Contributor, Benzinga
November 10, 2022
Virgo Australia
Overall Rating:
securely through Virgo Australia's website

Virgo is an innovative cryptocurrency exchange that offers commission-free crypto trading to the Australian and Canadian markets. Users can seamlessly trade more than 70 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, in a matter of minutes. This can be done from the comfort of your mobile device using Virgo’s cutting-edge mobile app or from a laptop browser.

Trading tools such as grid trading combined with a beginner-friendly user interface and competitive fee structure make Virgo an ideal option for both beginners and intermediate traders. Virgo also empowers clients with superior liquidity, a robust regulatory framework and high-end security.

Pros
  • Commission-free crypto trading
  • Free cash in and out
  • Large variety of altcoins supported
Cons
  • Only accessible to investors in Australia and Canada
  • Relatively small amount of liquidity compared to sites like Binance or Coinbase

Virgo Australia Ratings at a Glance

Fees and Account Minimums
Ease of Use
Education
Customer Support
Offerings
Mobile App
Overall Rating

Virgo Quick Summary 

The Virgo Group of Companies is the holding company behind the Virgo exchange and is dedicated to providing crypto trading services globally. The Virgo Group of Companies covers a variety of business lines from retail fiat and cryptocurrency trading to cryptocurrency wealth management and non-fungible token (NFT) liquidity management.

Virgo aims to make crypto trading safe, affordable and easy for all investors by lowering the barriers and costs for entering the crypto market. Originally based in Toronto, Virgo is one of the most trusted cryptocurrency trading platforms in Canada. It is approved on a Restricted Dealer license from the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA). From 2020 to 2021, Virgo experienced a record 1,700% year-on-year increase in total trading volume exceeding CAD$1 billion ($727.4 million). 

Despite the bearish market sentiment, Virgo accelerated global crypto adoption by entering the Australian market in 2022. The platform has officially launched an Australian-based commission-free trading platform that offers a wide range of popular cryptocurrencies. To provide Australian cryptocurrency users with a reliable and transparent platform, Virgo will keep innovating while adhering to strict regulations, as it has obtained approval from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (ASUTRAC) as a digital currency exchange.

Fees and Account Minimums

Virgo’s fee structure is unique in that it offers an easy way to cash out using a wire transfer, eTransfer or bill payment service. You may also use a Visa/Mastercard debit card as of December 7, 2022. You can withdraw or deposit Canadian, US dollars and crypto. Fiat withdrawals are free. Non-ERC20 coin withdrawals are free, and the platform covers up to $6 for ERC20 coin withdrawals and offers sidechain support to reduce costs. Remember, fees vary per coin.

Check out: https://virgocx.ca/en-fees/ to learn more about withdrawal minimums for cryptocurrencies. Spreads may change. Please refer to the fee page for more information.

All fiat assets are held with a trusted banking partner in Canada. A small number of crypto tokens are kept on-hand for trading purposes. Around 85% of the platform’s holding are secured by Coinbase Custody.

Ease of Use

Overall, Virgo is a straightforward platform to use. The trading experience is streamlined and efficient from sign-up to executing trades. Users can expect to get started quickly in four simple steps: setting up two-factor authentication, submitting their information, reading the acknowledgment statement and completing photo identification.

Additionally, Virgo customers must complete the account appropriateness questionnaire and sign off on the accuracy of those statements. If you don’t pass the requirements for account appropriateness, you cannot register for an account. You also receive a notification if the platform is near the client limit and you are not able to register at this time. You also receive trade confirmations and transaction confirmations for all activity. Moreover, you can download your monthly an annual statement when they are available.

Another key feature that enables smooth user interaction is the trading platform. All available cryptocurrencies are neatly organized on the left side of the interface, allowing users to quickly and easily navigate the different crypto offerings. The platform presents the ticker, crypto symbol, recent price movement and current trading price. Unlike other crypto exchanges such as Binance, Virgo employs a minimalistic design and color palette to ensure users are not overwhelmed and confused.

In terms of trading, Virgo supports TradingView, a leading chart tool in the market. This enables users to complexify their trading experience as they wish — all they need to do is add indicators to their trading screen. TradingView allows traders to overlay charts with just about every technical indicator and trading alert that exists. Above the chart, Virgo provides a panel with the real-time buy and sell price of a given crypto asset, alongside its 24-hour change, 24-hour high and 24-hour low. 

Prefer not to use a trading platform to execute trades? No problem. Virgo has you covered with its Quick Trade feature. It is an easy and simple way to trade within seconds and well-suited for novice investors. You can also capture the market by utilizing their new grid trading tool,.

Lastly, viewing account activity with Virgo is also straightforward. Using the navigation bar, traders can access the Account Activity tab, which enables them to navigate between fiat deposits, crypto deposits, fiat withdrawals, crypto withdrawals and bonuses. Having all balances in one place keeps record-keeping extremely easy for all users. 

Education

Virgo supports a robust educational platform that enables users to learn all about crypto and the broader Web3 space. The platform provides tips and weekly updates, among other informational articles. It is important to note that Virgo’s educational platform is far less in depth than those offered by competitors such as Binance Academy.

The weekly updates are short and sweet, covering key points in the crypto space such as the implications of the Ethereum Merge, the emergence of crypto phones and the influence of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk over the crypto market.  Each update is a light, concise read and can easily be comprehended by investors at all ends of the spectrum. 

Another important component of Virgo’s educational platform is the Education tab. This feature includes a wide range of articles that explore numerous topics within the cryptocurrency space, including a guide to smart contracts, the most expensive NFT projects and the Bitcoin Lightning Network. New educational content is posted regularly, and the site is constantly updated. 

Virgo also provides a Tips page, but at the time of writing, there was only one article offered. In the near future, more tips and tricks will be released, especially given the company’s recent expansion into Australia.

Customer Support

Virgo offers timely and friendly live chat support, email support, tutorials and a long list of support articles. Direct inquiries can be made via email to Virgo’s multilingual support team. To increase the speed of response, users are encouraged to make questions and requests as detailed as possible and provide relevant supporting documents.

Offerings

Virgo offers a solid yet limited number of features for crypto investors to enjoy. In addition to its trading platform, users can execute trades in a timely manner using the Quick Trade feature and take advantage of the platform’s Recurring Buy feature.

But when compared to larger competitors such as Binance or KuCoin, Virgo’s offerings fall short by a wide margin. Unlike Binance, Virgo doesn’t provide many advanced features such as a dollar-cost average bot, liquid staking, derivatives or margin trading. While the platform does offer over 70 cryptocurrencies, its altcoin selection pales in comparison to large exchanges such as KuCoin or Gemini. 

You can also place:

  • Stop limit orders
  • Recurring buys
  • Grid trades

That said, the few features that Virgo offers are comprehensive and more than enough to satisfy the needs of most investors. However, for investors and traders looking for a more advanced product offering, there are definitely better options on the market.

Check out the platform’s full list of coins here: https://virgocx.ca/page#/market/BTC_CAD

Mobile App

Similar to the browser-based cryptocurrency exchange, Virgo’s mobile app is designed to maximize ease of use and user experience. Users can open an account within minutes and take advantage of instant funding, zero trading fees and free cash-in and cash-out. The mobile app also supports a wide range of altcoins and is regularly updated with the hottest altcoins on the market. In terms of security, users can rest assured knowing that both Face ID and Touch ID are enabled.

Overall Rating

Overall, Virgo is a streamlined cryptocurrency platform that enables users to securely and swiftly trade a wide collection of cryptocurrencies. The user interface is straightforward to navigate and offers an adequate range of features.

While a lack of advanced features when compared to larger competitors such as Binance and limited geographical accessibility are key weak points, Virgo’s extremely competitive zero-fee structure and industry-leading regulatory framework make it an attractive option for the majority of crypto investors.

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