Our Rating Methodology
CryptoRatingHub uses a transparent, weighted scoring algorithm to rate exchanges on four key dimensions. Here's exactly how we do it.
The Formula
Each sub-score is rated 0–10. The overall score is the weighted sum, rounded to one decimal place. We then assign an alert level: SAFE (≥8.0), WATCH (6.0–7.9), WARNING (4.0–5.9), CRITICAL (<4.0 or active investigation).
License Status
The single most important factor. We differentiate between genuine regulatory licenses (FCA, MiCA, BitLicense) that carry capital requirements and consumer protections, versus mere registrations (MSB, VASP) that provide minimal oversight. Exchanges operating without any license receive a score of 0–2 in this category.
Factors Evaluated:
- Type of license (full license vs. registration)
- Jurisdiction prestige and rigor
- Whether license is current and in good standing
- Number of jurisdictions covered
- History of license revocations or suspensions
User Reviews & Experience
We aggregate and analyze reviews from Trustpilot, Reddit, Google Reviews, and direct submissions to CryptoRatingHub. We weight recent reviews more heavily (last 12 months) and specifically focus on withdrawal experiences, dispute resolution, and KYC process fairness.
Factors Evaluated:
- Overall sentiment score (weighted by recency)
- Withdrawal-specific review patterns
- Customer support responsiveness reports
- Dispute resolution outcomes
- Volume and consistency of negative reviews
Withdrawal Speed & Reliability
We track actual withdrawal processing times and patterns reported by users. Both crypto and fiat withdrawals are assessed. Exchanges with documented patterns of delayed, blocked, or frozen withdrawals receive low scores in this category regardless of their stated policies.
Factors Evaluated:
- Crypto withdrawal processing time
- Fiat withdrawal processing time
- Frequency of unexplained delays
- Freeze/block incidents and their resolution
- Consistency between stated and actual withdrawal times
Technical Transparency
We assess how openly an exchange communicates about its operations, security, and financial health. This includes proof-of-reserves publication, independent security audits, custody arrangement disclosure, and transparency about incident history.
Factors Evaluated:
- Proof-of-reserves (published and audited)
- Independent security audit history
- Custody arrangement disclosure
- Open-source code or verifiable tech claims
- Transparent incident disclosure history
Independence & Conflicts of Interest
CryptoRatingHub is an independent research platform. We do not accept payment from exchanges for favorable ratings, do not run affiliate programs that bias our ratings, and do not hold significant positions in any crypto assets that would create conflicts with our ratings.
If we become aware of a conflict of interest in relation to any exchange rating, we will disclose it clearly. Our ratings reflect our genuine, unbiased assessment based on publicly available information and user-submitted data.