Independent Reserve vs 50X: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Independent Reserve and 50X This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Independent Reserve

50X

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Independent Reserve is ideal if:

Security-first and regulation-driven – Ideal if you prioritize rigorous compliance, institutional-grade safeguards, and regulatory backing in Australia and Singapore.
Automated tools built-in – Perfect for users who value automated strategies like AutoTrader (dollar-cost averaging, baskets, scheduling) and integrated tax reporting.
Institution-ready and mobile-friendly – Suits high-volume or institutional traders needing OTC liquidity and workflow tools, yet still accessible via a polished mobile app.

50X is ideal if:

Instant coin-to-coin trades — You can swap any listed cryptocurrency directly for any other in a single transaction using its unique Any-to-Any trading core, without extra conversion steps.
Passive income through native tokens — Holding STE or A2A tokens entitles you to profit-sharing or dividend-style earnings from the platform’s performance.
Advanced trader tools with liquidity boost — The platform offers professional-grade interfaces, customizable layouts, and aggregates liquidity from major exchanges to enhance execution and depth.

Independent Reserve isn’t ideal if:

Limited asset variety – Not suited if you're seeking a wide selection of altcoins beyond major names.
Minimal advanced features – Falls short for traders wanting margin, derivatives, or deeply customizable tools.
Support and access constraints – Less ideal if you need in-person/mobile support or broader fiat currency acceptance.

50X isn’t ideal if:

Liquidity limitations — Lower trading volumes can result in occasional liquidity tightness, which may affect large or rapid trades.
No fiat access or KYC — You won't be able to fund your account with traditional currencies or use fiat deposits and withdrawals in the usual way.
Offshore registration — Its incorporation in an offshore jurisdiction may offer less regulatory protection and oversight compared to more regulated platforms.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Independent Reserve charges a flat spot trading fee that starts around 0.50 % and drops incrementally based on 30-day trading volume tiers, reaching as low as approximately 0.02 % for top-tier, high-volume traders—note, they don’t offer fee discounts via a native token.

50 X charges the same flat 0.20 % fee for both maker and taker spot trades; holding and paying with the internal A2A token for applicable pairs (like A2A/BTC or A2A/ETH) cuts that fee in half.

Futures/Derivatives

Independent Reserve does not support futures or derivatives trading, so there are no associated maker/taker or funding charges to consider.

For futures contracts on 50 X, both maker and taker fees are effectively zero, but as with most platforms, funding fees apply periodically to align futures prices with spot.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Independent Reserve uses a transparent order-book model with no hidden spreads, meaning you generally transact at prevailing market prices rather than paying inflated spread margins—though tighter liquidity may result in wider real-time spreads.

The platform’s “Any-to-Any” matching and relatively low volume can widen average spreads on major pairs compared to high-liquidity competitors.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

methods, fees, timing

There are no direct fiat deposit or withdrawal options—though you can buy USDT via a third-party gateway using cards or Advcash, but the fees vary significantly and are set by the provider.

On-chain Withdrawals

fixed vs dynamic fees

50 X applies fixed withdrawal fees per crypto and network—e.g. modest flat fees for BTC, ETH, XRP—rather than dynamic per-network pricing.

Hidden Costs

Beyond obvious fees, there are minor indirect costs like slight FX mark-ups during multi-currency conversions, potential inactivity charges or expedited KYC processing fees, and banking or intermediary charges on certain cross-border transfers—not usually disclosed upfront but worth keeping in mind.

You won’t face inactivity or KYC express charges, but currency conversion and payment-gateway fees (when buying via card) can be steep and are charged externally.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

If you purchased €500 worth of BTC, your spot trade fee might fall in the mid-tier (say around 0.3–0.4 %), the on-chain withdrawal would include a flat network fee (e.g., 0.0003 BTC), and you’d also experience FX conversion cost if converting from EUR—so total costs would be the sum of that trade fee, network fee, and FX spread.

If you spent €500 to acquire BTC, you’d pay the platform’s spot fee (≈0.20 %), absorb the BTC/fiat spread from the gateway, and then pay the fixed network fee to withdraw on-chain.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Independent Reserve supports around 32 unique cryptocurrencies and over 100 trading pairs, combining major coins with regional fiat pairs—volume data suggests the top 20 pairs are heavily skewed toward premier markets like BTC/USD, ETH/AUD, and XBT/SGD.

50 X offers around 24 cryptocurrencies and roughly 105 trading pairs in total; their top 20 pairs by volume typically include BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, LTC/USDT, TRX/ETH, LINK/USDT, XRP/USDC, and other active altcoin-to-cryptocurrency combinations.

Product Range

The platform offers spot trading, basic leveraged/margin trading (up to 5× on select AUD pairs), DCA via AutoTrader, staking/earning opportunities, OTC execution for large-volume traders, and automated strategies—but no perpetuals, options, ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or lending markets.

The platform focuses on spot trading and spot-margin (leveraged crypto-to-crypto), and also offers perpetual futures via A2A liquidity, token-based passive income (through dividends and managed accounts), but doesn’t provide options, crypto ETFs, savings staking, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA tools.

Liquidity

The platform sees daily trading volumes in the low hundreds of millions USD range, and order-book depth is strongest for BTC and ETH pairs against AUD, USD, SGD andNZD—sufficient for mid-sized trades but not matching institutional venues.

Trading volume on 50 X remains modest—24-hour volume is under $100k—so book depth on BTC/ETH pairs is relatively shallow, leading to potential slippage or less depth during larger trades.

Tools

Independent Reserve supports market, limit, stop-buy, stop-sell orders (including OCO style flows), in-app price alerts, a polished web/mobile interface with basic charting tools, robust JSON/WebSocket (Airbridge™) API access, and even native TradingView integration for more advanced chart-based analysis.

You’ll find essential order types like limit, market, stop-loss, and trailing stops with charting tools integrated into the interface; there’s support for API and WebSocket access, but there’s no fully integrated TradingView experience or alerting system built in.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

While spot trading and OTC are broadly available, leveraged/margin access, certain fiat currency features, or institutional services may be restricted in regions such as the US and China, depending on licensing and local policy.

Derivatives and margin are generally accessible globally, but some countries with strict crypto regulations may not have full access; the platform doesn’t explicitly list those banned regions.

Innovation

Independent Reserve powers automated investing with AutoTrader (DCA and strategy templates) and provides flexible staking and institutional-grade OTC offerings, although it doesn’t operate token launchpads or “locked vs flexible earn” products.

50 X brings innovation in its Any-to-Any core and dividend token model allowing passive income through profit-sharing or token loans, but it does not currently support launchpad/pool projects or offer separate flexible vs locked earning products.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Independent Reserve is operated by Independent Reserve Pty Ltd, founded in 2013, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with a significant operational presence in Singapore as well.

Operated by Smart Token Exchange LTD, established in 2017 and headquartered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, this offshore structure allows for privacy but offers limited regulatory oversight.

Licenses/Registration

The exchange holds a Digital Payment Token Services license from the MAS in Singapore and is registered with ASIC in Australia as a compliant crypto operator.

The platform does not hold formal regulatory licenses such as VASP or MiCA/UE; it functions under the jurisdiction of its offshore registry without public regulatory accreditation.

Custody

Crypto assets are held entirely in-house, segregated by customer, with the vast majority stored in geo-distributed, multi-signature cold vaults; the company maintains full reserves and undergoes regular external audits and penetration testing.

Assets are custodial on the platform, though it claims 98 % of funds are kept in cold storage and a small share is hot for liquidity; there’s no publicly available proof-of-reserves or third-party audit confirmation.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Since 2019, Independent Reserve maintains insurer-backed protection for digital assets, providing an additional safety layer beyond technical security.

The exchange mentions insurance coverage and security provisions, but no clear details are provided on the scope, provider, or coverage limits of such protection.

Incident History

Independent Reserve boasts a clean security record—no hacks, breaches, or custodial compromises reported since inception—strengthening its reputation for reliability.

There are no publicly known major security breaches or regulatory penalties, though occasional user reports mention withdrawal delays and some technical hiccups in trading operations.

Risk Controls

Account security is robust, featuring ISO 27001-level controls, enforced 2FA, withdrawal address whitelists, multi-layer admin approvals, anti-phishing measures, tiered admin access, and granular API permissions.

Security features include enforced two-factor authentication (3-factor via Google Auth), customizable withdrawal delays, address whitelisting, and emergency master keys; granular API permissions and anti-phishing tools are not explicitly detailed.

Transparency

The exchange publicly affirms its adherence to best practices via routine audits and security testing, though it does not offer public cold wallet addresses or an SLA; it also generates audit-friendly reporting for institutional and tax purposes.

The platform does not publish regular transparency reports, public wallet addresses, or formal service-level agreements—transparency remains limited to user-facing guides and token dividend mechanisms.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Users can fund accounts via bank transfers (EFT in Australia, SWIFT internationally), instant deposits like PayID/Osko (AUD) or PayNow/FAST (SGD), credit/debit cards, and PayPal; minimums and limits vary by region (e.g. deposits under AUD 100 incur a small fee, over AUD 100 are free, while SGD deposits over S$1,000 via FAST are free) and processing times range from instant (for PayID/FAST) to 1–3 business days for EFT/SWIFT.

No direct fiat transfers, bank cards, or e-wallets are supported for deposit; only crypto deposits are accepted, and the timing depends on blockchain confirmation speeds.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

No direct fiat transfers, bank cards, or e-wallets are supported for deposit; only crypto deposits are accepted, and the timing depends on blockchain confirmation speeds.

KYC (Verification Levels)

The exchange enforces tiered KYC with increasing verification—basic identity, then proof of source of funds/wealth—to lift deposit and withdrawal caps; exact thresholds depend on jurisdiction, and higher tiers allow larger transactions and feature access.

No KYC is required—there’s no basic or advanced verification, allowing full functionality without identity disclosure.

Withdrawals

limits, timing, networks

Cryptocurrency withdrawals are allowed across supported networks like ERC-20, but fiat withdrawals aren’t supported; processing time depends on network congestion, with dynamic fees reflecting real-time blockchain conditions.

Customer Support

Independent Reserve offers a robust knowledge base and FAQ section, support tickets via secure portal, plus 24/7 email support; premium or OTC clients may access phone support. Live chat is not available, but response times are generally prompt, and the site includes rich how-to content.

Support is available via email and Telegram chat, with varied response times—community-created guides serve as informal knowledge resources since no official 24/7 live support is guaranteed.

Languages & Localization

The platform is primarily available in English, with pricing shown in USD, AUD, SGD, or NZD depending on your region. Local regulatory details are clearly presented for supported jurisdictions, though some regions may lack localized language support beyond English.

The interface is available in English and other languages, displays amounts in common fiat like USD/EUR via third-party gateways, but lacks localization or regulatory adaptations for specific jurisdictions.

App Quality & Stability

The mobile app (iOS & Android) is stable and receives regular updates, supports instant deposits/withdrawals, 2FA, alerts, and DCA features; while formal crash-rate stats aren’t published, user feedback indicates a polished and reliable experience.

There’s no dedicated mobile app—users rely entirely on the web interface, which shows regular updates on the site and supports stable performance without known crash issues.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Independent Reserve offers a clean, intuitive interface with light and dark app themes; there’s no separate Lite or Pro mode, but its streamlined dashboard strikes a balance between ease for newcomers and functional clarity for more experienced users.

The interface presents a learning curve due to its rich functionality and customization options, including color theming and layout flexibility, but doesn’t explicitly offer separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes; instead, it adapts dynamically for both beginner and advanced users, though novices may feel slightly overwhelmed at first.

Performance

The platform is generally stable with fast execution even during busy periods, and while occasional slowing may occur during extreme volatility, its infrastructure and streamlined interface help minimize delays—KYC processing can slow down temporarily during bull-market surges.

The platform performs quickly due to its single-page application design and responsive internal core, although lower liquidity may lead to slowed fills or slippage during high volatility; since there’s no KYC, there’s no issue with verification queues.

Education

Independent Reserve maintains a well-organized knowledge base and blog filled with how-tos and educational guides, though there’s no interactive demo or simulator, and content in Spanish is limited or unavailable.

There’s no formal academy or demo environment; educational content comes via guides and third-party reviews, primarily available in English—Spanish-language resources are limited or largely community-generated rather than official.

Community

The exchange has an active presence across social platforms like Reddit and X, hosts an adviser-focused program, and offers a referral panel in its dashboard—but it does not operate official Discord or Telegram groups or copy-trading programs.

An active Telegram channel serves as the main community hub, and their multilevel referral program offers generous commission-sharing incentives—no official forums or Discord are indicated.

Integrations

Independent Reserve integrates native TradingView charts, offers APIs for external bots, and provides built-in tax tools (such as CSV exports and a KPMG-based tax calculator), supporting seamless accounting and trading automation.

Charts use TradingView’s charting library, and the platform supports API access for external trading bots; however, it lacks built-in tax compliance or portfolio/accounting integrations.

Who Each One Is Best For

The platform suits beginners who value clarity and security, and mid-level users looking for solid infrastructure and automated tools like AutoTrader; it’s less ideal for those seeking vast altcoin catalogs or full pro-level trading modes.

It’s best suited for proactive crypto traders who value fast, flexible coin-to-coin swaps and deep interface customization; casual users or those needing built-in demo tools, fiat support, or simplified dashboards may find it less immediately accessible.