Quick answer
Does Vast.ai accept crypto?
Yes, Vast.ai accepts crypto through BitPay and Crypto.com, but it does not refund credits bought with crypto. As of 29 October 2026, its docs name no coins and no minimum, and its billing FAQ says credit is added after a credit card and an email are verified. GPUwithCrypto takes crypto with no card and no ID: an H100 costs $2.32/hour.
What do Vast.ai's own pages say about crypto?
Six facts from Vast.ai's billing reference, billing FAQ and Terms (version dated 1 September 2026), all read on 29 October 2026.
| Question | What Vast.ai says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which coins? | Not named: the docs name the processors only | Billing reference |
| Which processor? | BitPay and Crypto.com; Coinbase Commerce is referenced as a legacy option | Billing reference |
| ID or KYC? | No identity-document requirement in the billing docs, billing FAQ or Terms | Terms |
| Card needed? | Credit is added "after you enter a credit card and an email address and both are verified"; the docs do not say if crypto-only top-ups are exempt | Billing FAQ |
| Minimum? | No minimum deposit stated | Billing FAQ |
| Refunds? | "We do not refund Vast credits bought with crypto"; Coinbase Commerce payments cannot be refunded either | Billing reference |
Prices checked on
What happens to Vast.ai credits I do not use?
If you paid in crypto, you cannot get them back as money. Spent credits are never refunded, and its Terms leave a refund of unspent credits to its discretion, depending on the payment method. Credits bought with crypto are excluded outright.
That makes the first top-up a sizing decision. Vast.ai bills per second with no minimum hours, so a small deposit is enough to test a host before a long run.
How much does Vast.ai cost compared with GPUwithCrypto?
Vast.ai is a marketplace, so the price depends on the host. On 29 October 2026 the Vast.ai public price feed listed an H100 SXM from $1.73 per hour, with a median offer of $2.40 and 56 offers rentable. The feed does not split on-demand from interruptible offers. Vast.ai also sells 1-, 3- and 6-month reserved terms, advertised at "Up to 50% Off".
GPUwithCrypto rents an on-demand H100 for $2.32/hour, billed per minute. Vast.ai's cheapest H100 offer was below that price; its median offer was above it. The choice is between the lowest marketplace offer and a fixed on-demand price: Instances are on-demand, not spot: nobody can take your GPU back while your balance covers it, and the instance runs until you stop it. For a two-provider view, see RunPod vs Vast.ai.
What else does Vast.ai require?
Its Terms add three conditions:
- Currency: all payments are in US dollars, whatever you pay with.
- Location: users represent that they are not located in or resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria or other restricted regions.
- Export controls: Vast.ai can suspend service over export-control concerns.
Vast.ai's strengths are real: per-second billing, no minimum hours, 40+ data centers on its pricing page, and the lowest marketplace H100 offer we found on 29 October 2026.
Which GPU clouds take crypto without a card or an ID check?
A few, according to their own pages on 29 October 2026. According to GPUwithCrypto's check of that day, 14 of 33 GPU clouds accept crypto. Twelve of the 14 describe no ID step, Vast.ai included, but Vast.ai still asks for a verified card. "No ID step documented" means the pages we read describe none, not a promise that they never ask.
- GPUwithCrypto: BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, no ID and no card at any step. H100 $2.32/hour, A100 80GB $0.92/hour, RTX 4090 $0.28/hour.
- Massed Compute: Bitcoin by wallet invoice, email verification only. H100 80GB $2.73 on-demand; no auto-recharge for crypto.
- Salad: USDC, USDT and RENDER on Solana, for RTX 4090 and RTX 5090. Crypto payments cannot be refunded.
- Spheron: USDC on six chains, from a $50 crypto deposit; sign-up needs a verified email.
- Akash Network: Console Air needs only a wallet and AKT, with no account.
RunPod takes crypto too, after KYC: see does RunPod accept crypto. The full table of 33 GPU clouds and Vast.ai alternatives cover the rest.
Vast.ai and crypto: questions
Can I pay Vast.ai with Bitcoin or USDT?
Vast.ai's docs do not name the coins. Crypto goes through BitPay or Crypto.com, and the docs list no coins or networks.
Does Vast.ai need a credit card?
Its billing FAQ says credit is added once a credit card and an email address are both verified. The docs do not say whether a crypto-only top-up skips the card step.
Why is my Vast.ai payment not working?
Start with the two checks its billing FAQ describes: a verified email and a verified credit card. Payments are in US dollars under its Terms, and some regions are excluded.
Can I get a refund on Vast.ai credits bought with crypto?
No. Vast.ai's billing reference says: "We do not refund Vast credits bought with crypto." Coinbase Commerce payments cannot be refunded either.
Is there a Vast.ai alternative that takes crypto with no card?
Yes. GPUwithCrypto takes BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC with no card and no ID, from $25, and rents on-demand GPUs from $0.28/hour.
Sources (8)
- Billing reference docs.vast.ai/documentation/reference/billing — Vast.ai (read 2026-10-29)
- Billing FAQ docs.vast.ai/guides/reference/faq/billing.md — Vast.ai (read 2026-10-29)
- Terms of service vast.ai/terms — Vast.ai (read 2026-10-29)
- Public GPU pricing feed — Vast.ai (read 2026-10-29)
- Crypto: manually add credits vm-docs.massedcompute.com/docs/billing/crypto/manually-add-credits — Massed Compute (read 2026-10-29)
- Billing docs.salad.com/general/explanation/billing — Salad (read 2026-10-29)
- Billing — Spheron (read 2026-10-29)
- Console Air akash.network/docs/developers/deployment/console-air — Akash Network (read 2026-10-29)