Crypto access / United Kingdom
Friendly is not a yes-or-no bank label.
Revolut has a separate integrated crypto service. Monzo permits a range of personal exchange payments within a fixed rolling allowance. Starling blocks crypto buying and selling payments, while Wise blocks outgoing transfers to crypto platforms. Coinbase is an exchange, not a bank. Choose the exact action before choosing the account.
Direct answer
Name the action, provider and protection change.
Revolut is the clearest integrated path because its UK crypto terms document buying, selling, holding and conditional external transfers under Revolut Ltd, separate from the bank account. Monzo is the clearest bank-to-exchange path in this set, but its GBP 5,000 rolling allowance and live review remain binding. Starling and Wise are explicit unavailable routes. Coinbase is the exchange endpoint and custody service, not evidence that every sending bank accepts it.
Read the UK market guideInspect Revolut to CoinbaseClassification first
Bank deposits, e-money and crypto custody are three different balances.
Moving value between them changes the legal provider, risk and recovery route.
Bank deposit
Monzo, Starling and the cited Revolut Bank UK account directly hold eligible bank deposits. FSCS can apply only while the money remains an eligible deposit at the named bank and within depositor, capacity and aggregation rules.
Electronic money
Wise Payments Limited safeguards ordinary electronic money rather than taking an FSCS-insured deposit. Coinbase e-money functions also remain separate from cryptoassets and do not make Coinbase a bank.
Integrated crypto
Revolut Ltd separately provides the cited crypto service and holds legal title as nominee while the customer retains beneficial ownership under its terms. That custody is not the Revolut bank deposit.
Exchange custody
Coinbase provides conditional custodial exchange services. The correct asset, network, address and any tag must align; platform custody is not FSCS deposit protection or self-custody.
Verified UK crypto comparison
Change the job, not the evidence.
These controls only reorder approved market records. Legal entity, product class, protection wording, source date and confidence stay fixed.
Integrated crypto: Prioritises a separately contracted in-app crypto service while keeping the bank account distinct.
| Provider | Product type | Market status | Legal entity | Protection model | Evidence | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RevolutIntegrated bank-to-crypto activity and conditional external on-chain transfers in one app. | uk bank account with separate revolut ltd crypto service | integrated crypto available with personal product asset network and review conditions | Revolut Bank UK Ltd for bank deposits; Revolut Ltd for cryptoassets | Eligible bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; Revolut cryptoassets are not protected by FSCS.Assets, networks, plans, fees, spreads, addresses, Travel Rule data, custody and external transfers remain conditional. | 6 source records | |
| CoinbaseExchange custody, supported UK cash methods and asset- and network-specific crypto receiving. | uk crypto exchange and e money service not a bank | available with identity product payment asset network and account conditions | CB Payments Ltd | Coinbase e-money and digital assets retain separate custody and protection; cryptoassets are not FSCS-protected bank deposits.Payment method, bank acceptance, cash availability, holds, asset, network, address, tag, fee and account restrictions apply. | 3 source records | |
| MonzoA direct UK bank deposit account with explicitly documented conditional exchange payments. | uk bank account with conditional exchange payments | supported with gbp 5000 rolling 30 day allowance and live review | Monzo Bank Limited | Eligible Monzo bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; money moved to crypto does not retain that deposit protection.The allowance cannot be increased, does not guarantee every payment below it, and does not establish every exchange or card route. | 4 source records | |
| Starling BankA visible unavailable state when a direct UK bank account is required for non-crypto banking. | uk bank account with explicit crypto payment restriction | crypto buying and selling payments declined | Starling Bank Limited | Eligible Starling bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; declined crypto payments never create protected crypto custody.The current restriction controls even though the account otherwise supports cards and transfers; policy can change only with new evidence. | 3 source records | |
| WiseA safeguarded multicurrency account with an explicit no-outgoing-crypto-platform boundary. | uk electronic money account with outgoing crypto platform restriction | outgoing crypto platform transfers unavailable incoming narrowly conditional | Wise Payments Limited | Ordinary Wise electronic money is safeguarded rather than FSCS-insured; Wise does not custody crypto for this account.A conditional incoming payment is not an outgoing route, exchange endorsement, card permission or crypto custody service. | 4 source records |
Revolut
uk bank account with separate revolut ltd crypto service- Market status
- integrated crypto available with personal product asset network and review conditions
- Legal entity
- Revolut Bank UK Ltd for bank deposits; Revolut Ltd for cryptoassets
- Product note
- Eligible UK personal customers can buy, sell, hold, stake, deposit and withdraw supported crypto through a separate Revolut Ltd agreement. The bank account and crypto service retain different entities and protection.
- Protection model
- Eligible bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; Revolut cryptoassets are not protected by FSCS.Assets, networks, plans, fees, spreads, addresses, Travel Rule data, custody and external transfers remain conditional.
View legal and product sources
Coinbase
uk crypto exchange and e money service not a bank- Market status
- available with identity product payment asset network and account conditions
- Legal entity
- CB Payments Ltd
- Product note
- Coinbase provides conditional UK e-money and digital-asset services and lists separate UK payment methods. It is the exchange endpoint in this set, not a bank whose generic method table approves every sender.
- Protection model
- Coinbase e-money and digital assets retain separate custody and protection; cryptoassets are not FSCS-protected bank deposits.Payment method, bank acceptance, cash availability, holds, asset, network, address, tag, fee and account restrictions apply.
View legal and product sources
Monzo
uk bank account with conditional exchange payments- Market status
- supported with gbp 5000 rolling 30 day allowance and live review
- Legal entity
- Monzo Bank Limited
- Product note
- Monzo permits personal customers to use a range of cryptocurrency exchanges, subject to a GBP 5,000 rolling 30-day crypto-payment allowance, fraud controls and account terms. Monzo does not custody cryptoassets.
- Protection model
- Eligible Monzo bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; money moved to crypto does not retain that deposit protection.The allowance cannot be increased, does not guarantee every payment below it, and does not establish every exchange or card route.
View legal and product sources
Starling Bank
uk bank account with explicit crypto payment restriction- Market status
- crypto buying and selling payments declined
- Legal entity
- Starling Bank Limited
- Product note
- Starling explicitly says it no longer supports cryptocurrency buying or selling by debit card, GBP bank transfer or foreign-currency bank transfer. Generic payment access is not a supported workaround.
- Protection model
- Eligible Starling bank deposits can receive FSCS protection; declined crypto payments never create protected crypto custody.The current restriction controls even though the account otherwise supports cards and transfers; policy can change only with new evidence.
View legal and product sources
Wise
uk electronic money account with outgoing crypto platform restriction- Market status
- outgoing crypto platform transfers unavailable incoming narrowly conditional
- Legal entity
- Wise Payments Limited
- Product note
- Wise does not allow outgoing account transfers to crypto platforms. Incoming payments from regulated UK or EU crypto platforms remain discretionary, and the cited guidance specifically excludes Coinbase and Binance.
- Protection model
- Ordinary Wise electronic money is safeguarded rather than FSCS-insured; Wise does not custody crypto for this account.A conditional incoming payment is not an outgoing route, exchange endorsement, card permission or crypto custody service.
View legal and product sources
0 selected locally.No matching comparison is published
Protection boundary
FSCS protection does not travel with money into crypto.
Eligible deposits at Monzo Bank, Starling Bank or Revolut Bank UK can fall within the current FSCS framework up to the statutory limit, subject to depositor, product, capacity and same-bank aggregation. That is a bank-failure protection for eligible deposits. It does not cover an exchange loss, crypto price movement, an incorrect blockchain network, a scam payment, lost credentials or a platform service interruption.
Revolut states that its cryptoassets are outside FSCS and that complaints may fall outside Financial Ombudsman jurisdiction. Wise safeguards ordinary electronic money but does not turn it into a deposit or crypto custody. Coinbase's e-money and crypto services retain different legal treatment. Before moving money, record which provider owns the obligation at each stage and which recovery route applies if the instruction is pending, declined, misdirected or completed.
Bank stage
Eligible deposit protection can apply before an authorised payment leaves the named bank.
E-money stage
Safeguarding is not FSCS deposit insurance and does not approve an outgoing crypto route.
Exchange stage
Cash and crypto custody remain separate; crypto value and platform access are not FSCS protected.
On-chain stage
A confirmed network transfer is normally irreversible and depends on the exact asset and address.
Action matrix
Supported, conditional and blocked are different operational states.
A generic Faster Payment, card or account-details feature cannot override an explicit crypto policy.
Monzo to an exchange
Monzo says personal customers can use a range of cryptocurrency exchanges. Its separate allowance page fixes qualifying crypto payments at GBP 5,000 in a rolling 30-day period and says the allowance cannot be changed. A payment that would exceed the remaining allowance is stopped. A payment below it can still face fraud, name, account, recipient, source-of-funds or other review, so the allowance is a maximum policy boundary rather than a promise of execution.
Revolut integrated service
Revolut Ltd supports conditional buying, selling, holding, staking, depositing and withdrawing for eligible UK personal customers. The customer's Revolut account pays into or receives from the separate crypto service. The displayed exchange rate includes a spread and a separate fee may apply. Availability can depend on plan, location, asset, network, liquidity, third-party services, review and live product state.
Starling or Wise
Starling declines cryptocurrency buying and selling by card and bank transfer. Wise blocks outgoing transfers to crypto platforms and narrows incoming payments to regulated UK or EU firms within its risk appetite, while explicitly excluding named platforms in the cited guidance. Neither restriction authorises an indirect route through another wallet, another person's account or misleading payment description.
Exact route
Revolut to Coinbase works only as a matched on-chain withdrawal.
The approved route fixture is supported with conditions. An eligible UK Revolut customer selects a supported cryptoasset and network, adds or selects a compatible destination, supplies required recipient information and authorises the withdrawal. The Coinbase customer copies the current receive address for the same asset and network and includes any required destination tag or memo. This is not a bank transfer, debit-card purchase or generic Coinbase funding method.
The asset ticker alone is insufficient because the same asset can exist on several networks. Address format, memo, minimum amount, network fee, Revolut withdrawal limit, Coinbase confirmations, Travel Rule data and wallet review can all affect the instruction. Revolut recommends a small test and says a confirmed on-chain send cannot be cancelled. Coinbase warns that an unsupported network can cause permanent loss it cannot recover.
- 01Open the Coinbase receive flow for the exact supported asset and network.
- 02Copy the current address and required memo; never reuse a screenshot blindly.
- 03Select the identical asset and network in Revolut and verify destination ownership.
- 04Review amount, fee, minimum, limit and Travel Rule information before signing.
- 05Track transaction hash and confirmations; do not resend merely because credit is pending.
Failure and fraud states
A declined bank payment and a pending blockchain transfer need opposite responses.
Preserve the current state before choosing any recovery action.
Bank payment declined
Do not disguise the recipient, split a payment to evade an allowance or route it through another person. Read the decline, confirm the exchange and account names, and contact the bank through its official channel if the reason is unclear. Starling's policy and Wise's outgoing block are explicit unavailable states, not errors a user should bypass.
Payment pending review
A bank or exchange can request identity, source-of-funds, recipient or transaction information. Preserve the reference and answer truthfully. Repeating a pending payment can create duplicates. Public processing estimates do not override the live status, and no provider's fraud controls guarantee recovery from an authorised scam payment.
Crypto withdrawal pending
Check whether Revolut has broadcast a transaction hash. Before broadcast, compliance or wallet review may still hold the instruction. After broadcast, use the correct block explorer and Coinbase's required confirmation count. Network congestion is not proof of loss, and support cannot reverse a valid confirmed transaction.
Wrong network or address
Stop immediately and preserve the address, asset, network, memo and transaction hash. Do not send more funds as a test after discovering a mismatch. Contact the receiving platform only through official support. Recovery can be unavailable, technically impossible or discretionary, and anyone demanding a recovery payment or seed phrase should be treated as a likely scammer.
Account restriction
Buying, selling, sending, receiving and cash withdrawal can be restricted independently. A platform can allow cash withdrawal while blocking trades, or allow holding while blocking external transfers. Follow the exact restriction notice and do not infer that portfolio value is currently transferable. Court, sanctions, fraud and security actions can change the available recovery path.
Self-custody distinction
Revolut and Coinbase exchange accounts are custodial under their product terms. A self-custody wallet puts recovery material and transaction signing under the user's control. Losing a seed phrase can permanently remove access, while exposing it lets another person take assets. This page does not recommend a wallet, bridge, token or custody strategy.
Decision walkthroughs
Six UK crypto activities produce different answers.
These scenarios explain evidence boundaries, not personalised financial, tax or investment advice.
Small personal exchange purchase
Monzo is a documented conditional bank-to-exchange path when the exchange is within its supported range and the rolling crypto allowance remains available. Verify the recipient, legal name, amount and live warning. The GBP 5,000 policy ceiling is not a target or safe-investment signal. The exchange controls order pricing, custody and withdrawal after receipt.
Recurring crypto use in one app
Revolut has the strongest integrated evidence in this set, but the bank and crypto contracts remain separate. Compare the preview spread, fee, plan conditions, supported assets, custody and external withdrawal availability. Money ceases to be an eligible bank deposit when it pays for crypto, and a later sale does not guarantee instant bank-withdrawable cash.
Sending crypto to Coinbase
Use the published on-chain route only when both providers show the same asset and network. Copy the live Coinbase address and memo, provide accurate Travel Rule information, consider a small test and keep the transaction hash. Never use a bridge or substitute network solely to bypass an unsupported state. The route remains conditional even if it worked previously.
Using a Starling account
Starling is an explicit unavailable path for buying and selling cryptocurrency by its debit card or bank transfers. Keep the account for its supported non-crypto functions if it otherwise fits; do not call it crypto-friendly or suggest an indirect workaround. A future policy change requires a new official source and observation date before publication.
Using Wise account details
Do not send outgoing Wise account money to a crypto platform. Conditional incoming payments do not reverse that direction and are limited by regulation, Wise risk appetite and named exclusions. A Wise card, local account detail or business account is not evidence for a crypto purchase. If the live product rejects the payment, preserve the funds rather than layering intermediaries.
Business treasury or client money
This consumer-oriented evidence does not establish that a company, trust, charity or client-money arrangement can use the same path. Business eligibility, authorised persons, accounting, tax, custody, financial promotions, client-asset and industry rules can differ. Obtain legal, accounting and treasury advice rather than adapting a personal allowance or integrated retail feature.
Approved evidence
Every crypto-access conclusion keeps its provider, action and date.
Policies, limits, assets, networks, entities and protection require launch-time and material-change reverification.
Monzo UK crypto evidence
Monzo is displayed as uk bank account with conditional exchange payments.
- The linked current terms identify a personal UK current account directly at Monzo Bank Limited, require UK residency and prohibit business use of that personal account.
- The terms separate the main balance, Pots, cards, UK and international transfers, Direct Debits, cash, cheques, overdrafts, fees, screening, closures and app requirements.
- The PDF still prints the former GBP 85,000 FSCS limit, so NeobankDB uses the newer December 2025 Monzo FSCS sheet and current FSCS source for the GBP 120,000 limit.
- Monzo says personal customers can use a range of cryptocurrency exchanges through their personal banking account.
- The statement does not name every supported exchange, payment method, card route or customer-specific limit and does not create a Monzo crypto custody product.
- Transfer acceptance remains subject to Monzo's current allowance, fraud controls, account terms and live payment review.
- Monzo lists a GBP 5,000 cryptocurrency-payment allowance in a rolling 30-day period and says the limit cannot be changed.
- A payment that would exceed the rolling allowance is stopped; available allowance returns as older qualifying payments leave the window.
- The page warns that crypto wallets are outside FSCS protection and explains scam indicators, but does not guarantee every payment below the allowance.
- FSCS protects eligible deposits with UK-authorised banks, building societies and credit unions.
- The current limit is up to GBP 120,000 per eligible person, per authorised firm; scheme and product eligibility still apply.
- The limit increased on 1 December 2025.
Revolut UK crypto evidence
Revolut is displayed as uk bank account with separate revolut ltd crypto service.
- Revolut states that Revolut Bank UK Ltd became a fully licensed UK bank in March 2026, FRN 981170.
- New UK customers receive bank accounts, while migration of some existing e-money accounts is staged.
- FSCS protection applies to eligible bank deposits; e-money accounts still in transition use safeguarding instead.
- Crypto, investments and other products may be provided by separate legal entities and must be assessed separately.
- The UK cryptocurrency agreement is with Revolut Ltd and covers buying, selling, depositing, withdrawing, holding and transferring cryptoassets under product and geographic conditions.
- Revolut Ltd is registered with the FCA for specified cryptoasset activity, but the cryptoassets are not protected by FSCS or Lithuanian deposit insurance and can lose their full value.
- The crypto agreement remains separate from the Revolut payment-account entity and terms; crypto availability, assets, limits, fees, custody and external transfers retain separate conditions.
- Eligible UK personal customers can withdraw supported crypto to an external wallet or exchange using a supported blockchain network and a newly added or saved compatible address.
- The customer must verify the receiving address and network; Revolut recommends a small test and says an on-chain send cannot be canceled or reversed after confirmation.
- Withdrawal limits, fees, wallet review, asset support, network support, compliance checks and in-app approval remain transaction-specific.
- Revolut states that UK crypto services are provided by Revolut Ltd, FCA firm reference 900562, under the cited money-laundering registration.
- Crypto transaction funds are not safeguarded like fiat e-money and crypto holdings are not covered by FSCS.
- The registration and provider identity do not guarantee asset value, external-wallet acceptance, transaction completion or recovery.
- Revolut requires sender and recipient information for crypto withdrawals under its cited Travel Rule process, including recipient name and transaction hash, with sender address requested above the stated threshold.
- The customer must identify the destination wallet owner or exchange truthfully; compliance collection is not proof that the destination will accept the asset or network.
- Additional information and review can delay or prevent a withdrawal without changing the irreversible on-chain boundary after broadcast.
- FSCS protects eligible deposits with UK-authorised banks, building societies and credit unions.
- The current limit is up to GBP 120,000 per eligible person, per authorised firm; scheme and product eligibility still apply.
- The limit increased on 1 December 2025.
Starling Bank UK crypto evidence
Starling Bank is displayed as uk bank account with explicit crypto payment restriction.
- The general terms apply from 27 April 2026 and make Starling Bank Limited the direct provider of the cited business current account.
- Account use, authorised persons, cards, payments, cash, holds, errors, closure and support remain subject to the agreement and customer-specific account state.
- Starling identifies the account as a bank deposit relationship covered by FSCS only where the depositor and deposit are eligible.
- Starling says it no longer supports buying or selling cryptocurrency by debit card, GBP bank transfer or bank transfer in other currencies.
- The bank states the restriction is a customer-protection decision and does not charge for the declined payment.
- A generic Starling card or transfer capability must not be used to infer a workaround or supported crypto route.
- The information sheet states that most eligible individual and business deposits at Starling Bank Limited enter the FSCS framework at the current statutory limit.
- The limit aggregates eligible deposits held by the same depositor at Starling Bank in the same protected capacity; the account statement confirms eligibility.
- FSCS covers eligible deposit failure, not business losses, card fraud, payment disputes, currency conversion or service availability.
Wise UK crypto evidence
Wise is displayed as uk electronic money account with outgoing crypto platform restriction.
- UK entity is an FCA-authorised EMI.
- US entity is registered with FinCEN and uses state licences/partner arrangements.
- Wise Payments Limited is not a bank and its e-money and payment services are not covered by FSCS deposit protection.
- Wise describes safeguarding customer funds separately from its operating money.
- Wise account cannot be used to send money to crypto exchanges such as Coinbase or Binance.
- Wise card policy differs and lawful card transactions may be supported by region.
- Outgoing account transfers to crypto platforms are not supported.
- Article names Coinbase among payments Wise cannot accept from in the described context.
Coinbase UK crypto evidence
Coinbase is displayed as uk crypto exchange and e money service not a bank.
- The agreement updated 8 June 2026 covers UK customers and identifies CB Payments Ltd as the e-money and digital-asset service counterparty under the cited FCA permissions.
- Eligibility, service access, digital assets, transfer limits, holds and refusals remain conditional on location, verification, payment method and other account factors.
- Coinbase e-money and digital assets are separate products; the agreement does not make Coinbase a bank or extend FSCS protection to cryptoassets.
- Coinbase lists separate UK capabilities for 3-D Secure cards, Easy Bank Transfer, Faster Payments, PayPal, SEPA, Apple Pay and Google Pay across buy, add-cash and cash-out actions.
- The generic method table does not certify Revolut as an accepted bank or card for every Coinbase customer; ownership, issuer, action, eligibility, fee, hold and live authorization remain separate.
- Published settlement times are estimates for the named method and do not describe an on-chain crypto withdrawal from Revolut.
- Coinbase UK customers can receive supported crypto from another exchange by copying the current asset- and network-specific receive address and any required destination tag or memo.
- The sender must use a Coinbase-supported asset and matching network; an incorrect network can cause permanent loss that Coinbase cannot retrieve.
- Account limitations, identity or two-step verification, confirmations and deposit processing can still delay or prevent credit.
United Kingdom bank and protection evidence
- FSCS protects eligible deposits with UK-authorised banks, building societies and credit unions.
- The current limit is up to GBP 120,000 per eligible person, per authorised firm; scheme and product eligibility still apply.
- The limit increased on 1 December 2025.
- Funds held by authorised electronic money institutions and authorised payment institutions are safeguarded rather than protected by FSCS deposit protection.
- Safeguarding and FSCS deposit protection are distinct protection models.
- The list identifies Monzo Bank Limited, FRN 730427, as authorised.
- The list identifies Revolut Bank UK Ltd, FRN 981170, as authorised.
Unavailable or deliberately not inferred
- A universal crypto-friendly bank ranking, score or permanent compatibility label.
- Every exchange supported by Monzo or a guarantee that a payment below its allowance succeeds.
- A Starling or Wise workaround, indirect route, card permission or outgoing crypto-platform exception.
- FSCS protection for cryptoassets, exchange loss, scams, wrong networks or market movement.
- Customer-specific fees, limits, holds, recovery, tax outcomes, support quality or investment suitability.
- A recommendation to buy an asset, use leverage, stake, bridge or move funds to self-custody.