Update: With immediate effect, AQRU increased the minimum account balance to $250K USD and any account with a lower than $250K balance will be closed on Feb 01, 2023.
Have you ever wanted to make a great source of passive income and cashflow from your cryptocurrencies? Are you aiming to improve your return on investment (ROI) while making a low risk 3% interest on your stablecoin holdings?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this article is for you. In this review, I’ll provide you with a comprehensive review of AQRU.io which is one of the newest and most reliable crypto earning platforms in the crypto market.
I will be as transparent as I can to avoid any misleading information. I’ll also be sharing the pros and cons and my personal experience with this platform.
What is AQRU & a Brief History
We have heard of the big crypto platforms like Crypto.com, and Nexo. However, smaller players like AQRU have been actively adding to their userbase and assets under management (AUM) in parallel.
AQRU was created by an experienced team of investment, payment and technology experts in 2021 to provide a user friendly platform.
AQRU’s founder and CEO, Phillip Blows, has a proven track record in the financial industry for two decades. He is also the author of The Money Triangle which explains the path to financial freedom which is my ultimate goal (FIWOOT).
AQRU Finance (Bulgaria) is a registered company in Bulgaria and is a subsidiary of AQRU Finance (UK) which is a private limited company registered in England and Wales.
AQRU’s parent company, AQRU PLC is a publicly traded company on Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market (TIDM) under the symbol: DEFI.
How to Join AQRU Platform
- Go to AQRU & Click Signup
- Create a new account by entering your email and a new password
- Choose your preferred currency (Pounds, EURO, US Dollar, Canadian Dollar)
- You will receive a 10 USDC bonus
- Complete your personal information and complete the KYC verification process
- Deposit fiat or crypto by sending from another wallet and start earning instantly
- Refer your friend and receive 100 USDC after fulfilling the requirements
Please note that the KYC (Know Your Customer) verification involves a manual verification of the provided documents and can take 2-5 business days.
AQRU Platform In a Nutshell
| Offered Products | Crypto savings account | |
| Regulation | Registered in Bulgaria, Owned by its publicly traded Parent company registered in England and Wales | |
| Supported Cryptos | BTC, ETH, USDC | |
| Minimum Deposit | 100 EUR | |
| Lock-In Period | None | |
| Interest Rates | 1% BTC, ETH – 3% USDC | |
| Payment Frequency | Daily and tracked to the second | |
| Fiat Support | British Pounds (GBP) – Euro (EUR) | |
| Cryptos Purchase | Bank transfer (EUR or GBP), Debit or Credit card via MoonPay | |
| Deposit Fees | Only for fiat deposit via MoonPay | |
| Withdrawal Fees | Crypto withdrawal equivalent to $20, Fiat withdrawal is free | |
| Other Fees | 0.5% transactions fees for crypto sell or swap | |
| Supported Chains | BTC and ERC-20 | |
| Insurance | $30 million insurance policy by Fireblocks | |
| Security | Uses Fireblocks’ multi-party computation and 2FA | |
| Platforms | Browser web app, iPhone app, Android app (All very easy to use) | |
| Customer Support | Email via [email protected], Live chat, Telegram | |
| Signup Bonus | 10 USDC instant bonus plus 100 USDC after 180 days of depositing and keeping a min $2000 |
What Are AQRU Pros
- Very simple platform and apps to navigate through, use, and earn from
- Trustworthy, fully compliance and regulated in Bulgaria, England, and Wales
- No lock-up period for earning
- Small 0.5% crypto sell or swap fee with no other spread or hidden fees
- Very generous signup bonus (10 USDC plus 100 USDC Referral bonus with conditions)
What Are AQRU Cons
- Limited cryptocurrency selection support (BTC, ETH, USDC)
- Only Euro and British Pounds deposit and withdrawal fiat support
- Withdrawal fees $20 with an up to 48 hours wait time
What Does AQRU Offer (How to Make Money From Crypto)
- Flexible interest earning accounts
- An insight portal to get updates and learn about crypto accessible to all
- Reliable, regulated, and secure infrastructure, platform, and company
AQRU offers two main product which are its Interest Account and Crypto buy, sell, or swap.
You can simply join by signing up with AQRU, complete the KYC (Know Your Customer) verification, and deposit your crypto to start earning interest on your deposited crypto.
After depositing or purchasing cryptocurrencies including stablecoins, easily click on “invest this” under Account inside the web or mobile app to start earning on your new deposits.
Honestly, the platform makes it very easy and straightforward for new crypto users to start earning on their cryptos.
AQRU Interest Account & Interest Rates
The company has a very simple earning methodology. Deposit, invest, and start earning. Currently, there are 5 supported assets which are Bitcoin (BTC), ETH, and USDC.
| Crypto Asset | Interest Rate (APY) |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 1% |
| Ethereum (ETH) | 1% |
| USD Coin (USDC) | 3% |
The concept of AQRU Crypto Interest account is very simple. It lets you earn up to 3% APY interest on your cryptocurrencies.
- Deposit or buy BTC, ETH, USDC in the platform
- Start earning compound interest immediately (no lock-in but a 100 Euro minimum)
- Get paid in-kind continually tracked to the second
As shown on the table above, AQRU offers different best crypto earning interest rates which varies based on the asset regardless of the amount. The current rate for stablecoins USDCwith no cap is 3% while BTC and ETH earn 1% annually.
AQRU Token Swap or Cryptocurrency Sell
Investors can swap their tokens between the supported cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in the platform. There is a 0.5% transaction fee.
Note 1: Based on my experiment with swapping BTC and ETH to USDC, there doesn’t seem to be any spread fees charged per swap.
Note 2: There is no fee for buying cryptos including stablecoins with fiat. The 0.5% is only applied when selling cryptos including stablecoins to fiat or swapping between crypts.
- Go to Account inside the browser or mobile app
- Under Invested amounts, click “SELL” on what you are planning to sell or swap
- Enter amount and choose the asset you’d like to receive, click Next
- Select EUR or GBP as your receiving asset if you plan to do a fiat withdrawal
- Review and place your order by clicking Sell to receive your swapped token
What Are AQRU Fees
- Deposits: All deposits are free of charge with a 100 EURO minimum deposit
- Withdrawals: Fiat is free but cryptocurrency withdrawal costs an equivalent of $20 USD per withdrawal paid in the withdrawn crypto currency
- Withdrawals aren’t processed instantly. There is a cutoff time which isn’t disclosed publicly and users have to wait for the next day if the withdrawal request is sent after the this cutoff time.
- Furthermore, if it is a withdrawal to a new address or an address that is not whitelisted (added to the Address Book), there is an extra 24 hours on top of the normal waiting time for crypto withdrawals.
- Transactions: There is a 0.5% transaction fee to sell or swap cryptos
- There is no extra spreads charged for these transactions
- There is no fee to purchase cryptos including stablecoins with fiat
- There is a minimum equivalent of 5 Euros for the selling crypto
- Crypto purchases: Variable fees charged by MoonPay for credit or debit transactions
How Does AQRU Generate its Crypto Savings Yield
The company generates profits by offering loans to institutions and retail borrowers. It also participates in DeFi earnings to maximize the profit. AQRU collateralize 100% of the loaned amounts. This strategy generates profits that is shared fairly with its users daily.
To calculate the crypto interest rates, the company performs below practices to adjust the interest rates:
- Analyses supply and demand on their available crypto assets
- Takes earnings from the previous months into consideration for this rate adjustments
Based on these analysis, it might decide on adjusting the rates in the future.
Is AQRU Safe, Secure, and Regulated (Is AQRU Legit)
Yes, it is one of the most regulated, safest, and secure crypto platforms in the market.
AQRU Finance Ltd. (Bulgaria) is registered in Bulgaria with registration number 206651201. It owned by its publicly traded parent company, AQRU Finance Ltd. (UK) which is registered in England and Wales with registration number 13133682. FMSB: M22583575
The service is available in most countries with some exception including the US. The full list of restricted countries can be found here.
In reference to users’ deposits, after receiving the funds in the platform through Fireblocks wallet infrastructure, the funds will either be transferred to the user’s custodial cold storage wallet or lent to an borrowers.
For security purposes, AQRU restricts the use of hot wallets. In addition, it follows the highest regulatory and security standards. Here is a list of how it protects its users information and assets.
- Personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive information are encrypted to secure them during transit and at rest
- It uses Fireblocks to provide its users with next-generation private key security (MPC-CMP) and hardware isolation technology (SGX)
- It uses multi-layer security, which eliminates a single point of failure and insulates digital asset transfers from cyberattacks, internal collusion, and human error
- It uses Fireblocks’ multi-party computation to transfer cryptocurrencies
- Its infrastructure traffic is encrypted with SSL encryption
- Its domains are protected with DNSSEC to prevent certain cyber attacks
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is enforced on all its users
I communicated directly with AQRU’s CEO, Phil, and I am confident that this company is legit while offering great services to its clients.
Does AQRU Offer Insurance
Users can’t purchase insurance directly. Currently, the only available insurance is a $30 million policy in the event assets are stolen from the company.
Is AQRU Customer Support Reliable
Yes, but it might not be an instant live support. AQRU’s main customer support channel is via email and chat support which is available on the web site or through the app.
Its customer support has been great while trying to solve most requests within 2 business days. I personally had a positive interaction with AQRU’s customer support team via email.
In addition, the social media team is doing great to spread the word and support customers through Telegram, Twitter, Discord, Reddit, and Instagram.
Is There an AQRU Referral Program
Yes. Users can invite new users to AQRU by sharing their unique referral link. Both the (parent referrer) and new users (child referee) will be rewarded with 100 USDC each when the child referee successfully fulfils the requirements including the completion of KYC and a deposit and invest a minimum $2000 within the first 2 months of registration.
In addition, users should keep the initial $2000 for 6 consecutive months. You’ll see a nice notification after meeting the requirements with an announcement on how many days left to receive the referral bonus.
How to check how many times my AQRU referral code was used for signup? Go to the app, open the Settings, and you will see both “Referral Code” and “Code Used”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does AQRU Change Their Interest Rates Often
Interest rates are evaluated based on market demand and earnings. While AQRU aims to keep the interest rate stable, it is subject to change. Interest rates might be updated based on the prevailing market conditions.
However, its is great at notifying its users beforehand as soon as they decide a rate adjustment.
How To Calculate The Total Earned Interest For a Specific Period
In the web app, go to Account and then click on “Calculate Interest“. Here enter a start and end date to see the total earned during the period.
This can be a great option to get the total amount of earned interest during a tax year.
Does AQRU Offer Crypto Loans to Individuals
Yes. It offers loans to established institutions and retail borrowers.
Can Users Join AQRU Using a Corporate Account
Yes, users can sign up for a corporate account by using sign up page here. To onboard you an entity will need to identify the business, directors and all beneficial owners. More information can be obtained by emailing [email protected].
How Can I Fund My AQRU Account
Funding AQRU account can be done via three methods. Bank transfers, crypto deposits, or purchases using a credit or debit card. Bank transfers and crypto deposits are free. There is a fee to purchase crypto using a bank debit or credit card which can be high.
Does AQRU Support Fiat Deposits or Withdrawals
Yes. It processes fiat transactions in British Pounds and Euros currencies. Deposits and withdrawals can be done via bank transfers on SEPA network. After clicking Deposit inside the app, choose Bank Transfer, and choose the currency.
- Note 1: Only SEPA network is supported. Swifts transfers aren’t available.
- Note 2: The sender’s account name should match the name on the AQRU account .
For Euro deposits, the app will provide you with IBAN, BIC, bank name (OpenPayd), and the bank address. For British Pounds deposits, the app will provide you with an account number, Sort code, bank name (Clear Bank), and the bank address.
Both Euros and British Pounds deposits can take up to 48 hours to show up in your account.
Does AQRU Support Purchasing Crypto Using a Debit or Credit Card
Yes. Users can buy crypto with GBP or EUR using Mercuryo. Crypto is then deposited into user’s account to start earning interest. Please note that there are fees charged by the third party partner Mercuryo for these transactions.
Does AQRU Have a Mobile App
Yes. In addition to the web browser app, it offers both iOS and Android apps.
Where Do I Change The Display Currency in the App
Go under Settings in the app and Edit the Currency. Currently, there are only 4 currencies available which are Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars, and US Dollars.
Is There a Minimum Crypto Withdrawal Amount
The only limitation is to have enough fund to pay for the $20 withdrawal fees paid in the crypto equivalent. Other than covering the withdrawal fees, there is no minimum crypto requirement to withdraw from the platform.
Can I Swap Cryptos Inside AQRU
Yes. Cryptocurrencies can be swapped to other supported (BTC, ETH, USDC) cryptocurrencies or be sold to supported (BGP or EURO) fiat currencies. There is a 0.5% transaction fee to perform a sell or swap order.
Is AQRU Available in the US
Unfortunately, due to the complicated US regulations, AQRU isn’t available to the residents of the United States of America (USA).
Conclusions and My AQRU Review Verdict
AQRU remains one of the most regulated crypto earning and lending platforms. It offers a very sleek and user friendly interface in both its web browser and mobile apps which makes it a great choice for all passive income seekers.
However, considering the recent interest rates cut, I wouldn’t put too much fund in AQRU but enough to enjoy the 100 USDC referral bonus. There are some competitors that offer higher rates and I hope AQRU will be able to come up with a plan to increase the interest rates.
Finally, if you found this review helpful and planning to join our family, I appreciate signing up using my AQRU referral link.
One thought on “Complete AQRU Review, Is AQRU a Legit Crypto Earning Platform?”