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If you’ve been looking for a reliable cryptocurrency exchange for some time now, there’s a pretty good chance that you might have stumbled upon ShapeShift. It’s one of the better-known crypto exchanges on the market - still, if you’re a complete beginner, chances are that the platform has raised some questions. Well, we’ll aim to answer them in this ShapeShift exchange review!

ShapeShift is a pretty unique crypto exchange, especially when you look at some of the features that it offers to its users. While it hasn’t really achieved such widespread recognition as some other exchanges (such as Binance or Kucoin), ShapeShift should surely be paid attention to, and considered as a viable alternative to the top-dogs of the industry!

Let’s not waste any time, though, and get straight to the most notable features of this ShapeShift review.

Kevin Riedl

Founder at Wavect

What best practices would you recommend to crypto exchanges to mitigate the risks of hacks and breaches and maintain user trust?

It depends on whom you want to optimize for: the end-user or the crypto exchange itself. A general rule of thumb, the more attractive a target gets for a hacker, the stronger security measures need to be implemented. Using general best practices from multi-sigs, potentially smart wallets, and other battle-tested patterns already contribute much to a safer infrastructure.

Pros

  • Great usability features
  • Secure
  • 50+ crypto assets
  • Low fees

Cons

  • Prior internal security breach
  • Some history of transactional issues
  • Fiat payments managed by a third party

ShapeShift Exchange Review: PROS

The vast majority of cryptocurrency enthusiasts who are looking for ShapeShift exchange reviews online are likely trying to find out is ShapeShift safe and even worth using, in the first place. That’s exactly what we should figure out straight from the get-go, and move on to the more quality of life-enhancing features afterwards.

A Unique Balance of Security VS Anonymity

It is true that, whenever you’re talking about cryptocurrency exchange platforms, you should always focus on security first. It’s the literal core element of a successful platform - it’s also the most important aspect from the user’s perspective, in the sense that you probably don’t want to lose all of your assets due to a leak or a hack.

User ShapeShift exchange reviews, however, will tell you that things are a bit… Different with the platform in question.

ShapeShift exchange review: 6 years of being active.

You see, one of the main aspects that make ShapeShift stand out from other crypto exchanges out there is the fact that the platform used to allow you to remain anonymous while purchasing cryptocurrencies.

What this basically means is that there were no thorough account creation processes in place - you did not need to provide your personal details to the company in order to purchase your desired crypto coins. This did have both pros and cons, however, any ShapeShift exchange review written by a cryptocurrency enthusiast will tell you that it’s often the preferred option, given the decentralized nature of cryptos.

As you can probably imagine, though, this did also raise some questions regarding the security of the site - people want to know is ShapeShift legit before they commit to a purchase.

Thankfully, for the most part, things do appear to be in order! While ShapeShift did discontinue the anonymity feature, their security did not falter because of it.

While you wouldn’t have really found any identity- or account-preserving features (such as two-factor authentication, IP logs, etc. - there was no account, so there was also no need for such tools), you could have been sure that, each time you perform a transaction, a new public wallet key will be generated for you. Now, things such as 2FA do exist on the site, though.

ShapeShift exchange review: ShapeShift features.

Also, ShapeShift will never ask you for your private key - that’s also an essential thing to keep in mind! You see, in the crypto world, there’s a saying - not your keys, not your cryptos. To an extent, that is true - if you don’t own your private wallet key, you don’t really own your assets, in the sense that they can be gone in a blink of an eye.

Due to the previously-anonymous nature of the exchange, many user ShapeShift exchange reviews point out that, at the end of the day, the security of your crypto coins depends solemnly on you.

Superb Usability Features

Whether it be ShapeShift reviews or any other ones, the usability aspect of a cryptocurrency exchange platform might not be a crucial feature that would sway your decision about the exchange (whether it’s worth using or not), but it’s definitely still important!

Nowadays, the vast majority of exchanges out there try to cater to complete crypto trading beginners. There’s a notable influx of new people who want to start trading crypto - it makes sense!

ShapeShift has surely managed to optimize their website, app, and the entire platform as far as usability goes. While this might not help answer the question “is ShapeShift safe?”, it’s definitely worth keeping in mind!

In fact, I would go as far as to say that ShapeShift might be one of the most fun-to-use crypto exchanges I’ve tried out, in a very long time! It’s very visually appealing, does not concern you with difficult industry jargon or needless technicalities, and is simply fun to use, in general.

Surely a great feature to have!

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50+ Supported Crypto Assets

Cryptocurrency support is very important for a successful crypto platform. As mentioned earlier, the crypto markets have become very popular in the past few years. With this increase in popularity, there have naturally been many more people coming to the industry, too.

One thing that also increased, however, is the peoples’ proclivity towards researching and then purchasing altcoins. While Bitcoin still remains one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, more and more crypto enthusiasts want to hold a wider assortment of crypto coins.

ShapeShift exchange review: 50+ assets supported.

As you can imagine, exchanges must follow the market demand in order to retain their clients, and thus offer bigger numbers of assets to purchase and trade with.

As of writing this ShapeShift exchange review, the company currently allows you to trade more than 50 different cryptocurrencies. While this number isn’t exponential, it’s still pretty good!

Innovative Features (Rainfall)

Another thing that makes ShapeShift a decent crypto exchange alternative is the fact of how much attention they pay to providing the user with some different features. It’s something that’s echoed by many online ShapeShift exchange reviews, too!

Take their latest update - Rainfall - as an example. What Rainfall does is it allows you to receive USDT rewards every single time someone makes a trade on the ShapeShift platform.

ShapeShift exchange review: Rainfall.

The chances of you getting the reward each time depend on just how many Fox tokens it is that you’re holding. Currently, these tokens can only be earned by completing some specific tasks related to your account - the company does mention that, if there’s a demand, they might start selling the Fox tokens, too.

In any case, ShapeShift does offer their users both intricate and interesting features, and also - from time to time - some cool giveaways, too. Definitely an added bonus!

Super-Low Fees

Admittedly, fees are among the most important features when picking out the best crypto exchange for yourself.

It makes perfect sense, too - I mean, if you want to maximize your profits, you’re going to want to find an exchange that offers the lowest possible fees, right? Well, THAT, and a platform that would be safe, too!

Concerning the “is ShapeShift legit, fee-wise?” question, I can tell you right now - yes, the platform actually offers its users some super-low fees, especially when you compare them to some other exchanges out there.

ShapeShift exchange review: trade crypto without commision.

You see, with ShapeShift, the fees actually depend on the cryptocurrency that you’re trading. In the vast majority of cases (depending on how much it is that you trade, though), the currency-specific fees are going to be smaller than those that are fixed, and that you’d find on other exchanges.

Some user ShapeShift exchange reviews also point out that there are no deposit or withdrawal fees, either. That’s awesome! 

The KeepKey Wallet

While this isn’t exactly something that’s part of the ShapeShift platform itself, it’s still a product that the company offers, so it’s worth mentioning, nonetheless.

The KeepKey wallet is a hardware cryptocurrency wallet made and sold by ShapeShift. By popular opinion, it’s considered to be among the most popular crypto wallets on the market.

This is actually a great example for anyone who’s asking is ShapeShift safe, too - most user ShapeShift reviews that talk about the wallet tend to agree that the device is a great alternative to storing your crypto coins in some hot wallets, security-wise.

Naturally, a brand dealing in some of the safest cryptocurrency wallets would probably make sure that their exchange is secure, too!

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ShapeShift Exchange Review: CONS

Now that we’ve covered all of the most notable features of the crypto exchange in question, let’s take a look at some of the negative user ShapeShift exchange reviews and feedback that you might come across online. Once we have that out of the way, we’ll move on to discussing the registration process to the site, too.

Prior Security Breach

While ShapeShift is currently considered to be a safe crypto exchange, it has some history with security breaches. However, the breach that this company experienced isn’t exactly the same as most other breaches that happen with different exchanges.

ShapeShift’s security was breached by an employee within the company. Approximately $230,000 worth of crypto coins were stolen from the company’s hot wallets. No actual users were impacted in the breach, though.

ShapeShift exchange review: your crypto, your expertise.

Admittedly, any and all security breaches should be taken very seriously. The fact that ShapeShift transitioned from an anonymous exchange to an account creation-requiring one isn’t ideal in this scenario, either. Having said that, the company did manage to rebuild its reputation, and is currently considered to be reliable, nonetheless.

If you'd like to use an even more reliable option, though, you should turn to either Coinbase, or Binance. Hardware wallet-wise, Ledger and Trezor are going to be the top picks.

Some Users Report Lost Funds During Transactions

There are actually some user ShapeShift exchange reviews found on Reddit that talk about this extensively.

Apparently, some of ShapeShift’s clients have lost their funds that they sent from the exchange to their wallets. The company even acknowledged this issue in those same Reddit threads, and noted that they are working to fix the issues, and refund the users their lost assets.

Looking into it a bit further, it seems that, while the vast majority of people didn’t really have any issues with their transactions, there was a small percentage of the client base that encountered such a problem.

ShapeShift exchange review: buy crypto with a debit or credit card.

As you might have noticed, I’m using the past tense while describing this issue - that’s because most of the aforementioned complaints date quite some time back, and there aren’t any notable references to such events as of late.

If there’s one thing that these situations have showed, though, is that while the answers to the question “is ShapeShift safe?” can be mixed, it’s obvious that the company is rather active on their media channels, since they responded to most of the frustrated users who had made those same Reddit threads.

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How to Use ShapeShift?

To finish off our ShapeShift exchange review, let’s check out the actual usability aspects of the site. First off, the registration process.

Step 1: Go to ShapeShift’s official website.

Step 2: Press the Get Started button. Now, you’ll need to type in your email, and create a password.

ShapeShift exchange review: join ShapeShift.

Step 3: Here, you will be asked to download the ShapeShift app in order to verify your account. You can do so by scanning the QR code. Alternatively, you can just go to your email and follow the link found there.

ShapeShift exchange review: account verification.

ShapeShift exchange review: email verification.

That’s it - while you’ll need to verify your identity, still (if you haven't done so via the QR code and app), the general account creation process is done! It’s super-quick and simple to follow through with.

How to Start Trading on ShapeShift?

Now, once you have your account, and have figured out is ShapeShift legit or not, you’ll probably want to start trading.

Step 1: From your Dashboard, press the GO TO PLATFORM button.

ShapeShift exchange review: account created.

Step 2: Once you’re on the platform, press the Trade button on the left side of the screen.

Step 3: Now, if you have verified your account, you’ll be able to trade your selected amount of cryptocurrency. If you haven’t verified it yet, you’ll need to do so via the QR code mentioned above.

ShapeShift exchange review: trade cryptocurrencies.

Step 4: While ShapeShift itself does not support fiat money, you can actually exchange your currency with Banxa. It’s integrated within the platform.

Once you make the trade, the crypto coins should be credited to your wallet in a short amount of time. That’s it!

Binance Review
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
  • Very low trading fees
  • Exceptional functionality
  • Mobile trading app
Main Features
  • Very competitive trading fees
  • An intuitive mobile app
  • Up to 100x leverage available
Kraken Review
Pros
  • Secure and reliable
  • Low fees
  • A good amount of fiat currencies accepted
Main Features
  • Reputable exchange
  • Multiple fiat currencies are accepted
  • Relatively low trading fees

Conclusions

Now, would I recommend using ShapeShift?

Well, online, you’ll find many undecisive user ShapeShift exchange reviews - I have to agree with most of them in that it’s not a simple answer to give!

If you love small fees and amazing platform usability, then sure - ShapeShift could be a great alternative, especially seeing that it offers its users a lot of different features and promotions.

However, if you’d like to use an exchange to transfer fiat-to-crypto, or aren’t too fond of the negative user reviews that mention the transaction issue that the platform has experienced, you could also check out some ShapeShift alternatives, too - Binance and Coinbase are the leaders in this area.

All of that said, thanks for reading this ShapeShift exchange review, and I wish you all the best of luck in your crypto ventures to come!

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.

About Article's Experts & Analysts

By Kevin Riedl

Founder at Wavect

Kevin Riedl is a versatile professional with expertise in smart contracts, dApps, and Web3 development. As a developer and speaker, Kevin is actively involved in the Web3 community, engaging with industry leaders and sharing insights through podca...

By Aaron S.

Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era. W...
Aaron S. , Editor-In-Chief
Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.
Kevin Riedl , Founder at Wavect
Kevin Riedl is a versatile professional with expertise in smart contracts, dApps, and Web3 development. As a developer and speaker, Kevin is actively involved in the Web3 community, engaging with industry leaders and sharing insights through podcasts. He is the founder of Wavect, which is a Web3 software agency. It develops smart contracts and dApps. Furthermore, Kevin Riedl is a lead blockchain engineer at Quivr. Quivr is a universal digital identity solution that validates passions, credentials, skills, and attendance through data.

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Leave your honest ShapeShift review

Leave your genuine opinion & help thousands of people to choose the best crypto wallet. All reviews, either positive or negative, are accepted as long as they’re honest. We do not publish biased reviews or spam. So if you want to share your experience, opinion or give advice - the scene is yours!

Recent ShapeShift User Reviews

Hamid Bender

5.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
23/07/2024

Thank you

Always responsive and helpful.

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Jaydn Costa

5.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
25/09/2024

Very satisfied

Reaponse in 5 minites and very helpful

Evaluation

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Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Ella-Rose Walters

5.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
23/09/2024

Shapeshift Efficiency

Always prompt and helpful.

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Saim Best

5.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
08/09/2024

Everything is good

Both tutorials & shapeshift are wonderful

Evaluation

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Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Keiron Ochoa

4.2/5.0 - ShapeShift User
06/07/2024

I had a problem. Problem fixed

I had a problem. I used the messaging service. Problem solved with the advice. Thank you.

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Aaryan Estes

4.2/5.0 - ShapeShift User
05/07/2024

Not the best

platform very good but not the best

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Isadora Copeland

4.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
14/09/2024

OK

I have been using the services of this company relatively recently. So far so good

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Gabrielle Cabrera

4.4/5.0 - ShapeShift User
11/08/2024

Good fee

Low and clear… That's good

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Rizwan Bowler

4.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
12/09/2024

Got issue

I have got issue when transferring the coin, but support team reply really fast and helpful

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Donell Mack

4.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
17/09/2024

Wondering…

Breach history… I'm quite worry

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

nicelinux

2.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
17/08/2024

nice

good review

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Monica Thompson

2.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
09/09/2024

Security Is Concerning

It is certain that ShapeShift has a reputation for security... But that recent security breach is concerning.... In my humble opinion, at least....

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

heather

4.8/5.0 - ShapeShift User
04/08/2024

Not their fault!!!!

Any exchange can suffer what they suffered!!! After all, it was an INTERNAL breach!!! ANY exchange that has HUMANS working has this exploit!!! As Mr. Robot said: HUMANS are ALWAYS exploits!!

Evaluation

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Ease of Use
Experience
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Safety

greenfields587

3.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
04/09/2024

ui rocks

its a pretty interface at least

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Pamela Nguyen

2.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
02/09/2024

Third-Party Raises Questions

ShapeShift using a third party for their fiat payments is an interesting move, but it raises questions about who is ACTUALLY in control of user funds.

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

SAMANTHA THOMAS

2.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
15/08/2024

KINDA MEH

DUNNO I FOUND THE FEES EXPENSIVE

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Gene Carr

2.6/5.0 - ShapeShift User
17/09/2024

They have my trust

Time will tell if they can regain the trust of their users

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Joana Santos

3.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
09/08/2024

Nice review!!!!

This review offers a balanced view of Shapeshift... It's good to see we still have writers out there striving against bias to deliver good info for readers!!!

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

Brennan Miller

3.0/5.0 - ShapeShift User
23/07/2024

Just observing

It will be interesting to see how shapeshift plays out

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
Features
Safety

macladybug214

2.8/5.0 - ShapeShift User
02/08/2024

unfortunately... :/

no exchange is immune to humans being unethical :/

Evaluation

Price value
Ease of Use
Experience
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Safety

FAQ

Is ShapeShift a good cryptocurrency exchange platform?

Most user ShapeShift exchange reviews are going to tell you that the platform is actually rather decent, as far as crypto exchanges go! While it may not be as popular as some other exchange sites out there, ShapeShift still offers its users a lot of different features, and some amazing fees, too.

What are the main features of ShapeShift?

ShapeShift has great fees, amazing usability features, and is very simple to use. It used to be an anonymous cryptocurrency exchange, but has lost this status some time ago. Still, the platform supports more than 50 different crypto assets, and is generally considered a decent exchange by most crypto enthusiasts who have tried it out.

How to pick the best crypto exchange for yourself?

Picking out the best crypto exchange for yourself, you should always focus on maintaining a balance between the essential features that all top crypto exchanges should have, and those that are important to you, personally. For example, all of the best exchanges should possess top-tier security features, but if you're looking to trade only the main cryptocurrencies, you probably don't really care too much about the variety of coins available on the exchange. It's all a case-by-case scenario!

Which cryptocurrency exchange is best for beginners?

Reading through various best crypto exchange reviews online, you're bound to notice that one of the things that most of these exchanges have in common is that they are very simple to use. While some are more straightforward and beginner-friendly than others, you shouldn't encounter any difficulties with either of the top-rated exchanges. That said, many users believe that KuCoin is one of the simpler exchanges on the current market.

What is the difference between a crypto exchange and a brokerage?

In layman's terms, a cryptocurrency exchange is a place where you meet and exchange cryptocurrencies with another person. The exchange platform (i.e. Binance) acts as a middleman - it connects you (your offer or request) with that other person (the seller or the buyer). With a brokerage, however, there is no “other person” - you come and exchange your crypto coins or fiat money with the platform in question, without the interference of any third party. When considering cryptocurrency exchange rankings, though, both of these types of businesses (exchanges and brokerages) are usually just thrown under the umbrella term - exchange. This is done for the sake of simplicity.

Are all the top cryptocurrency exchanges based in the United States?

No, definitely not! While some of the top cryptocurrency exchanges are, indeed, based in the United States (i.e. KuCoin or Kraken), there are other very well-known industry leaders that are located all over the world. For example, Binance is based in Tokyo, Japan, while Bittrex is located in Liechtenstein. While there are many reasons for why an exchange would prefer to be based in one location over another, most of them boil down to business intricacies, and usually have no effect on the user of the platform.

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