Changelly exchange is a Two-Transfer Position Tracked from Deposit to Unwind

Changelly exchange is an instant swap position created when you send one asset to a one-time pay-in address and wait for another asset at your recipient address. One swap ID links the service-side stages, while blockchain hashes prove the deposit and payout on their respective networks. The order closes when the payout arrives, but the resulting asset position remains open in your wallet. Returning to the starting asset isn't a cancellation; it creates a second quote, a second swap ID and two more on-chain transfers.

The short version: It is an instant crypto-swap service where a deposit starts conversion, a swap ID tracks status, and unwinding requires a separate reverse swap.

10 API Statuses Now Define the Swap ID Record

10 documented API status values define the Changelly exchange record, from waiting through finished and including refunded, hold, overdue and expired outcomes.

The swap ID is the service's primary key, not a blockchain transaction hash. An API v2 creation response starts with new, then a status lookup represents the same state as waiting. Confirming follows after the pay-in appears and waits for the required network confirmations. Exchanging covers conversion, sending covers the outbound transfer and finished means the payout went to the recipient address. Failed, refunded, hold, overdue and expired describe branches outside that straight path. This mapping matters when a partner screen says pending, because that single display label could represent an unconfirmed deposit or an active conversion. The service record separates those states.

A wallet integration may compress those labels into a simpler progress screen. The underlying order still needs its Changelly ID whenever support must locate the service-side record.

Keep three identifiers together: the swap ID, the pay-in hash and the payout hash. The first follows internal processing; the other two let Bitcoin, Ethereum or another relevant ledger prove asset movement independently.

The 3-Hour and 15-Minute Windows Set the Deposit Boundary

3 hours for a floating-rate address and 15 minutes for most fixed-rate deposits create the first hard boundary in the swap lifecycle.

Floating-Rate Address Window

A floating-rate pay-in address remains intended for use within 3 hours. The final output follows the market rate available during processing, provided the received amount clears the pair's displayed minimum. A second deposit doesn't add to the first position. Changelly treats its pay-in addresses as non-reusable, so any later adjustment starts with another quote and another swap ID.

Fixed-Rate Payment Window

Most fixed-rate deposits use a 15-minute payment window. The window extends to 20 minutes for BTC, XMR, LTC, DCR, EOS, GAS, BNB and VET. The fixed API response also supplies a pay-till time and a single rate ID. Sending after that boundary produces an expired order rather than extending the original quote, because the rate ID can't carry a later market state.

A late or repeated deposit leaves automatic processing. Same-currency address-reuse cases carry a stated resolution estimate of 1-2 business days, with either manual conversion at a fresh rate or a refund when the amount covers the return network cost. Creating a fresh order before every transmission keeps the deposit tied to one quote. It also gives the return leg a clean record instead of inheriting an old address. The distinct ID preserves a clean audit trail across the two asset directions.

1 Hold Status Interrupts Automatic Settlement

1 hold status stops automatic settlement after the service receives a deposit and before the expected payout reaches its destination.

The Hold Boundary

A hold moves the order out of the normal confirming-to-exchanging sequence while a compliance review proceeds. This matters because the input has already left the sender's wallet, yet no spendable output balance exists at the recipient address. The swap ID becomes the common reference for the user, an API partner and Changelly during that interval.

The Evidence Boundary

The verification process requests up to 3 core evidence categories: a valid identity document, a photo or video showing the holder with that document and proof explaining the source of funds when requested. Registered users submit through their account flow. Users arriving through an API partner follow the transaction-specific instructions supplied for the held order. Completion timing follows the review rather than a blockchain confirmation count.

The corresponding notes are kept in Changelly exchange availability compared. Passing verification in advance marks later crypto-to-crypto orders as verified, yet a later review request still remains possible. Someone who needs identity approval before any asset moves gets a clearer boundary from a pre-verified account exchange.

2 On-Chain Transfers Define One Completed Order

2 on-chain transfers define one completed Changelly order: the user's pay-in and the service's payout to the chosen address.

The pay-in hash proves the first transfer reached the generated address. At 0 confirmations, the order can't advance from confirming because no block has accepted that transfer. After the required chain-specific confirmation count, conversion proceeds and the payout stage creates a second hash. Once 1 payout hash exists, the outbound transfer is irreversible. Finished therefore means Changelly sent the asset; the receiving wallet still reads its own network state before displaying a spendable balance.

Bitcoin and Ethereum maintain separate ledgers, so a BTC-to-ETH order never has one universal blockchain hash. The swap ID joins those two records at the service layer, while each network's explorer interprets only its own transfer.

5 Checks Belong Before the Deposit

5 checks before transmission keep the swap ID, blockchain records and intended position aligned from the moment funds leave the wallet.

• Preserve the record. Save the swap ID, selected pair and rate type before sending, then add both blockchain hashes as they appear.
• Match the network. Treat Tether USDT on Ethereum as ERC-20 and USDT on Tron as TRC-20, following the exact network label in the quote.
• Match the amount. Send the fixed quote's specified amount once, or keep a floating deposit above the displayed pair minimum.
• Copy the extra identifier. Include the supplied XRP Ledger destination tag or Stellar memo whenever the pay-in or recipient record requires one.
• Control both ends. Confirm access to the recipient address and the input-asset refund address before approving the wallet transfer.

A Ledger or Trezor device signs the outbound deposit without changing this lifecycle. The signer proves control of the sending wallet, while Changelly's record still depends on the asset, network, amount and extra ID it receives. A centralized exchange deposit adds another account layer, so its credited network, supported token contract and memo policy must match the payout before the first swap begins.

1 New Swap ID Handles Every Routine Adjustment

1 new swap ID handles every increase, reduction or partial exit because a funded order doesn't expose an editable balance. To add exposure, create another quote and send a second deposit to its newly generated address. To reduce it, quote only the portion of received output you want to return. Never top up the original pay-in address. The two orders then retain separate amounts, hashes and statuses, which makes the adjustment easier to reconcile than a reused deposit. A separate explanation covers Exchange.

100 Records and JSON-RPC 2.0 Sit Under the Tracker

100 transaction records form the maximum API page, while the default page returns 10 and several filter arrays accept 10 values.

The integration layer uses JSON-RPC 2.0. A status request takes 1 swap ID and returns 1 status string. Transaction searches accept ID, status, currency, pay-in address or payout address filters. Time filters use 16-digit microsecond Unix timestamps, and the standard creation endpoint permits 10 requests per second. These limits explain why a partner interface polls by ID and stores its own display history instead of treating a blockchain hash as the order key.

For one manual exchange, the visible history entry carries enough context. An API partner handling many orders needs the paginated record because it links pay-in data, payout data and status transitions more directly than a wallet activity feed.

2 Swap IDs and 4 Transfers Complete a Full Unwind

2 swap IDs and 4 on-chain transfers complete a full A-to-B-to-A unwind, with each leg receiving its own quote and addresses.

Quote the Reverse Leg

Use the spendable payout balance from the first order as the starting point for the reverse quote. The earlier expected amount isn't a promise for the second conversion. A floating return leg takes the processing-time market rate, while a fixed return leg creates a new pay-till boundary. Token holders also retain enough native network asset to send the return deposit.

Settle the Return Leg

The reverse order starts at waiting, advances after its new pay-in confirms and finishes when the starting asset reaches the selected recipient address. It has its own minimum, network cost and possible hold review. Keep its ID beside the first ID, but don't merge the hashes. Two quote calculations, two generated pay-in addresses and two payout records describe the round trip without implying the original order changed.

Read the Closed Position

The position closes when the second payout becomes spendable, not when the reverse quote appears or the return deposit leaves the wallet. Compare the final starting-asset balance with the amount committed across both legs to measure the round trip. Uniswap and 1inch keep reversals in wallet-signed contract transactions. Coinbase and Kraken use account balances before withdrawal. Changelly uses a fresh deposit-and-payout order, so the second swap ID is the decisive unwind record.