ChangeNOW FAQ: How It Works, Fees & KYC

ChangeNOW is a non-custodial cryptocurrency exchange platform launched in 2017. It lets you swap thousands of cryptocurrencies across 100+ blockchains without creating an account or depositing funds into a platform-held balance.

It works as a liquidity aggregator: it sources the best available rate from its partners, generates a one-time deposit address for your swap, and forwards the exchanged assets directly to the wallet address you provide.

ChangeNOW's non-custodial model means it doesn't hold a standing balance of user funds, so there's no central account to be hacked the way there is on custodial exchanges. Each swap routes coins from your wallet, through a temporary deposit address and liquidity partners, to your destination wallet. It also runs automated AML risk screening on transactions.

As with any exchange, the biggest real-world risk isn't the service itself but phishing clones of it — see the security section below.

No. A standard crypto-to-crypto swap needs zero registration — pick the pair, enter your receiving address, and send the deposit. ChangeNOW also offers an optional Pro account with extras like cashback, higher limits, staking and priority support, but it's not required for basic swaps.

ChangeNOW lists well over 1,000 cryptocurrencies and tokens across 100+ blockchain networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Tron, Polygon and Avalanche. Popular stablecoins such as USDT and USDC are available on several networks, so you can pick whichever has the lowest network fee.

They're companion apps in the same product family. NOW Wallet is a self-custody mobile wallet for storing, buying and swapping crypto; NOW Tracker is a portfolio tracker for monitoring balances across wallets and exchanges. Both are optional and separate from the core exchange widget.

• Choose the rate type — Classic (floating) or Fixed-rate.
• Select currencies — pick "You Send" and "You Get", then enter the amount.
• Enter your payout address — paste the wallet address for the coins, adding a memo/tag if required.
• Send the deposit — transfer the exact amount to the temporary address shown.
• Receive your coins — after network confirmations, funds arrive at your address, usually within a couple of minutes.

Classic / Floating: the final amount is calculated once your deposit confirms, so it can move slightly with the market — usually a lower margin and a longer deposit window (~24 hours).

Fixed-rate: the quoted amount is locked for a short window (typically ~20 minutes), so you know exactly what you'll receive if you deposit in time — a slightly higher margin for that certainty.

Most swaps complete within one to a few minutes after the deposit reaches the required confirmations. Timing depends on blockchain congestion, how many confirmations that asset requires, and liquidity-partner processing. You can track progress using your transaction ID.

Yes — official apps are published for iOS and Android with the same swap functionality as the website, plus history and rate tracking. Only install from the official App Store or Google Play listing, and check the developer name before downloading.

There's no separate line-item commission — the service fee and liquidity spread are built into the rate shown before you confirm. The effective margin commonly falls in roughly the 0.4-1% range depending on the pair and rate type, though it varies. Network (gas) fees go to the blockchain, not to ChangeNOW, and there are no extra deposit, withdrawal or account fees for a standard swap.

Minimums are typically small — often just a few dollars' equivalent — but vary by coin and network; the exact figure shows live in the widget. There's generally no fixed maximum for crypto-to-crypto swaps, though very large orders can be limited by available liquidity. Fiat on-ramp limits are set by the payment provider, not ChangeNOW.

Sending less than requested usually means the swap won't process automatically and support has to step in, sometimes refunding the partial deposit minus network fees. Sending on the wrong network for that asset can risk the funds being unrecoverable, since the deposit address is generated for one specific chain. Always double-check the amount and network shown before sending, and contact support immediately with your Exchange ID if something goes wrong.

Once a deposit is sent and confirmed on-chain, a swap generally can't be reversed, since funds are forwarded through liquidity partners rather than held. Before sending, you can typically back out at no cost. If something goes wrong afterward, contact support with your Exchange ID right away — some cases, like a partial or failed swap, can be resolved manually but are handled case by case.

Ordinary crypto-to-crypto swaps generally don't require identity verification up front. Automated AML screening runs on every transaction in the background, and in specific cases — a suspicious pattern, a risk flag, or an unusually large amount — ID verification through a partner provider may be requested before funds are released. Fiat purchases always require verification on the payment provider's side.

Like most crypto exchanges, ChangeNOW restricts access in certain jurisdictions for sanctions and compliance reasons, and availability of specific coins or the fiat on-ramp can vary by region too. Because these lists change over time, check current restrictions directly on changenow.io rather than relying on any third-party summary, including this one.

ChangeNOW offers 24/7 live chat on its website, a self-serve Help Center at support.changenow.io, and email support. Always include your Exchange ID so the team can locate your specific order quickly.

Only transact through the official domain, changenow.io, and re-check the address bar every time — especially after clicking a link from search results, social media, or an unsolicited message. Cloned sites that copy ChangeNOW's logo and layout do circulate, sometimes ranking on search engines or spreading via ads; a mismatched domain, an unexpected redirect, or a request for your private key or seed phrase are all red flags. No legitimate exchange, including ChangeNOW, will ever ask for your private keys or seed phrase to complete a swap.