Data policy
Research methodology
The Data Lab separates recorded facts, computed fields, editorial labels, and user-editable assumptions.
Source hierarchy
Official regulator, project, exchange, or wallet sources are preferred for claims that can change. The downloadable datasets also expose when an official source or review date is missing.
Exchange fee index
Maker and taker percentages are parsed from the site’s base spot-fee records. DEX products are excluded because their execution model is not directly comparable. Negative maker rebates, VIP tiers, token discounts, promotions, spreads, and regional differences require separate interpretation.
Access coverage index
The score is a content-coverage metric calculated from the recorded status label, payment-method count, official-source count, and review date. It is not a legal opinion, freedom ranking, or recommendation to buy.
Wallet feature matrix
Wallet features are reviewed against official project or product pages. The matrix avoids price rankings and links readers to the official source because operating-system and feature support can change.
Update cadence
Core records should be checked when a regulator changes policy, an exchange changes availability or fees, a wallet changes supported platforms, or a material correction is reported. Snapshot dates remain visible so old data is not presented as live.
Corrections
Material errors should be corrected in the source dataset, recorded in release notes, and reflected in the next snapshot. The contact page is the public correction channel.
Reuse and citation
CSV files are provided for research and citation. Cite HowToBuyBTC, the dataset title, snapshot date, and canonical dataset URL. Preserve caveats when reusing a score or rank.
Versioned reports
Research reports receive a snapshot date and versioned URL. A later edition should be published separately rather than silently replacing historical measurements. Each report links back to the source CSV files and limitations.