Crypto exchange reviews for New Zealanders

How we review crypto platforms

Most “best crypto exchange in NZ” lists are written for a global audience and updated once a year, if that. Several still rank Easy Crypto near the top, months after it stopped trading. Our reviews start from what matters to someone paying in New Zealand dollars: who you actually contract with, whether that company is on the NZ Financial Service Providers Register, how NZD gets in and out, and what a typical NZ$1,000 purchase really costs once fees, spreads and currency conversion are added.

We check those facts on primary sources — each platform’s own legal and fee pages, the FSPR, regulators’ announcements — and date them. Where we rely on a third party, we say so. We don’t give star ratings or scores; each review ends with who the platform suits and who should look elsewhere. You can read the full checklist on our how we review page, and the ranked shortlist lives on the home page.

All our New Zealand exchange reviews

How the platforms compare on NZ basics

The table below compares regulatory status, how you get NZD back out, and who each platform suits. A different cut — NZD deposits and entry fees — is on the home page list. Note that “registered” here means listed on the FSPR, not licensed; that distinction trips a lot of people up, and our NZ crypto regulation guide explains it.

Two patterns stand out. First, only a few platforms offer a clean NZD round trip by bank transfer — Swyftx in and out for free, Sharesies inside its own app. Global exchanges mostly rely on cards to get money in and on card refunds, SWIFT wires or P2P to get it out. Second, registration status is moving: Swyftx added an NZ company in October 2025, Sharesies registered crypto entities in September 2025, and Independent Reserve’s NZ company was deregistered in August 2026. Always check the current status before you send a large amount.

Closed or defunct NZ crypto platforms

New Zealand has lost a lot of local crypto businesses — usually because they couldn’t keep a bank account, sometimes because of hacks or mismanagement. If you used one of these, here is where things stand:

Cryptopia’s case left a lasting mark: in 2020 the High Court held that crypto held by an exchange for customers is property held on trust, which is part of why its liquidators were able to return assets — reportedly worth at least NZ$400 million — to verified account holders years later. Dasset’s customers have been less fortunate, with liquidators reporting about NZ$6.9 million of liabilities against NZ$0.6 million of assets.

How to choose a crypto exchange in New Zealand

Start with how you want to pay. If you’ll buy regularly by bank transfer and want NZD back in your account without fees, an NZD exchange such as Swyftx is hard to beat. If you prefer to pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay and want a long-running global platform, CEX.IO is our first pick — just remember the bank’s currency conversion. If you want the lowest trading fees and are comfortable with peer-to-peer trades, Binance fits; for a simple, local app next to your shares, Sharesies Crypto.

Then check four things before you deposit: whether the company is on the FSPR (and which entity you contract with), the full cost of a purchase including spread and FX, how you will get NZD out when you sell, and whether you can withdraw coins to your own wallet. Our step-by-step buying guide walks through the first purchase, and the cash-out guide covers the other end. Whatever you choose, keep records of every trade for IRD — our crypto tax guide explains why.

Finally, don’t keep everything in one place. Exchanges are for buying and selling; long-term savings are safer in a wallet you control. Our wallet guide covers hardware and app options you can buy in New Zealand.