About HowToCrypt

We're a team of financial analysts and crypto traders dedicated to cutting through the noise — so you can make smarter decisions with your money.

Honest Reviews in a Space Full of Hype

HowToCrypt was founded in 2018 by a team frustrated with the lack of truly independent crypto exchange reviews. Most review sites are pay-to-rank or have undisclosed affiliate conflicts. We built something different.

We test every exchange with real money, document our entire process, and score platforms on objective, measurable criteria — not on who pays us the most. Our affiliate relationships are fully disclosed and never influence editorial ratings.

Our team has collectively traded on 50+ exchanges in 30+ countries. We've experienced margin calls, withdrawal issues, and customer support nightmares — so you don't have to.

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Evidence-Based

Every claim is backed by real testing data, fee calculations, and documented experiences — not opinions.

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Editorially Independent

Our ratings are never for sale. Exchanges cannot pay to influence their scores or rankings.

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Continuously Updated

Markets and platforms change. We revisit every review quarterly and update when major changes occur.

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Reader First

We write for traders, not for search engines or advertisers. Clarity and usefulness are non-negotiable.

Our Scoring Methodology

Every exchange is evaluated across 50+ individual data points grouped into six core categories. Each category is weighted by its relative importance to the average trader.

💰 Fees & Costs 25%

Spot maker/taker fees, futures fees, withdrawal fees, deposit fees, spread analysis, and VIP tier accessibility. We calculate the true all-in cost of a $1,000 trade.

🔒 Security 25%

Cold storage ratio, 2FA options, Proof-of-Reserves audit quality, insurance fund size, hack history, and withdrawal security features.

🖥️ User Experience 20%

Web interface clarity, mobile app quality, order execution speed, advanced charting tools, and beginner onboarding quality.

📊 Trading Features 15%

Spot, margin, futures, options, copy trading, earn products, API quality, and coin/pair selection breadth.

🎧 Customer Support 10%

Response times, support channel availability (live chat, email, phone), quality of resolution, and availability in multiple languages.

⚖️ Regulatory Standing 5%

Licenses held, jurisdictions served, compliance history, and regulatory actions or sanctions.

Our Testing Process — Step by Step

1

Account Creation

We open real accounts, time the KYC process, and document any friction in the onboarding experience.

2

Fund Deposit

We deposit funds via multiple methods (crypto, bank transfer, card) and record deposit times and any fees.

3

Live Trading

We execute real trades on spot, futures, and margin markets, recording execution quality, slippage, and actual fees paid.

4

Support Testing

We submit 5+ support tickets per exchange and document response times, quality, and resolution rates.

5

Withdrawal Testing

We withdraw funds in multiple cryptocurrencies and record processing times and actual withdrawal fees.

6

Security Audit

We independently verify Proof-of-Reserves, review third-party audit reports, and assess security infrastructure.

7

Final Scoring & Review

All data is compiled, weighted scores calculated, and a final editorial review is completed by a senior analyst before publication.

The Team

Meet Our Analysts

Our team of finance professionals and crypto veterans brings decades of combined experience.

JC

James Carter

Senior Exchange Analyst
8+ years in crypto. BSc Finance from LSE. Ex-quantitative analyst specialising in derivatives. Leads our Bybit, OKX, and dYdX coverage.
SM

Sarah Mitchell

Social Trading Specialist
6+ years covering social and copy trading. Previously at CoinDesk and The Block. Leads Bitget, eToro, and copy trading platform coverage.
MT

Michael Torres

Lead Exchange Analyst
9+ years. Ex-blockchain analytics firm. Leads Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken coverage. Quoted in Reuters, Bloomberg, and Forbes on exchange security.
PL

Priya Lal

Security Researcher
10+ years in cybersecurity, specialising in blockchain systems. Certified Ethical Hacker. Reviews all security sections and audits exchange Proof-of-Reserves reports.

Affiliate Disclosure

HowToCrypt earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with crypto exchanges. When you click an exchange link on our site and sign up, we may receive a commission — at no extra cost to you. This is how we fund our independent research and keep our content free.

Our editorial policy is strict: affiliate relationships never influence our ratings, rankings, or editorial content. Exchanges are evaluated on objective, pre-defined criteria regardless of whether we have an affiliate relationship with them. Lower-rated exchanges on our site often have affiliate deals; higher-rated ones may not.

Get in Touch

Contact Us

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