Who we are
BayChange (baychange.com, “BayChange”, “we”, “us”) is operated by [Company legal name], a company registered in [Jurisdiction] under registration number [Registration number], with its registered office at [Registered address].
Regulatory status: [Licence — type, number and regulator, or a statement that no licence is required].
You can reach us at [support@baychange.com]. More contacts are in Section 26.
About these Terms
These Terms of Use (“Terms”) are an agreement between you and us. They apply when you visit baychange.com, request a quote or create an order.
Our Privacy Policy, AML & Sanctions Policy and Refund Policy are part of these Terms. By creating an order, you confirm that you have read and accept all of them. If you don't agree, please don't use BayChange.
These Terms take effect on [Effective date].
Key terms
- Service
- The BayChange website and the tools on it for getting quotes, creating orders and tracking them.
- Protocol
- The third-party, decentralised cross-chain swap protocol that executes your swap.
- Order
- Your request to swap one digital asset for another, with the details shown on your order page.
- Deposit address
- The address, generated by the Protocol for your order, to which you send the asset you want to swap.
- Payout address
- The address where you want to receive the swapped asset.
- Refund address
- An address on the network of the asset you send. The Protocol returns funds there if the swap can't complete.
- Restricted Person, Restricted Jurisdiction
- Defined in Section 13.
What BayChange does and does not do
BayChange is a non-custodial interface. It helps you prepare a swap and pass it to a Protocol, which executes it. Here is what happens:
- You choose what to send and what to receive, and enter a payout address and a refund address.
- We screen both addresses against sanctions lists and other blocklists.
- Our software asks the Protocol to open a deposit channel with the details you entered. The Protocol generates a deposit address.
- You send the asset to that address from your own wallet or from an exchange account.
- The Protocol detects your deposit, performs the swap and sends the result to your payout address — or returns the funds to your refund address.
What this means for your funds
- The deposit address belongs to the Protocol, not to us. While your swap is in progress, your funds are held and controlled by the Protocol. Such protocols hold funds in vaults controlled by a network of independent validators.
- We never receive, hold or control your funds. We can't move, stop, speed up, cancel or reverse a swap.
- Our fee is deducted by the Protocol during the swap and paid to us by the Protocol.
What BayChange is not
- Not a bank, wallet, custodian or exchange account. The optional BayChange account holds no funds and no balance — only your points and settings.
- Not an investment, tax or legal adviser. Nothing on the Service is advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any asset.
- Not the operator of any Protocol, blockchain or stablecoin.
Who can use BayChange
You may use the Service only if all of these are true:
- you are at least 18 years old — or the age of majority where you live, if higher — and can enter into a binding contract;
- you are not a Restricted Person, and you are not located in, resident in or organised under the laws of a Restricted Jurisdiction;
- you act for yourself, with funds you own or are authorised to use, and for a lawful purpose;
- using the Service is legal where you are.
You are responsible for checking whether you may legally use the Service.
How an order works
Quote
When you enter an amount, we show a quote: the estimated amount you will receive, our fee, an estimate of other fees, the minimum you will receive, and the estimated time. We also show which Protocol (route) will execute the swap.
Addresses
You must enter a payout address and a refund address. The refund address must be on the same network as the asset you send and should be an address you control — not an exchange deposit address. See the Refund Policy.
Screening
Before we show a deposit address, we screen both addresses as described in the AML & Sanctions Policy. If an address doesn't pass, we don't create the order.
Deposit
We show the deposit address, the exact amount to send, a QR code and the time until the deposit address expires. Send only the asset and network shown, and only before it expires. If a memo or tag is shown, you must include it.
Execution
After your deposit gets the required number of network confirmations, the Protocol executes the swap and sends the result to your payout address. Your order page shows the status and links to the transactions. The order page is provided for convenience; the records on the blockchain are authoritative.
If you give us an email address, we send order updates to it. An email address is optional.
Rates, quotes and fees
- Quotes are estimates. Prices move. The Protocol executes your swap at the market rate available when it runs, not when you saw the quote.
- Minimum you will receive. Each order shows a minimum amount you will receive, before you send. If the Protocol can't deliver at least that much, it may retry for a limited time and, if it still can't, return the funds to your refund address.
- Our fee is a percentage of the swap. It is included in the quote and shown before you send. Current fees are on our Fees page.
- Other costs are set by third parties and can change: the Protocol's own fees, network (gas) fees for receiving your deposit and sending the result, and slippage. An exchange or wallet you send from may charge its own withdrawal fee.
The amount you receive is what actually arrives at the deposit address, swapped at the rate when the swap runs, minus all fees. We don't guarantee any rate, and we don't promise that our rates are the best available.
Optional account, points and levels
You can use BayChange without an account. If you want one, you sign in with a one-time code sent to your email. Anyone with access to your email can sign in to your account, so keep your email secure.
Points
- We credit points for completed exchanges that you start while signed in, based on the estimated US dollar value of your deposit. The current rate is shown in your account.
- Points are not money. They have no cash value, are not your property, and can't be transferred, sold, exchanged or cashed out. They don't entitle you to any payment.
- No points are credited for refunded, expired or failed orders.
Levels and fee discounts
- Your level depends on the volume of your completed exchanges. A level may give a discount on our fee only — not on the Protocol's fees or network fees. The discount is already included in the quote you see before you send, and it never takes our fee below a minimum rate.
- A discount applies only to orders created while you are signed in.
Changes and abuse
- We may change how points are earned, the levels, the discounts or the program as a whole, or end it. We'll show the current rules in your account and on this page. Changes don't affect the fee of an order you have already created.
- We may remove points or a level gained through abuse, errors or orders that breach these Terms, and close accounts used for abuse.
- You can delete your account at any time on the account page. Your points and level are then lost; your orders stay in our records as described in the Privacy Policy.
The partner program (earning a share of our fee) has its own Partner Terms.
Minimums, limits and time windows
- Minimum deposit. Each asset has a minimum, shown on the order page. The minimum is set by the Protocol and can change.
- Maximums. There may be a maximum per order or per route. Large swaps may be split into parts and executed over time, which can change the final amount.
- Time window. Each deposit address is valid only for the time shown on the order page. Don't send after it expires and don't reuse it for another swap.
- Timing. Times shown are estimates. Network congestion, confirmation times and Protocol conditions can make a swap take longer.
Refunds
- Refunds are made by the Protocol, and only to the refund address on your order. We can't send refunds ourselves or to any other address.
- Network fees for returning funds are deducted from the refund. We don't charge our fee on any amount that is refunded instead of swapped.
- When refunds happen, and what to do if something went wrong, is explained in our Refund Policy.
Transactions are final
Blockchain transactions can't be reversed or cancelled once they are sent. This applies to your deposit, to the payout to your address and to any refund.
If you enter a wrong payout or refund address, send the wrong asset or use the wrong network, or leave out a required memo or tag, your funds may be lost permanently. Neither we nor the Protocol can undo it.
We check that addresses have the right format for the network. These checks can't tell whether you control an address or whether it's the one you meant.
Delays, holds and freezes
Your swap can be delayed, rejected, held or frozen by parties other than us. For example:
- the Protocol or its authorised screening participants may reject a deposit for compliance reasons — rejected deposits are normally returned to your refund address;
- the Protocol may pause an asset or network, for example during an upgrade, an incident or a security exploit;
- a blockchain may be congested, stop producing blocks or reorganise;
- the issuer of a stablecoin (for example, Tether for USDT or Circle for USDC) may freeze tokens at any address, including addresses used by the Protocol;
- a bridge or other infrastructure used by a route may hold or lock assets during a transfer;
- a court, regulator or law enforcement authority may require funds to be blocked.
These measures may last for a period of time or indefinitely, and may be applied without notice. We don't control them and can't override them. If this happens, we'll tell you what we know and help you contact the right party, but we can't promise an outcome or a timeline.
Sanctions and restricted persons
A Restricted Person is any person or entity that:
- is named on a sanctions list maintained by the United Nations, the United States (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC), the European Union, the United Kingdom or [other applicable authority], or is owned or controlled by someone who is;
- is located in, resident in or organised under the laws of a Restricted Jurisdiction; or
- is otherwise the target of sanctions.
A Restricted Jurisdiction is any country or region listed in our AML & Sanctions Policy. The list can change; the version published there applies.
- You may not use the Service if you are a Restricted Person, or on behalf of or for the benefit of one.
- We block access from Restricted Jurisdictions based on IP location. You must not use a VPN, proxy or any other means to hide your location or to get around these restrictions.
- We screen addresses before we issue a deposit address, and we may refuse any order. See the AML & Sanctions Policy.
Prohibited use
You must not use the Service:
- with funds that come from, or are meant for, crime — including fraud, scams, theft, hacks, ransomware, darknet markets, drug or human trafficking, terrorist financing or child sexual abuse material;
- to evade sanctions, export controls or tax obligations, or to get around the limits or controls of another platform;
- to launder money or hide the origin, ownership or destination of funds, including by using mixers, tumblers or similar services;
- with funds you don't own or aren't authorised to use, or on behalf of another person without our consent;
- to give false information, including about your location;
- to interfere with the Service, overload it, probe its security, or access it with automated tools other than through an interface we publish for that purpose;
- in any other way that breaks the law or these Terms.
If we suspect prohibited use, we may refuse orders, pause routes, keep records and share information with authorities, as described in our AML & Sanctions Policy.
Your responsibilities and risks
You are responsible for
- entering the correct payout and refund addresses, the correct network and any required memo or tag;
- sending the asset, network and amount shown before the deposit address expires — and, if you send from an exchange, making sure that the amount that arrives after the exchange's withdrawal fee is still above the minimum;
- keeping your wallets, private keys and devices secure. We will never ask for your private keys or recovery phrase;
- any taxes on your transactions, and reporting them where required;
- complying with the laws that apply to you.
Risks you accept
Digital assets and blockchains carry risks. By using the Service you accept them, including:
- prices can change fast, so you may receive less than the quote (but not less than the minimum on your order);
- network fees, slippage, bridging and other cross-chain and on-chain risks;
- bugs, exploits or attacks affecting blockchains, Protocols, bridges or smart contracts, which may cause delays or loss of funds;
- stablecoins may lose their peg, or be frozen by their issuer;
- changes in law or regulation may affect the Service or your assets.
Protocols and other third parties
- Swaps are executed by Protocols that we don't own, operate or control. They are run by independent networks of validators, and BayChange is one of many interfaces that connect to them.
- We make no representations, warranties or commitments on behalf of any Protocol or its developers, validators, liquidity providers or other participants, and they make none to you through us.
- The Service also relies on other third parties: blockchains, stablecoin issuers, screening providers, hosting providers, and the wallets and exchanges you use. Their own terms may apply to you. We are not responsible for what they do or fail to do.
- Links to block explorers and other websites are provided for convenience only.
Additional terms for routes with independent liquidity providers
Some routes may be executed by an independent cross-chain protocol in which independent liquidity providers deliver the result of the swap from their own funds. Your quote and order page show the route before you send. This Section applies only to orders on such a route, in addition to the rest of these Terms.
For these orders, you understand and agree that:
- depending on the network you send from, the deposit address is either a one-time address or a reusable address. In either case, send the exact amount once, before the order expires. A one-time address accepts one deposit only: a second deposit to it is not exchanged and is returned to your refund address, minus network fees. A reusable address is linked to the assets and the payout address of your order, and the same address may be shown again for a later order with the same assets and payout address. Each deposit to a reusable address is exchanged separately, at the market rate when it arrives and for the amount received, and the result is sent to your payout address; a deposit too small to cover the fees is returned to your refund address, minus network fees;
- if less than the order amount arrives, the Protocol may return it to your refund address, minus network fees, or exchange it at the market rate for the amount received. Amounts too small to cover network fees may not be returned;
- only the asset and network shown on the order page can be processed. Any other token sent to the address, including other tokens on the same network, can't be exchanged or returned and may be lost permanently;
- the Protocol does not accept deposits sent from certain exchanges and payment services. The current list is shown on the order page and may change without notice. Such deposits may be blocked and may not be processed or returned;
- the Protocol and its operator screen addresses and transactions and may refuse, block, delay or suspend a quote or transaction, for a period or indefinitely, without giving reasons. A transaction blocked at the time of execution may not be returned automatically, and neither we nor you may be able to release the funds;
- if the swap of a deposit is not completed before its deadline, the Protocol returns the deposit to your refund address, minus network fees;
- the quote includes our fee, the Protocol's own fee and network costs; the Protocol collects our fee during the swap and pays it to us separately;
- transactions are irreversible and carry smart-contract, network, liquidity-provider and cross-chain risks. The Protocol may change, suspend or stop its service at any time, and it does not guarantee pricing, execution or uptime;
- you have no direct contractual relationship with the operator of the Protocol through BayChange, and we make no representations, warranties or commitments on its behalf;
- Restricted Persons and anyone located in a Restricted Jurisdiction must not use the route.
Any further provisions that the operator of the Protocol reasonably requires under its terms with us.
Refusing orders and pausing routes
We may, at our discretion and without giving reasons where the law doesn't allow us to:
- refuse to create an order or to issue a deposit address;
- stop offering any asset, network or route;
- pause or disable a route — for example after a major hack or exploit, a Protocol incident, or a sanctions or regulatory development;
- restrict access for anyone we reasonably believe is breaking these Terms.
If we pause a route after you've sent funds, the Protocol will normally either complete the swap or return the funds to your refund address. We can't hold or redirect funds ourselves. We may change, suspend or stop the Service at any time.
No warranties
The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, whether express, implied or statutory, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement.
We don't warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure, that quotes and estimates will be accurate, or that any swap will be executed. We give no warranties about any Protocol, blockchain, bridge, stablecoin or other third-party service.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, we and our directors, employees and contractors are not liable for:
- losses caused by third parties, including Protocols, validators, bridges, blockchains, stablecoin issuers, wallets and exchanges;
- losses caused by addresses, assets, networks, memos or amounts that you entered or sent, or by sending funds below the minimum or after a deposit address expired;
- losses caused by the delays, holds, freezes or rejections described in Section 12;
- changes in prices or exchange rates;
- indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses, or loss of profit, revenue, data or opportunity.
Our total liability for all claims relating to an order is limited to the greater of the fee we received for that order and [USD 100].
Nothing in these Terms limits liability that can't be limited by law — for example, for fraud, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence — or affects your mandatory rights as a consumer.
Indemnity
To the extent permitted by law, you will compensate us for claims, losses and reasonable costs (including legal fees) that arise from your breach of these Terms, your breach of any law or third-party rights, or your use of the Service with funds you weren't entitled to use.
Using the website
- The website, the BayChange name and logo, and our content belong to us or our licensors. You may use the Service for your own swaps. Don't copy, frame or resell it without our written permission. The exchange widget at
baychange.com/embedmay be placed on other sites under the Partner Terms. - Guides and other content are general information, not advice, and may be out of date.
- We may publish translations for convenience. If a translation differs from the English version of these Terms, the English version applies.
Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms. We'll publish the new version on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Most people use BayChange without an account, so we can't notify everyone individually — please check this page before each order.
The Terms in force when you create an order apply to that order. Later changes don't affect it.
Governing law and disputes
- These Terms are governed by the laws of [Governing law].
- If you have a complaint, please write to [support@baychange.com] first, with your order ID. We aim to reply within [5 business days].
- Disputes that we can't resolve together will be decided by [courts or arbitration seat], unless the mandatory law of the country where you live gives you the right to bring a claim in your local courts.
General
- Entire agreement. These Terms, with the policies they refer to, are the whole agreement between you and us about the Service.
- Severability. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
- No waiver. If we don't enforce a right straight away, we can still enforce it later.
- Transfer. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to a successor. You may not transfer yours.
- Events beyond our control. We are not responsible for failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including network or Protocol failures, attacks, and changes in law.
- Third-party rights. No one else has rights under these Terms.
Contact
- Support and complaints: [support@baychange.com]
- Sanctions and compliance: [compliance@baychange.com]
- Privacy: [privacy@baychange.com]
- Post: [Company legal name], [Registered address]
