I'd be concerned about the legal angle of running an exchange. Can you just create one or are they regulated? I know it would be different for each region, but at what point does it change from being a web app to something of significant interest a country's financial regulators?
As has been said, a wallet is easy and could be run with minimal effort as a side project. I think you'd need a lot more than technical knowledge to be able to manage an exchange.
I could do a fully US licensed one (via CFTC, not SEC) for $500k in legal compliance and ~$2-3mm in dev/ops costs. Costs would be about 25% of that overseas (again, fully licensed by local regulators; at minimum a "no action" private letter ruling that you're not a banking institution (since you don't make loans/take deposits), but just a financial service provider like a traditional currency exchange, but much more ideally a fully recognized financial market with participants).
Comments
I'd be concerned about the legal angle of running an exchange. Can you just create one or are they regulated? I know it would be different for each region, but at what point does it change from being a web app to something of significant interest a country's financial regulators?
As has been said, a wallet is easy and could be run with minimal effort as a side project. I think you'd need a lot more than technical knowledge to be able to manage an exchange.
I could do a fully US licensed one (via CFTC, not SEC) for $500k in legal compliance and ~$2-3mm in dev/ops costs. Costs would be about 25% of that overseas (again, fully licensed by local regulators; at minimum a "no action" private letter ruling that you're not a banking institution (since you don't make loans/take deposits), but just a financial service provider like a traditional currency exchange, but much more ideally a fully recognized financial market with participants).
(IANAL of course, and IANAS7)