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CEX.IO vs Pintu

Comparing
two exchanges
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-27

A card-friendly exchange licensed across most of the US, but currently closed to deposits and trading in Europe.

Mobile-first Indonesian exchange, OJK-licensed, with a pro tier at 0.12 percent maker for anyone who outgrows the simple app.

Verdict: Pintu

Pintu rates higher on our rubric: 4.1 against 4.0 for CEX.IO.

Criterion
Editorial rating
CEX.IO
4.0
Pintu
4.1

CEX.IO and Pintu, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

CEX.IO and Pintu compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCEX.IOPintu
Editorial rating4.04.1 (favoured on this row)
Published feesMaker-taker; card costs morePro 0.12% maker, 0.17% taker
Maker feeNot published0.12 percent on Pintu Pro
Taker feeNot published0.17 percent on Pintu Pro
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported61
Countries ranked in1461
Ranks first in00
Countries shared11
Security record6 dated events, 1 incident, latest 2026-08-27No record on file
Founded20132020
HeadquartersLondon, United KingdomJakarta, Indonesia
Last reviewed2026-08-272026-08-23

Where both CEX.IO and Pintu are ranked

Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Countries whose guide ranks both CEX.IO and Pintu, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCEX.IO ranksPintu ranksComparison
IndonesiaLegal#6#2

Security records of the exchanges ranked in this comparison

Dated events from each review, newest first: breaches, enforcement actions, licences, audits and proof-of-reserves publications. 1 of the 2 carry no dated record on our reviews yet.

CEX.IO6 events

  1. 2026-08-27Outage

    Deposits and trading unavailable in Europe, withdrawals still open

  2. 2026-08-27Licence

    Money transmitter licences in 38 states and DC under NMLS 1804170

  3. 2026-03-12Licence

    UK entity registered with the FCA under the money laundering rules

The full record, with sources, in the CEX.IO review

Frequently asked questions

Is CEX.IO or Pintu better?

Pintu rates higher on our rubric: 4.1 against 4.0 for CEX.IO. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.

Which is cheaper, CEX.IO or Pintu?

CEX.IO: Maker-taker; card costs more. Pintu: Pro 0.12% maker, 0.17% taker. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.

Where can I use both CEX.IO and Pintu?

Both are ranked in our guides for Indonesia. CEX.IO is ranked in 146 countries in all and Pintu in 1; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Has CEX.IO or Pintu had a security incident?

CEX.IO carries 1 incident among 6 dated events, the latest on 2026-08-27: Deposits and trading unavailable in Europe, withdrawals still open. Pintu carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do CEX.IO and Pintu require ID verification?

CEX.IO: required; identity verification is required before purchasing.. Pintu: required.

The full reviews: CEX.IO and Pintu, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.

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