ChangeNOW review
ChangeNOW is an instant swap service operated by CHN Group LLC in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, requiring no registration for standard swaps. Our ID rating shows the strictest case, since rules depend on residence. Residents of the European Union, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Canada need KYC first, while others are only checked in specific cases like fraud reports. If you refuse a check, a refund goes to the sending address minus network fees. The terms let ChangeNOW seize funds from users in prohibited jurisdictions and donate them to charity. In our view, ChangeNOW suits users outside those countries.
ID always
ChangeNOW always asks for ID, per its own pages.
Choose ChangeNOW if
Who ChangeNOW suits, from the values on this page.
ChangeNOW suits you if
- You want Monero: ChangeNOW lists it.
ChangeNOW might not be the right fit if
- You want to skip ID checks: ChangeNOW's terms let it ask for ID.
- You want Lightning: ChangeNOW does not support it.
Inside ChangeNOW
- Platforms
- Website, mobile exchange app, NOW Wallet desktop app, Telegram bot
What you get with ChangeNOW
Yes, no or partly, from our dataPrivacy 1 of 6
- No IDNo
- No accountYes
- Tor built inNot statedNot statedChangeNOW'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 statedChangeNOW's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
Coins 2 of 4
- BitcoinNot statedNot statedChangeNOW's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- MoneroYes
- LightningNo
- ZcashYes
Custody and code 0 of 3
- You hold the keysNo
- Open sourceNot statedNot statedChangeNOW's own pages we checked do not say, checked Oct 14, 2026. This is not the same as no.
- Address screeningNot statedNot statedChangeNOW's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
When can ChangeNOW ask for your ID?
Always, per ChangeNOW'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 flaggedNo ID by default; checks when a risk system flags you
- 4Above a limitID once you pass a stated amount
- 5AlwaysChangeNOW is on this stepID before you trade, deposit or withdraw
If a check comes and you do not pass it
Window days: 3; refusal: refund to the sending address less network fees within 24 hours (FAQ); address may be blacklisted; suspected illegal: freeze for as long as needed; refund on request of authorised bodies
“The verification time window is 3 days, and the User can refuse to pass the procedure; in that case, the User will be provided with a refund. [...] we reserve the right to freeze your exchange transaction for any period of time necessary to complete AML/KYC procedure and all relevant investigations.”
What triggers a check: Fraud, stolen-fund or incident reports; AML/CFT compliance; requests from third-party fiat providers; unusual or suspicious transactions (automated risk system puts the exchange on hold)
Refund policy: Completed: final, non-refundable; failed or stuck: deposit refunded; duration: extraction can take up to 20 business days; user error fee: 50 USD plus network fees; unclaimed funds: held up to 1 calendar year
Not stated on ChangeNOW's pages: fee on refusalChangeNOW's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
- If a trade goes wrong
- Refunds and failed swaps go through support (extraction can take up to 20 business days); legal disputes fall under the laws of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with arbitration (section 15 of the terms)
Checked October 22, 2026
What ChangeNOW costs
| What | ChangeNOW |
|---|---|
| Model | In-rate, no separate ChangeNOW fee |
| Components | Deposit network fee; transfer to liquidity provider; liquidity provider trading fee; payout network fee |
| Fixed rate | Small reserve added to the fixed rate |
- Ways to pay
- Card: Visa or Mastercard through a payment provider (fiat purchase); sell to: card or bank account (fiat sale)
- Currencies
- More than 47
- Trade limits
- Min stated: from less than $2, differs per coin; max stated: no upper limit for crypto swaps; technical min: deposits under 10 USD may not be processed; fiat purchase: up to $20,000 per purchase and per day, $50,000 per month
- Typical time
- Sources disagree
No-ID limits per trade
4 limits from ChangeNOW's pages| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Minimum | From less than $2, differs per coin |
| Maximum | No upper limit for crypto swaps |
| Technical minimum | Deposits under 10 USD may not be processed |
| Card purchases | Up to $20,000 per purchase and per day, $50,000 per month |
Show all 4 limits+1 moreShow fewer
Checked October 22, 2026
What ChangeNOW 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
- CHN Group LLC, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (company)
- Requests from authorities
- Data may be shared with law enforcement or regulators as required by law; a separate Law Enforcement Request page exists; returning frozen funds needs a written request from a law enforcement authority
- Warrant canary
- Not published
Checked October 22, 2026
Track record and code
None found.
Incidents
None found
- Regulator warnings
- None found
- Audits
- Not published
- Bug bounty
- Not published
- Support
- Channels: e-mail [email protected]; request form (support.changenow.io); Telegram community chat (t.me/changenow_chat); hours: 24/7
- Wallet needed
- Yes: a destination address for the exchanged coins; ChangeNOW keeps no balances
Checked October 14, 2026
Community
Discussions about ChangeNOW on Reddit (opens in a new tab) (r/ChangeNOW_io)
More facts we checked on ChangeNOW
- Coins listed
- Provider headline: 1000+; provider pairs: 1M+
- Networks
- Networks: 86; crypto entries: 1,173; fiat entries: 94
- Rate type
- Classic: indicative rate, set when payment is accepted (typically six confirmations); fixed: deposit must be sent within 4 minutes of creating the exchange, else refund less fees or classic rate
- Log retention
- No fixed period: data kept only as long as necessary for the policy purposes and legal obligations; deletion requests handled within two weeks, some data may be kept for legal, regulatory or technical reasons
- Onion address
- Not published
- I2P address
- Not published
ChangeNOW in the US and elsewhere
In the US
US availability: With conditions: ChangeNOW account under the ChangeNOW Pro terms plus mandatory KYC; the no-account standard swap is not open to US persons; the Pro terms name 40 states plus DC for verified users
- Blocks US IPs
- Terms: standard service excluded for US citizens, residents and people located in the US; US users can use the service after creating an account under separate terms
- VPN clause in terms
- No: users must not use a proxy, VPN or other software to conceal their IP address
If you are a US person, US sanctions rules apply to you whether or not a service asks for ID.
Outside the US
Where ChangeNOW does not serve
6 places in its terms
United Kingdom- United States of America (standard service, see US availability)
Republic of India- Russian Federation (located in or resident)
- countries on UN sanctions lists
- countries where crypto use is forbidden
Regional rule: EU, US, JP, KR, SG, HK, AE, AU, CA (residents): mandatory; all other users: risk-based
- Site blocks by region
- United Kingdom; United States of America (standard service, see US availability); Republic of India; Russian Federation (located in or resident); countries on UN sanctions lists; countries where crypto use is forbidden
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. ChangeNOW's terms say it can ask for ID in these cases: Fraud, stolen-fund or incident reports; AML/CFT compliance; requests from third-party fiat providers; unusual or suspicious transactions (automated risk system puts the exchange on hold). 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. ChangeNOW's terms say that if a check is requested and not completed: window days: 3; refusal: refund to the sending address less network fees within 24 hours (FAQ); address may be blacklisted; suspected illegal: freeze for as long as needed; refund on request of authorised bodies.
Checked October 22, 2026
Instant swaps to compare with ChangeNOW
Other active services in this category from our list. The shield shows each one's ID rule from its own terms.
ChangeNOW side by side
From our privacy data, the same fields for every service| What | ChangeNOW | BitcoinVN | CCE Cash | ChangeHero | Changelly | EasyBit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID rule | ID always | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged | ID only if flagged |
| Account | None | None | None | None | Not stated | None |
| You hold the keys | No | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | No |
| Monero | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes | No |
| Lightning | No | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | No |
| Open source | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Checked October 28, 2026
Short answers about ChangeNOW
From the data on this page.
Does ChangeNOW ask for ID?
ChangeNOW always asks for ID, per its own pages. There is no account.
How much can you trade on ChangeNOW without ID?
Minimum: from less than $2, differs per coin; Maximum: no upper limit for crypto swaps; Technical minimum: deposits under 10 USD may not be processed; Card purchases: up to $20,000 per purchase and per day, $50,000 per month.
Who holds your coins during a ChangeNOW trade?
Held during the swap. Non-custodial for swaps (no balances); custodial Pro account and NOW Custody are separate products.
Can you buy Monero on ChangeNOW?
Yes. ChangeNOW lists Monero.
What does ChangeNOW cost?
Model: In-rate, no separate ChangeNOW fee; Components: Deposit network fee; transfer to liquidity provider; liquidity provider trading fee; payout network fee; Fixed rate: Small reserve added to the fixed rate.
Who checked this page
Sources, how we read the terms and our process
Sources
- api.changenow.io/v1/currencies, for Monero and Lightning, checked October 22, 2026
- api.changenow.io/v1/exchange-amount/0.1/btc_eth, for status, checked October 4, 2026
- api.changenow.io/v2/exchange/currencies, for Zcash and networks, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io, for onion address, I2P address, currencies, typical time, support and coins listed, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io/faq, for no-ID limit, ways to pay, trade limits and What your payment reveals, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io/privacy-policy, for data collected, requests from authorities, audits and log retention, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io/terms-of-use/aml-kyc, for ID rule, what triggers a check, regional rule, custody and custody in detail, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io/terms-of-use/changenow-terms, for refund policy, checked October 5, 2026
- changenow.io/terms-of-use/changenow-terms, for what happens if a check fails, account, operator, excluded countries, US availability, fees, warrant canary and bug bounty, checked October 22, 2026
- changenow.io/terms-of-use/changenow-terms, for platforms, if a trade goes wrong, governance, wallet needed, blocks US IPs, VPN clause in terms, site blocks by region and rate type, checked October 28, 2026
- iosco.org/i-scan, for regulator warnings, 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: ChangeNOW'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 4, 2026 and October 28, 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.