# Bisq review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> Bisq is a P2P exchange operating since 2014. Its terms put it at KYC level 0 of 4: ID never required. NoKYC Score grades it 9.3/10 for privacy (excellent) and 8.0/10 for safety (strong). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. One incident is on record, the latest from 1 May 2026.

Source: NoKYC Score, "Bisq review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/bisq

## Key facts
- **Category:** P2P Exchanges
- **KYC level:** 0 of 4: ID never required
- **Grades:** Privacy 9.3/10, Safety 8.0/10
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Custody:** non-custodial
- **Jurisdiction:** Decentralised / none
- **Incidents on record:** 1
- **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://bisq.network

## What it is
Bisq is open-source peer-to-peer trading software for buying and selling bitcoin against national currencies and other cryptocurrencies. The official site states that no registration and no identity verification are required and that every Bisq node runs as a Tor hidden service by default. Trades in the original application are secured with deposits locked in multisignature escrow, and the project is governed through a DAO rather than a company. A newer application, Bisq 2 with the Bisq Easy protocol, is available alongside it. In May 2026 a trade-protocol flaw cost ten users about 11.6 BTC; the project reports that those users were reimbursed.

## What the terms say about ID
Official site states "No registration required" and lists "No Identity Verification"; the software has no means of collecting ID.

## Features and warnings
- **Identity:** ID never required: yes; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes
- **Payment:** Accepts Monero: yes; Accepts Lightning: not stated; Accepts cash: yes
- **Access:** Tor onion address: not stated; Works without JavaScript: not stated
- **Trust:** Never holds your funds: yes; Refund without ID: not stated; Escrow it cannot spend alone: yes; Open source: yes; Independent audit: not stated; Company named: not stated; 5+ years operating: yes
- **Warnings:** May ask for ID: not in terms; Screens deposits: not in terms; Holds your funds: not in terms; Email required: not in terms; Phone number required: not in terms; Closed source: not in terms; Nobody accountable: not in terms

## Incidents on record
- 1 May 2026: Trade-protocol flaw exploited; about 11.6 BTC taken from ten users, later reimbursed (outcome: resolved paid). Source: https://bisq.network/blog/security-incident-post-mortem/

## Questions
### Does Bisq require KYC?
Bisq is rated KYC level 0 of 4 on this site: ID never required. Official site states "No registration required" and lists "No Identity Verification"; the software has no means of collecting ID.

### Is Bisq safe to use?
Bisq has a Safety grade of 8.0 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 9.3 out of 10. There is 1 incident on record, listed with sources on this page. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.

### Is Bisq legit?
Bisq is a working P2P exchange that has operated since 2014. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 8.0 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.

### Is Bisq a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. Bisq has 1 incident on record, all resolved, the latest: "Trade-protocol flaw exploited; about 11.6 BTC taken from ten users, later reimbursed". Each is listed on this page with its source.

### Do I need an account or email to use Bisq?
No account needed.

### Does Bisq have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on Bisq's own pages.

### Which cryptocurrencies does Bisq support?
Bisq supports BTC, XMR, and fiat payments in EUR, USD.

### Is Bisq custodial?
No. Bisq is non-custodial: the operator does not control user funds.

### Can I use Bisq over Tor?
Bisq does not publish an official onion address.

## Sources
- https://bisq.network
- https://bisq.network/blog/security-incident-post-mortem/
- https://github.com/bisq-network/bisq

How grades are calculated: https://nokycscore.com/methodology