Term
On-ramp
A crypto on-ramp is any service that converts fiat currency (dollars, euros, etc.) into cryptocurrency — bank transfers, card payments, and Apple Pay integrations at licensed exchanges and specialized fiat-to-crypto services are all on-ramps.
An on-ramp is the step where fiat money becomes cryptocurrency. It is a regulated activity almost everywhere — the on-ramp service is receiving your bank transfer, wire, card charge, or SEPA payment, and delivering crypto to a wallet address you specify. Because fiat rails require identity and AML compliance, on-ramps typically require KYC verification of the buyer.
The main categories of on-ramp: licensed centralized exchanges (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance — buy directly on the exchange and withdraw to your own wallet), specialized fiat-to-crypto services (MoonPay, Ramp Network, Transak, Guardarian — often embedded into wallets for one-click card purchases), and peer-to-peer platforms (Bisq, LocalBitcoins historically) where individuals trade cash-for-crypto with each other.
On-ramps are the fiat entry point. Once you hold crypto in a self-custodial wallet, downstream operations — swapping between coins, moving across chains, receiving payments — can be non-custodial. SwapZilla itself is not an on-ramp; it is crypto-to-crypto. If you need fiat entry, use a licensed on-ramp first, then use SwapZilla for the subsequent swap.
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