Fiat On-Ramp

A fiat on-ramp is any service that converts government-issued money into crypto — an exchange bank transfer, a card purchase inside a wallet, or a local payment agent. On-ramps sit at the regulated edge of the market, so they normally require identity verification, apply limits, and may decline transactions from certain countries or payment methods. Costs differ sharply between rails: bank transfers are usually cheaper than card purchases, and a quoted exchange rate can hide much of the fee inside the spread. Because the on-ramp holds both funds and personal data during the process, users take on counterparty and privacy exposure, and any withdrawal to a self-custody wallet address should be checked carefully before sending.