How to Switch Between GBP and USD Pricing

Cryptoassets are high-risk investments and may not be suitable for all investors. Their prices can be highly volatile, and you could lose some or all of the money you invest.

Cryptoassets are not regulated in the same way as traditional investments and are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is limited.

During periods of extreme market volatility, liquidity may be reduced, which can affect your ability to buy or sell crypto at your desired price.

You should take time to understand how crypto works and the risks involved before investing. For more information, visit IG’s Crypto Risks page.

Why should I view prices in different currencies?

There are different reasons to use GBP or USD pricing:

View in GBP when:

• You're depositing/withdrawing in pounds
• You want to see returns in your base currency
• Calculating tax implications in UK pounds

View in USD when:

• Trading stablecoins like USDC (pegged to USD)
• Comparing to global crypto prices (usually quoted in USD)
• Trading assets more liquid in USD markets

How do I switch between GBP and USD?

How does currency selection affect my trades?

It does not affect:

* Where your cash is held (always in your IG accounts in GBP)

* The actual cryptocurrency you receive

* The fees you pay

What it does affect:

* How you see and understand prices

* How you calculate potential returns

* Your ability to compare with global markets

Default currency and settings:

* GBP is the default currency for all new users

* You can switch to USD at any time

* Your selection is for display purposes only - all trading happens in GBP

Understanding exchange rates

When viewing USD prices:

* You're seeing the crypto's price in US dollars

* Your actual trading happens in GBP

* GBP/USD exchange rates will affect your returns

* GBP/USD conversion uses spot FX rates from IG systems

What about stablecoins?

USDC (USD Coin) is pegged to the US dollar. When holding USDC:

In USD view:

• USDC shows close to $1.00
• Easy to see the stable peg

In GBP view:

• USDC value fluctuates with GBP/USD exchange rate
• Reflects currency risk, not USDC instability

This is important to understand - the USDC peg is to USD, so viewing in GBP will show exchange rate movements.

Best practices

For most UK investors:

• Use GBP for portfolio tracking
• Switch to USD when trading USDC
• Use USD to compare with global market data

Remember:

* Your currency selection persists on the same platform (e.g., stays as USD on mobile app across sessions)

* Your selection does NOT persist across different platforms (e.g., if you select USD on mobile, you'll still see GBP when you log in on web)

* Different views don't affect your actual holdings or transactions

* Charts update to show selected currency history

* All actual trading happens in GBP regardless of display currency

Coming Soon

We're working on adding:

• Additional currency views
• Currency-specific price alerts
• Multi-currency portfolio analytics

For questions about currency settings, contact our support team. 

Reach out via live chat or WhatsApp.