8 Best VPNs for Crypto Trading in 2024

Michael Graw | Verified by Dassos Troullides

Last updated: April 5, 2024 12:07 EDT | 25 min read

If you’re not already using a VPN for crypto trading, it’s time to make the switch. A VPN protects your connection to a crypto exchange, keeping hackers and other bad actors from finding out important details about your activity. It also enables you to connect to more crypto exchanges and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your connection.

The good news is that the best VPNs for traders are affordable, easy to use, and won’t slow down your trades. Keep reading for our list of the 8 best VPNs for crypto trading and detailed reviews to help you decide which VPN to use.

Top VPNs for Crypto Trading Reviewed – Detailed Analysis

We’ll explain what stood out about each of these VPNs in our evaluations so you can decide which is the best for your specific needs. We’ll highlight security and privacy features, speed and reliability, value, and anything else we found noteworthy when reviewing each VPN.

1. NordVPN – Overall Best VPN for Crypto Trading with Outstanding Speed

NordVPN is an outstanding VPN and our #1 pick for crypto trading in 2024. This VPN has everything a trader could need: 6,000+ servers across more than 110 countries, a strict no-logging policy, industry-leading security features, and support for up to 10 devices.

What really puts NordVPN over the top is its NordLynx VPN protocol. This is a next-gen connection protocol that delivers incredibly fast connection speeds—faster even than Wireguard, the current industry standard for speedy VPN tunnels. In our testing, NordLynx delivered speeds of nearly 1 Gbps.

NordVPN also has a ton of handy features to make the VPN more usable for day-to-day trading and research. Split tunneling lets you connect to an exchange through your VPN in one window and your crypto research software in another, for example. NordVPN also includes an IP kill switch, which shuts down your connection immediately if your VPN connection is compromised.

Since NordVPN has servers in so many countries, you can reliably evade geo-restrictions and connect to virtually any crypto exchange. If you do run into connection issues (we didn’t), NordVPN’s customer service team is available 24/7.

You’ll get all the VPN features with NordVPN’s Basic plan, which starts at just $3.09 per month when you sign up for a 2-year contract. You’ll also get 3 months free and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Visit NordVPN

2. ExpressVPN – Highly Reliable No-log VPN for Crypto Trading

ExpressVPN is another excellent VPN for crypto trading that came in just behind NordVPN in our analysis. The main reason ExpressVPN ranked second is that it offers a smaller number of servers—3,000+ in around 105 countries. It also supports a maximum of 8 devices.

These shortcomings are small enough that most crypto traders won’t notice them. Instead, what you’ll pay attention to is ExpressVPN’s seamless user interface and huge array of tools to help protect your privacy. We especially liked that the ExpressVPN apps work the same across all devices, so there’s no learning curve or fumbling around when you switch from trading on your computer to trading on your smartphone.

With ExpressVPN, you get a strict no-logging policy, split tunneling, and an IP kill switch. ExpressVPN has also developed its own VPN protocol, called Lightway, which offers speed tantalizingly close to those from NordLynx. Lightway has the advantage of being open-source, which means security experts have had a chance to make sure it’s fully private and encrypted.

ExpressVPN plans start at $8.32 per month when you sign up for a year, and every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You also get access to 24/7 live chat support. Best of all, you can even pay for your plan with Bitcoin.

Visit ExpressVPN

3. CyberGhost – Best VPN for Traders with a Dedicated IP Address

CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for crypto traders who want a dedicated IP address. This can help you unblock more exchanges and prevent your traffic from being identified as malicious by many DEXs. While not included with CyberGhost plans, a dedicated IP is available for only $2.50 per month and you can choose from 18 locations.

CyberGhost offers a lot else to like, including a huge network of more than 9,700 servers spread across 91 countries. This VPN has a lot of coverage in Europe, so it’s especially good for speedy trading with European crypto exchanges.

CyberGhost offers the WireGuard VPN protocol, which isn’t as fast as NordLynx or Lightway but is still quite speedy. The provider has an audited no-logging policy and includes free ID monitoring, which can alert you to password leaks that might compromise your exchange accounts or wallets.

One drawback to note about CyberGhost is that it limits you to using 7 devices. You can’t simply log out, either—you have to actually uninstall CyberGhost on a device if you want to add a new one without going over the limit. CyberGhost starts at just $2.03 per month when you sign up for a 2-year plan, and you get 4 months free. All plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Visit CyberGhost

4. Private Internet Access – Largest Global Server Network for Accessing Exchanges

Private Internet Access has the largest VPN server network of any provider we evaluated. The company operates more than 20,000 servers across 84 countries and has server locations in every US state. This really increases the reliability of the network, ensuring that there’s no downtime that can affect your crypto trading.

Private Internet Access is also one of the only VPN providers we found that lets you connect an unlimited number of devices. That’s great news for users who have multiple trading setups on their desktop, laptop, and smartphone, both at home and at work.

Every Private Internet Access plan includes split tunneling, and the company has an audited no-logging policy. Private Internet Access also offers dedicated IP addresses as an add-on. The apps are a little bit complex, but the good news is that they work similarly across devices.

You can sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access to get pricing from $1.98 per month. A 1-year plan costs $3.33 per month, so it’s very affordable even if you don’t want a long-term subscription.

Visit Private Internet Access

5. Surfshark – Cost-effective VPN with Extra Privacy Tools

Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPNs we reviewed, but it doesn’t compromise on security or speed. You get access to the ultra-fast WireGuard VPN protocol, an IP kill switch, split tunneling, and more. Plus, Surfshark allows you to use the VPN on unlimited devices simultaneously.

Surfshark also includes neat features like an ad blocker, a personal detail generator, and a masked email generator. These tools can be helpful when you’re signing up for crypto research websites where you don’t want to use your real name or email.

We found Surfshark’s app to be very user-friendly. One thing we especially like is that the platform is introducing an IP randomizer, which will change your IP address every 15 minutes during a session. That’s a major improvement that can make it even harder for bad actors to track you online.

Surfshark starts at $2.49 per month when you sign up for a 2-year plan. You can also upgrade to Surfshark One and get antivirus software and a private search engine for only $3.19 per month.

Visit Surfshark

6. PrivadoVPN – Best Free VPN for Crypto Trading

PrivadoVPN is our pick for crypto traders who don’t want to pay for a VPN. PrivadoVPN’s free plan offers a massive 10GB of data monthly, plus lets you connect to 12 servers across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. 10GB can go quickly when you’re trading, so we still recommend a paid VPN, but PrivadoVPN can offer enough free bandwidth for traders who aren’t on the exchanges every day.

With PrivadoVPN, you get all the security features you’d expect from a paid VPN. The company has a strict no-logging policy, split tunneling, and an IP kill switch. You also get access to speedy connection speeds thanks to the WireGuard VPN protocol.

PrivadoVPN’s server network is small compared to the other top crypto trading VPNs we reviewed. It has servers in only 40 cities across 28 countries, so you may not be able to unblock every exchange. Paid plans start at only $1.99 per month with a 2-year plan, but we’d still recommend one of the other VPNs we reviewed if you’re willing to pay for protection.

Visit PrivadoVPN

7. PureVPN – Affordable VPN with 6,000+ Global Servers

PureVPN is a good choice for crypto traders who want to protect all their family’s devices, not just the devices you trade on. This provider offers an affordable family plan that gives you 5 individual VPN accounts, each with support for up to 10 devices.

PureVPN also has several affordable VPN add-ons. You can upgrade to a dedicated IP address for only $2.49 per month or a dedicated server for $12 per month. PureVPN also supports port forwarding, which can make your connection more secure by routing it through multiple VPN servers.

We found PureVPN to be easy to use, and we liked that its network includes more than 6,000 servers across 80+ countries. Of course, you also get super-fast connection speeds, split tunneling, and an IP kill switch. PureVPN starts at $2.11 per month for an individual plan or $8.33 per month for a family plan. All plans come with a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Visit PureVPN

8. TorGuard – Top VPN for Trading Crypto on Multiple Devices

TorGuard is a great choice for crypto trading because it offers unlimited bandwidth, up to 12 simultaneous connections, and features like port forwarding. It’s fully anonymous thanks to internally encrypted domain name servers (DNS) and an audited no-logging policy.

We really enjoyed the user experience of TorGuard’s VPN, which has apps for desktop and mobile along with browser extensions. It’s easy to switch between server locations without interrupting your connection, which is great for checking prices across exchanges in different countries for arbitraging.

Another thing we like about TorGuard is that it accepts a wide range of cryptocurrencies for payment. You can pay with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and even privacy tokens like Monero. TorGuard plans start at $2.50 per year. You can add a dedicated IP by upgrading your plan.

Visit TorGuard

How We Tested and Ranked Crypto Trading VPNs

Crypto traders have dozens of VPNs to choose from, but it’s important to pick the right one to ensure there’s no interruption to your trades and that your activity can’t be tracked. We set out to test dozens of top-rated VPNs to find the best ones and rank them.

Our VPN evaluations focused on several categories, with the most important being security, speed, and privacy. We also considered the size of each VPN’s server network, the user experience of the platform’s apps, additional tools they offer, and their overall value.

• Number of Providers Tested: 27
• Number of Countries Tested: 4
• Features Tested: VPN protocols, server switching, split tunneling, IP kill switch, customer service

Security Features – 25%

Keeping your trading secure is one of the critical reasons to use a VPN, so security was among the chief criteria we considered when reviewing providers.

First and foremost, that means offering secure encryption protocols. Nearly all of the providers we covered offer the popular and highly secure OpenVPN protocol, and many offer the faster WireGuard protocol. Several have phased out older protocols, like IKEv2, that are known to have security flaws.

We looked at features like IP kill switches, which prevent your IP address from being leaked if your connection is interrupted. We also checked whether each VPN provider’s apps have been independently audited by cybersecurity experts to ensure they don’t have backdoors or other vulnerabilities.

Speed and Performance – 25%

Speed is essential when trading cryptocurrencies. A slow connection can result in missed opportunities or a major loss if you get stuck in a trade.

We tested each VPN provider’s connection speeds across servers in the US, UK, Japan, and Australia. Our goal was to ensure that the VPN didn’t get in the way of our connectivity, but rather maintained speeds while adding security to our connection.

The best VPNs for crypto trading offer next-gen connection protocols like WireGuard, NordLynx, or Lightway. Providers that only offer OpenVPN, which is significantly slower, generally didn’t make our list of the best VPNs.

Privacy Policy – 20%

We only included VPNs that offer a strict no-logging policy in our list of the best VPNs for crypto trading. A no-logging policy means that your VPN provider doesn’t keep logs about your online activity. So, even if law enforcement were to require your VPN provider to turn over data, they wouldn’t have any data about you to share.

This is crucial because it ensures your trading activities can’t be traced back to you personally. That greatly reduces the risk of identity theft, fraud, and surveillance.

When evaluating no-logging policies, we looked for policies that have been audited by outside experts. This ensures that a VPN provider is actually deleting activity data in the way that they promise.

Server Network – 15%

The size of a VPN provider’s server network can impact your trading in several ways. First, having access to servers in more cities and countries enables you to bypass geo-restrictions imposed by crypto exchanges. That enables you to trade with more exchanges to take advantage of lower fees or arbitrage opportunities on the best cryptos to buy now.

Another benefit of having more servers is that it adds more redundancy to a VPN provider’s network. If some servers or even an entire data center goes down, there are still plenty of servers to connect to so you can keep trading securely.

Finally, having servers in more countries allows you to route your connection through a VPN server that’s close to your crypto exchange’s servers. This reduces latency and ensures your trades are executed faster.

Pricing – 10%

Your VPN bill shouldn’t eat into your trading profits. We compared each VPN provider’s pricing against the features they deliver to ensure they offer worthwhile value.

Most of the VPNs we reviewed cost less than $3 per month when you pay for an annual or biannual plan. However, there are some more expensive options that made our list because they scored extremely well in other categories.

Reliability and Uptime – 5%

We checked the uptime of each VPN providers’ service across the same 4 locations where we compared connection speeds. All of the providers we reviewed scored well in this category, delivering uptime of greater than 99.99%.

Why Do You Need a VPN for Crypto Trading?

While you can trade crypto without a VPN, we strongly recommend that all crypto traders consider using a VPN. This tool is critical for your online security and can even improve your trading results by giving you access to more crypto exchanges. Let’s take a closer look at the key reasons why you need a VPN for crypto trading.

Keep Your Crypto Trading Private

The most important reason to use a VPN is to keep your crypto trading activity private. If a bad actor can intercept your internet connection and monitor your trading, they can potentially track your crypto and trick or blackmail you into giving it up. Worse, a hacker who gets between you and your exchange could potentially hijack your account and empty your wallet of funds.

A VPN prevents this by forming a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and your crypto exchange. It’s impossible for bad actors to see what’s happening inside the tunnel, which means they can’t monitor your trading activity or potentially intercept your passwords.

VPNs also hide your IP address, which prevents third parties from even seeing who is connecting to an exchange. In effect, this means it’s difficult for bad actors to know that you have crypto in the first place, thus preventing them from targeting you.

Protection on Public Wi-Fi Networks

Public Wi-Fi networks are particularly insecure for crypto trading. That’s because public Wi-Fi networks often rely on unsecured routers. Anyone with access to a Wi-Fi router can potentially intercept all signals coming and going through the router—including information about your crypto trading activity.

With a VPN, your connection is encrypted at your device. So, even if a bad actor is intercepting traffic from the router you’re connecting through, all they’ll be able to capture is encrypted data that they cannot read.

Access Geo-Restricted Platforms

Another major reason why many crypto traders use VPNs is that they enable you to get around crypto exchange’s geo-restrictions. For example, there are many exchanges that cannot be accessed by US users. However, if you connect to these exchanges using a VPN server in, say, France, you’ll have no trouble getting in.

This is important because different crypto exchanges have different fee structures, trading tools, and even tokens to trade. So, you can use a VPN to access an exchange that has one of the best cryptos to trade, even if that exchange isn’t normally available in your country.

Having the ability to access multiple exchanges can also create opportunities for crypto arbitrage trading. Exchanges in different countries often have different prices for the same tokens. So, if you can access exchanges across countries, you can buy low at an exchange in one country and sell high at an exchange in another.

Avoid ISP Throttling

Internet service providers (ISPs) have been known to throttle the internet connectivity of individuals who use a lot of bandwidth—and crypto traders tend to use a lot of bandwidth. If your connection speed does get throttled, that can prevent you from taking advantage of fast-moving trading opportunities or even leave you stuck in an open trade.

When you use a VPN, your ISP can’t monitor your online activity, including how much bandwidth you’re using. You could still be targeted for throttling, but it’s a lot less likely if your ISP doesn’t know that you’re a major user on its network.

How to Use a VPN to Buy Crypto: Step-by-Step

Once you choose a VPN, it’s important to know how to use your VPN to buy crypto. We’ll show you how the process works using NordVPN, the overall best VPN for crypto in 2024.

Step 1: Sign Up for NordVPN

To get started with NordVPN, head to the VPN provider’s site and click ‘Get NordVPN.’ Select a plan, create an account, and checkout. NordVPN accepts credit and debit cards, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, or several cryptocurrencies.

Step 2: Install NordVPN App

Next, download and install the NordVPN app for your device. NordVPN offers apps for desktop and mobile as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers.

Step 3: Connect to a Server

Open NordVPN and choose a server to connect to. If your crypto exchange has geo-restrictions, be sure to choose a server in a country where the exchange isn’t blocked. Otherwise, the best VPN location for crypto trading is typically the server closest to you. NordVPN will confirm when it has connected to a server and your connection is encrypted.

Step 4: Trade Crypto

Now you’re ready to start trading crypto securely. Navigate to your crypto exchange and buy crypto just as you normally would.

Is it Legal to Use a VPN for Trading Crypto?

Many traders wonder whether VPNs are legal for crypto trading. The short answer is yes: it’s legal to use a VPN for crypto trading in most countries and most circumstances.

VPNs are popular cybersecurity tools used by many people around the world for everything from trading crypto to streaming TV shows to securing everyday browsing on public Wi-Fi networks. There are no restrictions on VPN use in most countries, with a few exceptions like China and Russia.

Note that it isn’t legal to use a VPN to trade crypto in a country where cryptocurrencies are illegal. For example, if you’re located in China and use a VPN to trade cryptocurrency, that would be illegal because China has banned all crypto trading.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should not use a VPN to set up an account with an exchange that does not accept customers from your country. While you might be able to set up an account successfully, the exchange could freeze your account if you are caught. There’s no guarantee that you will be able to get your funds back in this case.

The Drawbacks of Using VPNs for Crypto Trading

The benefits of using a VPN for crypto trading are so great that we recommend a VPN for nearly all traders. That said, there are some minor drawbacks to using a VPN that you should be aware of.

Possibility of Reduced Speed

Using a VPN can reduce your connection speed compared to not using a VPN. How much your connection speed is reduced by will depend on what VPN protocol you use and the quality of your VPN provider’s servers.

This is why we recommend VPN providers that offer ultra-fast protocols like Wireguard and always test providers’ connection speeds. If you use one of the top VPN providers we recommended, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice much of a speed reduction when using your VPN.

Reliability and Downtime

VPN servers can go down, potentially interrupting your connection or preventing you from routing a VPN connection through a specific country. The good news is that downtime is rare among the top VPN providers we evaluated. In our testing, all had uptime of greater than 99.99%.

Additional Complexity to Use

While VPNs are generally to use, they do add another layer of complexity to the process of connecting to your crypto exchange. You need to install a VPN provider’s apps, configure the settings, and establish a connection. If you want to connect to your exchange using a VPN, but turn the VPN off for other apps like your email client, you’ll need to configure and activate split tunneling.

On the bright side, you’ll only need to configure settings the first time you use your VPN in most cases. When you connect in the future, it should take just a few seconds to open the VPN and establish a secure connection.

Conclusion

The best VPNs for crypto trading make your internet connection more secure and prevent bad actors from tracking your trading activity. They can also enable you to connect to more exchanges around the world and find opportunities for arbitrage.

We recommend NordVPN as the overall best VPN to use for crypto trading in 2024. NordVPN offers a highly secure network of more than 6,000 servers around the globe and has a strict no-logging policy. It also has the fastest connection speeds of any VPN provider we tested. You can get started with NordVPN today with plans starting at only $3.09 per month.

FAQs

What is the best VPN for crypto trading?

Based on our analysis, NordVPN is the best VPN for crypto trading in 2024. NordVPN offers a huge server network, industry-leading connection speeds, and tons of security features, all at a price that’s extremely affordable.

What is the best VPN location for crypto trading?

The best VPN location to use depends on what crypto exchange you need to access. If your exchange offers access in the country where you’re located, you’ll typically get the best connection speeds by using a server in that country.

What is the safest VPN for crypto?

NordVPN and ExpressVPN tie as the safest VPN for crypto trading. Both have strict no-logging policies and audited apps, plus offer essential security features like an IP kill switch.

Can I use a VPN to trade on Binance?

Yes, you can use a VPN to trade crypto on Binance. You must connect through a country where Binance offers trading services. Never use a VPN to create an account on Binance if you’re a resident of a country where Binance does not allow trading.

Is a VPN necessary for trading?

A VPN isn’t required for trading crypto, but we highly recommend using one. A VPN secures your connection and keeps your trading activity private, preventing malicious third parties from monitoring your trading or even stealing your wallet keys.

What is the best free VPN for crypto trading?

The best free VPN for crypto trading is PrivadoVPN. PrivadoVPN offers up to 10GB of bandwidth per month for free and you can access 12 servers around the world. You also get features like an IP kill switch and split tunneling.

References

• What Is a Man In The Middle Attack (PureVPN)
• Crypto Arbitrage Trading: How to Make Low-Risk Gains (CoinDesk)
• China clamping down on use of VPNs to evade Great Firewall (CNBC)

About the Author

Michael Graw

Gambling and Finance Writer

Michael Graw is an experienced freelance finance and tech writer, specializing in cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance, and Web 3.0 since 2018. His work has been featured on various financial news sites like Business2Community, InsideBitcoins, LearnBonds, and tech-focused outlets like TechRadar. He has collaborated with fintech and crypto startups on whitepapers and investor resources, and also has expertise in sports betting and crypto gambling. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and a PhD in Oceanography from Oregon State University. He now resides in Bellingham, Washington, and writes full-time.

More articles from Michael Graw