Ready Review: Is it the Best Crypto Neobank? (February 2026)

Ready positions itself as an onchain alternative to your bank, combining a self-custody wallet, crypto card, staking, and DeFi access into one simple ecosystem designed for everyday crypto use. In this article, we will explore Ready Review.

What is Ready?

• Ready is a crypto neobank built on Starknet that blends self-custody, payments, and DeFi into one unified experience, allowing users to store, stake, trade, and spend crypto.
• At its core, Ready focuses on sovereignty and usability, giving users full control of their assets while abstracting away complexity through smart wallets, gas-free transactions, and built-in security features that reduce common crypto risks.
• The platform combines two key products: Ready Wallet, a smart self-custody wallet designed for crypto natives and DeFi users, and the Ready Card, a Mastercard-powered crypto card that lets users spend crypto like cash globally.
• Built on Starknet, an Ethereum layer-two network, Ready delivers Ethereum-level security with significantly lower fees and faster execution, making it suitable for frequent transactions, daily spending, and active DeFi participation.
• Formerly known as Argent, Ready has rebranded to reflect its broader ambition of becoming a full crypto banking alternative, aiming to onboard millions of users worldwide by simplifying how people interact with onchain finance.

Ready Review: Features and Products

• Ready Wallet is a smart self-custody wallet that removes traditional seed phrases and replaces them with modern security such as built-in two-factor authentication, transaction bundling, and optional gas sponsorship.
• The wallet supports a growing list of assets including ETH, USDC, USDT, DAI, STRK, WBTC, and Starknet-native tokens, giving users access to Ethereum-secured assets at a fraction of the usual transaction cost.
• Ready Card allows users to spend crypto anywhere Mastercard is accepted, across more than 120 countries, with no foreign exchange fees, transparent pricing, and real-world usability.
• Users can choose between Ready Metal, a premium card offering up to 10% cashback during boost periods, and Ready Lite, a free card with 0.5% cashback capped monthly, making the ecosystem accessible to both casual and power users.
• Staking is a major pillar of Ready’s ecosystem, with the platform operating as the largest Bitcoin staking validator and one of the top STRK staking validators, allowing users to earn yield directly from their wallet.
• Ready supports Bitcoin-backed loans through integrations, enabling users to borrow USDC against their BTC holdings and spend the borrowed funds instantly using the Ready Card without selling their long-term assets.
• Perpetual trading is integrated through partner protocols, allowing users to go long or short on supported assets with up to 50× leverage using USDC as margin, all from a mobile-first wallet interface.
• Neobank-style features include direct bank deposits from over 150 countries in major fiat currencies, easy bridging from exchanges and other wallets, and full removal of transaction fees, which Ready covers.

Ready Review: Fees

• Ready eliminates many traditional crypto friction points by covering onchain transaction fees, allowing users to send, swap, and interact with DeFi protocols without worrying about fluctuating gas costs.
• The Ready Card does not charge foreign exchange fees, making it suitable for international spending and travel, especially compared to traditional crypto cards that often add hidden FX markups.
• Ready Lite users earn 0.5% cashback on card spending, capped monthly, while Ready Metal users earn a base cashback rate with the opportunity for significantly higher rewards during cashback boost hours.
• Staking and DeFi yields depend on the underlying protocols and network conditions, rather than fixed platform fees, ensuring transparency and alignment with onchain economics rather than opaque pricing models.
• There are no hidden custody fees, inactivity fees, or withdrawal penalties, reinforcing Ready’s positioning as a user-first crypto banking alternative rather than a rent-seeking financial intermediary.

Ready Review: Mobile App

• The Ready mobile app serves as the central control hub for wallet management, card spending, staking, DeFi access, and cashback tracking, designed to minimize friction for both beginners and experienced users.
• Users can monitor balances, transaction history, cashback earnings, and active streaks in real time, providing clear visibility into both crypto holdings and everyday spending activity.
• Perpetual trading, staking actions, and wallet interactions are optimized for mobile use, making Ready particularly appealing for users who prefer managing crypto entirely from their phone.
• Push notifications alert users to cashback boost hours, card activity, and important account events, helping them stay engaged without constantly checking the app manually.
• The app is available globally on iOS and Android, with a consistent experience across regions, reinforcing Ready’s ambition to scale internationally without fragmenting features by geography.

Ready Review: Security

• Ready Wallet is fully self-custodial, meaning users alone control their assets, with private keys secured through smart contract architecture rather than exposed seed phrases that are easily lost or stolen.
• Built-in two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized transactions, significantly reducing the risk of wallet drain from compromised devices.
• Smart wallet design allows for transaction simulations, batching, and recovery mechanisms that are not possible with traditional externally owned accounts, improving both safety and usability.
• Ready’s infrastructure and wallet architecture are open-source and documented publicly, allowing independent verification and fostering trust through transparency rather than obscurity.
• Since assets live onchain and not on Ready’s servers, the platform cannot freeze, seize, or block access to user funds, reinforcing true financial sovereignty.

Ready Review: UI and UX

• Ready’s interface focuses on clarity and speed, avoiding cluttered dashboards and instead prioritizing the actions users perform most often, such as spending, staking, and checking balances.
• The transition from Argent to Ready brought a cleaner, more consumer-friendly design that feels closer to a modern banking app while still retaining advanced crypto functionality.
• Gas-free interactions and bundled transactions remove common UX pain points, allowing users to interact with DeFi protocols without repeated confirmations or confusing fee calculations.
• Card management, cashback tracking, and streak visibility are integrated directly into the main app flow, making rewards feel tangible and easy to understand.
• Overall, Ready strikes a rare balance between power and simplicity, appealing to crypto natives without alienating users who are new to self-custody and DeFi.

Ready Review: Affiliate, Referrals, and Rewards

• Ready incentivizes usage through cashback rewards rather than speculative token farming, aligning incentives with real economic activity such as spending and consistent engagement.
• Ready Metal users can unlock higher cashback rates during boost hours by maintaining spending streaks, encouraging habitual use rather than one-off transactions.
• Cashback streaks are calculated based on daily spending activity, with higher tiers unlocking up to a 6% cashback boost during designated reward windows.
• Ready Lite users still benefit from cashback rewards, making the platform accessible without upfront commitment while providing a clear upgrade path for power users.
• Referral and promotional programs are designed to reward genuine adoption rather than short-term speculation, supporting Ready’s long-term vision as a sustainable crypto neobank.

Ready Review: Conclusion

Ready represents a clear shift in how crypto wallets and financial tools are designed, moving away from fragmented apps and complex workflows toward a unified, user-controlled financial experience. By combining a smart self-custody wallet, a globally usable crypto card, staking, DeFi access, and neobank-style features, Ready successfully bridges the gap between onchain finance and everyday usability. Its decision to build on Starknet allows it to deliver Ethereum-grade security while keeping costs low and interactions fast, which is critical for real-world adoption. While it is still expanding asset support and ecosystem integrations, Ready already feels less like a wallet and more like a full financial operating system for crypto natives

Does Ready require KYC to use the wallet?

No KYC is required to use Ready Wallet for self-custody, DeFi, or onchain interactions. KYC is only required for card-related and fiat on-ramp features, where regulations apply.