About — Methodology
How we
do this.
Every material claim on this site should be sourced, dated, or clearly labelled as analysis. Here's the process behind our exchange comparisons, tax guides, and regulatory coverage.
Standards
Fees, entity and product access checked against current provider pages
All content reviewed quarterly at minimum
Tax information references legislation and HMRC guidance directly
Exchange Testing
We open real accounts on every exchange we review. We deposit real GBP using UK bank transfers and faster payments. We execute live trades and record the actual fees charged — not the fees listed on their marketing pages.
Withdrawal routes are reviewed too. We compare published timing, limits and charges and explain how to move funds back to a UK bank account.
In practice, this means our fee data sometimes differs from what exchanges advertise. The numbers on our comparison tables reflect what you actually pay at standard tier with no volume discounts.
FCA Verification
Every exchange in our comparisons is verified against the FCA Financial Services Register. We check the firm's registration status, reference number, and the specific permissions granted.
Worth knowing: FCA registration for crypto activities currently means anti-money-laundering compliance only. It does not mean the FCA has assessed the exchange's financial soundness or that your funds are protected by the FSCS. We explain this distinction clearly on every exchange review.
Tax Research
Tax content is sourced from HMRC's own guidance documents, published legislation, and established case law. We reference HMRC's Cryptoassets Manual (CRYPTO) as the primary source for how HMRC interprets crypto tax obligations.
We do not invent interpretations. Where HMRC's position is ambiguous, we say so. Where professional opinion varies, we note the range of views.
Here's the thing: tax rules change. The annual allowance dropped from£6,000 to £3,000 in April 2024. CARF reporting started in January 2026. We track these changes and update affected articles within a week.
Content Updates
Every article carries a “Last reviewed” date. We review all content on a quarterly cycle at minimum. Exchange fees, regulatory developments, and tax changes trigger immediate reviews.
When we update an article, the date changes. If the update is substantive — a fee change, a new regulation, a corrected figure — we note what changed. Minor edits (typos, formatting) update the date without a separate changelog entry.
If you spot something outdated or incorrect, email hello@cryptolounge.co.uk. Corrections are prioritised.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some pages may include affiliate or paid partner links. When a commercial relationship applies, the relevant link or content is labelled where it appears so readers can identify it before engaging.
Affiliate relationships do not influence our testing methodology, rankings, or editorial content. Exchanges that pay higher commissions do not receive higher ratings. Our rankings are based on fees, features, security, and user experience based on disclosed features and clearly labelled editorial assessment.
Read the full revenue and editorial-independence policy.