Service attributes

Characteristics or features of services that affect their scores.

Learn more about attributes

Guaranteed no KYC

Privacy
Good

Terms explicitly state KYC will never be requested.

+25 Privacy
0 Trust

No KYC mention

Privacy
Good

No mention of current or future KYC requirements.

+15 Privacy
0 Trust

Identity-Free registration

Privacy
Good

Users can create accounts without giving personal information (such as full name, address or phone number). Note that some services might initially allow this, but they may subsequently request personal information (i.e. Automated flagging systems, Shotgun KYC...).

+10 Privacy
0 Trust
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Personal info is not verified

Privacy
Good

These services do not conduct checks on personal information, meaning that you could use temporary emails, disposable phone numbers, or fake name / addresses.

+9 Privacy
0 Trust
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No KYC after AML check

KYC
Good

You can contact the service’s support team to request a free AML score check before making a deposit. If you complete this check, the service guarantees they will not require KYC or block your funds.

+5 Privacy
+10 Trust
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Accepts Monero

Privacy
Good

This service accepts Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that provides enhanced anonymity.

+5 Privacy
0 Trust

Has Onion or I2P URLs

Privacy
Good

Onion (Tor) and I2P URLs enhance privacy and anonymity.

+5 Privacy
0 Trust

No registration needed

Privacy
Good

Users can access and use the service without creating an account. This enables a faster and more convenient user experience while also offering enhanced privacy and anonymity.

+5 Privacy
0 Trust
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Atomic Swaps

Trust
Good

An atomic swap is a way for two people to directly exchange cryptocurrencies from different blockchains without needing a middleman like a centralized exchange. It’s called "atomic" because the swap either happens completely or not at all - there’s no partial or failed trade where one side loses out.

+3 Privacy
+8 Trust
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Split-trust architecture

Privacy
Good

The service is split across two independent providers so that neither holds a complete picture of the user. One party sees the user's real IP but cannot read their traffic; the other sees the traffic but never the user's IP. Compromising either party alone is not sufficient to de-anonymize a user; both must be subpoenaed or compromised simultaneously. This guarantee only holds if the two operators are genuinely independent; common ownership or a shared jurisdiction nullifies the architectural separation.

+3 Privacy
+1 Trust
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Own infrastructure

Trust
Good

The service owns and operates its own physical servers. No cloud or datacenter provider sits between the service and its hardware.

+1 Privacy
+2 Trust
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Token-based login

Privacy
Good

Users accesses the service via a secret token or account number rather than a traditional username/email and password, which improves privacy by removing the need to supply personal identifiers such as an email address or name.

+1 Privacy
0 Trust
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Is SCAM

Trust
Bad

Failed review or shows serious unresolved risk. Read more about the listing statuses.

0 Privacy
-30 Trust

Operating for less than 3 months

Trust
Warning

The service started operations less than 3 months ago and it does not have a long-standing proven track record. Use this service with caution and follow the safe swapping rules.

0 Privacy
-10 Trust
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Poor or no customer support

Trust
Warning

The service does not offer customer support, or the quality of service provided by the support team is slow, inadequate or unsatisfactory.

0 Privacy
-5 Trust
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Recently approved

Trust
Warning

Approved on KYCnot.me less than 15 days ago. Proceed with caution.

0 Privacy
-5 Trust

New service

Trust
Warning

The service started operations less than a year ago and it does not have a proven track record. Use with caution and follow the safe swapping rules.

0 Privacy
-4 Trust

Slow processing times

Trust
Warning

Users often experience slower-than-desired processing times with this service.

0 Privacy
-4 Trust
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Unclear refund policy

Trust
Warning

This service has an unclear or nonexistent statement about how they manage user refunds.

0 Privacy
-4 Trust
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No Published Policies

Trust
Bad

This service does not publish a Terms of Service, AML policy, or framework for handling frozen funds or disputes. Users have no contractual protections.

0 Privacy
-3 Trust
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Can't analyse ToS

Trust
Warning

The Terms of Service page is not analysable by our AI. Possible reasons may be: captchas, client side rendering, DDoS protections, or non-text format.

0 Privacy
-3 Trust

May Freeze or Seize Funds

KYC
Warning

These services use internal checks to monitor for suspicious activity. If a transaction is flagged as suspicious, your funds may be frozen or seized. Sometimes they allow users to unlock funds by providing Source of Funds information, or KYC.

0 Privacy
-3 Trust
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Additional fees for high-risk transactions

Trust
Warning

The service reserves the right to charge an additional fee on transactions if they have high-risk characteristics.

0 Privacy
-2 Trust
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Orders processed manually

Trust
Warning

This service relies on manual human processing for all orders. Processing and reply times are dependent on staff schedules.

0 Privacy
-2 Trust
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Frontend policies vary

Trust
Warning

The underlying protocol may be decentralized, but users often access it through third-party websites, wallets, or apps. Privacy, analytics, legal restrictions, support, and account policies may vary depending on the frontend used.

0 Privacy
-1 Trust
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Hybrid infrastructure

Trust
Warning

The service runs a mix of self-owned hardware and rented third-party servers. Privacy and trust guarantees apply fully only to the owned portion; traffic routed through rented infrastructure carries the risks of that provider's jurisdiction and policies.

0 Privacy
-1 Trust
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Third party infrastructure

Trust
Warning

The service runs entirely on rented servers (cloud providers, colocation, VPS). The infrastructure operator is an additional party that can be compelled by law enforcement or perform passive surveillance independently of the service's own no-log policy.

0 Privacy
-1 Trust
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SoF may be required for refunds

KYC
Warning

Source of Funds information may be required in order to issue a refund.

0 Privacy
-1 Trust
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Verified

Trust
Good

Passed repeated checks over time and showed consistent behavior. Read more about the listing statuses.

0 Privacy
+10 Trust

Escrow available

Trust
Good

Escrow is a secure method where a trusted third party holds funds during peer-to-peer transactions, releasing them only when both parties fulfill their agreed terms. For safety, always verify transaction details and trust the escrow service. However, you have to trust the escrow service throughout the process.

0 Privacy
+6 Trust
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Decentralized network

Trust
Good

A decentralized network is a system where data, control, and decision-making are distributed across multiple independent nodes, rather than being managed by a single central authority.

0 Privacy
+5 Trust
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Mature service

Trust
Good

This service has been operational for at least 2 years. While this indicates stability, it is not a future-proof guarantee.

0 Privacy
+5 Trust

Uses hodl invoices

Trust
Good

A hodl invoice on the Lightning Network temporarily holds your payment, similar to escrow. The receiver doesn’t get the funds immediately; instead, the payment is locked until specific conditions are met. Once those conditions are fulfilled, the receiver releases the funds by supplying a cryptographic key. This method is useful for secure transactions or deposits.

0 Privacy
+5 Trust
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Approved

Trust
Info

Passed limited recent checks and met our approval threshold. Read more about the listing statuses.

0 Privacy
+5 Trust

Aggregator provides guarantees

Trust
Good

If you do not receive your funds or encounter any issues, the aggregator service may reimburse you up to a specified guarantee, subject to the aggregator's terms. This may not apply to all of the aggregator's partners.

0 Privacy
+4 Trust
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Source available code

Trust
Good

The source code of the service (or an important part of it) is publicly available but not open-source. This allows the community to audit the service, though it doesn't guarantee security or quality.

0 Privacy
+4 Trust
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RAM-only infrastructure

Privacy
Good

Servers run entirely from volatile memory with no persistent disk storage. If a server is seized or raided, there is nothing to recover from disk.

0 Privacy
+3 Trust
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Non-custodial protocol

Trust
Good

You keep control of your funds in your own wallet. The service does not hold your balance in a custodial account while you use it.

0 Privacy
+3 Trust
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Published warrant canary

Trust
Good

The service publishes a periodic signed statement confirming that no warrants, subpoenas, or gag orders have been received. A missing or silent canary update is the real signal — presence confirms ongoing transparency.

0 Privacy
+3 Trust
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Defends against takedown requests

Trust
Good

The provider publicly documents that they evaluate takedown and abuse complaints (DMCA, hosting complaints, third-party requests) rather than automatically suspending affected accounts. Response varies by service: some investigate before acting, some ignore outright.

0 Privacy
+2 Trust
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Legally registered

Trust
Info

This service is legally registered as a company.

0 Privacy
+2 Trust

Partially open source code

Trust
Info

This service has some open-source code components. However, certain elements remain proprietary.

0 Privacy
+2 Trust
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P2P / torrenting allowed

Trust
Good

The service explicitly permits peer-to-peer and torrenting traffic without throttling, redirection, or policy action against users.

0 Privacy
+1 Trust
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Refunds without KYC on AML flag

KYC
Good

If a deposit is flagged by the AML system, the service usually returns the funds without demanding identity verification.

0 Privacy
+1 Trust
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Archived

Trust
Warning

Archived service, no longer exists or ceased operations. Information may be outdated.

0 Privacy
0 Trust

Community contributed

Trust
Warning

Listed, but not yet reviewed by the team. Read more about the listing statuses.

0 Privacy
0 Trust

Hybrid Liquidity

Trust
Warning

Swaps on this service combine its own internally-managed liquidity pools with access to liquidity from external, third-party providers.

0 Privacy
0 Trust
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Third-Party Liquidity

Trust
Warning

Swaps on this service use liquidity from a network of external, third-party providers. The service itself does not hold the liquidity pools.

0 Privacy
0 Trust
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Liquidity Provider may block funds

KYC
Warning

Even if the service itself is permissive, the upstream Liquidity Provider can independently freeze funds and demand KYC/Source-of-Funds.

-1 Privacy
-1 Trust
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Transaction monitoring

KYC
Warning

Deposits are analyzed for blacklisted sources. This service automatically scans transactions AML scores. Flagged transactions may require KYC/SoF verification to complete the trade or unfreeze funds. Resolution depends on the individual service's policy, as some may issue refunds without verification.

-1 Privacy
0 Trust
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Transaction monitoring

KYC
Warning

Deposits are analyzed for blacklisted sources. This service automatically scans transactions AML scores. Flagged transactions may require KYC/SoF verification to complete the trade or unfreeze funds. Resolution depends on the individual service's policy, as some may issue refunds without verification.

-1 Privacy
0 Trust
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KYC required for refund on AML flag

KYC
Bad

If a deposit is flagged by the AML system, the service requires identity verification before returning the funds.

-2 Privacy
0 Trust
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Usage can be detected on public blockchains

Privacy
Warning

On transparent blockchains, it may be possible to tell that a wallet used this service and approximately when it happened.

-2 Privacy
0 Trust
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In-person service

Privacy
Info

To access these services, you must be personally present and physically interact with another individual.

-2 Privacy
0 Trust
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Hard KYC process

Trust
Bad

This service is known for having a particularly difficult KYC process. They may repeatedly request additional documents and information, and sometimes may not be satisfied with any of the materials you provide, being an arbitrary and dull process.

-3 Privacy
-6 Trust
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Custodial wallet

Trust
Warning

These services manage your private keys and keep custody your funds. These wallets are typically offered by centralized exchanges like Coinbase or Binance. Using them requires trusting the institution with your assets.

-3 Privacy
-5 Trust
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Seller wallet is custodial

Trust
Warning

The seller does not have control over the funds. This is a common practice in P2P exchanges, where the service needs to have control over the funds in order to be able to refund the buyer if the trade enters a dispute.

-3 Privacy
-3 Trust
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Refunds may require KYC

KYC
Warning

In some cases, especially when funds are flagged for AML risk, linked to suspicious activity, or hit blacklist/compliance checks, the service may require KYC or other personal information before processing a refund.

-3 Privacy
-3 Trust
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Soft KYC

KYC
Warning

The service does not require formal KYC verification. However, you may still need to provide personal information when using certain features. For example, entering travel details, or your shipping address, will indirectly disclose your identity.

-3 Privacy
-1 Trust
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Refunds may need personal information

Privacy
Warning

When requesting a refund, it may be necessary to share personal information. For example, to return an item through a proxy store, you may need to send the item back to the proxy, which involves disclosing your name and address in certain countries where the sender must be identified.

-3 Privacy
0 Trust
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Some sellers may require KYC

KYC
Warning

In peer-to-peer (P2P) trading platforms, sellers may set their own trading rules. Most traders specify in the trade terms whether they require ID verification. In these platforms, look for traders with less strict requirements.

-3 Privacy
0 Trust
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Phone number is required

Privacy
Warning

To use this service, you will need to provide a valid phone number. The service may verify your number via SMS or call. In most cases, you can use anonymous SMS services. Avoid temporary numbers if you need ongoing access.

-4 Privacy
0 Trust
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Rare KYC

Privacy
Warning

No routine KYC, but may request it or block funds if compelled by authorities, legal orders, or internal risk review. Refunds are subject to policies.

-5 Privacy
0 Trust

Shotgun KYC

Privacy
Warning

May request KYC or block funds mid-flow, typically via AML checks, transaction limits, or liquidity partner rules. Refunds are subject to policies.

-15 Privacy
0 Trust

Potential risk

Trust
Bad

The service is operating abnormally, or shows exit-scam patterns. AVOID using it while this attribute is in place.

-20 Privacy
-25 Trust
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Mandatory KYC

Privacy
Bad

Required for key features, and may be required arbitrarily at any time.

-25 Privacy
0 Trust