Trading access and asset custody are different decisions
An exchange account is a service relationship: the provider typically controls the infrastructure and, for custodial services, custody arrangements. A self-custody wallet changes who controls the keys and recovery material. Neither approach eliminates risk; they create different responsibilities and failure modes.
Compare real operating risks
Consider the consequences of losing access, a platform outage, credential theft, a recovery-phrase compromise or sending an asset to an incompatible address. Fees can include trading, withdrawal and network charges, while supported networks and withdrawal rules vary by provider.
- Who controls the private keys?
- What happens if account access or recovery credentials are lost?
- Which assets and networks can be deposited and withdrawn?
- What identity checks, restrictions and jurisdictional rules apply?
Avoid treating security as one badge
Security should be examined through custody model, user controls, incident history, account protections and the specific product being used. The fact that a service offers two-factor authentication does not make every other part of it safe.
Keep provider comparisons factual
TradeOffr’s crypto section covers trading-related tools and source-verified provider descriptions. Always use the official provider documentation for custody and product-specific disclosures, and verify legal availability where you live.
Use this guide as a framework for research. Provider-specific facts shown in TradeOffr comparisons are published through the official-source verification gate; unresolved changes stay out of the public comparison.