Research & Review Methodology

First-person means actually using it

When an article says “I tested this,” it means a real account was opened, fees were paid, withdrawals were attempted, and customer support was contacted when needed. Exchange reviews are based on active accounts — not screenshots, press releases, or competitor comparisons from a spreadsheet.

For platforms I no longer actively use, I note when I last used them and what may have changed since. Stale firsthand experience is disclosed; secondhand claims are labeled as such or cut entirely.

How we verify fees and rates

Fee data is sourced directly from official exchange fee pages — not aggregator sites. For crypto exchange reviews, the fee table is checked against the exchange's own published schedule at the time of writing, with the date noted. For staking yields, the primary source is StakingRewards.com cross-referenced against on-chain data from Etherscan or CoinGecko.

For tax articles, the source is the IRS directly — specific publication numbers are cited, not third-party tax blogs. For stock or mining data, sources include SEC EDGAR filings and named analyst reports (cited by firm and date).

If a fee has changed since publication, the article gets updated. The “Last Updated” date at the top and bottom of every article reflects when the content was last verified, not just when it was originally published.

Sources we cite — and sources we don't

Authority sources we cite directly:

• ✦On-chain data: Etherscan
• ✦Market data: CoinGecko
• ✦Market data: CoinMarketCap
• ✦Staking yields: StakingRewards.com
• ✦Mining hashrate: Hashrate Index
• ✦US tax rules: IRS.gov
• ✦SEC filings: SEC EDGAR

We do not cite other crypto blogs, unverified aggregators, or any source that is itself citing a source. If the chain of evidence leads back to a press release or anonymous claim, it doesn't make it into an article.

How articles are structured

Every article follows the same basic architecture:

• ✦TL;DR box: A 3-bullet summary at the top — the honest bottom line before you read anything else.
• ✦First-person framing: Ryan's actual position and perspective, stated up front. Income investor, not a maximalist, four market cycles.
• ✦Data with sources: Key numbers link directly to the authoritative source — not "according to data," but "per Etherscan as of March 2026."
• ✦Risk section: Every article covering a financial product or strategy includes an explicit risk discussion — what can go wrong, not just what can go right.
• ✦My Review Criteria block: After the main content, a structured block explains how this specific article was evaluated: what sources were checked, what math was run, who this is actually for, and a direct verdict.
• ✦Author box: Ryan's credentials, published date, and last-updated date — so you know when it was written and when it was last checked.

Affiliate links and editorial independence

Some articles contain affiliate links. When you sign up for an exchange or platform through a CryptoRyancy link, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Affiliate relationships do not affect rankings or verdicts. Platforms we don't recommend don't appear in “best of” lists regardless of whether they offer a commission. Platforms that changed for the worse (Coinbase fee structure, Celsius Network) are called out regardless of whether we earn from them.

Every article with affiliate links includes an editorial disclosure at the top.

Update policy

Crypto moves fast. A fee table from 6 months ago may be wrong today. High-traffic guides are reviewed on a regular schedule — any time a platform changes its fees, security posture, or regulatory status, the relevant articles get updated and the “Last Updated” date changes.

If you spot outdated information, you can reach out via @CryptoRyancy on X. Corrections are made promptly — we'd rather be right than look right.