Service overview
Electrum
electrum.org
Long-established open-source Bitcoin wallet with Lightning support
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.6/10
Safety 8.5/10
Read the evidence
Bitkey review
Bitcoin-only 2-of-3 multisig wallet with app, hardware and server recovery key, from Block
Privacy score
6.8/ 10
FairHow much you reveal
See the score breakdown Safety score
7.5/ 10
StrongHow well you’re protected
See the score breakdown Identity policy
1/ 4 KYC level
No ID mentioned Read the policy Evidence
Documentation reviewed Grades based on published terms and documentation.
0 published tests Two grades. Different questions.Understand the methodology
The overview
The essentials, at a glance.
Bitkey is a wallet. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 6.8/10 for privacy (fair) and 7.5/10 for safety (strong). In its favour: no phone number, never holds your funds and open source. To watch: it requires an email address. No incidents are on record.
What stands out
- Never holds your funds
The operator never controls user funds, so it cannot freeze them.
- Open source
The code that matters is public and can be inspected.
- No phone number
A phone number is never required.
Before you use it
- Email required
An email address is required to use the service.
No test transactions published yet.
About Bitkey
Bitkey is a Bitcoin-only self-custody wallet made up of a phone app and a hardware device, sold for $250 on the site. It uses 2-of-3 multisig with no seed phrase: the user holds two keys and a third is used for recovery, and the site says the company's server helps with security and recovery but cannot move funds alone. The terms (effective 17 June 2025) say Block does not store or have access to the user's self-custodied bitcoin or keys, and that a mobile phone number or email address must be provided to use the services. Contracts are with Block, Inc. for US shipping addresses and Block Global B.V. elsewhere, and use is limited to listed available countries. The source code is published on GitHub.
Cite this review or read as plain text
NoKYC Score, "Bitkey review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/bitkey
Open plain-text review ↗The feature review
Privacy, without the guesswork.
4 / 13 features confirmed1 warning in the recorded terms
Identity
1 / 4 confirmed
- ID never requiredNot stated
The terms rule identity checks out, or the design makes them impossible.
- No account neededNo
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email neededNo
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No phone numberYes
A phone number is never required.
Payment
0 / 2 confirmed
- Accepts MoneroNot stated
Monero hides sender, receiver and amount, so the payment cannot be traced to you.
- Accepts LightningNot stated
Bitcoin Lightning payments: fast, cheap and more private than on-chain.
Access
0 / 2 confirmed
- Tor onion addressNot stated
An official .onion address, reachable only through Tor.
- Works without JavaScriptNot stated
Core functions work with scripts disabled, as in Tor Browser on its safest setting.
Trust
3 / 5 confirmed
- Never holds your fundsYes
The operator never controls user funds, so it cannot freeze them.
- Open sourceYes
The code that matters is public and can be inspected.
- Independent auditNot stated
A third party audited the code or the no-logs claim, and the report is public.
- Company namedYes
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operatingNot stated
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Warnings
1 flagged
- May ask for IDNot in terms
The terms reserve the right to demand identity documents, often after a risk flag.
- Screens depositsNot in terms
Deposits are scored by blockchain analytics; a flag can freeze them.
- Holds your fundsNot in terms
The operator controls user funds while they are on the platform.
- Email requiredYes
An email address is required to use the service.
- Phone number requiredNot in terms
A phone number is required to use the service.
- Closed sourceNot in terms
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
- Nobody accountableNot in terms
No company or person is publicly responsible for the service.
“Not stated” means the service’s own pages do not say. Expand a group to see every check.
Identity requirements
Does Bitkey require KYC?
Level 1 of 4
No ID mentioned
- 0 Never
- 1 Not mentioned
- 2 Rare
- 3 On risk flag
- 4 Mandatory
No ID requirement appears anywhere in Bitkey's terms or documentation. Checked against its own terms.
- Account required
- Email may be asked
- No phone number
- No ID documents
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
Terms require a phone number or email address but contain no identity verification requirement; hardware purchases collect billing details.
Transparent by design
Every point, explained.
Both grades start at 50 points and move by fixed, published amounts. Nothing is adjusted by hand. The total is divided by ten.
Privacy
6.8/ 10
- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- No phone needed +1
- Open source +2
- Non-custodial +3
- Total, clamped to 0–100 68
Safety
7.5/ 10
- Starting points 50
- Open source +8
- Non-custodial +12
- Legal entity disclosed +5
- Total, clamped to 0–100 75
Evidence, not promises
Test ledger 0
Published test transactions, with the route, amount and outcome available to inspect.
No test transactions published yet
The grades above rest on Bitkey’s terms and documentation. Tests will appear here with the date, route, amount band and result as they are run.
The track record
Incidents 0
No incidents on record
We have no documented cases for Bitkey. An empty record does not guarantee a service is risk-free.
Community experience
What users are saying 0
Reviews never change a grade. Reviews with a transaction reference are marked.
Have you used Bitkey?
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Alternatives to Bitkey
All alternatives → Service overview
Phoenix
phoenix.acinq.co
Self-custodial mobile Lightning wallet from ACINQ with automatic channels and swaps
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.6/10
Safety 8.5/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Wasabi Wallet
wasabiwallet.io
Open-source desktop Bitcoin wallet that routes all traffic through Tor
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.9/10
Safety 8.0/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
ZEUS
zeusln.com
Open-source self-custodial Bitcoin and Lightning wallet and remote node manager
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.6/10
Safety 8.0/10
Read the evidence
Bitkey vs ElectrumBitkey vs PhoenixBitkey vs Wasabi WalletBitkey vs ZEUS
Bitkey: common questions
Does Bitkey require KYC?
Bitkey is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. Terms require a phone number or email address but contain no identity verification requirement; hardware purchases collect billing details.
Is Bitkey safe to use?
Bitkey has a Safety grade of 7.5 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 6.8 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is Bitkey legit?
Bitkey is a working wallet. It publishes the company that runs it, in United States / Netherlands. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 7.5 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.
Is Bitkey a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for Bitkey.
Do I need an account or email to use Bitkey?
Email required.
What fees does Bitkey charge?
Hardware device $250 per the site. Fees were recorded from Bitkey's own pages and can change; check before you send.
Does Bitkey have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on Bitkey's own pages.
Which cryptocurrencies does Bitkey support?
Bitkey supports BTC.
Can I use Bitkey over Tor?
Bitkey does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.