KuCoin has expanded its Institutional Interest-Free Lending Program by integrating it with the exchange’s Unified Trading Account (UTA), while lowering the trading-volume requirement for newly registered API clients.
Under the updated terms, eligible institutions now need at least 10 million USDT in external 30-day trading volume, down from 30 million USDT. Newly registered API clients may also qualify for 0% interest during their first two months without meeting a trading-volume requirement.
Borrowing across spot, margin and futures
Qualified institutional clients can borrow up to 3 million USDT. Loans are available in USDT, USDC, Bitcoin and Ethereum, and can be used for spot, margin and futures trading.
By connecting lending to UTA, KuCoin aims to reduce the need for institutions to move funds between separate trading accounts. The unified structure allows eligible clients to manage capital across supported products and deploy borrowed funds closer to the point of execution.
KuCoin said the arrangement is intended to reduce capital fragmentation and operational costs for trading firms that use multiple products. It also allows funds from sub-accounts to be combined as margin across eligible markets.
Program has expanded since its 2024 launch
KuCoin introduced the lending program in 2024, initially offering eligible API traders and quantitative firms up to 500,000 USDT in interest-free credit. The package also included fee discounts, enhanced connectivity, higher API limits and technical support.
The borrowing limit was increased to several million USDT in 2025, alongside support for multiple borrowing assets and sub-account margin consolidation. The 2026 update shifts the program toward a broader institutional capital-management framework, according to the company.
Alison Qin, head of KuCoin Institutional and VIP, said institutional market participants require flexible access to liquidity and financing that can operate alongside complex trading strategies. She said integrating lending with UTA brings capital closer to the accounts and products used for execution while helping clients manage collateral and risk.
Founded in 2017, KuCoin says it serves more than 45 million customers in over 200 countries and regions and provides access to more than 1,500 digital assets. The company also says its compliance framework includes AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe and regulatory developments in other markets.
