starting at 0.5% APR for BTC and no separate opening or rollover charges, OKX is positioning Spot Margin as a lower-cost alternative for European traders looking for leveraged exposure without moving into perpetual futures.

Published on OKX

OKX Expands Low-Cost Margin Trading in Europe With 10 New Crypto Pairs