ChangeHero review
ChangeHero is an instant swap service under Herofintechs Limitada in Costa Rica. Users can swap without the need to create an account or log in. It calls itself non-custodial, with each swap processed through third-party services. An automated risk-scoring system may place a flagged transaction on hold, requesting AML and KYC verification. Refusal to comply could lead ChangeHero to terminate the swap and issue a refund, deducting the network fee and a 10% operational fee of at least 100 USD. The terms exclude the United States and the European Union. In our view, ChangeHero is appropriate for users who are comfortable with the cost of such checks.
ID only if flagged
ChangeHero asks for ID only if a payment is flagged, per its own pages.
Choose ChangeHero if
Who ChangeHero suits, from the values on this page.
ChangeHero suits you if
- You want no ID for normal use: ChangeHero asks only if a payment is flagged.
- You want Monero: ChangeHero lists it.
ChangeHero might not be the right fit if
- You want a market that can never ask for ID: ChangeHero can ask if a payment is flagged.
- You want Lightning: ChangeHero does not support it.
- You live in the US: ChangeHero is not available there.
Best for
Monero for bitcoin
Inside ChangeHero
What you get with ChangeHero
Yes, no or partly, from our dataPrivacy 1 of 6, 1 partly
- No IDPartlyIf a payment is flagged
- No accountYes
- Tor built inNot statedNot statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- Onion addressNoNone published
- I2P addressNoNone published
- Works without JavaScriptNot statedNot statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
Coins 3 of 4
- BitcoinYes
- MoneroYes
- LightningNo
- ZcashYes
Custody and code 0 of 3
- You hold the keysNo
- Open sourceNot statedNot statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say, checked Oct 14, 2026. This is not the same as no.
- Address screeningNot statedNot statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
When can ChangeHero ask for your ID?
If a payment is flagged, per ChangeHero's own pages. Labels come from each provider's terms, never from our guess.
- 1Never, by designNo company holds your order, so nobody can ask
- 2Only if you chooseID only for extras you opt into
- 3If a payment is flaggedChangeHero is on this stepNo ID by default; checks when a risk system flags you
- 4Above a limitID once you pass a stated amount
- 5AlwaysID before you trade, deposit or withdraw
If a check comes and you do not pass it
Flagged transaction on hold; if the user refuses KYC, ChangeHero may terminate the swap and refund to the sending address minus network fee and a 10% operational fee, at least 100 USD equivalent
“In case the User does not wish to disclose their identity for certain reasons and refuses to undergo the KYC/AML procedure, ChangeHero has the right to terminate the exchange and the deposited funds are then transferred back to the initial address the deposit was made from, subtracting the network fee and ChangeHero operational fee in amount of 10% from transferred assets but not less than 100 USD equivalent.”
What triggers a check: Flag by the automated risk-scoring system (criteria not disclosed); occasional transactions of 1,000 EUR or more (AML policy 2022); suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing; high-risk criteria named in the AML policy incl. use of TOR network services with changing country IPs, mixer or tumbler use, secure untraceable cryptocurrencies, high-risk regions; PEP, FATF high-risk countries (EDD)
Fee on refusal: Minus network fee and a 10% operational fee, at least 100 USD equivalent
Not stated on ChangeHero's pages: refund policyChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- If a trade goes wrong
- Written notice within 30 days to [email protected], then arbitration; refunds handled by support via live chat or e-mail
Checked October 22, 2026
What ChangeHero costs
| What | ChangeHero |
|---|---|
| Trade fee | No more than 0.5% with Best Rate, up to 0.7% with Fixed Rate (rate locked 15 minutes); third-party and network fees; 50 USD for manual services after user errors |
| No-ID limit | No hard maximum per swap; minimum per pair |
- Ways to pay
- Fiat purchases and sales are processed by licensed providers
- Trade limits
- Crypto-to-crypto: small minimum per coin to cover network fees, no hard maximum; fiat purchases have provider limits
- Typical time
- On average within 5 minutes; Bitcoin slower, Solana or BNB Chain faster
What ChangeHero knows about you
Who sees what during a trade, and who runs it.
During a trade
No ID check does not make a bank payment private.
Network and who runs it
- Governance
- Herofintechs Ltd (company)
- Requests from authorities
- Published procedure: information only against a legitimate official request on a legal basis, in English, from an official e-mail address
- Warrant canary
- Not published
Checked October 22, 2026
Track record and code
Incidents
Not statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- Audits
- Not published
- Bug bounty
- Yes: own bug bounty programme for security researchers, terms may change without notice
- Support
- Live chat (24/7); e-mail [email protected]
- Wallet needed
- Yes: a recipient address for the exchanged coins; ChangeHero holds no user funds
Checked October 14, 2026
More facts we checked on ChangeHero
- Rate type
- Fixed rate requires the deposit within 10 minutes; ChangeHero may refuse a fixed-rate trade if the rate moved
- Log retention
- No fixed period: data kept until legal obligations are met and the purposes of the policy are served
ChangeHero in the US and elsewhere
In the US
US availability: Not available
- Blocks US IPs
- Terms: US nationals, residents and people in the US and its territories are in the Prohibited Jurisdictions
- VPN clause in terms
- No ban in the terms; the FAQ only notes that an order is no longer visible after switching to a VPN
If you are a US person, US sanctions rules apply to you whether or not a service asks for ID.
Outside the US
Where ChangeHero does not serve
14 places in its terms
Cuba
Iran
North Korea- Ontario (Canada)
- Crimea
Sudan
Syria- United States of America incl. all US territories
- Bangladesh
Japan- Bolivia
- countries on the UN Security Council Sanctions List
- European Union (established, resident or located)
- any jurisdiction requiring a licence the company does not hold
Show all 14 places+8 moreShow fewer
Regional rule: Not statedChangeHero's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- Site blocks by region
- Cuba; Iran; North Korea; Ontario (Canada); Crimea; Sudan; Syria; United States of America incl. all US territories; Bangladesh; Japan; Bolivia; countries on the UN Security Council Sanctions List; European Union (established, resident or located); any jurisdiction requiring a licence the company does not hold
Where you live and the provider's terms
Many services on this page do not serve every country. Some exclude people because of where they live or their citizenship, not only where they connect from. Read the provider's terms before you send funds. If the terms exclude you, do not use the service, and do not try to get around the restriction, for example with a VPN.
Taxes
A service that does not ask for ID does not change your taxes. In the US, the federal income tax return asks a yes-or-no question about digital assets, and you must report digital asset transactions whether or not they result in a gain or loss. In the UK, you may owe Capital Gains Tax when you sell, swap or spend crypto, and you must keep your own records. Rules in other countries differ.
No KYC is not anonymity
"No KYC" here means the provider says it does not ask for ID in the cases its terms describe. It does not make you anonymous. ChangeHero's terms say it can ask for ID in these cases: Flag by the automated risk-scoring system (criteria not disclosed); occasional transactions of 1,000 EUR or more (AML policy 2022); suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing; high-risk criteria named in the AML policy incl. use of TOR network services with changing country IPs, mixer or tumbler use, secure untraceable cryptocurrencies, high-risk regions; PEP, FATF high-risk countries (EDD). Regulated exchanges you send funds from or to may have to collect information about who sends and who receives a crypto transfer. Your tax duties stay the same.
Funds can be held
If a provider asks for more information during a swap or a withdrawal, it may hold your funds until it gets it. Its terms decide what happens next. In the UK, a crypto business that asks for information on a transfer to or from a self-custody wallet, and does not receive it, must not pass the funds on. Read what the provider's terms say before you send. ChangeHero's terms say that if a check is requested and not completed: flagged transaction on hold; if the user refuses KYC, ChangeHero may terminate the swap and refund to the sending address minus network fee and a 10% operational fee, at least 100 USD equivalent.
Checked October 22, 2026
Instant swaps to compare with ChangeHero
Other active services in this category from our list. The shield shows each one's ID rule from its own terms.
ChangeHero side by side
From our privacy data, the same fields for every service| What | ChangeHero | BitcoinVN | CCE Cash | Changelly | EasyBit | Exolix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID rule | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged |
| Account | None | None | None | Not stated | None | None |
| You hold the keys | No | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | No |
| Monero | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | No | Yes |
| Lightning | No | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | Yes |
| Open source | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Checked October 28, 2026
Short answers about ChangeHero
From the data on this page.
Does ChangeHero ask for ID?
ChangeHero asks for ID only if a payment is flagged, per its own pages. There is no account.
How much can you trade on ChangeHero without ID?
No hard maximum per swap; minimum per pair.
Who holds your coins during a ChangeHero trade?
Held during the swap. Transit: one-time deposit address generated by ChangeHero, exchange via third-party services; ChangeHero calls itself non-custodial and offers no safekeeping.
Can you buy Monero on ChangeHero?
Yes. ChangeHero lists Monero.
What does ChangeHero cost?
Trade fee: No more than 0.5% with Best Rate, up to 0.7% with Fixed Rate (rate locked 15 minutes); third-party and network fees; 50 USD for manual services after user errors.
Who checked this page
Sources, how we read the terms and our process
Sources
- changehero.io, for onion address, checked October 14, 2026
- changehero.io, for I2P address, checked October 15, 2026
- changehero.io, for status, no-ID limit, account, ways to pay, trade limits, typical time, wallet needed and What your payment reveals, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io, for custody, custody in detail and fees, checked October 23, 2026
- changehero.io/coins/zec, for Zcash, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/currencies, for Lightning, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/currencies, for Monero and bitcoin, checked October 23, 2026
- changehero.io/faq, for VPN clause in terms, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/legal/aml-kyc, for what triggers a check, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/legal/for-competent-authorities, for requests from authorities, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/legal/privacy-policy, for data collected and log retention, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/legal/terms-of-use, for ID rule, what happens if a check fails, fee on refusal, excluded countries, US availability, if a trade goes wrong, warrant canary, audits, support, blocks US IPs, site blocks by region and rate type, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/mrkt/contact-us, for operator and governance, checked October 22, 2026
- changehero.io/mrkt/report-a-bug, for bug bounty, checked October 22, 2026
How we read the terms
We do not give privacy services a score. We record what each provider's own pages say: when it asks for ID, the limits, who holds your coins and what it costs. Labels come from each provider's terms, never from our guess. How we read the terms
Our process
We take fees, availability, licenses and coin counts from primary sources: ChangeHero's own fee schedules, terms and help pages, and the public registers kept by regulators. Every value carries the date we last checked it. The values on this page were checked between October 14, 2026 and October 23, 2026.
Not legal or tax advice. This page explains how these services work and what their own terms say. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change often. Check the rules where you live, or ask a qualified professional, before you use any service listed here.