Trust tool · before any outbound link

Exchange comparison checklist

Eight questions a careful person asks before they evaluate a real desk. Tick a box only when you can explain it without this page open. No fake partner logos. No “use this exchange” pitch.

This page is a classroom worksheet. It is not financial advice, not a recommendation, and not an order ticket. Affiliate destinations — if any — stay behind the last box, and the only hard next step we offer is the affiliate disclosure.

0 of 8 questions checked. The ready summary stays hidden until every box is honest.

  1. 1 of 8

    Custody — who holds the keys

    A custodial exchange holds the keys for you. That is convenient, and it also means a freeze, a hack, or a policy change can block access. Self-custody means you hold the keys — and a lost seed is usually gone. BitBuddy’s paper wallet is neither: it is a classroom row with no cash value.

    Know who can move the coins before you send anything real.

  2. 2 of 8

    KYC — identity checks

    Know-your-customer (KYC) is how many venues verify who you are. It can include a photo ID and a selfie. That is a privacy tradeoff, not a scam by itself — and it is also not something BitBuddy does. We never ask for a government ID or a seed.

    Identity checks are a venue’s rule, not a classroom password reset.

  3. 3 of 8

    Fees and spreads

    Real desks charge a spread (bid vs ask), a trading fee, and sometimes a maker/taker split. A website mid-price is a quote, not a promise. Small sizes that look “free” on paper can be dominated by fees in real life.

    Practice fills here hide the cost of rushing a real order.

  4. 4 of 8

    Withdrawals — can you leave

    Ask: can I withdraw coins to an address I control? What is the network fee? Are there delays, minimums, or holds on new accounts? A venue that makes deposits easy and withdrawals vague is a warning. BitBuddy has no withdrawal — paper cash stays on this site.

    If you cannot leave, you do not really hold the asset.

  5. 5 of 8

    Regional availability

    Exchanges are licensed (or blocked) by country and sometimes by state. A shiny app that is not allowed in your region is not a bargain — it is a compliance and custody risk. BitBuddy will not tell you which desk is legal for you.

    Availability is a legal fact, not a marketing badge.

  6. 6 of 8

    Security basics

    Turn on two-factor authentication on the venue’s own site — not via a chat link. Bookmark the real URL. Nobody legitimate needs your seed, SMS codes, or “wallet connect” to “verify” a ticket. BitBuddy will never ask for those either.

    Most losses start as a login or a seed, not as a bad trade.

  7. 7 of 8

    Support — when something goes wrong

    Read how they handle a locked account, a delayed withdrawal, or a disputed deposit *before* you need it. Classroom questions can come to BitBuddy’s contact page. Real-desk problems go to that desk — we cannot reverse a send on their books.

    A calm help path is part of the product, not an afterthought.

  8. 8 of 8

    Do you understand the risk?

    Prices move. Venues fail. Seeds get lost. A paper win is not a strategy. Nothing on BitBuddy is financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. If any of that still feels fuzzy, stay in the classroom — including the scams lesson and the FAQ.

    The last box is honesty, not a waiver you click past.

Common questions

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Tick every box above to unlock the ready summary. We will not show an outbound exchange link on this page until then.

Stay in the classroom

Fears, words, and the disclosure

The FAQ answers “is this real money?” The glossary is the dictionary. The disclosure is how we will label any future partner URL.

FAQ Glossary Paper-trading lesson Affiliate disclosure