As cryptocurrency analysts and researchers are guessing when the “real” bull run of 2024 starts, it is crucial for investors to see it locked and loaded. During periods of extreme volatility, increased traffic and rocketing market activity, the problem of choosing a proper exchange is a paramount issue, regardless of background, skills and deposit size of a given user.

ChangeNOW, a veteran global cryptocurrency exchange, ensures a premium swapping experience for various categories of users. In this longread, we are going to review its core features and study the essential elements of its ecosystem.

High-performance no-KYC exchange with 1,000+ cryptos and super-fast transactions: ChangeNOW at a glance

Launched in 2017 by a heavy-hitting team of crypto professionals, ChangeNOW evolved into one of the most popular crypto exchange solutions on the market.

• ChangeNOW is a multi-platform cryptocurrency exchange for Bitcoin (BTC), altcoins, stablecoins, and other crypto asset classes.
• ChangeNOW supports the conversion of 1,000+ cryptocurrencies, or over one million exchange pairs.
• Despite being a non-KYC exchange by default, ChangeNOW offers a feature-rich crypto-to-fiat on- and off-ramp compatible with Mastercard and Visa cards, Revolut, Apple Pay and so on.
• ChangeNOW is one of the fastest platforms, with the majority of transactions being finalized in less than two minutes.
• ChangeNOW (NOW) token is a building block of the platform’s utility and economics.
• For users seeking a more sophisticated experience, the exchange offers ChangeNOW Pro, a feature-rich version with enhanced functionality.

ChangeNOW is part of the broader ecosystem of Web3 products that includes RPC node service, a custody solution, a payment system and so on.

What is a crypto exchange?

Crypto exchange is a software service designed to facilitate the exchange of various cryptocurrencies between each other. Simply put, it is a platform where internet users can buy, sell, store and transfer digital currencies, exchange them amongst each other or to fiat currencies from cards, bank accounts and so on.

A cryptocurrency exchange also works like a cryptocurrency wallet in many aspects; holders use them to receive payments in crypto, to authorize purchases in digital assets, etc.

Crypto exchanges represent an inevitable part of global cryptocurrency systems: the first platforms of this type kicked off in the early 2010s, soon after the invention of blockchain.

Crypto exchange types: CEXes and DEXes

While modern cryptocurrency exchanges can be characterized and classified in a plethora of ways, centralized and decentralized exchanges remain the largest group of services in this class.

Centralized exchanges, or CEXes

On centralized exchanges, the entity behind the service is responsible for private key management. A user does not have to save their private key to access the wallet on a centralized service.

Decentralized exchanges, or DEXes

By contrast, on decentralized exchanges, or DEXes, a user is the only one who is in control of their private keys from their account. If the private keys are lost, no one is able to recover access to the crypto held there.

Both categories have their own pros and cons: while centralized exchanges are more convenient and newbie-friendly, they might be exposed to hacks and manipulations. Also, they can freeze the assets of users by request of law enforcement.

Decentralized exchanges are censorship-resistant but have sophisticated UX/UI designs, low liquidity, a limited number of trading pairs and are too slow and fee-inefficient for periods of increased volatility.

Five things to look at while choosing crypto exchange for bull run

While there are thousands of cryptocurrency exchanges available on the market, these simple tips can save you time choosing the most suitable one for you:

1. Transaction speed: When the markets are rocketing, the speed of transactions and order execution is of paramount importance; every second of delay might cost thousands of dollars.
2. Fees policy: High fees might be irritating on both CEXes and DEXes, in particular when your strategy involves high-frequency trading with bots.
3. Reputation: Users should check out the track of this or that exchange, its history and the background of his founders and managers.
4. Number of cryptos listed: The more cryptos are listed on a given exchange, the better, as there is no need to switch between platforms seeking the interesting coin to swap  it.
5. Extra services: Top-tier modern cryptocurrency exchanges offer staking, earning, yield farming, saving opportunities, copy trading dashboards and education modules.

That being said, choosing a cryptocurrency exchange for the upcoming bull run takes basic expertise in crypto and time to research the interfaces, policies, reputation and toolkits of exchanges.

Introducing ChangeNOW, crypto exchange with high-speed transactions

ChangeNOW is a one-stop crypto exchange platform designed for fast transactions and conversions between 1,000+ cryptocurrencies.

ChangeNOW: Basics

Introduced in 2017 amid the first massive cryptocurrency bull run, ChangeNOW is a cryptocurrency exchange focused on bringing the best possible swapping experience to various generations of crypto users.

ChangeNOW merges the benefits of custodial and noncustodial exchanges, offering access to over one million pairs on spot with 1,000+ cryptocurrencies: from crypto behemoths to early-stage altcoins, including memecoins, DeFi coins, LST coins, AI coins and so on.

ChangeNOW works with different blockchains from mainstream (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum or BNB Smart Chain) to exotic (like Manta and Base). It also features a secure and fast on- and off-ramp to fiat currencies.

ChangeNOW works with no upper exchange and withdrawal limits, while the majority of its transactions are finalized in less than two minutes. Besides a clear and newcomer-friendly web interface, it released software for iOS- and Android-based smartphones.

ChangeNOW is a part of the large Web3 NOW ecosystem that includes a node management platform, payments processor and crypto custodian for B2B clients.

ChangeNOW: Opportunities

Primarily, ChangeNOW is a convenient modern instrument for crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat exchanges. Over seven years of operations, it listed all major cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Monero (XMR), Cardano (ADA), XRP and so on.

However, its listing policy remains flexible: it added a number of trending L2 blockchains like Manta and Base, a couple of red-hot meme coins like DOGE, SHIB and PEPE, as well as the most popular LST and AI altcoins.

Besides that, ChangeNOW offers one of the widest toolkits for crypto-to-fiat purchasing, as it partnered with key on- and off-ramp services like Guardarian, Simplex, and Transak. In total, ChangeNOW processes payments in 60+ of the largest fiat currencies for various regions of the world.

The ChangeNOW team is proud of its super-fast exchange execution system: most operations are finalized in two minutes, with an average exchange time of five minutes. Exchange amounts start with $2 in equivalent only.

The function of a permanent address unlocks the opportunity for even more streamlined crypto exchange thanks to automated money flow and easy wallet management.

ChangeNOW: Community and reputation

The ChangeNOW team is focused on a premium exchange experience for every client. Its responsive customer support unit accomplished a 99% user error resolution milestone.

For maximum safety and accessibility, ChangeNOW added a feature that allows transactions to be completed even if the user selects the wrong network, coin, or amount. As a result, even newcomers are protected from errors and losing funds.

ChangeNOW scored a stellar reputation on independent review platforms like TrustPilot. Its achievements are recognized by dozens of global blockchain media outlets in various languages.

Besides that, ChangeNOW pioneered an instrument for blocking suspicious transactions with its advanced anti-money laundering system.

As covered by U.Today previously, it managed to recover over $19 million in fraud transactions, and counting, all thanks to its proprietary AML scoring tool tracking every listed cryptocurrency  coin.

ChangeNOW: Killing features and NOW token

ChangeNOW implemented a number of unique features that make the service look outstanding compared to its closest competitors. For instance, there is no need to pass mandatory registration or KYC checks.

On the platform, verification is only required once the security system detects suspicious activity or hack attempts. Also, despite keeping all the benefits of a centralized exchange (clear interface, fast operations, deep liquidity), the platform never holds users' funds, only adding a layer of security to crypto and fiat assets involved in exchanges.

In order to build transparent service economics in the long run, the exchange introduced NOW, ChangeNOW’s internal utility cryptocurrency token. As a multi-chain asset, NOW exists on trending EVM-compatible networks Ethereum (ETH) and BNB Smart Chain.

The issue of NOW Token on more chains, like Polygon and TRON, is expected soon, according to the official website.

Users are able to stake NOW with an amazing 6.25% APY; thanks to the burning schedule, NOW remains a verifiably scarce asset equipped with real utility and strong tokenomic fundamentals.

Besides the benefits of NOW staking, users can optimize their profits on ChangeNOW by joining its affiliate and referral programs with generous rewards.

ChangeNOW: 360° ecosystem of Web3 products 

ChangeNOW is an integral element of the large ecosystem of Web3 products for the digital economy. Some of the products in this ecosystem include:

NOWCustody solution is designed to connect B2B clients with gateways to operations with crypto via API tooling: every e-commerce PoS platform becomes able to manage and convert cryptocurrency.

NOWPayments allows Web3 teams to accelerate the adoption of their coins by integrating them as payment tools, donation methods and so on. Also, a wide range of businesses can accept crypto as payment method thanks to NOWPayments’ tools integrated.

One more product is NOWNodes that provides secure and high-performance RPC node services for dApp developers to remove the need for them to run their own full nodes.

Bonus: What makes ChangeNOW Pro special for its one million users?

ChangeNOW Pro is a version of the ChangeNOW platform equipped with extended functionalities, such as cashback for transactions, AML checks, unlimited cryptocurrency loans on the platform, private web pages for DeFi operations and so on.

Basic packages for ChangeNOW are free, while VIP tariffs start from as low as $15 per month.

Wrapping up: Why choose ChangeNOW on the eve of a crypto bull run?

ChangeNOW is a modern high-performance cryptocurrency exchange platform with fast transactions and transparent fees. It ensures lightning-fast exchange for 1,000+ cryptocurrencies and 60+ fiat currencies with no KYC and registration.

The exchange has its own core utility token, NOW, while other ChangeNOW ecosystem services address critical needs of modern crypto systems in the B2B and B2C segments.