Methodology
How we score crypto exchange bonuses
Every score on CryptoBonusZone is calculated from visible criteria, not set by hand and not for sale. This page explains exactly how, so you can judge whether our ranking deserves your trust.
Advertised is not what you get
A headline like "up to 30,000 USDT" is the total across every reward tier, unlocked only as you deposit and trade large amounts. Almost nobody receives the full figure. We show that headline as the maximum advertised number, and separately track the realistic reward a typical user can expect.
When we have not yet confirmed the realistic figure against an exchange's official terms, we mark it Unverified rather than print a number we cannot stand behind.
The scoring categories
The overall score out of 10 is a weighted average of the categories we have data for. Categories we cannot yet verify are shown as not assessed and left out of the average, so a score never rests on a guess.
Trading fees
28%Scored from the published futures taker fee. Lower fees score higher, because fees quietly erase a bonus over months of active trading.
Advertised bonus size
22%The headline 'up to' figure, scored on a log scale so a huge number does not dominate. We label this clearly as a ceiling, not a typical payout.
Assets & platform
22%Breadth of listed coins and whether there is a fiat on-ramp, as a proxy for how useful the platform is once the bonus is gone.
Track record
18%How long the exchange has operated and where it is based. Longer history is a weak but real signal of stability.
Bonus conditions
10%Minimum deposit, required trading volume, claim window and whether the reward is withdrawable. Scored only once we verify these against official terms.
Security & regulation
assessed when verifiedRegulatory status and security posture. We leave this unscored until we can point to a real source, rather than guess.
Where the money comes from
We earn affiliate commissions when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. That funds the site. It does not buy a higher position: the score is computed by the formula above, and an exchange cannot pay to move up. Read the full affiliate disclosure.
How a review is put together
- 1We gather each exchange's public data: fees, listed assets, founding, headquarters and the advertised bonus.
- 2We check the bonus against the exchange's own terms page, and record what we could and could not confirm.
- 3The score is calculated from that data. Anything unconfirmed is marked Unverified instead of estimated.
- 4We date each review and note changes over time, so you can see how current it is.
Spotted something out of date? Email hello@cryptobonuszone.com and we will fix it.