However, check both: some wallets have “slow” or “fast” options for some currencies and exchanges may charge for deposits at peak times or for small amounts. Most wallets apply standard blockchain fees for transfers with no profit for themselves, and most exchanges have no deposit fees. Moving assets from a hot (web-based) wallet to an exchange rarely incurs extra costs. And, once again, the anonymous nature of crypto means you’ll likely never get them back. Enter your information in a fake site and your funds disappear. That makes it – and you – a target for scams and phishing websites that try to get your wallets’ private keys. With ICOs raking in millions and the price of Bitcoin hovering near $10,000 per coin, crypto is big money. But what if you send money to an exchange or a business? Or an ICO? How do you know they won’t disappear with your funds? There’s still very little regulation around cryptocurrency, so be careful who you trust.įinally, there’s old-fashioned theft. If you’re sending to yourself, there’s nothing to worry about. The second-biggest risk is the recipient’s reliability. When the address is a random list of numbers and letters, can you spot the difference? Most people don’t even check. You copy the right address, but the malware replaces it before you paste. To make matters worse, some malware now detects crypto addresses. There’s no bank or third-party arbiter to reverse the transaction and most cryptocurrencies have built-in anonymity that makes finding a wallet owner’s contact information extremely difficult (or impossible). Send funds to the wrong wallet and they’re gone. The biggest risk is getting the recipient’s address wrong. Transfer speed depends on how frequently the crypto’s blocks are mined, how active its network is, and how many “confirmations” a transaction needs before it’s recognized as complete.
Third-party services and sites may add their own charges on top. The currency’s design may adjust fees for current transaction volumes, transfer speeds, and how many individual transactions are rolled into your transfer. Most cryptocurrencies charge transaction fees to pay miners, who confirm transactions and maintain the blockchain. The company was created as a combined effort of financial professionals and experts in web-commerce with the goal of perfecting the online experience for retail traders.īefore looking at individual situations, here’s a quick reminder of the basics that apply to every crypto transaction.