Crypto.com
Summary
I’m not a fan of the Crypto.com app or Visa Card.
While it promotes that you can get “up to 5% cashback”, this is out of reach for most as you’d need to lock-up £300,000 worth of Cronos (CRO). However, you can still get 1% cashback if you’re willing to lock-up £300 worth of Cronos (CRO).
And while that’s alright, topping up the card is also quite expensive. You’ll be charged a 1% fee when using a debit/credit card to top-up, but topping it up with cryptocurrency works out even more expensive than that.
And while Crypto.com don’t charge any explicit fees when buying cryptocurrencies (except when using a debit/credit card), I have found that quoted prices are at least more than 1% higher than you’d find when buying cryptocurrencies on platforms like Kraken or Coinbase.
While it might have been worth getting before, I think there are better options on the market in 2023 – especially in the UK/EU.
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform that offers a lot.
It allows you to store, transfer, and exchange between 250+ cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin) and your local currency (e.g., GBP, EUR, USD, & 20 other fiat currencies).
With the Crypto.com Visa Card, you can also spend your cryptocurrency anywhere that Visa is normally accepted around the world (and get up to 5% back).
Is this the best bitcoin debit card in the UK, the EU, and the US? Check out this Crypto.com review to find out everything you need to know.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Quick verification (< 5mins).
- 24/7 customer support (which seems responsive).
- Available in 100 countries – including the UK, Europe, and United States.
- Buy and sell 250+ cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and many ERC-20 tokens).
- Crypto.com Visa Card has no monthly maintenance fee.
- Up to 5% cashback whenever you use your Crypto.com Visa Card.
- Rebates on Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime subscriptions available for some types of Crypto.com Visa Cards.
- Get up to 10% cashback when you purchase gift cards for popular brands with your cryptocurrency balance (30+ countries).
- Registered with the FCA in the UK as a cryptoasset business (August 2022).
Disadvantages
- 2-star Trustpilot rating (6000+ reviews).
- Topping up your Crypto.com Visa Card with cryptocurrency can work out quite expensive (poor exchange rate).
- You need to stake a lot of CRO to unlock the highest cashback rates (currently £300,000 worth of it to get 5%).
- Cashback rewards are capped for some types of Crypto.com Visa Cards.
- Rebates on Spotify and Netflix subscriptions limited to 6 months for some types of Crypto.com Visa Cards.
- Crypto Earn offers lower interest rates if you don’t lock-up your cryptocurrency deposit for 3 months.
What Is Crypto.com?
Crypto.com was founded in June 2016 by Kris Marszalek (CEO), Rafael Melo (CFO), Gary Or (CTO), and Bobby Bao (Head of Corporate Development). In June 2017, they raised $26.7 million from their Monaco (MCO) initial coin offering. They’re headquartered in Hong Kong and currently have a worldwide team of more than 4000 people.
Crypto.com was previously known as Monaco (MCO) – but rebranded in July 2018 after the (expensive) acquisition of the Crypto.com domain.
They announced in 2022 that more than 50 million users around the world, after hitting 10 million users just over a year before.
Crypto.com Products
Crypto.com is best known for its Visa Card, but they offer other products/services too.
- Crypto.com Visa Card: Convert your cryptocurrency and spend it anywhere that Visa is accepted.
- Crypto.com App: Buy and sell an ever-growing number of cryptocurrencies (250+). You can receive, store, and send cryptocurrency in this app too.
- Crypto Pay: Buy gift cards for many popular brands and top-up your phone with cryptocurrencies. This also allows you to pay any merchants that are using ‘Crypto Pay Checkout’ with Bitcoin (BTC) and other popular cryptocurrencies.
- Crypto Earn: Earn up to 12.5% interest on your cryptocurrency deposits.
- Crypto Credit: Deposit cryptocurrency and get credit (i.e., a loan) to spend using Crypto.com Visa Card.
- Crypto.com Exchange: Trade popular cryptocurrencies on your desktop with low trading fees (max 0.075%).
- Crypto.com DeFi Wallet: Store cryptocurrencies in a user-custodial wallet (i.e. you control the private keys). Can be connected with ‘DeFi Swap’, where you can swap between tokens and earn interest on your cryptocurrencies.
Crypto.com Visa Card
The Crypto.com Visa Card allows you to spend your cryptocurrency in-store and online. It’s accepted anywhere that Visa is normally accepted – which is more than 54 million outlets and ATMs around the world.
There are a range of different Crypto.com Visa Cards to choose between. To unlock the highest cashback, you’ll need to stake a decent amount of worth of Cronos (CRO) in the Crypto.com app.
| Card Tier | Cashback (No CRO Stake) | Cashback (CRO Stake) |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight Blue | 0% | 0% |
| Ruby Steel | 0% | 1% |
| Royal Indigo / Jade Green | 0% | 2% |
| Icy White / Frosted Rose Gold | 1% | 3% |
| Obsidian | 2% | 5% |
You’ll also get additional benefits when you stake more Cronos (CRO) and get a higher-tier card.
The Crypto.com Visa Cards that offer the highest cashback (5%) is unrealistic for most people. At the time of writing, you’ll have to lock-up £300,000 worth of Cronos (CRO) in the Crypto.com app to get the Obsidian Black version.
You read that right. £300,000. Worth of Cronos (CRO) – which is a coin that Crypto.com are in control of, that could drop in value.
However, the versions that require a lower CRO stake still provide you with competitive cashback on all your spending. If you’re happy to stake the equivalent of £300, then you’ll be able to get the Ruby Steel version – which provides 1% cashback and a temporary rebate on Spotify subscriptions (equivalent to $13.99 per month).
However, cashback rewards are capped if you have a Ruby Steel, Royal Indigo, or Jade Green version of this card.
| Card Type | Rewards Cap (USD) |
|---|---|
| Ruby Steel | $25 |
| Royal Indigo / Jade Green | $50 |
I confirmed with their support team that rebates on subscriptions for Spotify and Netflix aren’t included in this cap.
This means that the maximum amount you can get cashback on per month (in USD) is:
- Ruby Steel: $2500
- Royal Indigo / Jade Green: $5000
This is probably fine for most, but it’s something to keep in mind if you were thinking of using a Crypto.com Visa Card to make a large purchase that takes you over these momthly caps.
These are the CRO staking requirements in a few other currencies.
But if you don’t want to stake anything?
You can still order the Midnight Blue version, but you won’t get any cashback on your spending. I got the Ruby Steel Crypto.com Visa Card – which I thought was the most suitable for what I wanted to use it for (everyday spending).
After 6 months, you can withdraw the CRO that you staked. It’s not lost forever. But if you do stop staking it, you’ll get a lower cashback rate (or none at all) and lose access to some (or all) of your card benefits.
Who Can Get the Crypto.com Visa Card?
The Crypto.com Visa Card is currently being shipped in:
- United Kingdom
- Europe
- United States
- Canada
- Singapore
- Australia
To be notified when they’re shipping in your country, download the Crypto.com app and get registered. Then just go to the ‘Card’ section and register your interest.
Who is the card issuer for the Crypto.com Visa Card in the UK/EU?
Payrnet Limited is the card issuer of the Crypto.com Visa Card in the UK and EU. Crypto.com switched over to them from Wirecard Card Solutions Limited on the 18th November 2020.
From the 1st January 2021, Crypto.com Visa Cards for United Kingdom residents will be overseen by ForisGFS UK Limited.
Fees
You’ll have to pay a fee (currently £4.99) to get a Crypto.com Visa Card issued and delivered.
You will be quoted prices that are below the real exchange rate if you top-up your Crypto.com Visa Card with a cryptocurrency.
For instance, I was quoted an exchange rate that was about 2.2% lower than the real exchange rate when I recently topped up my Crypto.com Visa Card with Litecoin (LTC). This is a substantial difference.
I used to dodge this by topping up the Crypto.com Visa Card with a debit card. However, they’re now charging a 1% fee if you take that route.
None of this is good.
There are no domestic transaction fees. You’ll also get the interbank exchange rate if you buy something using your Crypto.com Visa Card in another currency. There’s a monthly limit on this, but there’s only a 0.5% fee if you go over it (which is competitive).
There’s no monthly management fee, but you will be charged £5.00, €5.00, or $4.95 if you don’t use your card at least once over a 12-month period.
And if you want to close your account in the future, you’ll be charged a hefty fee (£50 in the UK).
Limits
These are the main Crypto.com Visa Card limits that I picked out:
| Limit | GBP Card | EUR Card | USD Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Card Balance | £22,000 | €25,000 | $25,000 |
| Topup Limit (Daily) | £22,000 | €25,000 | $10,000 |
| Topup Limit (Monthly) | £22,000 | €25,000 | $25,000 |
| Topup Limit (Yearly) | £220,000 | €250,000 | - |
| ATM Withdrawal Limit (Daily) | £1,800 | €2,000 | $500* |
| ATM Withdrawal Limit (Monthly) | £9,000 | €10,000 | $5000* |
| ATM Withdrawal Limit (Yearly) | £66,000 | €75,000 | - |
| ATM Withdrawal Frequency (Daily) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| ATM Withdrawal Frequency (Monthly) | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| ATM Withdrawal Frequency (Yearly) | 360 | 360 | 360 |
Note: Entries marked with an asterisk shows limits for the Midnight Blue Crypto.com Card but have higher limits for other card types.
The FREE ATM withdrawal limit (monthly) is tied to what type of card you have. There’s a fee of 2% after your free limit.
These are the free ATM limits for each card type:
| Card Type | GBP Card | EUR Card | USD Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight Blue | £180 | €200 | $200 |
| Ruby Steel | £360 | €400 | $400 |
| Royal Indigo | £720 | €800 | $800 |
| Jade Green | £720 | €800 | $800 |
| Icy White | £720 | €800 | $1,000 |
| Rose Gold | £720 | €800 | $1,000 |
| Obsidian Black | £900 | €1,000 | $1,000 |
Crypto.com App
With the Crypto.com app, you can buy, sell, store, and transfer 250+ cryptocurrencies on Crypto.com. This includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and many ERC-20 tokens.
You can buy these cryptocurrencies with a local currency like GBP or EUR. However, you can also exchange between all these cryptocurrencies too. In either case, Crypto.com have been made it simple, easy, and quick to do.
Crypto.com advertises that you can buy Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies at “true cost” without paying any fees.
However, I’ve found that the prices you’re quoted are NOT the real exchange rate (i.e., similar to what you’d find on a cryptocurrency exchange like Kraken).
I’ve been quoted prices for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) which were more than 1% above the real exchange rate on multiple occasions. This wasn’t previously the case, but something seems to have changed behind the scenes. In any case, it makes it a less competitive place to buy and sell cryptocurrencies than it was before.
You can also use the Crypto.com app to track the performance of hundreds of cryptocurrencies. This allows you to look at previous price movements (in BTC or fiat currency) and also setup alerts.
Supported Cryptocurrencies
Crypto.com currently supports more than 250 cryptocurrencies via the Crypto.com app.
They’re adding more and more every month. For example, they added 6 new cryptocurrencies in August 2022.
You can find an up-to-date list of supported cryptocurrencies in this help article.
Supported Traditional (Fiat) Currencies
When I setup my Crypto.com account, I was able to choose between these payment currencies:
- United States Dollar (USD)
- British Pound (GBP)
- Euro (EUR)
- Singapore Dollar (SGD)
- Canadian Dollar (CAD)
- Australian Dollar (AUD)
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
- New Taiwan Dollar (TWD)
- Norwegian Krone (NOK)
- Swedish Krona (SEK)
- Danish Krone (DKK)
- Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Polish Zloty (PLN)
- South African Rand (ZAR)
- Kenyan Shilling (KES)
- Russian Ruble (RUB)
- Bulgarian Lev (BGN)
- Romanian Leu (RON)
- Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
- Saudi Riyal (SAR)
- United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
- Hungarian Forint (HUF)
- Czech Koruna (CZK)
- Brazilian Real (BRL)
- Turkish Lira (TRY)
However, I found that I was only able to deposit GBP and EUR into my Crypto.com account after I had verified my identity (as a UK resident).
Payment Methods
In the UK, Crypto.com supports the following payment methods:
- UK Bank Transfer
- Debit & Credit Card
US residents can deposit USD with a bank transfer via ACH network and EU residents can deposit EUR with a SEPA bank transfer.
UK bank transfers are executed via the Faster Payments Service (FPS), which means they’ll be processed quickly (typically within a few hours).
You can also withdraw GBP from Crypto.com with a UK bank transfer. When I tested this out, it wasn’t quick – it took a few days to be processed and land in my bank account.
Crypto Pay
When you get the Crypto.com app, you can also access ‘Crypto Pay’. This enables you to buy gift cards with selected cryptocurrencies for lots of popular brands in more than 30 countries. This includes the UK, EU, and the US.
You’ll get up to 10% cashback (paid in CRO) when you buy these gift cards with CRO. In the UK, this includes popular supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s. This is an awesome little benefit that slowly adds up.
You can also top-up a PAYG mobile phones with cryptocurrency – and get cashback on that too!
On top of this, you can use Crypto Pay to pay any merchant which is using Crypto Pay Checkout with more than 30 cryptocurrencies – which includes Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
Crypto Earn
Crypto Earn lets you put your money to work.
With this, you can earn interest depending on what cryptocurrency you’re investing in, how long you’re locking it up for, and how many CRO tokens you have staked.
Because I didn’t have enough CRO staked (< £3000 worth), I found that I was quoted lower interest rates inside the Crypto.com app. At the time of writing this, I was offered just 1% interest for depositing Bitcoin (BTC) and locking it up for 3 months..
Crypto Credit
With Crypto Credit, you can get instant loans by using your cryptocurrency holdings as collateral.
The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is 50%. This means that you’d get £500 credit if you deposit £1000 worth of Bitcoin (BTC) or one of the other supported cryptocurrencies.
You’ll be charged 12% APR if you don’t have at least £30,000 worth of CRO staked in the Crypto.com app. This drops to 8% APR if you are staking enough CRO.
This isn’t available in many countries yet, but you check through its app to see if you are eligible.
How do you receive your loan?
When you deposit the collateral, you can choose to receive the loan value in the following stablecoins:
- TrueUSD (TUSD)
- Pax Dollar (PAX)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Tether (USDT)
Why would you use Crypto Credit?
Using something like Crypto Credit allows you to get instant access to cash, without needing to sell your cryptocurrency. This means that you won’t miss out on any positive price movements.
But compared to the loans you can get from a traditional bank, 12% APR seems quite high. Why might someone take this deal?
They might simply just need the cash for something – but not want to cashout their cryptocurrency.
Alternatively, they might be bullish on the cryptocurrency they’re using as collateral. For example, if someone believed that Bitcoin (BTC) was going to rise in price more than 12% over the course of the year, then they’d come out ahead if they used this loan as leverage to buy more Bitcoin (BTC). However, this is a high-risk strategy which can compound losses.
Crypto.com Exchange
The beta version of the Crypto.com Exchange was launched in November 2019. If you’re already a Crypto.com app user, then you can sign up in just a few clicks.
This allows you to trade popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC).
Trading fees are currently competitive, but they have previously jumped around – so it’s a good idea to check the fee schedule if this is something you’re specifically signing up to use.
They’re currently a maximum of 0.075%, but you can get discounts if you lockup Cronos (CRO) and/or have a high trade volume.
There are sometimes competitions or sign-up bonuses that you can take advantage of, so make sure you pay attention to the promotions on their exchange homepage incase you’re able to take advantage.
Check how it compares to the competition in my roundup of the best cryptocurrency exchanges.
Soft Staking
With Crypto.com Exchange, you’ll also get a small amount of interest (up to 4%) on cryptocurrency balances in your exchange wallet.
There’s no lock-up period required to get this. Just enable the option in your settings and you’ll get rewarded interest on a daily basis. As long as you meet the minimum amounts, you’ll then get this bonus.
Find out more here.
Alternatives
There’s not an alternative that’s offering everything that Crypto.com is under one roof.
However, one alternative that’s worth mentioning is Wirex.
Here’s why:
- It fully supports 30+ countries, which includes the UK, Europe, and Singapore.
- Receive, store, and send popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC).
- Buy and sell supported cryptocurrencies quickly and easily without paying high fees.
- Your crypto-friendly currency account is connected to the Wirex Card, which rewards you with up to 8% cashback and can be used anywhere that Mastercard is accepted.
Check out my Wirex review to learn more.
Summary: Impressive Crypto Platform
It’s building a platform that provides you with access to more than just another crypto debit card. It’s becoming a one-stop-shop for all things cryptocurrency.
Here’s what I particularly liked about it:
- You can easily and quickly buy 250+ cryptocurrencies, which includes Bitcoin (BTC) and many popular coins.
- The Crypto.com Visa Card provides competitive cashback. If you stake about £300 in CRO, you can get 1% cashback.
- Get up to 10% cashback on gift cards for popular brands. This includes supermarkets, coffee shops, and fast food delivery in the UK.
Want to give it a shot?
Signup (and get verified) in less than 10 minutes.
Any Questions?
Thanks for reading this Crypto.com review!
Have a question about Crypto.com or the Crypto.com Visa Card that I haven’t covered?
Just comment below and let me know!
Hi Dean,
Thanks for the great review!
I’m looking for some clarity regarding the costs involved when topping up the card.
As far as I can see there’s a hefty cost involved for topping up the crypto.com card. I tried topping up my card from the crypto wallet (USDT –> EUR). I’m receiving 1.7% less than the actual exchange rate between USDT and EUR at that same moment.
Put differently, they charge a 1.7% fee for topping up you card.
Have you looked into this?
Thanks
Glad you liked the review, Maarten!
Yes, I’ve written a small bit about this in the fees subsection in the Crypto.com Visa Card section. In short, you’ll be quoted exchanges rates that are lower than the real exchange rate if you top-up your card with a cryptocurrency. This doesn’t seem to be a fixed percentage lower – it varies all the time, and depending on the cryptocurrency.
You can dodge this by topping up your card directly with GBP or EUR (via a debit card), but this does defeat the point a little.
FYI: You will also be quoted exchange rates that are higher than the real exchange rate when buying cryptocurrencies using the Crypto.com App. You’ll be quoted a lower exchange rate when selling a cryptocurrency in the app too. Again, this varies depending on the cryptocurrency you’re looking at and when you check it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts.
Something I’m having a hard time finding info on is if all purchases are eligible for cashback. I’ve seen the word “most” sometimes but never any details. Do you know what their policy is?
For example… I’m thinking about buying a car with the card and would very much like to know if that will be a cash back situation. From your article, it looks like there would be a $25,000 limit. Your thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!
Thanks for commenting, Robbie!
You can find the list of purchases that are exempt from cashback in this help article. Based on this, you should get cashback if you buy a car using the Crypto.com Visa Card. However, I would 100% recommend confirming this with support in the Crypto.com app before making a big purchase.
The maximum amount you can spend in a day is tied to your card type. If you have US Midnight Blue card, it is $10,000 per day. Other versions of the card in the US have higher daily spending limits ($25,000 per day). These limits are different in other countries (which you can check by going to Settings > Fees & Limits in the Crypto.com app.
Hi – Good review.
However are you sure about loans and borrowing? I have just read an article that states that crypto-backed borrowing (loans) are not allowed for customers in the UK?
I have written to support to confirm, have you any thoughts?
Glad you liked it, Neil!
Thanks for pointing this out – you’re 100% correct. Crypto Credit isn’t currently available in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Malta, Singapore, or Switzerland. Few more details here.
I’ve made a small update to the review so that’s more clear for others!
Dean
You confirmed my interest and almost passion for the crypto.com project.
However, I still do not understand how the staking is handled. Is this amount isolated from the fluctuation (ups or downs)? Or do I still have the benefit from the floating prices + all the perks?
What is their main benefit of staking?
Thank you
Thanks for commenting, Sandy!
When you stake CRO in the Crypto.com app, you lock it up for a period of 180 days. During that lock-up period, the value of the CRO that you’ve locked up can go up and down (so you will feel the benefit or the downside of the price changes).
The main benefits of staking are:
Hope this is useful for you!
I am based in the UK
I can see info on here about top up limits / withdrawl limits but what are the spending limits on the different cards. I have just ordered the ruby card and hoping to pay for some home renovations e.g. new kitchen / bathroom so could potentially need to spend >£6,000 instore on one day. Would that sort of transaction be allowed?
Thanks for commenting, TK!
The app is telling me that the point-of-sale (POS) purchase limit is currently £22,000 per day, £22,000 per month, and £220,000 per year. This applies to all card tiers.
You can check this yourself by going to Settings (gear icon) > Fees & Limits in the app. If you want to double-check, you can drop them a quick message via live chat in the app before your card arrives.
Hope this helps!
I am using the app and have no problems with it. However, regarding cashback, there are a number of vendors where you don’t get CRO rewards (eg utilities software purchases), so that is something to keep in mind.
You mention BlockFi for better returns for Bitcoin, but how do they compare to Celsius and Nexo? What other vendors are coming down the line that will compete with Crypto.com in terms of perks?
Thanks for pointing that out, GD! It looks like there are a few other categories excluded from CRO cashback too (see here).
You’ll currently get better interest rates by lending BTC on Celsius or Nexo. I’ve made a small update to the post to mention this, as BlockFi’s rates have continued to get worse since I first wrote this review.
One alternative to the Crypto.com Visa Card that I’d like to get a hands-on look at is the BlockFi Credit Card. It’s only available in the US right now, but it gives you 1.5% cashback (in BTC) and has no annual or foreign transaction fees. If you want to know more about this, check out my BlockFi Credit Card review.
How can I transfer money from my Crypto visa card to my bank account?
Thanks for commenting, Attila!
Once you’ve loaded cash onto your Crypto.com Visa Card, you cannot send it back to your bank account.
However, you can withdraw cash from your Crypto.com Visa Card at an ATM. If you have a midnight blue card, then you can withdraw £180 / €200 / $200 per month without incurring any fees. Thereafter, you’ll pay 2% in fees. The other cards have higher limits (go back to the Fees section of this review for more details).
Alternatively, reach out to their support team via the live chat in the mobile app.
When I top up GBP to my CDC visa card the crypto conversion rate is always around 2.5-2.8 % BELOW the normal exchange rate (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Bitfinex etc). Is there any way around this? I can imagine this is their hidden cost to cover their 2% cashback rewards.
Doesn’t matter if I sell LTC, XRP etc. directly or sell my crypto to TGBP, I always get around 2.5% BELOW the exchange rates 🙁 I guess this is why they do not show the exchange rate at the time of selling.
Cannot find anywhere to buy TGBP and other exchanges.
Thanks for sharing this, Richard!
I’ve just checked this and found that I was quoted prices that were:
These exchange rates are worse than what I’m getting quoted when buying cryptocurrencies with fiat currency.
This is disappointing. When I first started using the Crypto.com app, the exchange rates they quoted were extremely close to the prices on cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase Pro or Binance.
You can dodge this problem by topping up your Crypto.com Visa Card with your fiat wallet balance (by depositing with a bank transfer) or directly with a debit card. Even though this defeats the point of a crypto debit card, you will still get decent cashback on your spending.
Is a debit card top-up to top up the visa card for spending free of the credit card charge?
If you use a debit card (in your account currency) to top-up your Crypto.com Visa Card, you shouldn’t incur extra fees.
For example, using a GBP Visa debit card to top-up my GBP Crypto.com Visa Card wouldn’t cost me anything.
Hey Dean,
Great review and thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I am quite new to Crypto.com, just one month only, and so far I really like the way it works.
I just have a quick question… Is it possible to move my Crypto.com Coin to my Crypto.com Visa Card to top up my balance when using my Crypto Card to make payments?
Thank you so much
Glad you’ve found the review useful, Alex!
You can’t currently add money to your Crypto.com Visa Card with the Crypto.com Coin (CRO). Considering it’s their own token, this does seem a little strange!
Just to quickly summarise, you can top-up the Crypto.com Visa Card with:
Hey dean I loved your post and found it very informative. I have been having issues selling some of my coins to my fiat wallet.. giving me error messages. Would you know why this is?
Glad you like it, Austin!
What was the specific error you got? I’m not having any issues on my side and no documented problems on its site either.
If I had to guess, it might have just been a lot of people trying to put through orders at the same time – as the market has been moving in the last 24 hours.
Hi, sorry to butt in but can I just double check something?
If I have a cryptocurrency on Crypto.com and don’t have a bank transfer set up to transfer funds to a UK bank, do I need to sell the crypto on the app to TGBP and then the TGBP is available to withdraw from an ATM if I have the Crypto.com Card? Or do I need to incur more fees swapping TGBP to fiat (£)? (Sorry newbie here)
Thanks for commenting, Danny!
If you were looking to get GBP into your hands via an ATM withdrawal, then you’d have to top-up your Crypto.com Visa Card with one of the supported coins (see here for a list). If you’re holding other cryptocurrencies besides these, then you’d need to convert them first before you could top-up your card using them.
FYI: You’re not charged explicit fees when trading cryptocurrencies using the Crypto.com App, but you will be quoted exchanges rates that don’t match up with the real exchange rate (i.e., the going rate for that cryptocurrency on popular exchanges). This varies all the time, but could be between 1-3%. The same thing applies when you top-up your card using cryptocurrencies using the Crypto.com App. Not a great deal.
Each card type has a different free ATM withdrawal limit (from £180 to £900 per month). After this, you’ll pay an extra fee (2%). You can check out the limits and fees yourself in the app (Home Tab > Gear Icon > Fees & Limits), but it’s also shown on this page. There’s also an ATM withdrawal limit of £1800 per day, £9000 per month, or £66000 per year.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I want to upgrade my card. Only my Ruby shows up. How can I do it?
Thanks for the question, Edwin!
Check out this short guide. In short, you want to find your Crypto.com Coin (CRO) wallet in the ‘Accounts’ tab and then increase your CRO stake by selecting ‘Upgrade’. Once you increase your CRO stake, you should receive a prompt to have your card re-issued.
Few things to know about upgrading:
Why can’t I withdraw money at the cash register at Lidl, Rewe or Aldi with the Ruby card, have tried twice and couldn’t withdraw money, could only use it to pay for my purchase? As far as I know, you should be able to withdraw up to € 200 in shops. It would be nice to know what it could be, thanks for a possible solution.
Thanks for commenting, Armin!
If you have the Ruby Red version, you should be able to withdraw up to €400 per month for free. You might just want to check that the ATM supports Visa cards (which is what the Crypto.com Crypto Card is)? If it has the Visa / Visa Plus logo and you’re still having problems, then your best bet is to reach out to their support team via the app.
I can’t get into my account and I’m getting mad
Thanks for commenting, Marcus!
It seems like they’re having trouble coping with the number of people using the Crypto.com app at the same time! See here.
It’s still a little slow for me, but at least it’s working!
Crypto.com has a lot of potential but its customer service is awful and getting money into the fiat account is just too difficult for it to be taken seriously.
I attempted to send funds vía bank wires but on both occasions they got bounced and customer service has no training or knowledge to solve these kinds of issues. I tried setting up an ACH account link and again it was not possible as that only the trial deposits showed up in my fiat account, not the withdrawal, so I could not finish the ACH link. Again customer service was too incompetent to solve this issue. Cryptocurrency has come a long way, but I still can’t find a serious wallet and exchange that can really be reliable enough to trust for serious investment.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Haim!
I’ve not had any issues sending or withdrawing GBP/EUR. I’ve also had decent responses to questions I’ve sent over live chat within about a day – which is a lot better than other places I’ve explored.
Re the TrustPilot reviews, if you read them, you can see that many 1 star ratings are false comments, intended to bring the average down.
I am kind of new to crypto.com. Absolutely love my Indigo card. For a crypto exchange, the customer service is outstanding, in that they actually respond and try to help you.
Thanks for commenting, Roarker!
I’ve found the same type of spam on Trustpilot when checking out other places too (e.g., Binance Review). Especially in popular places, it does present a distorted picture.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I sent some (simple) questions via live chat and was pleased to receive a reply in about a day!
Hi Dean,
Firstly, thanks for a great review – certainly unbiased, but put me more at ease with this card. I do have a few questions, that I can’t seem to find answers to:
sorry its a long list, but “all that glitters isn’t gold” and it sounds too good to be true…
Thanks for commenting, Mark!
To answer your questions:
No worries at all, Mark! Hope that clears up your questions.
What I don’t understand about this app is why I cannot use my balance on my crypto Visa card to simply buy crypto such as BTC on the app. I have to withdraw the cash, top up my bank account and use my card (with a 2.99% fee). It’s a lot of headache to just buy crypto especially when it the complete opposite of topping up the card with crypto.
I just transfer my crypto to Coinbase and it’s so easy to convert to other types of currencies, not to mention withdrawals to my bank account and my PayPal are instant and simple. Don’t even know why I started to use this app, it’s crap. Mainly to try trade with other types of crypto such as Vthor but it’s beginning to become a pain in the neck
Thanks for commenting, Danny!
This is correct – you can’t transfer money back into your fiat wallet once it has been used to top-up the Crypto.com Visa Card. I avoid this problem by only topping up my card with what’s necessary to cover the purchases I want to make.
FYI, Crypto.com have re-added GBP wallets and you can deposit/withdraw with a UK bank transfer (via Faster Payments) again. Although I have found that they’re quoting prices that are higher than the real exchange rate, at least you won’t need to pay 2.99% to deposit GBP with a credit or debit card!
Also, cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance provide access to smaller/newer cryptocurrencies at the real exchange rate (i.e., no hidden costs) and charge lower fees. This doesn’t seem to be the case with the Crypto.com app at the moment. (Check out my list of the best cryptocurrency exchanges in the UK to see my favourites).
I’ve had a Blue card that I’ve upgraded to Ruby not long ago. Does the balance I’ve had on my Blue card gets transferred automatically?
Hey Dario!
When you upgrade your card, the previous one will be closed down and you’ll get a new card number/details (see here).
I’m not positive where the leftover balance will go though – I would think it’d get migrated to your Crypto.com app balance or transferred to the new card when it’s issued. I’ll see if I can find out more about that.
Hello! I want to know that does crypto.com cashback from 1% to 8% is only by using CRO or by any given cryptocurrencies in the Visa card?
Like Binance card is only giving cashback in BNB and not BTC … is it same here with crypto.com?
Thanks for commenting, Naeem!
Yes, Crypto.com Visa Card cashback is paid out in Crypto.com Coin (CRO). You can choose to convert that into Bitcoin (BTC) or any other cryptocurrency supported in the Crypto.com app though.
Well done for content!!!
I bought MANA for £ 2000 and there was no fee but when I sold MANA for USDT I was charged £ 100. A few hours later I bought another coin from the USDT wallet and again I was charged £ 100. the question is simple, why?
I am using crypto.com app
Thanks for pointing this out, Dragos!
I’m also finding that the prices I’m being quoted to buy Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies are above the real exchange rate.
Crypto.com did previously quote prices that matched the real exchange rate for those cryptocurrencies (i.e., true cost). I’ve no idea what’s changed behind the scenes, but I’ll look into it.
For more accurate exchange rates, check out Coinbase Pro and Binance. Both enable you to deposit GBP with a UK bank transfer for free and buy/sell cryptocurrencies without paying high fees.
You mention that UK transfer is not possible right now?
Can I still top it up using a UK card though?
I just cannot withdraw at this time right?
Thanks for commenting, Alex!
Yes, GBP deposits and withdrawals via UK bank transfer into the Crypto.com app are not available at this moment. I’ve been told that they’re expecting this back by the end of March 2021, but there could be delays.
You can still top-up your account using a debit or credit card, but you’ll pay a 2.99% fee if you’re from the UK (which is quite steep).
I have liked the crypto site but now I’m starting to wonder as I’ve not heard from anyone on the site with regards to my messages to them which is worrying as jy concern is lost coins and also my limit which has not increased. If this goes on much longer I will not be able to rate crypto good at all because at the end of the this is alot of my money that has been lost and still over 5 days later not even an aknowlegdement to my messages to them
Thanks for commenting, Sarah!
Sad to hear you’re having issues. With the recent movements of the market, I know the supports teams at Crypto.com and other exchanges/brokers are under increased pressure.
Have you tried sending them an email (to contact@crypto.com) or messaging them on social media? That might help accelerate their response.
I was told can pay cash onto the card at a UK Post office. Is this correct?
Hi Saimir,
Do you mean top it up with cash at a post office?
If so, you can’t do that. You can only top it up with another debit card or from the cryptocurrency balance in your Crypto.com app wallet (see here).
Hi,
Thanks for article. The card limit is 25000 EUR ? We can’t buy a Tesla with it ? 😅
Glad you liked it, Fournier!
Yep, the Crypto.com Visa Card limit is £22,000 / €25,000 / $25,000 – regardless of what type you get. In the UK/EU, that also seems like the maximum you can spend per month with it.
Sadly not enough for a Tesla – but it sounds like they’ll be accepting bitcoin as a payment method soon.
Very slow customer support team! Been two days and no single reply! Disappointing
Sad to hear that!
I’ve contacted them about a few things via the in-app chat and I’ve usually received a reply within a day.
If you haven’t already, submit the request via the app (go to the Crypto.com dashboard, click the cog, and then scroll down to ‘Contact Support’). Maybe that helps.
Hi Dean
I have sent many emails and complaints as I have transferred some money from my bank account to my Crypto.com fiat wallet since a week now and the money is not shown yet in my fiat wallet and so far no body replied
Thanks for commenting, Hasan.
Are you sending EUR via a SEPA bank transfer? If you did, that can take a while to be processed (3-5 days). It can also take longer if this is your first deposit. If you haven’t already, check out this help page.
Another thought is that your bank may have blocked the transfer.
Disappointing to hear they haven’t got back to you though. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. Increased signups are causing issues on multiple exchanges.
Hi Dean
I’m a resident of UAE United Arab Emirates. Can I link a UAE account to my Crypto.com app. And also will I be able to get any Crypto.com card issued to my country?
Thanks for commenting, Shaanu!
You should be able to get the Crypto.com app. The United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) is also listed as a supported fiat currency, but I’m not sure what payment methods will be available to you.
I don’t think the Crypto.com Visa Card is available in the UAE right now. The easiest way to check is to download the app, register, and then go to the ‘Card’ section. If it’s not available, you can enable notifications for when it does become available in your area.
Hi.I’m new in the Crypto.com app.How can I buy crypto using my Crypto.com card(blue)?Thank you.
Thanks for commenting, Gheorghe!
The Crypto.com app is where you’ll buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies (amongst other things, too).
However, you don’t buy cryptocurrencies using the Crypto.com Visa Card. While you can manage this card in the Crypto.com app, the card is loaded with fiat currencies like GBP and then used just like a normal debit card.
To buy cryptocurrencies, here’s what the process looks like:
Hope this helps!
Hello, Thanks for the review!
I have a question about my Crypto.com app. It doesn’t seem to have ‘Crypto Earn’ in the finance section. It only displays ‘Supercharger’. I applied for the Ruby Steel card and my card status says ‘Issued’. Do I need to have the card in order to stake other cryptos?
Thanks for commenting, Charles! Glad you liked the review 🙂
From what I understand, Crypto Earn is available to verified app users in most countries (see here). But if you’ve already ordered a card, you should be fully verified.
I’d start by making sure the Crypto.com app is up to date. Then try logging out and back into your account on the Crypto.com app. If you still don’t see it under that Finance section, then it might be linked to the Crypto.com Visa Card.
Anyway, can you let me know if the above works? If not, I’ll do some more digging around.
(BTW, check out my BlockFi review if you’re interested in earning interest on cryptocurrencies – at least for BTC, you’ll earn higher interest rates and have flexible access to your deposits).
Hi Dean,
Thank you for all the helpful info in your review. With no GBP support currently, would it be advisable to use the MCO card in the UK for retail purchases? Also is there any way to benefit from the promotions offered including Spotify refund and cashback in the UK currently?
Many thanks.
Ash
Hey Ash – glad you’ve found the review useful!
There’s no GBP support in the Crypto.com app, but you can still load GBP and EUR onto the Crypto.com Visa Card.
I’ve used it over the last few days and it’s 100% still working, too.
You can top-up your card by:
If you have a card and stake the right amount of CRO, I think you should get the rebates automatically.
Hi, I need help.
I can’t set up a Fiat wallet for GBP. Which means I can’t make a withdrawal. I can sell crypto but it turns it into CRO. What do I need to do to be able to transfer back to my bank?
I’m finding this very stressful. Crypto.com and I am not getting any replies from customer services
Hi Kevin,
GBP wallets have been temporarily disabled since December 2020 (see here). This means you can’t exchange cryptocurrencies for GBP or withdraw GBP.
If you don’t need the cash in your account ASAP, then you could convert into a stablecoin and just wait. You could also withdraw a cryptocurrency to a different platform (e.g. Binance, Coinbase Pro, etc.) that supports GBP withdrawals.
Alternatively, here’s another option:
Be aware that EUR withdrawals from Crypto.com can take some time (over a week). It’s not ideal, but it’s something.
Hope this helps a little – let me know if you have any follow-up questions.
Hi I want to sign up for a crypto.com visa card, I have banks and residency in both UK & USA, I was wondering which country is more beneficiary for me to get the card in (they ask for information at sign up).
My priority is low fees and other perks…
I have money in both my UK and US accounts so the ACH transfer is no problem, but government watch is. (taxes etc).
Hey Nina!
I would consider which country you’re spending more time in AND where you’d be buying the most goods/services with the Crypto.com Visa Card. This is because there is a free limit when you make transactions in another fiat currency, but this limit depends on the card tier you opt for.
Apart from that, US residents seem to have access to the same features/benefits as UK users.
Right now, Crypto.com have suspended GBP wallet support – and we can’t make deposits with a UK bank transfer either. I’m hoping this will be resolved soon, but there’s no official word on when it’ll be back.
Hope that helps a little!
Hi there, I wonder if you have a lower rate to top up your credit card with either available crypto? ie when the 1 LTC was worth $154USD and you can only top up $150USD onto your card. do you have the same experience?
Hi Toby,
I’ve not had any issue using cryptocurrency to load GBP onto my Crypto.com Visa Card.
According to the ‘Fees & Limits’ page, the limit for crypto-to-cards loading is £22,000 per day (max £220,000 per year). For US cards, the limit is a little different – $10,000 per day (max $25,000 per month).
Hi, great review.
I had a quick question. As we cant currently withdraw GBP from the app if I had the crypto.com debit card and money in my fiat wallet on the app would I be able to withdraw that money from an ATM?
Thanks, Aaron.
Cheers, Aaron!
The cards still seem to be working without issue. Because you can still have GBP on them, you should be able to withdraw cash with them too – but I haven’t tested this.
Depending on the card you have (or are getting), you’ll have a free ATM limit. For example, the Midnight Blue has a free ATM limit of £180 per month. After that, you’ll pay a 2% fee. You can find lots of information in the Crypto.com app by:
If you want another temporary place to get GBP back into your bank account, check out Binance. They now support GBP deposits and withdrawals and charge low fees (max 0.1%) when buying or selling cryptocurrency.
A nice and detailed review! Have you heard about Hodlnaut? We’re a Singapore-based interest-earning and crypto lending platform that offers up to 8.3% APY. I wonder what are your initial thoughts on the platform? 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Sten!
Looks interesting – I’ll check it out when I get a chance!
Hi, I’m new to crypto I researched and read that it’s fairly easy to buy and withdraw your crypto currency to and from your bank account or Paypal. I started investing beginning of January. Now on coin base and crypto . Com I have tried testing the withdraw methods, just incase an alt coin sky rockets there for return my original investment and carry on. However Coinbase will not let me add any card or account and crypto has taken away the UK GBP method from fiat wallet. As of now even if I wanted to I have no way of returning any of the money at all.
Further investigation led me to Brexit. As of the recently the UK has banned trading crypto to retail investors. “ a little more complicated” Yet it’s affected me?
How the hell do I get my money out ? I feel like many people are very unaware of this.
Thanks for commenting, Simon.
Have you verified your identity and address on Coinbase? It won’t allow you to do this until you have.
As for Crypto.com, it sucks that they’ve had to temporarily remove GBP wallets (and the ability to do UK bank transfers). But all is not lost.
Check out Binance. Once you’re verified, you can still deposit and withdraw GBP with a UK bank transfer. To withdraw GBP, there’s just a £1.50 fee.
Here’s the process I would follow:
Alternatively, you could sell the cryptocurrency you have on Crypto.com for EUR and withdraw that to a Revolut EUR account.
Revolut is another mobile app which allows you to cheaply exchange from EUR into GBP, which can then FINALLY be withdrawn to your normal bank account if you wish. However, EUR withdrawals will take longer (2-3 days) than a UK bank transfer.
Hope this helps a little – let me know if you need some more clarification!
Hi,
Please explain what problems you have with sending the ordered Visa cards? I ordered the card a month ago, the status does not change, what’s the problem?
Hi Valerij!
When the Crypto.com Visa Card was released in the UK, it took me a while to get mine delivered too.
Your best option is to contact their support team through the app or on their website.
On the app, here’s how you do this:
Sorry I can’t be more help, Valerij. But it’s worth the wait – especially if you’ve ordered one of the metal versions!
Hi Dean,
Thanks so much for the insightful reviews you have on your site. Having a real exchange value inclined me towards Crypto.com after medling for a while with Revolut. However, I don’t quite grasp the concept of staking CRO to unlock the different cards or gain access to other user benefits.
What does this really mean ? I just need to buy the specific unlocking amount of CRO and leave it in the wallet untouched while I transact other cryptos ?
Thanks in advance for your reply and wish you a successul year.
Thanks for commenting, Carlos!
If all you’re after is buying/selling/storing different cryptocurrencies, then you don’t need to get a MCO Visa Card. You can download the app, register, and just use it for that if you want.
This crypto debit card is great because it offers cashback, but staking Crypto.com Coin (CRO) is a little confusing. It essentially means:
I don’t like how this works, as the CRO you stake could be worth significantly less if you decide to withdraw it after the initial 180 days.
However, lots of crypto debit cards work the same way. For example, Wirex requires a stupid amount of WRX to be held in your wallet before you get the highest possible cashback (1.5%). In contrast, you can get 1% cashback without staking anything with Crypto.com (by itself, this is pretty great when compared to normal cashback credit cards).
Hope this clears up how it works. But FYI, GBP wallets are temporarily unavailable in the Crypto.com app. We don’t know when they’ll be back yet, but this means it’s more difficult (and expensive) to get fiat into it.
Dude – your diligence and detailed response here in the comments are to be commended. Great example of nurturing your readers. Keep up the great work Dean and thanks for the great review.
Thanks for commenting, Troy! I’m happy to hear you’ve found the site useful! 🙂
Hi… I have a crypto.com account and card and struggling big time.
Just learnt how to cash in if I need to and found we now have no GBP wallet.
What now if I need to sell? I believe I can only withdraw £22000. Onto my crypto card. Can I sell and store in my gbp wallet until it reopens?
Also, if and when it gets up and running again, is there limits on Bank transfers? I would ask customer service but sick of waiting 3 days for a reply that says follow the Setting and head to help centre. Frustrating…
Hi Caroline,
Crypto.com have temporarily suspended GBP deposits, withdrawals, and wallets. We don’t know when they’re coming back, but it says something about the “coming weeks” in this help article.
In the meantime, you could sell cryptocurrency for EUR instead. However, I would caution that withdrawing via SEPA to a GBP bank account would incur currency conversion charges by the bank (which varies from bank to bank). Alternatively, you could sell your cryptocurrency for a stablecoin (e.g. TrueGBP).
FYI, I cannot find a way to unload funds from the MCO Visa Card that I’ve already added.
You can see the limits on your account by going to the cog in the top-left of the app and scrolling down to “Fees & Limits”. In there, I am shown a maximum fiat withdrawal of $100,000 per day (or $500,000 per month). However, we’ll have to wait and see if this changes when GBP support is added back.
Hope this helps!
I have to agree, customer service is non existent, very frustrating to say the least.
Thanks for the comment, Sharon!
Sorry to hear you’re having problems. Unfortunately, poor customer service is a problem across some of the more popular cryptocurrency services/exchanges (in my experience at least). It only gets worse during times like this when more people are signing up and getting involved.
Does Crypto.com makes a credit search when we create an account with them?
Also, is there any fee for depositing-withdrawing money for bank transfers?
Hi Mark,
I wouldn’t think that they would do a credit search (as they’re not loaning you anything), but I’m not 100% sure on that. If you’re worried, I would head over to their website and open a ticket just to clarify beforehand.
There’s no fee for GBP or EUR deposits/withdrawals. However, there is currently a minimum withdrawal of about $100 (equivalent in GBP or EUR).
FYI: GBP wallets have been temporarily disabled on Crypto.com. If you want to open an account and use them, then you’ll have to send EUR instead.
When you have Mac App?
Hi Sarah,
It doesn’t look like Crypto.com currently has a desktop application for Windows or macOS.
You can access the Crypto.com Exchange via your browser (on any device), but you’ll need to download the Crypto.com app on your phone to access everything else.
Hope that clears it up – thanks for commenting!
Has anyone had any experience depositing EUR to their cypto.com fiat wallet via SEPA transfer from a Revolut account ? I’ve seen some comments online that card payments from Revolut might fail because the merchant isn’t recognized but I was wondering if SEPA transfer would work.
Thanks for commenting, Ariel!
Before Crypto.com introduced GBP support, I was depositing EUR via SEPA transfer from Revolut with no issues. I just did a quick search of their support area and it looks like they’re still accepting EUR deposits from Revolut (see here). I found some conflicting stuff on Reddit, but the most recent stuff indicates that SEPA transfers are still working (see here).
Hope this helps and thanks for sharing!
Hi, Is this with a Revolut business account only? (apologises if this is a simple question but i’m on a rapid catch up and a websearch hasn’t quite helped).
Thank you.
Thanks for commenting, Shaun!
When I was using Revolut to transfer EUR to Crypto.com, I was just using a standard (free) account. At the time, this meant I could exchange a limited amount of GBP for EUR and send it over to them for free with a SEPA.
If you’re based in the UK, I’ve found that it’s quicker and cheaper to avoid Revolut and deposit GBP directly.
Thanks for the reply Dean,
I worked it out, but at the moment with Crypto. I’m having to use the Revolut – Euro route as VISA are blocking debit card transactions and Crypto have suspended their GBP wallet. I didn’t want to wait for some unspecified amount of time to get GBP in and start buying.
Btw. great side, very helpful
Hi Shaun,
Ah, I see your problem now. It looks like Crypto.com have temporarily disabled GBP deposits, withdrawals, and wallets. That’s a real shame, as EUR deposits via Revolut are much less convenient.
Thanks for letting me know – I’ll get my posts updated to reflect this.
Hi I got the 1 percent card it arrived after 4 weeks, can I top my card up at the post office?
Hi Ben,
No, it seems that you’re only able to top-up the Crypto.com card with cryptocurrency or a credit/debit card. If you use a credit card, I imagine that you’ll pay cash advance fees to the card issuer.
I have applied for a MCO card which has been issued for 3 months but I haven’t received the card yet. I have made lots of complaints but apparently nobody cares it! I feel like I’m being cheat!
Sorry to hear this, Steph!
Mine took a while to come too. The best thing you can probably do is pester their support team again for specific details about your case (e.g. has it been shipped, can you cancel it because of the delay, etc). If they’re not forthcoming, check out this document (clause 20). This gives you a different email that you can reach out to and highlights that you can escalate this to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they don’t resolve an official complaint you’ve submitted to your satisfaction.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for this review
Glad you liked it, Patrick!
Could you do a comparison with the Swipe card?
Thanks for commenting, Dirk!
Thanks for letting me know about them – I’ll put it on my to-do list to check out, as it’s piqued my curiosity!
If you’re not interested in staking any SXP (Swipe’s token), then it looks comparable on the surface to what’s being offered by Crypto.com. To unlock higher cashback amounts though, it looks like you’ll need to stake more money than you would on Crypto.com to unlock the same cashback. But on the flip side, Swipe looks like it offers cashback on Netflix and Amazon Prime without needing to stake as much!