Changelly Review – Is It Safe to Buy and Sell Crypto?

Changelly is one of the emerging cryptocurrency exchanges out there. Crypto traders looking to have total control of their assets and funds may need not look further despite trading in a centralized environment.

This Changelly review examines the exchange, analyzing its offering, fee structure, pros, and cons. That said, is Changelly really legit? Keep reading to find out.

At a Quick Glance

Pug Score	4.5/5
Fees (Maker/Taker)	0.1%/0.1%
Cryptocurrencies Traded	170+
Most Suitable For	Beginner and Advanced Traders

Key Findings

Changelly is a secure exchange but is not available to US customers. There are many trading options available to make your trading interesting. Changelly also has an excellent customer support system and is a great exchange for starting your crypto journey.

Pros	Cons
160+ crypto pairs available for conversion and trading	Beginners may find the web trading portal complicated
Secure trading platform	Not regulated
Relatively low fees	Not available to US customers
Excellent customer support
Suitable for beginner and advanced traders

What is Changelly?

Changelly is a crypto trading platform based in Malta. Konstantin Gladych, a data scientist, programmer, and CEO of Atomicwallet.io, co-founded the company in 2015, serving as its CEO until 2018 when Eric Benz took over.

The company started with the Changelly Instant Exchange but soon included Changelly Pro to offer more services as it aims to be like industry leaders such as Binance, Gate.io, Bitstamp, etc.

Changelly has another office in Hong Kong where it serves a global crypto market through its Changelly Pro service. The company has over 80 employees and boasts monthly traffic of over 2 million. It also has over 350 partners using its intuitive API systems.

Range of Offering

Changelly offers interesting services and products that are available for both instant crypto exchange and Pro version users. Before we examine Changelly’s offerings in detail, let’s have an overview of Changelly and Changelly Pro.

Changelly Instant Exchange

Changelly Instant Exchange is your first stop when you come on board Changelly. Unlike exchanges like Binance or Coinbase, It’s more of a non-custodial exchange that offers an instant crypto exchange.

The exchange allows crypto traders to convert between cryptocurrencies instantly. It is fast and easy to use, and newbies can swap their cryptocurrencies without needing external help or even signing up.

Changelly Pro

Crypto traders looking to advance their trading experience may have to upgrade to Changelly Pro. It is a custodial exchange like you see in conventional exchanges such as Poloniex, Binance, etc. 

The Changelly Pro allows you to create and match orders, set indicators, conduct technical analysis, etc. For most of this review, we’ll focus on the Pro version.

You can use Changelly Instant Exchange anytime and conveniently. However, for a start, we recommend starting with the Changelly Pro because it offers virtually the primary features you may be looking for in an exchange.

Now, let’s have an overview of some of the services offered by Changelly in its entirety:

Instant Exchange

Changelly Instant Exchange allows fast crypto conversions. You do not need to sign up to Changelly to use this feature. All you need is a supported address and funds you want to swap. However, signing up will allow you access to more of the exchange’s features.

Changelly supports ERC20 and FIO addresses, meaning that all cryptocurrencies must flow between them. FIO wallets use single identifier addresses, meaning that you can hold any crypto token, ERC, TRC, etc., on them.

Here’s a quick guide on how to use Changelly Instant Exchange:

• Visit Changelly.com. On arrival, you should see the Instant Exchange option.
• Take note of these two terms “Floating rate and Fixed rate.”

The floating rate is the general crypto market rate. The volatile crypto market movements influence it, which means that any slight movement in the cryptocurrency market changes the floating rate price.

Meanwhile, the fixed rate allows you to exchange cryptocurrencies at an instant rate. The rate you see on the exchange when exchanging your cryptocurrency remains the rate you convert your cryptocurrencies.

However, the fixed rate is just for 30 seconds, and this should give you enough time to lock your cryptocurrencies while conversions take place.

• Click on Exchange Now to go to the processing webpage. Here you can complete your transaction through the following steps: 

• Choose the cryptocurrency you want to swap, 
• Enter your wallet address from a supported crypto wallet, 
• Read and agree to the terms of service, 
• Confirm the transaction by tapping “Next Step.”

Your transaction should take 5-30 minutes, depending on the network fee and speed of the network at that moment. The instant crypto exchange is straightforward, and after your first entry, you may not want to look elsewhere for swapping in-between cryptocurrencies.

Margin, Spot, and Futures trading

On Changelly Pro, you can trade cryptocurrencies at leverages up to 10x leverage. For spot trading, you can create order books and trade at matching orders. There is also futures trading with leverage up to 100x for derivatives traders. 

Changelly Earn

Changelly Earn is Changelly’s affiliate program that allows crypto enthusiasts to promote and earn up to 50% commissions when they invite other traders using their unique affiliate links or coupon codes.

Changelly Earn is open to anyone. You can track your earnings and withdraw them instantly in BTC or ETH anytime you want. You must also promote the platform in compliance with the terms and conditions of the program.

There are tools available to make your affiliate offer to your audience more palatable. Some of which include widgets gallery, direct exchange buttons, and multi-affiliate links.

These features are not hard to get. You can get sufficient technical support by contacting Changelly’s affiliate management team through the mail ([email protected]).

Changelly Crypto-as-a-Service

Changelly offers a crypto-as-a-service (CaaS) service that includes partners for:

• DeFi tokens and token listing: Changelly provides CaaS services to blockchain firms looking to list utility tokens or enhance their decentralized platforms’ experience. They can use Changelly API offering to build automated and intuitive experiences for their users.
• Wallets: Changelly partners with wallet firms to integrate their (the firms) services and enhance their user experience. A popular wallet the company partners with is Huobi Wallet.
• Exchanges: Exchanges can also use Changelly’s interactive APIs to build advanced and intuitive applications or trading platforms.
• Crypto services: CaaS services also extend to non-crypto-centric platforms such as eCommerce and internet payment services. In this case, Changelly provides a platform to use cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange without building the service from scratch.

Buy and Sell Crypto

You can buy and sell cryptocurrencies on Changelly using credit or debit cards on instant fiat-to-crypto services like Simplex, Banxa, etc. It is straightforward to use.

However, network fees may apply under the terms of services of the respective money services. Choosing your country of origin makes it a lot easier to buy or sell using your local currency.

Changelly Multi-Asset Wallet

Changelly has an in-built wallet system that allows users or investors to hold and spend their cryptocurrencies. The exchange integrates its wallet into its mobile app, which also has the instant exchange feature.

Changelly’s wallet is secure, and also your funds. However, a good rule of thumb is to keep your funds in a hardware wallet to provide more security and safety while you use Changelly.

Fiat Deposits

Changelly accepts fiat deposits, which means that it is possible to trade cryptocurrencies against the fiat in Changelly Pro. The fiat deposit allows you to buy cryptocurrencies with your credit/debit card and international wire transfer and deposit the cryptos directly to your trading account.

Changelly Automated Trading

Changelly offers automated trading services through its API structure. The auto-trading makes it easy for traders to integrate Changelly’s trading platform into their ready-made customized trading applications and trade effortlessly, taking positions from any location they find themselves.

Commission and Fee Structure

Changelly Instant Exchange uses network fees to allow the exchange or swapping of crypto assets. However, it is a different structure for Changelly Pro. That said, here is an overview of the fee structure of Changelly.

Trading Fees

Changelly Pro, having one of the lowest trading fees in the industry, charges a minimum of 0.1% for makers and takers. You can compare its fees with other top exchanges like Gate.io, Bittrex, Binance, etc.

Notwithstanding, Changelly operates a tiered fee structure that depends on your trade volume. The higher your trade volume, the lesser the trading fees, and vice versa. 

For instance, Changelly does not charge maker fees for at least 50k trades. However, taker fees of 0.04% and below apply.

Deposit and Withdrawal Fees

There are no deposit fees for crypto deposits, save for network fees for fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-crypto deposits. Withdrawal fees, however, are fixed by the Changelly team. 

Withdrawal fees can also change depending on the conditions set by the team, including speed of transactions and high performance of the company’s service.

To check the current withdrawal fee for your transactions, go to the “withdrawal column” of the wallet tab. 

Ease of Account Opening

It is quite simple to open an account with Changelly. The instant exchange is very straightforward to open and use, and you may not need help to get started. For this section, we’ll focus on how to open an account with Changelly Pro.

• Visit Changelly Pro’s official website and click on “Sign up.”
• On the registration page, enter a valid email address, and create your unique password. Note that you cannot use the same email address for two Changelly accounts because your email address is your unique identifier on Changelly.

• Click on “Register,” confirm your email address, and agree to Changelly’s privacy policy, and click “Confirm.”

• Once your account is successfully confirmed, Changelly redirects you to its trading platform. You can now proceed to deposit cryptocurrencies either via crypto-to-crypto or fiat-to-crypto using your credit card or any supported payment option.

KYC Verification

As a centralized exchange, Changelly adopts KYC and AML policies to enable users from around the globe to trade effortlessly on the platform. 

Although you do not need KYC to deposit cryptocurrencies or fiat into your trading account or begin trading, you will need it to withdraw funds. Plus, KYC allows you to deposit and withdraw higher volumes of cryptocurrencies to your trading account.

Changelly requires you to submit a government-issued ID or passport saved in a Jpeg file. Alternatively, you may choose to take a direct photograph of it. Also, you’ll need a selfie to complete the entire KYC process.

It would take 5-20 minutes to complete. However, the situation may vary the speed of KYC completion. To go ahead with the KYC verification, follow these steps:

• Navigate to the setting’s icon at the top right corner of your account’s homepage.
• Locate “KYC” and enter your personal information, as seen in the picture below.

• Next is your residential information, as also seen in the picture below.

• Next, submit your proof of identity documents.

• Submit a selfie, either taken directly from your phone or uploaded from your gallery.

• Enter your country code and mobile number and tap “Request Verification.”

KYC confirmation may take a few working days to process. In-between, you may enable your 2FA and begin trading cryptocurrencies.

To enable 2FA:

• Go to settings
• Under “Security,” navigate to the “Two-Step Authentications” column
• Then proceed to choose between “Yubikeys” or “Google Authentication.”

Deposit and Withdrawal

It is easy to deposit and withdraw funds on Changelly Pro. Using your credit or debit cards, you may begin the step.

• Locate “Wallet” in the menu bar
• Then choose a cryptocurrency to deposit or withdraw.

For deposits: tap “Deposit,” and a dropdown of crypto-to-crypto or fiat-to-crypto appears. Then you can choose any options that are more convenient for you.

For Withdrawals: tap the withdrawal button and enter the required details in the given sections.

After depositing your crypto funds into your main account, you can proceed to fund your trading accounts. Tap “Transfer” to do so, and choose the trading account you want to fund.

Choose the cryptocurrency and the amount you want to transfer. You can alternatively use the one-click percentage option to enter the amount of crypto you wish to deposit.

Platform User Interface and Trading Experience

Changelly has an intuitive user interface both for its Instant Exchange and Changelly Pro.  Trading experience on Changelly is also excellent.

It uses an advanced charting system similar to TradingView, and you can customize your preferences, notification option and save your technical tools on its chart.

To trade, you have to first transfer funds from your main account to any trading account (margin, spots, or futures) and head over to the respective trading account in the menu bar.

Mobile Application

There is a mobile application to reach more crypto traders. The app offers instant buying of cryptocurrencies using credit cards. You can also transfer your crypto to any wallet. 

Alternatively, Changelly’s mobile app can serve as a crypto wallet for holding and spending cryptocurrencies. In terms of user experience, Changelly’s mobile app is intuitive and easy to use.

The app is available to Android and iOS users on the Google Play Store and Apple app store, respectively.

Supported Cryptocurrency

Changelly supports over 190 cryptocurrencies, including popular ones such as BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP, etc., on its Instant Exchange and Pro trading platform. It also accepts ERC20 tokens and cryptocurrencies from the FIO wallet.

Educational Tools

There are many Educational tools on Changelly. Finding them is easy, and not only that, there are tons of benefits you can get from them. The exchange’s educational tools for Changelly IE and Changelly Pro include:

• FAQ: Like first aid, the FAQ section is your first resort when you encounter problems on any internet platform. It hosts tons of information and “how-tos” that enable you to scale through random and technical problems on Changelly. 
• Crash course: Changelly offers a crash course on using the platform or investing in cryptocurrencies. The crash course covers premium DeFi and Blockchain information that you can get for free.
• Helpdesk: In a bid to proffer more help to users, Changelly, through its helpdesk, tries to resolve some advanced problems its FAQ section cannot solve.
• Blog: The blog section teaches you everything you need to know about cryptocurrencies, how to start investing or trading, how to buy bitcoin or altcoins from exchanges, including Changelly, and more interesting facts and terms in the blockchain ecosystem.
• Changelly Pro support center: The Changelly Pro support center primarily solves problems relating to trading, including how to get started trading on the exchange. Here, you can learn everything you need to know on your Changelly Pro trading journey.

Customer Support

Customer support is also available on Changelly. You can find it on Changelly Pro at the top right corner of the homepage as a “question mark” sign. Clicking on it will take you to the support center, where you can get a support ticket, send a request or query, track your response, and get feedback.

User reviews have revolved around Changelly’s excellent customer support system and speed of response. You are never left in the dark when using Changelly Pro because there is always someone to answer you when you call out for help.

The same applies to Changelly IE, an excellent support system with an excellent response time. Social media is also another place to reach out to Changelly’s community.

Regulation and Security

Changelly is not a regulated crypto trading platform, but the exchange adopts strong security protocols that protect its user information, investor funds, and general user security. Some of its security measures include:

• 2FA: Most crypto platforms adopt the two-step authentication method due to its security strength, and Changelly adopts it to protect its users from third-party intrusions. 

Available 2FA tools on Changelly include Yubikeys and Google Authenticator. 

• Cold and hot wallet storage mechanisms: An innovative technique Changelly uses to secure investors’ funds. 

While the cold storage is done offline in hardware wallets, the hot storage keeps funds meant to run the exchange, such as instant buy and sell, or Changelly Trading Contests or earning campaigns, etc.

• Whitelisting: Whitelisting means you approve or save addresses you trust for subsequent trades. The addresses may be yours as in an external address or that of your business partners.

On whitelisting an address, you prevent your funds from moving to any other address that is not in your whitelist. It is a secure means of preventing SIM Swap attacks.

Is Changelly Safe?

Changelly is one of the few Crypto trading platforms that has never experienced a hack. That said, the exchange appears to be safe for trading and holding cryptocurrencies. However, you should store your funds in a hardware wallet like Trezor or Ledger Nano wallets.

Conclusion

Changelly is unarguably an excellent crypto exchange with many cryptocurrencies available for trading. It combines a non-custodial and custodial style of exchange through its subsidiaries, Changelly IE and Changelly Pro.

Nevertheless, it is not without a stain as its web trading portal may appear complicated to beginners. You can get started on Changelly by simply signing up, activating your 2FA, verifying your account, and trading.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)