How We Test & Score
Every rating on HodlChecker comes from the same place: weighted criteria, published here, applied by a human who used the product. No rankings for sale.
The rules we score under
- Rankings are never paid for. Partners cannot buy a position, a score, or the removal of criticism. Commercial relationships have no channel into editorial decisions.
- Affiliate links fund the site — and are disclosed. Some links pay us a commission at no cost to you. How that works is on our affiliate disclosure page.
- Geography matters. We don't promote platforms in regions where they aren't appropriately registered — visitors in a blocked region are routed to a regulated alternative instead.
- Scores change when facts change. Reviews are re-verified on a rolling cycle and updated after fee changes, license changes, or security incidents. Hub pages carry last-verified stamps.
Scoring criteria by category
Each product is scored out of 100 across five weighted criteria. The weights differ by category because the risks differ — a wallet is judged on custody security, a lending platform on whether you can actually get your money out.
Crypto Exchanges
We sign up, deposit, trade, and withdraw on each platform to verify its claims before scoring it.
Regulatory licenses, 2FA, cold storage, hack history, proof of reserves
Maker/taker fees, withdrawal fees, spread costs, fee discount programs
Number of trading pairs, altcoin depth, new listings, order book liquidity
Interface design, mobile app, advanced trading tools, beginner mode
Live chat, phone, email, response times, help center quality
Crypto Wallets
Wallets are judged on how safely they hold your keys first, and on convenience second.
Key storage model, secure element, open-source status, audit history
Coins and chains supported, staking access, NFT handling
Setup flow, backup and recovery experience, day-to-day ergonomics
DApp connectivity, swaps, portfolio view, multi-device support
Hardware cost, fees on built-in services, what you get for the money
Lending & Earn Platforms
Yield means nothing if the platform fails. Track record and withdrawal freedom carry as much weight as the headline rate — Celsius and BlockFi are why.
Custody model, regulation, insurance, proof of reserves
Real achievable APY, rate tiers, lock-up requirements, fine print
Notice periods, withdrawal limits, exit fees, historical freezes
Supported assets and stablecoins, network options
Years operating, incident history, transparency of the operating entity
ASIC Miners & Mining Hardware
Miner scores are driven by live profitability math — hashrate, efficiency and power draw against current network difficulty and price — with assumptions published on every product page.
Daily profit at current difficulty and electricity costs, months to break even
Energy per unit of hashrate — the number that decides long-run viability
Failure rates, thermals, noise, firmware maturity
Stock reality, reputable resellers, warranty handling
Configuration difficulty, documentation, spare-part availability
The testing process
For platforms (exchanges, lending, cards) a review cycle covers the full life of an account:
- Account registration — KYC timing and verification requirements
- Deposit test — crypto and fiat where supported
- Core-function test — trades, transfers, or borrows depending on the product
- Fee verification — advertised rates vs. what was actually charged, including spread
- Withdrawal test — timing and fees on the way out, not just the way in
- Support test — real queries through live chat and email, response times recorded
- Security audit — license verification, 2FA options, disclosure history
For hardware (miners, and hardware wallets as our review program expands) we work from device-level data — power draw, thermals, setup experience — and publish the assumptions behind every profitability figure so you can rerun the math yourself.
We are building toward published receipts — dated screenshots of deposits, withdrawals and settings from our own test accounts — on every page that claims first-hand testing. Where a page doesn't yet show that evidence, treat its claims accordingly; we hold ourselves to the same skepticism we recommend.
Related policies
- About HodlChecker — who runs the site and how it's funded
- Affiliate disclosure — how commissions work
- Editorial policy — standards for everything we publish
- AI policy — where AI assists and where humans decide