Our take on CEX.IO
CEX.IO is a reputable crypto exchange with a lot to offer.
The exchange allows you to not only buy and sell crypto assets but to borrow against and earn yield on your crypto.
And its user-friendly interface makes it easy for its over 4 million clients to safely and easily gain exposure to a broad range of crypto assets.
Finder Rating
★★★★★CEX.IO pros and cons
Pros
- Supports 100+ crypto assets
- No reported hacks
Cons
- Not registered with the Financial Conduct Authority
- Customers report poor customer service
- Verification process may take days or weeks
About CEX.IO – company history and background
CEX.IO was founded in London in 2013. The exchange was one of the first to make fiat-to-crypto transactions accessible by offering credit card payments and bank transfers to clients.
CEX.IO’s staff of 370 serves its 4 million clients from its bases in the following jurisdictions: USA, Gibraltar and Cyprus.
Listed CEX.IO crypto exchange assets
CEX.IO supports over 143 cryptocurrencies. In total, CEX.IO carries 18 of the top 20 cryptos by market cap.
Popular assets on CEX.IOCEX.IO fees
Fees vary depending on the currency you want to deposit and the method of deposit.
Deposit methods- Bank transfer (ACH)
- Credit card
- Bank transfer (SEPA)
- Faster Payments Service
- Skrill
CEX.IO deposit and withdrawal fees
Transaction type | Fee |
---|---|
Deposit funds | VISA & Mastercard: 2.99% (USD), (GBP), (EUR) , (RUB) Bank transfer: None Skrill: 3.99% (USD, GBP, EUR) ACH: None Faster Payments: None |
Withdraw funds | Mastercard and VISA: Fees vary Bank transfer: 0.3% + £ 25.00 (USD, GBP, EUR) ACH: None Skrill: 1% (USD, GBP, EUR) Faster payments: None |
CEX.IO trading fees
Type | Fee |
---|---|
Maker | 0-0.16% |
Taker | 0.10-0.25% |
Maker fee explained. A maker fee is the fee charged when you propose an order for other traders to take. In other words, this fee is charged when you place a limit order to sell an asset, but that order is not filled immediately.
Taker fee explained. A taker fee is a fee charged when a buy order is matched immediately with a sell order on the books. This is the fee charged when you place a market buy order.
Other fees
Fees for CEX.IO’s brokerage service, where it acts as your counterparty, vary according to market and network conditions, but they can get as high as 7%.
Your daily deposit and withdrawal limits are determined by the verifications you complete and the type of account you have.
How to sign up on CEX.IO
- RegisterGo to the account creation page, enter your email address, create a password and accept the terms of use and privacy policy.
- Confirm emailYou'll receive a confirmation email. Open it and select the link to activate your account.
- Verify identityYou next must finalize setting up your account by adding your name and date of birth, making sure they're the same as the details on the ID documents you will use to verify your account. Now you need to verify your identity — see below.
- 2-factor authenticationWe also strongly recommend you set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on your account.
About the CEX.IO app
The CEX.IO app is available for Android and iOS operating systems.
Is CEX.IO exchange safe?
Regulation.
CEX.IO is not on the Financial Conduct Authority’s cryptoasset register. Crypto trading isn’t regulated, but the FCA keeps a register of firms that operate crypto services from a UK base and they must pass checks for anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism activity.
CEX.IO is registered as a Money Services Businesses (MSB) with the US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and it’s obtained Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs) in 32 US states.
Verification process. As befits such an ambitious company, CEX.IO’s verification process is unusually thorough. You must be verified to unlock these functionalities:
- Buying cryptocurrency with your debit or credit card.
- Making card deposits of up to $3,000 and withdrawals of up to $10,000 a day.
- Trading with available cryptocurrencies using market/limit orders and API tools.
- Pay with Epay, Skrill or QIWI services.
You’ll need your passport, driver’s license or other government-issued ID, and social security number.
CEX.IO will ask you not only for a photo of this document, but a selfie with the document, along with thorough information from the document — issue numbers, and so on.
The selfie sounds like a lot, but think of it like a passport photo — no smiling or sunglasses.
There are also “verified plus” and “corporate” verification levels, but most retail users do not have to concern themselves with these.
Security features. There’s no such thing as a totally secure cryptocurrency exchange, so bear that in mind and do take the usual security precautions regarding your own private data.
For its part, CEX.IO is accredited to a level 1 standard (the highest) for data security according to industry standards developed by leading legacy financial services and payments providers.
Keeping your crypto secure
All centralised exchanges, including CEX.IO, are vulnerable to counterparty risks like hacking, theft and insolvency. Using a self-custodial or hardware wallet is widely accepted as the best way to improve the security of your funds. We've shared some of our top picks below.
Ledger Nano X Wallet |
Trezor Model T Wallet |
Ledger Nano S Plus Wallet |
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Supported assets 5,500+ |
Supported assets 1,456+ |
Supported assets 5,500+ |
Price (USD) $149 |
Price (USD) $219 |
Price (USD) $79 |
See more of the best crypto wallets
CEX.IO customer support
One of CEX.IO’s strongest suits is its customer service.
Support is available 24/7. There’s an online knowledge center, dedicated support email addresses, a live chat with human or chatbot option, and even a phone number you can ring.
And as an act of good faith, CEX.IO even posts apologetic blog posts when the customer service pipes get clogged.
Google Play ratings | 20k reviews, 4.5 stars, 1M+ downloads |
Apple Store ratings | 5.3k reviews, 4.6 stars |
How to reach CEX.IO
- Facebook page
- Live chat
- Phone
- Telegram
Alternatives to CEX.IO exchange
*Cryptocurrencies aren't regulated in the UK and there's no protection from the Financial Ombudsman or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Your capital is at risk. Capital gains tax on profits may apply.
Cryptocurrencies are speculative and investing in them involves significant risks - they're highly volatile, vulnerable to hacking and sensitive to secondary activity. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This content shouldn't be interpreted as a recommendation to invest. Before you invest, you should get advice and decide whether the potential return outweighs the risks. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.
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