Disclaimer

Let's get this out of the way: everything on this site — articles, data, tools, comparison tables — is my personal notes from 8 years of crypto trading. Not investment advice. Not financial advice. Not legal advice. Whatever you do after reading, the wins and losses are yours to keep.

1. The nature of this content

1088ex.com is an independent personal site. Not a financial institution, not a licensed advisor, not a research firm. I hold no financial licenses and no certifications from any regulator. I'm a guy who got into crypto in April 2018 and trades Binance / OKX / Gate, writing down what I've used, what I've gotten burned by, and how the three compare.

When I say "I recommend X" or "I think Y is better for Z" or "avoid W" — that's my opinion at the moment I wrote it. Markets shift. I change my mind every few months and don't always have time to rewrite old pieces. So treat each article as "GOD's monologue on that specific date" rather than a permanent truth.

2. Crypto volatility

Some myths I'll knock down directly:

• "Just buy and hold, it always goes up long-term" — false. BTC has had three drawdowns of -70% or worse. FTT, LUNA, and a long list of ICO coins didn't recover at all. "Long-term" has to survive multiple winters.
• "3x leverage isn't really leverage" — wrong. At 3x, a 33% drawdown in the underlying liquidates you. BTC fell from $48,000 to $15,500 in 2022 — that's 67%. Any 3x long was gone twice over.
• "Stablecoins are safe" — UST/LUNA, an algorithmic stable, went to zero in 2022. USDC briefly depegged to $0.87 during the SVB collapse in March 2023. USDT has long-standing reserve transparency questions. Anyone who took the word "stable" at face value has already paid the tuition.

3. Don't put rent money in here

The bluntest part of this page:

• Don't put retirement savings into crypto.
• Don't put a mortgage down payment into crypto.
• Don't put your emergency fund (6 months of living expenses) into crypto.
• Don't borrow to trade crypto — not credit card cash advance, not personal loans, not money from a friend.

The only money that belongs in here is money you can watch go to zero without affecting how you eat. If you can't pass that test, walk away. Crypto isn't going anywhere — you can come back when you can afford to lose. My 2018 starting capital was money I could afford to lose, and I got -60% drawdown in year one. My head stayed clear because the rent was still covered. If that first capital had been the down payment for a house, I'd have done something stupid.

4. Regulation and compliance

Different jurisdictions treat crypto very differently. You have to figure out the rules where you live. I can't do that for you.

A few reference points (based on public reporting, official sources take precedence):

• United States: The SEC has filed actions against multiple exchanges in recent years (Coinbase 2023, Kraken 2023, Ripple 2023) over alleged unregistered securities offerings. The IRS treats crypto as property — every sale is a taxable event, and you owe 1099 reporting. The wash-sale rule did not apply to crypto for tax years before 2025; check current law for your filing year.
• European Union: MiCA framework is rolling out — exchanges need authorization to serve EU residents. Some smaller altcoins may be delisted in the EU as a result.
• United Kingdom: FCA registration is required for crypto firms; promotional restrictions on retail leverage products tightened in 2023.
• Hong Kong: VASP licensing regime active since 2023 — narrow but compliant path exists with high entry bar.
• Mainland China: Crypto trading and related business activity classified as illegal financial activity since the 2021 multi-ministry notice. Risk exposure inside the mainland remains high.
• Other regions: Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America vary widely. Check your central bank or financial regulator before signing up anywhere.

This site does not target any specific jurisdiction and does not seek to help anyone circumvent local law. If crypto trading is restricted where you live, follow your local rules — the content here is informational only.

5. Historical reminders

The graveyard is bigger than most newcomers realize. A few markers:

• 2014 · Mt. Gox hacked; 850,000 BTC missing. Claimants are still being paid out a decade later.
• 2016 · Bitfinex hacked for ~120,000 BTC. Users were force-converted into BFX tokens.
• 2019 · QuadrigaCX founder dies abruptly with sole access to keys; $190M user funds gone. Investigations still open.
• 2022 · LUNA / UST algorithmic stablecoin death spiral wipes out $40B in market cap, triggers the full bear market.
• 2022 · FTX collapses. SBF later convicted on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. At its peak FTX was a global top-3 exchange.
• 2023 · Multiple smaller exchanges close or rugpull. Countless on-chain rug pulls.

Two lessons from that list. First, no exchange is unconditionally safe. Mt. Gox was the largest in its day. FTX paid politicians and put its name on a stadium. Second, large positions belong in hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor, OneKey — I've used all three). The exchange is for the portion you actively trade, not your main bag. I've held to this rule since 2019 and it saved me once already (FTX).

6. Accuracy of data in articles

At the time I publish a piece, I do my best to verify fees, rules, and on-chain data against the exchange's official page, block explorers, and Coingecko. But crypto moves fast:

• Exchanges adjust fee structures with little warning;
• Feature launches and shutdowns aren't always well-announced;
• VIP tiers and promotional discounts change often;
• Protocol upgrades change gas models, block times, and withdrawal timing.

So: verify against the exchange's official page before you transact. The numbers in my articles are reference, not commitments. Spot something stale or wrong? Email me and I'll update the article and log it on the corrections page.

7. Affiliate relationships

This site uses official referral codes for Binance / OKX / Gate (BN68999 / OK6899 / GATEVVCC). I may receive a marketing service fee when readers sign up through these links. Details on the Disclosure page — not repeated here. The headline: this fee does not raise your trading fees, and I do not accept editorial review or content modification from any of the three exchanges.

8. Revisions and effective date

This disclaimer can be updated at any time. The latest version is whatever's on this page. Material changes get logged on the corrections page. Continuing to use the site means you accept the current terms.

Last updated 2026.05.27 · Author: GOD · privacy@1088ex.com