Independent Reserve
Independent Reserve
Data verified on unchanged since the sources
Worth it if you are in Australia or Singapore and want a spot exchange with a robust regulatory frame: triple ASIC, AUSTRAC and MAS license, SOC 2 and IG Group.
Avoid it if you live in Italy (not available) or want low fees and high volumes: maker and taker are both 0.5% and volumes stay below the major competitors.
Australian exchange holding a triple ASIC, AUSTRAC and MAS license, SOC 2 certification and now part of IG Group. It offers a solid regulatory framework, though trading volumes stay below those of leading competitors and international recognition is limited.
Data & conditions
| Maker / Taker fee | 0.5% / 0.5% |
|---|---|
| Markets | Spot |
| Max leverage | 5× |
| Supported assets | 41+ |
| Trading pairs | 63+ |
| 24h volume | $14.38M |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, EFT, SWIFT, Osko/PayID, POLi, Credit/Debit card, PayPal, Crypto |
| Geo restrictions | United States, China, Turkey, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, Oman, Sudan, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Thailand |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | APAC · 3+ countries |
| Regulator | ASIC / AUSTRAC |
| OAM Italy registration | No |
| Segment | B2C |
| MiCA / License status | AUSTRAC AU + MAS SG MAS (Singapore); ASIC+AUSTRAC (AU) |
Strengths
- Triplice license ASIC+AUSTRAC+MAS; SOC 2; acquisita IG Group.
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Volume reduced; less known internationally.
- Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
- Subject to regulation (MAS (Singapore); ASIC+AUSTRAC (AU)): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.
- Geographic restrictions (United States, China, Turkey, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, Oman, Sudan, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Thailand).
Verdict
The high rating is well supported: Independent Reserve holds a triple ASIC, AUSTRAC and MAS licence, SOC 2 certification and is now part of IG Group — one of the most robust guarantee frameworks in the category for users in Australia and Singapore. The limit holding the score back is scale: volumes below the major competitors and limited international recognition; it isn't reachable from Italy.
On the sovereignty lens its very strengths turn irrelevant or counterproductive: the triple licence and SOC 2 describe a deeply regulated custodial exchange with full KYC, where the user never holds the keys. Maximum institutional protection means minimal individual sovereignty — no privacy, no self-custody, no censorship resistance.
Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.
"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.
Reputation
What happened to people who used Independent Reserve, and what users say. External signals: they do not feed the promp.it rating.
Incidents & regulatory actions
No known incidentSearch across public sources: no known hack, withdrawal freeze or regulatory action as of the verification date.
verified on
Public reviews
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App Store ↗
4.8/5
2,286 reviews
AU store; exact average 4.795 (rounded to 4.8), app 'IR – Bitcoin & Crypto Exchange' id 1566499416, from itunes lookup.
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Google Play ↗
4.4/5
1,634 reviews
From JSON-LD AggregateRating: ratingValue 4.4375 (visible label rounds to 4.4), ratingCount 1634; AU store; package com.independentreserve.mobileapp.
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Trustpilot ↗
3.8/5
196 reviews
TrustScore 3.8/5 across 196 reviews, au.trustpilot.com subdomain (.com returns 403). Trustpilot counts drift over time.
Weighted average across 3 public review platforms (4,116 reviews in total), weighted by volume. This is not our rating: it is those platforms’ average.
FAQ
What are Independent Reserve's fees?
On Independent Reserve, spot fees are maker 0.5% / taker 0.5%. They drop with monthly volume and VIP tier.
Is Independent Reserve regulated in Europe?
Regulatory status of Independent Reserve: MAS (Singapore); ASIC+AUSTRAC (AU). Licence: AUSTRAC AU + MAS SG (AU).
Does Independent Reserve publish Proof of Reserves?
Proof of Reserves publication is not documented for Independent Reserve. No third-party reserve audit is documented. Reserve transparency is a critical factor after the FTX collapse.
Can I send transfers to third-party IBANs from Independent Reserve?
No, Independent Reserve is an exchange and does not allow transfers to third-party IBANs: fiat withdrawals return to a bank account in your own name.
Does Independent Reserve support derivatives and futures?
Independent Reserve does not offer derivatives: it focuses on spot trading.
Sources
- Official service page Maker/taker fees · Regulatory framework · Derivatives Data verified on Jun 13, 2026
- architectpartners.com Investors Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
- coincub.com Founders · Trading pairs · 24h volume · Volume data · +2 Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
- theblock.co Valuation · Latest funding round Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
Show 3 more sources
- tradingfinder.com Max leverage · Geo restrictions · Legal name · Company type Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
- blockhead.co Founders · Third-party audit Data verified on Jun 13, 2026
- trustpilot.com Trustpilot reviews · Past incidents · Geographic availability Data verified on Jun 13, 2026