About Us
Our Mission
Our story
Founded in 2013 by Adam Tepper and Adrian Przelozny, Independent Reserve’s vision was to build the most secure and trusted way to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Moreover, we aimed to transform cryptocurrency technology into secure, robust and regulated financial services, and do things the right way.
Independent Reserve is the first crypto exchange to operate a licensed crypto exchange for all investors in Singapore. We are currently licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to provide Digital Payment Token (DPT) services under the Payment Services Act (PSA) 2019.
Since our launch, we have built a world-class order book exchange and OTC service desk, expanded operations to South-East Asia and continue to build new features and partnerships that add value to our customers.
We pride ourselves on offering world-class security for our customers, featuring two-factor authentication, ISO 27001 certification and top-tier underground vaults used to protect your data and crypto.
We have grown to serve over 250,000 customers in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and across the world.
- LicensedFirst crypto exchange licensed by MAS
- 10+Years in business
- 250,000+Trusted users worldwide
Our governance
Independent Reserve SG a registered entity in Singapore (UEN 201942383Z). We hold a Major Payment Institution License (License Number: PS20200517) for providing Digital Payment Token Services under the Payment Services Act 2019.
Our board of directors, advisers and management team bring decades of experience in regulation, traditional finance, risk management and IT security.
Board of Directors
Adrian Przelozny
CEO & Managing directorCo-founder of Independent Reserve, Adrian’s career spans more than 15 years of information technology, specializing in the design and development of critical business systems.Lasanka Perera
CEO (Singapore)Co-founder of Independent Reserve, Lasanka has spent over 10 years building regulated financial markets and trading businesses' across multiple asset classes.Roman Stefanidi
CTO & Executive directorRoman has spent over fifteen years developing enterprise-level pricing and trading software for financial institutions.Rachel Cobb
Non-executive directorRachel has over 15 years experience leading financial services businesses with deep expertise in strategy and risk management. Rachel was formerly a Managing Director in GE Consumer Finance and now serves on several boards including Commonwealth Securities Limited (CommSec). Rachel is chair of the Remuneration Committee.John Wigglesworth
Non-executive directorAfter a 36 year career at KPMG, John has joined Independent Reserve's board and chairs the Audit Committee. He brings over 30 years of professional experience working with leading Australian and global companies, with specific expertise in finance reporting, control, governance and risk.Dr Michael Aitken AM
Non-executive directorA leading expert on market surveillance and currently the Chief Scientist at Rozetta institute. He was formerly the CEO at Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre. Michael is chair of the Risk Committee.Michael Dwyer
Non-executive director (Singapore)Michael has been associated with the REIT industry for more than 25 years and has developed strong working relationships with the Securities Industry Regulators and the Financial Services Associations in Australia and Singapore. Michael is an experienced solicitor with over 20 years in commercial, property and banking law.
Protecting your assets is our top priority
1:1 reserves
We maintain a full 1:1 reserve of all client fiat and digital assets.
We hold the vast majority of digital assets in secure offline cold storage protected in underground vaults with maximum security.
Audited and licensed
We are the first crypto exchange to be licensed by MAS.
Our books are balanced and we carry no debt on our balance sheet. We engage external auditors to verify our holdings with annual audits of our financial statements. This includes verification of all fiat and crypto balances held in custody on behalf of clients.
Segregated funds
We do not commingle customer funds. We maintain complete segregation of all client assets to ensure that when you need to make a withdrawal, you can.
We keep your assets safe. That is our promise.
Single purpose asset utilisation
We do not engage in any lending, borrowing or rehypothecation of assets (i.e. pledging assets as collateral for debt). Your assets are used solely for the purpose of enabling you to transact on our platform.
Awards and Recognition
Digital Currency Exchange of the Year 2019-2021
Deloitte Tech Fast 50 Australia
Financial Review Fast 100
AFR Most Innovative Companies
Financial Times High Growth Companies 2020
Our Security
Partnerships
ACCESS Singapore
We are a member of ACCESS Singapore, a non-profit industry association that aims to foster an open and clear dialogue between Singapore cryptocurrency and blockchain businesses and wider society, including regulators.Bloomberg
Only source of Bitcoin/AUD pricing on Bloomberg, streamed live to all Bloomberg terminal holders worldwide.Blockchain Association Singapore
We are a member of Blockchain Association of Singapore, an industry association that aims to provide an effective platform for members to engage with multiple stakeholders – both regional and international – to discover solutions and promote best practices in a collaborative, open, and transparent manner.Fireblocks
We are one of the pioneering crypto exchanges to integrate via the Fireblocks Connector, a new API standard. Institutions can securely access Independent Reserve for digital asset liquidity and crypto-fiat rails directly from the Fireblocks network.

The people’s money - bitcoin
Written by Adam Tepper, the book “The People’s Money - Bitcoin” explains the concepts behind Bitcoin in an approachable and easy to understand way. By the end of the book you will have a solid understanding of this revolutionary new technology and the vast potential that it brings.
Sadly, Adam passed away before he could complete the book, and it was completed thanks to the Bitcoin Association of Australia (now Blockchain Australia) along with amazing help from the greater Bitcoin community.
Culture and Community
Going Green
In 2019 we made a commitment to help offset the carbon emissions caused by our business and the industry. Through Climeworks, a Swiss-based firm dedicated to capturing CO2 from the air with its cutting-edge technology, we’re removing 1 tonne of carbon per year. Moreover, we’ve joined the 1 Trillion Tree foundation and are planting 200 trees every year.Community
The Independent Reserve team sponsors and participates in international and local blockchain and cryptocurrency meetups, events and conferences.Government and Regulation
Independent Reserve is the first crypto exchange to receive a license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). This is a testament that our people, processes and policies have received the nod of a world-class regulator.Independent Reserve cryptocurrency index
We conduct an annual cross-sectional survey of everyday residents of Singapore to examine Singapore's awareness, adoption, trust and confidence in cryptocurrency.
The survey provides researchers, industry, media and the general public - with valuable data and insights into the blockchain technology.
Download the 2023 edition here.
Newsroom
Trusted by global partners
Independent Reserve SG PTE. LTD
Singapore 049318