Kraken review

Most exchanges or brokers offer the purchase and sale of 'real' cryptocurrencies where you own the underlying asset and can transfer it to your wallet. However, some providers only offer derivatives (CFDs) or exchange-traded products (ETPs) that merely track the price. In these cases, you don't own the underlying asset and cannot withdraw it to external wallets.

Self-custody of cryptocurrencies is important for many users who want to manage their cryptocurrencies and thus their private keys themselves. Most exchanges offer the option to transfer purchased cryptocurrencies directly from the platform to any personal wallet.

Real stocks are shares in a company. When you buy a stock, you invest directly in that company and own a corresponding stake in it. Some crypto platforms also offer stocks and, in some cases, ETFs alongside cryptocurrencies, allowing you to access different asset classes on one platform.

Tokenized stocks let you gain exposure to stock price movements through blockchain-based tokens and trade them similarly to cryptocurrencies, for example via xStocks. However, you do not buy the traditional stock itself, but a corresponding token. Depending on the product, ownership rights, trading and regulation may therefore differ from real stocks.

Automatic purchase of cryptocurrencies at set intervals (e.g., monthly) for a predetermined amount. The savings plan feature is well known from traditional finance apps and is often used for regular purchases of stocks or ETFs to achieve a cost averaging effect.

Staking means locking up cryptocurrency in a network for a set period to help validate transactions. In return, participants earn staking rewards, typically expressed as an annual percentage yield (APY). Staking is a feature of blockchains that use a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.