How I Test Every Exchange
Every score on this site comes from the same 50-point rubric applied to a real account with real capital. No hypotheticals, no screenshots from the exchange's own marketing. Here's exactly how it works.
Real Capital Only
Every exchange is funded with actual money. No demo accounts, no simulated trading.
No Pre-Publication Access
Exchanges never see reviews before they go live. No opportunity to influence scores.
No Pay-to-Rank
Affiliate commissions are disclosed but never factor into the score. High-paying programs get low scores when the data says so.
The 50-Point Scoring System
Each exchange is scored across 6 categories totaling 50 points. The final star rating (1–5) is mapped from the total score. No single category can single-handedly make or break a review.
Fees & Costs
- Maker fee (spot and derivatives)
- Taker fee
- Withdrawal fees vs. competitors
- Fee discount tiers (VIP, native token)
Liquidity & Volume
- 24h derivatives volume (CoinGecko verified)
- Order book depth at 0.1% spread
- Slippage on $50K market order
- Number of active futures pairs
Security
- Cold storage ratio (disclosed vs. estimated)
- History of hacks or fund losses
- Insurance / SAFU fund existence
- 2FA options, withdrawal whitelisting
UX & Platform
- Web platform usability (tested on 1920px)
- Mobile app rating (App Store + Google Play avg.)
- Order types available (limit, market, TP/SL, conditional)
- Chart tooling (TradingView integration)
Support Quality
- Live chat response time (measured, not estimated)
- Resolution rate on first contact
- Ticket escalation path
Regulation & Access
- Regulatory licenses held
- Countries restricted (US, EU, UK)
- KYC requirements vs. access level
Score-to-Rating Conversion
The Testing Process
Every review follows the same six-step process. No shortcuts, no cherry-picking conditions.
Account Creation
Create a fresh account using only publicly available sign-up flows. No special access, no VIP onboarding. Test KYC time and verification friction end-to-end.
Real Deposit
Fund the account with real capital (minimum $500 equivalent). Measure deposit processing time, available methods, and any minimum thresholds.
Active Trading
Execute a minimum of 20 trades across futures and options markets. Measure slippage, order fill quality, and platform stability under real market conditions.
Support Testing
Submit at least 3 support tickets across different channels (live chat, email, ticket). Measure response time and resolution quality objectively.
Withdrawal
Withdraw funds via at least 2 methods. Measure processing speed, fees, and any friction in the withdrawal process.
Score & Publish
Apply the 50-point scoring rubric. Publish the review with the test date, trading conditions, and full scoring breakdown. No exchange sees the review before publication.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some exchange links on this site are affiliate links — I earn a commission if you sign up and trade. Commissions are disclosed on each review page and are never factored into scores. Several exchanges with high affiliate payouts receive below-average scores because that's what the data shows. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Questions about a specific review?
Reach out and I'll explain exactly how a score was calculated.