MoonPay Review

What is MoonPay?

First things first - let me give you a quick rundown of what is MoonPay all about.

The service was launched back in 2019. This makes MoonPay a rather young endeavor, especially when you compare it with some other crypto giants in the space. That being said, the MoonPay crypto platform quickly grew in popularity, and established itself as one of the leading payment gateways in the industry.

There are a few reasons why that’s the case. Naturally, we’ll go over the specific pros and cons in a bit - however, in short, MoonPay positioned itself both as an easy-to-integrate tool for businesses, as well as a user-friendly fiat-crypto conversion platform that can act as the first point of contact that an individual might have with crypto purchasing solutions.

Or, to put it simpler and in other words - MoonPay is great both as a Business-to-Business (B2B), as well as a Business-to-Customer (B2C) option.

Those who are curious what is MoonPay should note that the platform became widely popular sometime in late 2021 - early 2022. This is true thanks to its clever marketing strategies, as well as the rapid developments in the crypto market^[1], at that time - NFTs were at the forefront of the industry.

Nowadays, the hype is centered around the MoonPay app - having been launched in May 2023, the app is a brand-new addition to the MoonPay crypto ecosystem. It’s packed with a variety of super-useful and innovative features, and, judging by user MoonPay reviews, appears to have become a favorite among enthusiasts, rather quickly.

MoonPay Review: PROS

Having mentioned the MoonPay app already, it’s actually a pretty good starting point to talk about the pros & benefits of the service provider in question.

A Newly-Launched, Feature-Filled Mobile App

While MoonPay was launched around 4 years ago, you’d struggle to find an overwhelming number of user MoonPay reviews regarding the app version of the platform. This is because, as I’ve mentioned earlier, the MoonPay app saw the light of day only in May of 2023.

Being a relatively recent launch, however, the app has already managed to catch the attention of multiple crypto enthusiasts all around the world. At the forefront of why that’s the case, you’ll find one big reason - user experience.

Since the very beginning, MoonPay has strived to be as beginner-friendly as possible. All it takes is a single look at their website, or the crypto acquisition interface itself - even if this is your first time trying to buy crypto, you really shouldn’t face any issues, whatsoever.

MoonPay has made it a point to transfer this simplicity to their mobile app, as well. With availability in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, the MoonPay app allows users to “buy crypto in minutes”, choosing from a wide selection of fiat currencies and crypto assets.

Another huge feature that the app possesses has to do with your crypto wallets. It’s not uncommon for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to have more than a single wallet - be it hardware, software, or else. User MoonPay reviews will tell you that the app allows you to manage all of your wallets, from a single application!

Well, OK, perhaps not *all* of them, especially if you use a paper wallet - however, MoonPay supports the integration of the most popular crypto storage options out there, so the vast majority of wallets are surely accounted for.

The app also features partnerships with some of the best-known names in Web3, such as Uniswap, MetaMask, OpenSea, and more. These partnerships allow you - the user - to interact with said brands via the MoonPay app.

One thing that’s worth mentioning here is that there’s not really such a thing as a dedicated “MoonPay wallet”. While you can send funds through MoonPay's non-custodial wallet, it's advisable that, instead, you utilize a top-rated third-party wallet to use it.

All Major Payment Methods Supported

While sleek design-rocking interfaces and satisfying button placement are things that add to the overall experience and user-friendliness of a crypto acquisition platform, there are some important things under the hood to consider, as well.

One of these things is the availability of popular and widespread fiat payment options. And, the good news here is that user MoonPay reviews are very positive regarding this aspect.

Availability of payment options to buy crypto varies depending on the country you are in, but may include the following:

• VISA / MasterCard / MaestroPay
• SEPA / wire transfer
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay
• Faster Payments
• ACH
• Open Banking

Additionally, depending on your location and a few other factors, you might be able to pay using some other credit / debit cards, or local bank transfers.

Truth be told, these payment methods do cover all of the main ways of how people pay for their crypto. I mean, sure - you might read through some user MoonPay reviews, and notice that someone’s asking about a P2P option, but such “alternative” payment methods are rather niche.

The fact that you are able to pay for crypto with anything from a VISA debit card, all the way to Google Pay or Apple Pay makes MoonPay out to be very approachable to your average internet user.

That being said, multiple payment methods don’t really matter, if there’s a lack of assets that you can purchase, in the first place. User MoonPay reviews will tell you, however, that, in this case, it's not an issue, either.

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Over 50 Different Cryptocurrencies Available

At the beginning of this MoonPay review, I pointed out the fact that crypto acquisition is becoming easier and more streamlined, as time goes on. Apart from a myriad of other reasons, this is in part due to the fact that crypto’s going mainstream^[2], and a constant influx of new projects into the market is helping facilitate that, quite a bit.

Evidently, as those new projects enter the space, they bring with them an even bigger number of native coins & tokens. As a result of that, enthusiasts are now keen on developing a far more varied portfolio, instead of holding on to just Bitcoin and Ethereum.

This is something that’s rather obvious from multiple user MoonPay reviews, as well.

Positioning itself as a “gateway to the world of Web3”, it would be a bit counterintuitive if MoonPay only offered a few crypto assets to be purchased, via its app or browser interface. Instead, however, users will be happy to learn that the MoonPay crypto list extends to over 50 different coins & tokens!

What this means is that you’ll be able to purchase both the “main” assets (LTC, XRP, ADA, USDT, and many more, in addition to the earlier-mentioned BTC and ETH), as well as some smaller, less-known tokens, as well.

The great thing here, as you might have figured out already, is that all of those assets will be acquirable for fiat money - you won’t need to perform complex transactional gymnastics in order to buy one asset for fiat, and then swap that token for another.

Naturally, the simplicity that this fiat-crypto on- and off-ramp provides does come with some downsides, as well, with the main one mentioned in user MoonPay reviews being the fees. However, it’s worth noting that fees will always be higher, when it comes to any fiat-crypto platform - you essentially pay for convenience.

No matter how you look at it, one thing’s for certain - for most users (both beginners, as well as advanced-level traders / investors), MoonPay would serve as a one-stop shop for all things crypto, from an asset variety perspective.

A Security-Conscious Crypto Acquisition Gateway

Security is, without a single doubt, the most important feature when dealing with crypto. I tend to emphasize this all the time, but it really deserves to be hammered in - if the platform that you’re using isn’t secure, your crypto is as good as gone.

Naturally, there are quite a few user MoonPay reviews online that pose this exact question - is MoonPay safe? I’m glad to say that, by the looks of things, the platform appears to take security very seriously.

First of all, you have the data encryption part of the matter. All data that travels to and from MoonPay is encrypted via “Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 or later”. What this essentially means is that your information is kept completely private, as it travels to and from MoonPay’s infrastructure.

This is just regarding the data that’s sent and received, however - you also have information that’s stored with MoonPay. Here, the platform in question utilizes AES-256 encryption - one of the strongest and most bullet-proof types of data encryption available.

Then, you have features such as constant internal monitoring, security assessments, log collection, suspicious activity flagging, and much more. Every single process - whether it be new code additions, vulnerability testing, or GDPR adherence - has a protocol established, which works to maintain the highest level of security and data privacy.

If that doesn’t answer the question of is MoonPay safe, there’s a whole other aspect, as well - KYC.

Even if you haven’t spent a lot of time in the crypto space and aren’t aware of what is MoonPay, there’s a pretty good chance that the three-letter combination - KYC - rings a bell. It stands for “Know Your Customer”, and is a set of identity verification guidelines that all legitimate financial institutions must adhere to - crypto service providers included.

If you’re wondering is MoonPay legit, this should serve to answer that question, as well - the platform employs a rather strict KYC verification process, with strict limits on how much crypto you can buy or sell imposed depending on the KYC level that you’ve passed.

It goes from some fundamental, basic stuff, such as ID verification via an official document and selfie, all the way to a financial risk assessment survey and proof of address.

All in all, it’s evident that MoonPay takes security seriously - while this is something that’s mentioned in quite a few user MoonPay reviews, it’s certainly nice to be able to see it by yourself!

Business-Dedicated Tools - Available!

Up to this point in the MoonPay review, we’ve talked about the different features of the platform, and how it has positioned itself to be one of the leading crypto payment on-ramps / off-ramps.

There is a whole other side to the matter, however - one that has to do with the B2B aspects mentioned earlier in the article.

MoonPay serves as a payment gateway solution between businesses that deal with crypto, and people who want to pay in fiat currencies for their products and / or services. In other words, the platform acts as a middleman that aims to simplify the connection between those two parties, to the extreme.

You could think of it like this: imagine that you’re running a marketplace where you sell NFTs - non-fungible tokens. Traditionally, NFTs could only be sold (rather, traded) for crypto coins or tokens - not for fiat money. However, with the help of MoonPay, you could integrate a fiat-NFT off-ramp on your marketplace, and thus, ease the NFT acquisition process for your non-crypto-savvy customers by quite a significant margin!

To add to all of that, it’s not just a gimmick, either - MoonPay has established a rather strong presence in the B2B market, offering its payment gateway services to a myriad of well-known names in the Web3 space. The partnerships mentioned earlier - Uniswap, MetaMask, and so on - are great examples of this!

While this is, admittedly, less relevant to retail traders and investors, it’s still a point worth mentioning in this MoonPay review, nonetheless!

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MoonPay Review: CONS

Now that we’ve covered some of the biggest perks and features that are notable for any MoonPay review, let’s not forget that no platform is perfect - MoonPay is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable complaints that users have, in regards to this particular crypto service provider.

Strict KYC - No Anonymous Crypto Acquisition

Earlier in the MoonPay review, I talked about KYC - how it’s hugely important for answering the question “is MoonPay legit and safe?”.

That stands true, don’t get me wrong. However, it’s also worth pointing out that KYC might also prevent some users from utilizing the services of the platform, as well. This is going to be true for anyone who wants to remain anonymous in their crypto endeavors.

Admittedly, this is an ever-present debate in the global crypto scene - one that often splits the community in half, as well as one that’s not likely to receive any sort of closure, anytime soon.

While KYC is usually seen as a mandatory means for proper security and illegal activity deterrence, many people would argue that it goes against one of the core aspects of crypto tech - anonymity. Indeed - there are plenty of services out there that offer their users the chance to trade crypto anonymously. These platforms are called decentralized exchanges, or DEXs.

A single glance at user MoonPay reviews will quickly tell you that this particular platform is not a DEX. MoonPay does not have anonymous crypto acquisition possibilities.

Evidently, this isn’t necessarily going to be an issue for the vast majority of crypto traders and investors out there. However, if you fall into the group of people who do, for a fact, care about anonymous crypto acquisition, admittedly, the MoonPay crypto app might not be the best choice for you.

A Lack of Advanced Trading Tools

By now, as far as this MoonPay review is concerned, it’s rather evident that the platform in question is an on- / off-ramp for crypto - it's NOT a trading tool.

Every single feature - from MoonPay customer service and app, all the way to the actual crypto acquisition process and the main user interface - is tailored around speed and beginner-friendliness. This is, obviously, great - once again, if crypto aims to go truly mainstream, simplistic on-ramps are definitely going to be needed!

That being said, however, what about advanced-level traders and investors - is MoonPay legit for anyone who wants to utilize some high-end functionalities?

Unfortunately, it does not appear to be the case, no. Given that the service in question is a fiat-crypto on- / off-ramp, it lacks any advanced functionality that you would otherwise associate with cryptocurrency exchange platforms, such as leverage trading, different order types, and so on.

To be frank, this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaking issue, at least not for most crypto enthusiasts. While there are user MoonPay reviews out there that express disappointment due to this fact, it’s worth remembering that MoonPay isn’t an exchange platform, to begin with - instead, it’s a crypto acquisition or sale gateway.

On top of that, even experienced crypto traders likely find themselves in situations where they’d love to have access to all of their wallets in a simple manner, or sell their crypto in a quick and hassle-free way. In situations like those, learning about what is MoonPay can be very beneficial!

How to Use MoonPay?

Now that we have the benefits and shortcomings of this MoonPay review discussed and sorted out, chances are that you’ve managed to develop some sort of an initial opinion about the service provider in question.

If that’s the case, and you think that you’d like to try MoonPay out for yourself, it’s a good idea to look into how to use the platform, for the first time! With the MoonPay app being very self-explanatory and straightforward to use, I’ll focus on the browser version of the platform.

First of all, you’ll want to navigate to the MoonPay crypto official website. Here, you have two options - you could either register and purchase / sell crypto with an account, or go to the “Buy” interface, directly. I’ll show you the process for both of these paths, starting with the former.

Step 1: Click the “Sign Up” button on the top-right corner of the homepage. You’ll be prompted to submit your email address - once submitted, the email will need to be confirmed with a verification code.

Step 2: Once you confirm your email, you’ll be redirected to the main dashboard. If you’ve come across user MoonPay reviews that talk about how simple the dashboard is to navigate, this is where you’ll be able to experience it for yourself!

Step 3: At the bottom-left corner of the screen, you’ll see a dedicated interface for buying crypto. Simply pick the cryptocurrency that you’d like to purchase, enter the amount that you want to pay (as well as the fiat currency that you want to use), and click “Continue”.

Step 4: Now, you’ll need to pick a payment method. The available methods depend on your location, among other factors, but you should be able to add a credit / debit card, or make a bank transfer, either way.

Step 5: Next up, adding your personal information (name, surname, date of birth, nationality), as well as your address - this is pretty self-explanatory, and is a hint towards the KYC process that we’ve discussed earlier - the thing that works to answer the question “is MoonPay safe?”.

Step 6: Lastly, you’ll need to add a wallet address. This is where your newly-acquired crypto will be transferred, so make sure you double-check the address! You can also send it to your MoonPay non-custodial wallet, as well.

I’ll pause this section of the MoonPay review, and take you through the process of buying crypto without registration, next. This is because, at some point, both processes become identical - they require you to pass KYC verification, before submitting your purchase or sale request.

Step 1: If you want to buy crypto without an account on MoonPay, you need to navigate to the homepage of the platform, and simply enter the same data as before - whether you want to buy or sell crypto, which crypto and fiat currencies you want to transact with, and how much is it that you want to spend (in the case of buying).

Step 2: Now, simply follow through the same process as before - submitting your email address, verifying it, picking a payment method, and submitting some information about yourself.

Step 3: At some point, after you’ve passed all of the aforementioned steps, you’ll come across the KYC verification window. If you’ve read through some user MoonPay reviews already, you probably know that the first form of verification has to do with your ID document, as well as a selfie.

Depending on the amount of crypto that you want to buy or sell, however, you might also need to fill out a financial risk assessment survey, as well as submit proof of address. Once again, this is all done in order to ensure maximum user fund security and regulatory compliance - certainly a big factor for those still wondering, “is MoonPay legit?”.

Step 4: Once you finish dealing with all of the required KYC checks, and add any additional information that might be required by MoonPay, you’ll be able to initiate your purchase or sale. It’s all pretty simple and quick!

Note that if you choose to buy crypto via a bank transfer, you are still able to cancel your order, if you change your mind. If you want to cancel before making the transfer, all you need to do is, well… Not go through with it, and it will cancel itself automatically in a few days.

If, however, you’ve already made the payment, you will need MoonPay customer service to help you out - luckily, contacting them is simple, but make sure to do so hastily!

Pros

• Very low trading fees
• Exceptional functionality
• Mobile trading app

Main Features

• Very competitive trading fees
• An intuitive mobile app
• Up to 100x leverage available

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Pros

• A very well-known crypto exchange platform
• More than 500 different cryptos available
• Two-factor authentication

Main Features

• Over 500 different cryptocurrencies available
• Strong security
• Small withdrawal fees

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Pros

• Fully reserved and transparent
• Multiple tradable asset classes
• Early new token support

Main Features

• 265 supports cryptocurrencies
• Secure & transparent
• Fully reserved

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Conclusions

MoonPay has positioned itself as a sort of “express checkout for the crypto world” - a widget that allows you - the user - to purchase and / or sell crypto with just a few clicks of the button. The platform is very lightweight, and everything from its design (UX), all the way to the available features (UI) serve that aforementioned goal.

User MoonPay reviews will tell you that the service is super-easy to use, and is streamlined so that it’d be approachable by even complete industry newcomers. That being said, MoonPay does also have a business-oriented widget, as well.

User-friendliness doesn’t interfere with the security and reliability features of the platform, however - anyone wondering is MoonPay safe should note that the platform is equipped with all industry-standard security features, and then some.

While it may lack advanced-level functionality, and the KYC verification checks can appear daunting, there’s no denying that MoonPay is certainly one of the more prominent crypto on- / off-ramps on the market. Whether or not it’s the right platform for you will depend solely on your own, personal preferences!

The content published on this website is not aimed to give any kind of financial, investment, trading, or any other form of advice. BitDegree.org does not endorse or suggest you to buy, sell or hold any kind of cryptocurrency. Before making financial investment decisions, do consult your financial advisor.

Scientific References

1. Marcin W., Stanisław D., Jarosław K., et al.: 'Multiscale characteristics of the emerging global cryptocurrency market';

2. Fan F., Carmine V., Michail B., et al.: 'Cryptocurrency trading: a comprehensive survey'.