Simpleswap

Simpleswap is a wallet-to-wallet swap service with risk-based KYC checks

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Simpleswap is a crypto conversion service that moves one asset between external wallets without maintaining a standing account balance. It quotes fixed or floating rates, assigns a one-use deposit address, routes the order through liquidity providers, and requests identity evidence when transaction monitoring calls for review.

Bottom line: A fixed-rate order needs its deposit and at least one confirmation inside the 20-minute lock.

Turning BTC into ETH without opening a trading account

A BTC-to-ETH swap through Simpleswap turns a Bitcoin deposit into an Ethereum payout at an address you supply.

Choose the pair and rate mode

Select BTC as the input, ETH as the output, and either a fixed or floating quote. Bitcoin targets one block every 10 minutes, so its confirmation rhythm matters when a fixed quote has a short acceptance window. A prompt wallet broadcast with an adequate miner fee preserves more of that window.

Provide the payout details

The recipient field takes an Ethereum address under your control. Simpleswap doesn't require a MetaMask or Exodus connection for this flow; it needs the address where the provider should send ETH. Review the asset and network together, because an address alone doesn't express every routing choice. Ethereum's EIP-55 checksum changes letter casing to catch some typing errors, but it doesn't encode the destination network.

Send one exact deposit

Each order produces one deposit address for that transaction. Send BTC on Bitcoin, use the amount shown, and don't reuse the address for a later order. Keep the Exchange ID and the Bitcoin transaction ID until the Ethereum payout confirms, since those identifiers connect the service record with both blockchain legs.

Identity checks before a swap clears

Simpleswap applies risk-based identity checks when transaction monitoring assigns a swap to a higher compliance category.

Low-risk crypto orders proceed without account registration, yet registration-free doesn't mean exempt from review. Monitoring evaluates transaction data and sends selected cases to compliance staff. The policy defines two review levels - standard and enhanced - and says its controls receive at least one formal review each year. A standard review focuses on identity information. Enhanced review adds requested evidence such as source of funds, source of wealth, expected activity, or a real-time liveness check. The framework follows the risk-based model associated with the Financial Action Task Force.

A review pauses execution while the requested checks remain incomplete. Users who won't provide identity or funding evidence should choose a route whose published compliance model matches that constraint before sending assets. Once funds enter the order, the review becomes part of the settlement path rather than an optional account feature.

What happens between the deposit and payout?

Between deposit and payout, Simpleswap confirms the input, executes the conversion, and broadcasts the receiving asset.

The order page gives each swap one Exchange ID; each blockchain transfer receives its own transaction hash, commonly called a TXID.

The direct path uses four active labels before Finished: Pending deposit, Confirming, Exchanging, and Sending. Verifying marks an additional compliance review, while Failed, Expired, and Refunded describe other outcomes. During Exchanging, a liquidity provider handles the actual conversion rather than an on-chain Simpleswap pool. During Sending, the output transaction has entered its destination-chain leg. The receiving wallet shows the balance only after that network accepts the payout.

This sequence isn't atomic. Your private keys stay in your wallet, but the deposited asset leaves it before the output asset arrives. That interval creates provider, timing, and review exposure. An Exchange ID tracks the service-side order, while the TXIDs prove what each blockchain recorded.

Fixed and floating quotes assign price risk differently

A fixed Simpleswap quote transfers short-term market movement to the service, while its floating quote leaves that movement in the payout.

A fixed-rate order locks its quote for 20 minutes and needs at least one blockchain confirmation inside that window.

Floating orders have no equivalent lock; the estimate is recalculated when the conversion reaches executable liquidity. The order can remain in later settlement states after the deposit meets the quote condition.

The final floating output reflects the provider's executable rate, available liquidity for the pair, deposit confirmation time, and the destination network fee. A move in BTC against ETH changes the conversion rate while the Bitcoin deposit confirms. Thin liquidity increases the difference between an indicative quote and executable inventory. Congestion on either chain adds cost or time without changing the asset pair. These mechanisms explain why a floating estimate is a planning number, while the completed payout is the settlement number.

Fixed mode fits a payment that requires a known ETH amount, provided the Bitcoin transaction reaches one confirmation before expiry. Floating mode fits a sender who values timing flexibility and accepts market movement. Bitcoin's 10-minute block target leaves limited slack inside a 20-minute lock, so the origin chain influences the sensible choice.

Network labels, addresses, and extra identifiers

A Simpleswap order succeeds only when the asset, blockchain network, address format, and extra identifier all match.

Network identity precedes ticker identity

Tether uses the USDT ticker across several token systems, including ERC-20 on Ethereum, TRC-20 on TRON, and SPL on Solana. Those balances aren't interchangeable at the deposit layer. EVM networks also share an address shape while retaining separate chain identities: Ethereum mainnet uses chain ID 1, BNB Smart Chain uses 56, Polygon PoS uses 137, and Base uses 8453. The route label therefore decides where the transaction exists and which native asset pays its network fee.

Address formats enforce different rules

An Ethereum account address contains 20 bytes and displays 40 hexadecimal digits after the 0x prefix. A Solana address encodes a 32-byte public key in Base58. Both formats identify accounts, yet neither tells Simpleswap to reinterpret a transfer sent on the wrong chain. Copy the address from the wallet's selected network view.

Memos route shared addresses

The XRP Ledger represents a Destination Tag as a 32-bit unsigned integer. Stellar supports a text memo up to 28 bytes and a Memo ID as a 64-bit unsigned integer. A personal wallet may need only its address, while a shared exchange address relies on the supplied tag or memo to map the payout to an internal account. Enter that extra identifier exactly when the receiving platform provides one.

Orange and blue coins with cryptocurrency symbols

The costs inside the receiving amount

A Simpleswap quote combines a provider rate with the network cost of delivering the output asset to your wallet. A fixed-rate order already includes the receiving-side network fee in its displayed payout, while your sending wallet adds one separate origin-chain fee. Floating output moves with executable liquidity. Three inputs drive the comparison: the quoted receiving amount, the origin fee shown by your wallet, and the payout network selected. Comparing those three values keeps the decision tied to delivered crypto.

Blue monitor with shield and padlock
Blue monitor with shield and padlock.

A first-swap decision checklist

Five pre-deposit checks determine whether a Simpleswap order has clean inputs and a recoverable paper trail.

Complete the checks before broadcasting, because blockchain settlement fixes the transaction data while the service processes the order. Each item maps to a concrete failure point in address routing, quote timing, or support tracing.

Wallet-to-wallet use cases that fit the model

That said, Simpleswap fits one-time conversions where the sender controls the input asset and knows the exact destination network.

A holder can turn BTC into ETH for an Ethereum wallet, exchange Ethereum-based USDC for native SOL, or acquire a network's gas asset before using an application there. Wallet products such as Exodus, Tangem, Cake Wallet, and Tonkeeper illustrate the value of direct settlement: an embedded conversion returns the output to a user-controlled address instead of creating a lasting exchange balance. The model also keeps order-book mechanics out of a simple asset conversion.

Wallet displays round balances, while chains settle exact base units. One Bitcoin contains 100,000,000 satoshis, one Ether contains 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 wei, and one SOL contains 1,000,000,000 lamports. Precise units matter when copying the deposit amount and reconciling the completed payout.

When should you choose another route?

Choose another route instead of Simpleswap when you need an order book, verifiable on-chain execution, or a protocol-specific price mechanism.

ChangeNOW and SideShift for similar managed routing

ChangeNOW is the closest operational alternative because it also offers classic and fixed deposit-address exchanges. SideShift provides direct-to-wallet shifts across multiple networks with its own quote and asset coverage. Compare the delivered amount, supported route, rate mode, regional eligibility, and review terms. These services still place execution between a deposit and a later payout.

THORChain for protocol-level cross-chain liquidity

THORChain swaps native assets through decentralized vaults and liquidity pools, with RUNE coordinating the network's settlement design. Its interface exposes protocol fees, price impact, and route details before a wallet signs. That structure suits users who want native Bitcoin-to-Ethereum liquidity governed by a protocol instead of a managed provider quote, provided the desired assets and pools are supported.

Uniswap for EVM-native token execution

Uniswap executes token swaps against automated market maker pools on EVM networks. The wallet signs on-chain calls and pays gas in the network's native asset. A first standard ERC-20 interaction takes two transactions when it needs an approval followed by the swap, although Permit2 changes that approval flow. Choose Uniswap for transparent pool execution within an EVM ecosystem; choose THORChain or a managed route for native Bitcoin.

From instant exchanger to broader product

For a first attempt, Simpleswap launched in 2018 as an instant exchange and later added products around the same wallet-to-wallet settlement model. Fixed-rate exchanges appeared during the second half of 2018, while an affiliate program and publication followed in 2019. Customer accounts, fiat conversions, and mobile apps for iOS and Android arrived in 2020. A loyalty program followed in 2021. That sequence explains today's mix of registration-free swaps, optional accounts, mobile tracking, and partner integrations (compare Simpleswap explainer ).

Practical questions about Simpleswap

What age must a user be to access Simpleswap?

Simpleswap requires a user to be at least 18 years old, or the higher age needed to form a binding contract in that person's jurisdiction. Regional restrictions and payment-provider rules still apply. Eligibility also rests on control of the assets and addresses used for an order. A business representative must have authority to act for the entity, and some features remain unavailable in particular locations.

How long does a Simpleswap exchange normally take?

Exchange time follows the confirmation rules of the input chain, provider execution, destination-chain broadcasting, network load, liquidity, and any compliance review. The fixed element is the 20-minute rate-lock window for a fixed quote, which requires at least one confirmation before expiry. That window isn't a completion promise. Track the order with its Exchange ID and inspect each transaction hash on the relevant blockchain when the status pauses. That distinction matters most on slower chains or during periods of heavy block demand.

Does Simpleswap offer an API for wallet integrations?

Simpleswap provides an API and embeddable exchange tools for partners that want wallet-to-wallet conversion inside another product. The integration requests quotes, creates orders, and tracks their statuses, while the end user still supplies destination details and sends the deposit. A production integrator must handle asset-network identifiers, memos, quote expiry, status changes, and support references correctly. API access and commercial terms belong to the partner workflow.

Can a card payment fund a Simpleswap crypto purchase?

Card purchases use a separate fiat-to-crypto flow operated with third-party payment providers. The selected provider determines supported regions, payment methods, limits, fees, and identity steps, then displays its offer before payment. The buyer still chooses a crypto asset, network, and receiving address. Because service terms require authority over the addresses used, sending a card-funded purchase directly to another person's wallet deserves a terms check before any payment is authorized. Buying to your own wallet first preserves a separate payment step and clearer records.

What sets the minimum amount for a Simpleswap exchange?

The exchange widget sets a pair-specific minimum that must cover provider execution and the relevant blockchain costs. It changes with the input asset, output asset, chosen networks, liquidity route, and network conditions, so a durable universal coin amount doesn't apply. Use the minimum shown for that exact order and send the displayed asset on the displayed network. A deposit below the accepted threshold may not support completion or an economical refund.

Can a Simpleswap exchange be cancelled after the deposit is sent?

A confirmed blockchain deposit can't be cancelled, and an order already moving through confirmation, exchange, or sending isn't freely editable. If an order was created but no deposit was broadcast, the user can leave it unused and create another. After funds arrive, any refund depends on order status, eligibility, network costs, and review requirements. Refund requests may take up to 31 calendar days, and support may request evidence that links the sender to the deposit. Keep the Exchange ID available throughout that process.