If you’re working out how to buy VeChain, the token you want is VET, not VTHO. As of October 2026, US buyers can get VET on Coinbase, Kraken and Binance.US. Robinhood shows a VET price but doesn’t let you trade it. Outside the US, Binance, Crypto.com, Bitvavo, Bybit and KuCoin all list it. The part most guides now get wrong: since the Hayabusa upgrade went live on 2 December 2025, simply holding VET no longer generates VTHO. To earn it, you have to stake through StarGate.
Key takeaways
- You buy VET (the value token). VTHO is the gas token that VeChainThor transactions burn.
- US venues with VET as of October 2026: Coinbase, Kraken and Binance.US. Robinhood shows market data only.
- Send VET over the VeChainThor network to VeWorld, the official wallet. VeChain addresses look like Ethereum addresses, so the network choice is on you.
- After Hayabusa, VTHO comes only from VET locked in a StarGate staking NFT that is delegated to a validator. The smallest tier is 10,000 VET.
Why VeChain has two tokens (and which one you actually buy)
VeChainThor is its own layer-1 blockchain. VET is not an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. The network splits value and fuel into two assets. VET is what people hold, trade and stake. VTHO (VeThor) is what each transaction burns as gas. The idea is that businesses running supply-chain apps can predict their costs in VTHO without being exposed to VET’s price swings. If you want the design history, our VeChain explainer covers it. This page sticks to what the model means when you buy.
In practice:
- You almost always buy VET. That’s the asset with deep order books, and it’s the one you stake.
- You need a little VTHO to move VET out of your own wallet. A transfer costs a small amount of VTHO, not VET. A brand-new wallet holding only VET can’t send anything until it has some VTHO, unless the app you’re using sponsors the fee through VeChain’s fee-delegation feature.
- VTHO is a separate market. Coinbase, Kraken, Binance.US and Bitvavo list VTHO as well as VET, but VTHO has fewer trading pairs and thinner liquidity. Most people only buy a few dollars’ worth to cover fees.
Older articles say VET “generates VTHO automatically.” That was true from 2018 until late 2025 and is no longer true. See the StarGate section below.
How to buy VeChain: where VET is listed, and the big US app that doesn’t carry it
We checked each exchange’s own public market listings in October 2026. Use three criteria when choosing among them: whether the platform serves your country, whether it supports withdrawals on the VeChainThor network (not just trading), and how it treats VTHO. We aren’t ranking them, because the right choice depends on where you live.
| Platform | Serves US customers? | VET | VTHO | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | Yes | Listed (VET-USD) | Listed | Coinbase’s help center says it does not pass VTHO network payouts to VET held on the platform. |
| Kraken | Yes (state limits apply) | Listed | Listed | Check the deposit screen for the VeChain network label. |
| Binance.US | Yes (not every state) | Listed (VET/USD, VET/USDT) | Listed | Has run VET staking and VTHO distribution programs in the past. Check what applies now. |
| Robinhood | Yes | Not tradable | No | VET appears under market data only, as of October 2026. |
| Crypto.com | Varies by product | Listed | Listed | Exchange availability depends on region. |
| Binance | No | Listed | Listed | Global platform. Not available to US residents. |
| Bitvavo | No (EU-focused) | Listed | Listed | Euro pairs. |
| Bybit / KuCoin | No | Listed | Listed | Bybit added VET spot trading in April 2025. Neither platform serves the US. |
| Upbit | No (Korea) | Listed | Listed | Korean won markets. |
Some older guides claim Coinbase doesn’t carry VET for Americans. That’s out of date. Coinbase lists both VET and VTHO, and its public product feed showed VET-USD trading normally in October 2026. Robinhood is the large US app that still doesn’t carry it. For a wider view of regulated US platforms, see our list of US crypto exchanges. For how we weigh fees and security in general, see our exchange comparison.
Moving VET to VeWorld without losing VTHO generation
VeWorld is VeChain’s current official wallet. It comes as a mobile app and a browser extension, and it supports Ledger hardware devices. The older Sync and Sync2 wallets still work, but VeChain’s support pages recommend VeWorld because it is the one that gets new features. If you plan to stake, VeWorld is where most of the StarGate flow happens.
The withdrawal details that are specific to VeChain
- Address format: A VeChainThor address is a 0x string followed by 40 hexadecimal characters, the same format as an Ethereum address. That means an exchange’s address check won’t stop you if you pick the wrong network. Always choose the network labelled VeChain or VeChainThor.
- Memo/tag: Major exchanges generally don’t ask for a memo for VET deposits. Still, read the deposit page of the exchange you’re sending to each time. If it shows a memo field, fill it in.
- Bring some VTHO: If your exchange lists VTHO, withdraw a small amount alongside your VET so the wallet can pay its own fees later. Otherwise you’ll need an app that sponsors gas, or you’ll have to buy VTHO separately.
- Test first: Send a small amount, confirm it arrives in VeWorld, then send the rest. VeChainThor blocks come roughly every 10 seconds, so a test only takes a minute or two once the exchange has processed it.
The phrase “without losing VTHO generation” used to mean “get your VET off an exchange that keeps the VTHO.” It now means something different. A wallet holding VET doesn’t generate VTHO at all. Moving to VeWorld is the step that lets you stake. It doesn’t earn anything by itself.
VeChain staking with StarGate after Hayabusa: what changed for holders
Hayabusa moved VeChainThor to a delegated proof-of-stake design. According to StarGate’s documentation, the mainnet upgrade went live on 2 December 2025, followed by a transition period that ended on 9 December 2025, during which no rewards were produced. Since then, the base VTHO that used to accrue to every VET balance is gone. Wallet providers such as Exodus have published notices confirming that holding VET no longer produces VTHO.
VTHO is now produced only when a StarGate NFT is actively delegated to a validator. You stake an exact amount of VET to mint the NFT. Over-staking isn’t allowed. You then delegate the NFT to a validator node.
| StarGate tier | VET required |
|---|---|
| Dawn | 10,000 |
| Lightning | 50,000 |
| Flash | 200,000 |
| Strength | 1,000,000 |
| Thunder | 5,000,000 |
| Mjolnir | 15,000,000 |
| VeThor X / Strength X / Thunder X / Mjolnir X | 600,000 / 1,600,000 / 5,600,000 / 15,600,000 (legacy “X” node tiers) |
Mechanics worth knowing before you lock VET up:
- Rewards start at the validator’s next period. Validators run 7-, 15- or 30-day periods. Rewards earned during a period are locked until it ends.
- The split: Each block’s VTHO reward goes 30% to the validator and 70% to its delegators, weighted by effective stake. The yield changes with validator performance, so there’s no fixed APY to quote. Check the live figure in the StarGate app.
- Exiting takes time: An exit request on an active delegation takes effect at the end of the current period and can’t be reversed. Unstaking is a separate transaction that burns the NFT and returns your VET.
- Validator risk: If your validator stops producing blocks, you earn nothing. If it exits, your delegation exits with it.
What this means for exchange holders: many platforms used to pass some VTHO through to customers, and some ran VET “staking” products. Since the protocol no longer creates VTHO for idle balances, check your exchange’s current VTHO policy rather than assuming anything. Coinbase has said for years that it doesn’t pass VTHO through. If earning VTHO matters to you and you hold at least 10,000 VET, StarGate is the route.
Fees, minimums and the VTHO you’ll need
We won’t quote fee percentages, because they change and differ by account tier. Here’s where to find the real numbers:
- Trading cost: On an order-book exchange, compare the maker/taker fee schedule with the bid-ask spread on the VET/USD pair at the moment you buy. Simple “buy” buttons in apps usually charge a spread on top.
- Withdrawal fee: The exchange shows a flat VET withdrawal fee on the withdrawal screen before you confirm. It’s often a fixed number of VET, so withdrawing tiny amounts can be poor value.
- On-chain gas: VeChainThor fees are paid in VTHO. A plain transfer uses only a small amount, while staking and delegation transactions use more. Keep a buffer.
- Staking minimum: 10,000 VET for the Dawn tier, staked as an exact amount.
If you want price scenarios before committing, our VET price prediction sets out the assumptions behind each case. For other assets, our how to buy crypto hub links each coin-specific guide.
FAQ
Where can I buy VeChain in the US?
As of October 2026, Coinbase, Kraken and Binance.US list VET for US customers, subject to state restrictions on each platform. All three also list VTHO. Robinhood displays VET market data but doesn’t support trading it. Global platforms such as Binance, Bybit and KuCoin list VET but don’t accept US residents.
Does holding VET still earn VTHO?
No. Since the Hayabusa upgrade activated in December 2025, VTHO is generated only for VET staked in a StarGate NFT that is actively delegated to a validator. VET sitting in VeWorld, in another wallet or on an exchange earns no VTHO from the protocol. An exchange may run its own reward program, but that’s a platform decision, not a network rule.
Is VeWorld the official VeChain wallet?
Yes. VeWorld is the wallet VeChain recommends for new users, on mobile and as a browser extension, and it supports Ledger devices. Sync and Sync2 still work for existing users but get fewer updates. Download VeWorld only from VeChain’s official site or your phone’s official app store, and never type your recovery phrase into a website.
What is the minimum for VeChain staking with StarGate?
The smallest StarGate tier, Dawn, requires exactly 10,000 VET. Higher tiers require 50,000, 200,000, 1 million, 5 million and 15 million VET. You also need some VTHO for the staking and delegation transactions. Rewards begin at your validator’s next period, and leaving takes effect only at the end of the current period.
Crypto is volatile and risky; this is education, not financial advice. Do your own research.
