CEX.IO: licences, security, fees and reviews

Centralized exchange

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Key facts

Type: Centralized exchange
Exchange launched: 2013
Official site: trade.cex.io

Key facts checked on 29 October 2026 against official sources and regulator registers.

What is CEX.IO

CEX.IO is a centralised cryptocurrency exchange that launched in 2013 and offers buying, selling, storing, trading, sending and earning digital assets. Customers contract with a regional CEX.IO company: in the US, the UK, the European Economic Area or, elsewhere, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Good to know

Which company you contract with depends on where you live: CEX.IO Corp. (US), CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd (UK), CEX.IO Europe, S.L. (EEA) or CEX OVRS LLC in St. Kitts and Nevis (other countries). ↗
CEX OVRS LLC, which serves customers outside the US, UK and EEA, is a Nevis company; its terms are governed by Nevis law and disputes go to the courts of Nevis. No licence is stated for it. ↗
The UK company was entered on the FCA register as a cryptoasset business on 11 March 2026. This is an anti-money-laundering registration; the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not cover it. ↗
The FCA register shows a requirement on the UK company: without FCA consent it may not operate machines that exchange cryptoassets for money (crypto ATMs). ↗
In the EEA, according to CEX.IO, CEX.IO Europe, S.L. has applied to Spain's CNMV for MiCA authorisation and the application remains under review; on 29 October 2026 it was not listed in ESMA's interim MiCA register of authorised providers. ↗
CEX.IO's site shows users in EEA countries a MiCA service notice: deposits and trading are currently unavailable; balance viewing and withdrawals remain available (checked 29 October 2026). ↗
On 15 February 2023 the FDIC sent CEX.IO Corp. a cease-and-desist letter over a website statement that US dollar wallets were FDIC-insured; the FDIC said CEX is not FDIC-insured. ↗
Under the terms of CEX OVRS LLC, CEX.IO Europe and CEX.IO Markets UK, an individual account with no activity for more than 12 months can be charged a monthly fee of the greater of 0.3% of the balance or USD 30 (£30 in the UK). ↗
Savings and staking are not available to customers in the US, and the UK is not among the countries CEX.IO lists for them (checked 29 October 2026). ↗
Under the US and EEA terms, when an asset is delisted customers get 30 days' notice; any remaining balance below the minimum withdrawal amount is then written off. ↗
CEX.IO's state disclosures say that its Tennessee money transmitter licence and the required surety bond there do not cover the transmission of virtual currency, and that its Louisiana licence does not cover the exchange or transmission of virtual currency. ↗

Services

Services — CEX.IO
Parameter	Details
Spot trading	CEX.IO Spot Trading platform (launched in 2023 as Exchange Plus, renamed in 2024).
Card	Instant Buy (since 2016) and Instant Sell (since 2020). Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay can be used for deposits; withdrawals go to Visa or Mastercard cards, not to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Staking / Earn	Savings and staking in the countries CEX.IO lists; the US and the UK are not among them (checked 29 October 2026).
Margin	Margin trading; not available to UK and Spain residents. Fees: 0.1% to open and to close a position, 1% to liquidate, plus hourly rollover fees (HPR).
Custody / wallet	CEX.IO Wallet for depositing, withdrawing and converting supported assets.

Licences and registrations

Licences and registrations — CEX.IO
Jurisdiction	Entity	Licence / registration	Regulator
United States	CEX.IO Corp.	Money services business registered with FinCEN (activity codes 409 money transmitter and 499 other); received 12 December 2024. CEX.IO's US terms name New York as a restricted location; New York is also not among the states in the FinCEN registration	Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
United States	CEX.IO Corp.	State money transmitter licences listed by CEX.IO under NMLS ID 1804170 (CEX.IO says 30+)	State financial regulators
United Kingdom	CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd	Cryptoasset business registered under the Money Laundering Regulations since 11 March 2026, FRN 1007192	Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
European Union	CEX.IO Europe, S.L. (Spain)	MiCA authorisation applied for; according to CEX.IO, under review; not in ESMA's interim MiCA register on 29 October 2026	Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV)
Spain	CEX.IO Europe, S.L.	Register of virtual-currency exchange and wallet custody providers, code E028: entered 1 July 2024, removed 1 July 2026 (regulator register)	Banco de España
Other jurisdictions	CEX OVRS LLC (St. Kitts and Nevis)	Serves eligible customers in other jurisdictions; no licence stated	—

Status in the United States and the United Kingdom

CEX.IO Corp. appears in FinCEN’s Money Services Business registrant list (checked 29 October 2026) as a money transmitter (code 409) and other (code 499) with a Miami, Florida address; the filing was received on 12 December 2024. New York is not among the states listed for its MSB activities. FinCEN MSB Registrant Search
In the UK, CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd (FCA reference 1007192) has been registered for cryptoasset activities under the Money Laundering Regulations since 11 March 2026. The FCA Register notes that the Financial Ombudsman Service and the FSCS cannot consider complaints or claims about this firm. FCA Financial Services Register
Since 11 March 2026 the FCA Register has shown a requirement on CEX.IO Markets UK Limited: without the FCA’s prior written consent it may not operate machines that automatically exchange cryptoassets for money or money for cryptoassets. FCA Financial Services Register
On 15 February 2023 the FDIC wrote to CEX.IO Corp. that it had reason to believe the company had made false and misleading statements about deposit insurance under section 18(a)(4) of the FDI Act, citing a website statement that US dollars in CEX.IO fiat wallets were FDIC-insured up to $250,000, and demanded that it cease and desist. FDIC, letter of 15 February 2023

Checked on 29 October 2026 against regulator registers and the text of the law.

Security and audits

For US customers, most digital assets are kept in cold wallets, with a small portion in hot wallets; fiat is held at licensed US banks, and portions may be held in regulated, fully reserved stablecoins.
For US customers, digital asset custody combines self-custody with US-licensed institutional custodians, and customer funds are kept in segregated accounts.
CEX.IO Corp. holds surety bonds required by its money transmitter licences.
In its Rhode Island disclosure, CEX.IO states that it does not maintain a private virtual currency or cybersecurity insurance policy; its US terms state that digital assets are not covered by any private insurance against theft, loss or unauthorised access.

Fees

Fees — CEX.IO
Parameter	Details
Spot trading	0.25% for 30-day volume up to USD 10,000, falling to 0.10% in the highest tier shown (up to USD 20,000,000); no separate maker/taker rates published
Margin	0.1% to open and to close a position, 1% to liquidate, plus hourly rollover fees (HPR)
Withdrawals	Set per asset and network and marked by CEX.IO as floating; on 29 October 2026, e.g. 0.000075 BTC; USDT 3 on Ethereum or Tron, 1 on Solana
Deposits	Card deposits (Visa, Mastercard, Google/Apple Pay): 0.49%–4.99% plus a service charge; if your local currency is not USD, EUR or GBP, it is converted and the card issuer calculates and deducts the exchange rate and any fees

Who can use it

Verification: Identity verification is required, including a government-issued photo ID; for the first three months after verification, payment methods such as cards, Google/Apple Pay, ACH bank transfers and CEX.IO Pay are capped at USD 1,000 a day and USD 3,000 a month.
Not served: Afghanistan, Belarus, Canada, DRC, Cuba, Guam, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Palestinian Territory, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Yemen

History

History — CEX.IO
Date	Event
2013	CEX.IO launched as an exchange, alongside the GHash.IO mining pool.
2014	CEX.IO allowed bitcoin purchases with a credit card.
2015	The GHash.IO mining pool was retired after nearly reaching 51% of bitcoin mining power.
2016	CEX.IO introduced Instant Buy.
2019	CEX.IO says it opened a dedicated US office in 2019 that acquired 30+ money transmitter licences.
2023	CEX.IO opened a Lithuanian entity and launched the Exchange Plus trading platform.
15 February 2023	The FDIC sent CEX.IO Corp. a cease-and-desist letter over statements about FDIC insurance.
1 April 2023	Staking and automated staking were suspended for US customers.
2024	Exchange Plus was renamed CEX.IO Spot Trading.
1 July 2024	CEX.IO Europe, S.L. was entered in the Banco de España register of virtual-currency providers (code E028).
11 March 2026	CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd was registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset business.
1 July 2026	CEX.IO Europe, S.L. was removed from the Banco de España register of virtual-currency providers.

Risks and caveats

For US customers, digital assets are not covered by FDIC or SIPC protection or by private insurance against theft or loss; CEX.IO Corp. is not a registered broker-dealer or FINRA member.
UK customers cannot use the Financial Ombudsman Service or the FSCS for CEX.IO's cryptocurrency services.
In the EEA, according to CEX.IO, CEX.IO Europe's MiCA authorisation application to the CNMV remains under review; its Banco de España registration was removed on 1 July 2026. CEX.IO's site shows EEA users a notice that deposits and trading are currently unavailable; balance viewing and withdrawals remain available (checked 29 October 2026).
Customers outside the US, UK and EEA are served by CEX OVRS LLC in St. Kitts and Nevis, for which no licence is stated.
The US terms state that the treatment of customer digital assets in an insolvency of CEX.IO or a custodian is unsettled and may include total loss.
US customers' disputes go to binding individual arbitration under Delaware law; court claims and class actions are waived.

About the company

Founded: 2013 (the team worked on bitcoin mining chips from 2012)
Founders: Oleksandr "Alex" Lutskevych
CEO: Oleksandr Lutskevych was named Chief Executive Officer of CEX.IO Corp. in an FDIC letter of 15 February 2023
Legal entities: CEX.IO Corp. (US), CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd (UK), CEX.IO Europe, S.L. (EEA), CEX OVRS LLC (other jurisdictions)
Registered offices: UK: 78-79 Pall Mall, London; EEA: Madrid; other: Charlestown, Nevis (registered offices); US: Miami, Florida (address given in the terms)
EEA entity: CEX.IO Europe, S.L. (EEA): Spanish company, NIF B72550395, Paseo de la Castellana 53, Madrid
Other-jurisdictions entity: CEX OVRS LLC (other jurisdictions): No. L 22275, Charlestown, Nevis
Person with significant control (UK company): UK Companies House lists Oleksandr Lutskevych as a person with significant control of CEX.IO Markets UK LTD (significant influence or control, notified 15 September 2023; checked 29 October 2026).

Official links

Questions and answers

Is CEX.IO regulated?

CEX.IO Corp. is registered with FinCEN and lists US state money transmitter licences, and CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd has been on the FCA register as a cryptoasset business since 11 March 2026. Its Spanish company has applied for MiCA authorisation; according to CEX.IO, its application to the CNMV remains under review.

Does CEX.IO publish proof of reserves?

No proof-of-reserves report is published. For US customers, CEX.IO states that most digital assets are kept in cold wallets and customer funds are segregated.

What are CEX.IO's fees?

Spot trading costs 0.25% for 30-day volume up to USD 10,000, falling to 0.10% in the highest tier shown (up to USD 20,000,000), with no separate maker/taker rates published; margin positions cost 0.1% to open and to close, 1% to liquidate, plus hourly rollover fees (HPR); margin trading is not available to UK and Spain residents; crypto withdrawals have a per-asset fee that CEX.IO marks as floating.

Who owns CEX.IO?

CEX.IO was founded in 2013 by Oleksandr "Alex" Lutskevych and his team; customers contract with regional CEX.IO companies in the US, UK, Spain or St. Kitts and Nevis. CEX.IO does not publish the shareholders of its group companies. UK Companies House lists Oleksandr Lutskevych as a person with significant control of CEX.IO Markets UK LTD (significant influence or control, notified 15 September 2023; checked 29 October 2026).

Is CEX.IO available in the US?

Yes, through CEX.IO Corp. in eligible states; CEX.IO's US terms name New York as a restricted location, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands are not supported, and savings and staking are not offered to US customers.

Is CEX.IO available in the EU?

EEA customers contract with CEX.IO Europe, S.L. in Madrid. CEX.IO's site shows EEA users a MiCA service notice: deposits and trading are currently unavailable; balance viewing and withdrawals remain available (checked 29 October 2026). According to CEX.IO, its MiCA application to the CNMV remains under review; on 29 October 2026 it was not in ESMA's interim MiCA register, and its Banco de España registration ended on 1 July 2026.

Is CEX.IO available in the UK?

Yes, through CEX.IO Markets UK Ltd, registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset business under the Money Laundering Regulations since 11 March 2026 (FRN 1007192); the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not cover it.

Are funds on CEX.IO insured?

For US customers, digital assets are not covered by FDIC or SIPC, and CEX.IO's US terms state they are not covered by any private insurance against theft, loss or unauthorised access. UK customers have no Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS cover.

Sources

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Page updated: 2026-10-29