SwapRaven
Methodology

Rankings & ratings

How listings are ordered, graded, and described. Nothing here is pay-to-win — sponsorship only affects placement, and it's always labelled.

The Trust score (default order)

By default the directory is sorted by a Trust score — a single composite score (higher is better) that blends six signals:

35%
Grade
Our editorial letter grade for the service (see below) — the largest single input.
25%
Reviews
Average member star rating, weighted by how many reviews exist.
17%
Age since founded
How long the service has operated — older, established desks rank higher.
10%
Member votes
The community's likes vs. dislikes on the listing (see below).
8%
Age in the directory
How long the listing has been tracked here.
5%
Speed
How fast the exchange processes a swap, when known — faster ranks higher (see below).

The score is continuous, so exact ties don't happen; when two services are extremely close, the one listed (or founded) earlier ranks first. You can switch to other orders any time — Grade, Name (A–Z), Date founded (newest or oldest), KYC level, or lowest Fee.

Sponsors appear in the strip at the top of every page and are pinned above other listings in the directory's sortable views (Grade, Name, Date founded, KYC, Fee). They're always marked with a Sponsor badge — and the default Trust order stays purely merit-based, so sponsorship never changes how anyone (including the sponsor) is scored or ranked.

Grade

An editorial letter grade reflecting overall trustworthiness and track record. It's the largest single input to the Trust score.

A Excellent B Good C Fair D Caution F Avoid – Not yet graded

Reviews

Reviews come from registered members. To post one you must supply a proof-of-use order link (kept private, shown only to admins), and every review is held for moderation before it appears. A service's review contribution to the Trust score blends the average rating with the number of reviews, so a 5★ rating from many people counts for more than a single glowing review.

Member votes (likes & dislikes)

Every listing has a like / dislike control. Signed-in members get one vote per listing — like it or dislike it — and can switch or remove their vote at any time. Each card and listing page shows the running tally (likes minus dislikes), with your own vote highlighted.

Votes are 10% of the Trust score. We use the share of likes out of all votes cast, dampened by how many votes there are — so a strong, well-voted consensus counts for more than a couple of stray clicks, and a listing with no votes simply earns nothing here (it isn't penalised). Voting is members-only to keep it honest.

Reviews can also be marked helpful by members, but those review votes are purely a social signal to surface the most useful reviews first — they do not affect any ranking.

KYC likelihood

How likely the service is to ask you to verify your identity.

Never
Does not perform KYC.
Rare
Rarely requests KYC.
Likely if suspicious
May request KYC on flagged or unusual activity.
Always
KYC is required to use the service.
Not stated
Unknown or varies by provider.

AML enforcement

How strictly the service applies anti-money-laundering controls.

Minimal
Little to no AML enforcement.
Lenient
Light, infrequent enforcement.
Risk-based
Applied when activity looks risky.
Strict
Comprehensive AML controls.
Undisclosed
Not stated.

JavaScript

Whether the service's site needs JavaScript — relevant for hardened browsers and Tor.

None
Works fully without JavaScript.
Optional
JavaScript enhances but isn't required.
Required
The site needs JavaScript to function.
Not stated
Unknown.

Speed

The average time the exchange itself takes to process a swap, shown as a 3-bar speed indicator and used as a small part of the Trust score (up to 5%). It only ever helps a listing — when no time is recorded it contributes nothing rather than counting against the listing.

Fast — ≤ 10 minutes (full speed credit).
Medium — ≤ 30 minutes (partial credit).
Slow — over 30 minutes (small credit).
Not stated
No processing time recorded — no effect on the score.

Listings and reviews are community-submitted and published only after admin review. See About for more.