The verdict
7.0 / 10 · CONSIDER
Luno (London-headquartered, founded 2013, owned by DCG) operates as a crypto exchange + custodial wallet with strongest presence in UK, South Africa, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia. FCA-registered (UK), FSCA-licensed (ZA). Single sign-on between custody, buy-sell, and savings products.
◆ BUY IT IF
- Long-track-record platform (13 years)
- FCA + FSCA + Bank Negara Malaysia regulated
- Strong African market presence
- Free GBP / EUR / ZAR / IDR deposits
◇ SKIP IT IF
- No debit card / IBAN — pure exchange + custody
- DCG ownership = legacy Genesis-era counterparty exposure questions
- Fees on small trades higher than Bitvavo / Kraken
- Earn rates dropped post-2022; not yield-leader
§ 01 SCORE BREAKDOWN
Eight axes, weighted.
DIMENSION WEIGHT RATING SCORE
Regulatory safety
FCA Cryptoasset Firm registration (UK); FSCA-licensed CASP (South Africa); Bank Negara Malaysia recognised mar
Card & IBAN
No card, no IBAN
Yield
Up to 4% APY
Coin selection
20 coins supported
App UX
Transparency
Proof of Reserves, public filings, incident history
Fees & spreads
Support
§ 02 THE FIELD TEST
How we tested Luno.
Drafted from public sources — regulatory licences verified against issuing-authority registers (NYDFS, FCA, MAS, VARA, FSCA, etc.); fees verified from current published rate cards. Not yet field-tested.
DATE STEP TIME NOTES
— Account opened — KYC completed end-to-end
— First deposit — Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources; first-hand testing scheduled for the next review cycle.
— First withdrawal — Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources; first-hand testing scheduled for the next review cycle.
— Card activated — Card not supported / not ordered
— Last hands-on check — Drafted from public sources — regulatory licences verified against issuing-authority registers (NYDFS, FCA, MAS, VARA, FSCA, etc.); fees verified from current published rate cards. Not yet field-tested.
§ 03 SPECIFICATIONS
Everything, in one table.
Regulation
- Regulatory status
- FCA Cryptoasset Firm registration (UK); FSCA-licensed CASP (South Africa); Bank Negara Malaysia recognised market operator; SC Malaysia approved.
- FDIC insurance
- No
- MiCA compliant
- No
- Founded
- 2013
- HQ
- London, UK + Cape Town, South Africa
Fees
- Monthly account fee
- Free
- Trading fee
- —
- Withdrawal fee
- Variable
Yield & products
- Earn yield
- 0.5–4% on BTC/ETH/USDC
- Max APY
- 4%
- Staking
- Yes
- Crypto-backed loans
- No
- Supported coins
- 20
Banking
- IBAN
- No
- Debit card
- No
- DeFi access
- No
- NFT support
- No
Regions
- Regions available
- UK, Africa, Asia, EU, South Africa, Nigeria, SEA
- Markets served
- —
Support
- Trustpilot
- N/A
§ 04 FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luno safe? +
Luno has a regulatory status of: FCA Cryptoasset Firm registration (UK); FSCA-licensed CASP (South Africa); Bank Negara Malaysia recognised market operator; SC Malaysia approved.. Always verify current regulatory status directly with the platform before depositing.
What is the maximum APY on Luno? +
Luno currently offers up to 4% APY. Rate as of 2026-04-29. Rates change — always check the platform for current rates before depositing.
Where is Luno available? +
Luno is available in: UK, Africa, Asia, EU, South Africa, Nigeria, SEA. Markets served: .
Does Luno have a debit card? +
No, Luno does not currently offer a debit card.