If you're looking to trade crypto in Turkey, you've probably heard of Bitci TR. It’s been around since 2018, offers fan tokens, and claims to be one of the local go-to platforms. But here’s the truth: most experienced traders avoid it. Why? Because behind the simple interface and easy access to niche tokens lies a platform with serious red flags - and not just a few.
What Is Bitci TR, Really?
Bitci TR is a centralized crypto exchange based in Turkey. It launched in August 2018 to serve Turkish users who wanted to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other coins without dealing with international platforms. Over time, it added its own token - Bitcicoin - and a growing list of fan tokens tied to Turkish sports clubs and celebrities. Today, it supports over 60 cryptocurrencies, but more than half of its trading volume comes from Bitcicoin and those fan tokens. That’s not necessarily bad. Niche markets exist. But here’s the problem: Bitci TR doesn’t trade like a serious exchange. Its daily volume hovers between $400,000 and $800,000, according to Traders Union. That’s less than what Binance processes in five minutes. For comparison, Coinbase handles over $1 billion daily. Bitci TR isn’t just small - it’s barely alive in global terms.The Trading Experience: Simple, But Limited
Bitci TR offers three trading interfaces, which sounds impressive:- A basic buy/sell screen for beginners
- A standard platform with order books
- A professional mode with TradingView charts
Fees: Average, But Hidden Costs Lurk
Bitci TR charges 0.20% for both maker and taker orders. That’s standard. Not great, not terrible. On Binance, you can get 0.10% with BNB payments. On Kraken, it’s 0.16%. So you’re paying a bit more. But the real issue? Withdrawal and deposit fees. The website doesn’t list them. Not clearly. Not anywhere. Some users report sudden fees on withdrawals. Others say deposits via bank transfer take days with no tracking. You can’t plan your trades if you don’t know how much you’ll actually get after fees. That’s not transparency - that’s a trap.Security Rating: Danger Zone
This is where Bitci TR falls apart. CER.live gives it a security score of 21% - a D rating. That’s one of the lowest in the industry. Here’s what that means:- No penetration testing done
- No bug bounty program
- No proof of funds - you can’t verify if they actually hold your Bitcoin
- No public info on their cold storage
- No details on their team or ownership
Who’s Behind Bitci TR?
You’d think a company running a crypto exchange for over seven years would have a clear team. You’d be wrong. There’s no LinkedIn profile for the CEO. No press releases about investors. No information about the legal entity behind the platform. No registration details published publicly. Even the domain owner is hidden. In finance, opacity equals risk. In crypto, it equals danger. If you don’t know who’s managing your funds, you’re trusting strangers. And when those strangers have zero public track record, you’re gambling - not investing.Regulation? What Regulation?
Turkey has been tightening crypto rules. In 2023, the Central Bank banned crypto payments. In 2024, new licensing requirements came into force. But Bitci TR has never published any license number. No statement from the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (SPK). No compliance documentation. That means they’re operating in a legal gray zone. If the government cracks down, your account could freeze overnight. No warning. No appeal. Just gone. Compare that to Binance TR or Paribu - both have clear regulatory status. Bitci TR? Nothing.The Fan Token Trap
Bitci TR’s biggest selling point? Fan tokens. You can trade tokens tied to Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and even Turkish pop stars. That sounds fun - and it is, for a while. But fan tokens are speculative. They have no intrinsic value. Their price depends on hype, not fundamentals. When the team loses a match or a celebrity gets into scandal? The token crashes. And because Bitci TR is the only exchange offering many of these tokens, liquidity is thin. You might not be able to sell when you want to. You could be stuck holding a token worth $0.01 because no one else is trading it.
Real User Experiences: Mixed, But Mostly Bad
There are only a handful of reviews online. Cryptogeek.info shows a 3.7/10 based on three reviews. That’s not enough to be meaningful - but what’s there isn’t good. Users report:- Withdrawals taking over 72 hours
- Customer support ignoring tickets
- Accounts locked without explanation
- Confusing fee structures
Is Bitci TR Worth It?
If you’re in Turkey and you want to buy Bitcoin for the first time - and you’re okay with risk - you could use Bitci TR. It’s easy. It’s local. It works. But if you’re serious about crypto? No. You’re trading on a platform with:- Zero security guarantees
- No regulatory oversight
- No transparency
- Minimal liquidity
- High risk of losing funds
What Should You Do Instead?
If you’re in Turkey and want to trade crypto safely:- Use Paribu - licensed, transparent, and has good customer support.
- Try Binance TR - global security, low fees, high liquidity.
- Consider Koinim - reliable since 2017, Turkish-language support, clear fees.
Final Verdict
Bitci TR isn’t a scam. It’s not a Ponzi scheme. But it’s not safe either. It’s a risky, opaque, poorly managed platform that survives because it targets a niche market - Turkish users who don’t know better. If you’re just dipping your toes in, maybe use it for a small buy. But never keep more than you can afford to lose. And never trust it with your long-term holdings. The crypto world is full of opportunities. Don’t waste them on a platform that doesn’t deserve your trust.Is Bitci TR a scam?
No, Bitci TR isn’t a scam in the traditional sense - it’s not stealing funds outright. But it operates with zero transparency, no regulatory license, and poor security. Experts like Traders Union rate it as high-risk and advise against using it. If your funds disappear due to a hack or sudden shutdown, you have no recourse.
Can I trust Bitci TR with my crypto?
No. Bitci TR has no proof of funds, no cold storage details, and no security certifications. With a 21% security score from CER.live, it’s among the riskiest exchanges available. If you must use it, only deposit small amounts you’re prepared to lose. Never store long-term holdings there.
What are the fees on Bitci TR?
Trading fees are 0.20% for both makers and takers - standard for a small exchange. But deposit and withdrawal fees are not published. Users report unexpected charges on withdrawals, especially via bank transfer. Always assume hidden fees and test with small amounts first.
Does Bitci TR support USD or EUR deposits?
No. Bitci TR only accepts Turkish Lira (TRY) via bank transfer. You cannot deposit USD, EUR, or other foreign currencies. This limits its usefulness for international traders and adds friction for Turkish users who want to convert from other currencies.
Is Bitci TR regulated in Turkey?
There is no public evidence that Bitci TR holds a license from Turkey’s Capital Markets Board (SPK). While some Turkish exchanges are licensed, Bitci TR has never published any regulatory documentation. This makes it legally vulnerable and increases the risk of sudden shutdowns or account freezes.
What is Bitcicoin, and should I trade it?
Bitcicoin (BCC) is Bitci TR’s native token. It’s used for fee discounts and trading on the platform. But it has no real-world utility outside Bitci TR, and its price is driven mostly by hype. With low liquidity and no major exchange listings, trading Bitcicoin is speculative. Only do it if you understand the risk and treat it like gambling, not investment.
Why does Bitci TR have fan tokens?
Fan tokens are a marketing tool. Bitci TR uses them to attract Turkish sports fans who want to feel connected to their teams. These tokens are low-value, highly volatile, and only trade on Bitci TR. They’re fun for short-term speculation but dangerous as long-term assets. Don’t confuse fandom with financial sense.
Are there better alternatives to Bitci TR in Turkey?
Yes. Paribu is licensed, secure, and trusted. Binance TR offers global liquidity and lower fees. Koinim has been operating since 2017 with strong customer support. All three have transparent teams, published security measures, and regulatory compliance. Stick with them instead of risking your funds on Bitci TR.
16 Comments
I tried Bitci TR last year just to buy some BTC. Thought it was fine till I tried to withdraw and they froze my account for 'suspicious activity'. No email. No explanation. Just gone. Lost $200. Never again.
This is spot on. I used to work in fintech compliance and the lack of any public KYC/AML documentation from Bitci TR is a huge red flag. Even small exchanges in emerging markets publish at least a basic compliance page. This? Nothing. Zero transparency. That's not laziness-it's intent.
Funny how people act like this is some secret. Everyone in the Turkish crypto scene knows Bitci TR is the 'last resort' exchange. The kind you use when you're too lazy to set up a VPN and use Binance. Don't be that guy.
The real tragedy isn't the platform itself. It's that people in Turkey are being sold a fantasy-that local means safe. But local doesn't mean regulated. Local doesn't mean secure. Local just means easier to disappear when things go south. We've seen this movie before with every unregulated exchange in every emerging market.
I used to trade fan tokens on here for fun. Bought a Galatasaray token after they won the cup. Price went up 300% in a week. Then they lost the next match... and it crashed to 5% of value overnight. No one was buying. I got stuck with $150 of digital trash. Don't let the hype fool you.
They say it's not a scam. But if you leave your money there for six months and it vanishes during 'maintenance'... what's the difference? Scam is just a word. The outcome is the same. You lose everything. And they don't care.
The real question isn't whether Bitci TR is safe it's whether any centralized exchange is safe when you don't control your keys. But this one? It's the worst kind of dangerous because it looks harmless. Like a candy wrapper hiding poison. We're not just talking about bad UX. We're talking about existential risk.
I find it fascinating how people still defend this platform. You'd think after seven years of zero transparency, no audits, no team info, and a security score lower than a sketchy altcoin ICO, someone would get the hint. But no. The human brain is wired to ignore red flags if the interface is pretty and the tokens are fun. Sad.
I live in Turkey and I can tell you this: Bitci TR is a ghost town. The only people using it are old folks who don't know better and kids chasing fan tokens like they're trading Pokémon cards. The real traders? They're all on Binance TR or Paribu. Bitci TR is a museum piece now. A warning sign.
I think the government knows what's going on here. They're letting it run so they can blame it later if something blows up. 'Oh it was Bitci TR, not us.' Classic. They don't care if you lose money. As long as they look like they're 'doing something' about crypto, they win.
I just lost $1,200 on this platform and I'm still crying. I thought I was being smart using a local exchange. Turns out I was just the perfect target. Now I'm using a hardware wallet and only trading on Binance. I wish I had known sooner. You people are lucky you read this before you got burned.
I'm so glad someone finally said this out loud! I've been trying to warn my cousin for months. She keeps saying 'but it's so easy!' Easy doesn't mean safe. I told her it's like leaving your house unlocked because the door looks nice. She still doesn't get it 😭
I don't understand why people keep using this. I've used 3 Turkish exchanges. Bitci TR is the only one where I had to call customer support three times just to get a withdrawal request processed. And they never answered. I gave up. Went to Paribu. Done in 2 days. No drama. No lies.
The fact that this exchange still exists is a testament to the profound cognitive dissonance that exists within retail crypto traders. The platform exhibits every single hallmark of a high-risk, low-integrity operation, yet users persist due to a combination of convenience bias, sunk cost fallacy, and the seductive allure of speculative fan tokens. This is not a market failure. This is a behavioral failure.
I come from Nigeria and I've seen similar platforms here. They look professional. They have nice logos. They promise fast trades. But behind the scenes? No audits. No licenses. No accountability. Bitci TR is not unique. It's just another example of how greed and ignorance feed each other in emerging markets. Be careful out there.
This review should be mandatory reading for every new crypto user in Turkey. If you're reading this and you're thinking about using Bitci TR, stop. Walk away. Open your browser. Type in Paribu. Click. Done. You just saved yourself months of stress and possibly your life savings.