# ChainSwap review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> ChainSwap is a swap service operating since 2021. Its terms put it at KYC level 3 of 4: ID on risk flag. NoKYC Score grades it 3.0/10 for privacy (poor) and 3.6/10 for safety (poor). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. To watch: it may ask for ID, screens deposits and holds your funds while you use it. No incidents are on record.

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

## Key facts
- **Category:** Instant Swaps
- **KYC level:** 3 of 4: ID on risk flag
- **Grades:** Privacy 3.0/10, Safety 3.6/10
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Custody:** custodial
- **Limits:** Per-pair minimum and maximum shown before the order; amounts outside the range are refunded automatically (per terms)
- **Incidents on record:** 0
- **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://chainswap.io

## What it is
ChainSwap is an instant crypto swap service that says it has operated since 2021 and needs no account or email. Its published documents contradict each other: the FAQ says no documents or proof of source of funds are ever required, while the AML/KYC policy page says the service may ask for ID, proof of address, a selfie or live verification and may place temporary holds on suspicious transactions. The short terms of service say no jurisdictions are prohibited and that refunds are automatic and free. No operating company is named.

## What the terms say about ID
AML & KYC policy page: "We may ask for ID, proof of address, a selfie, or other supporting documents" and "Suspicious activity may lead to temporary holds while we investigate"; the FAQ on the same site says no documents are required.

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

## Questions
### Does ChainSwap require KYC?
ChainSwap is rated KYC level 3 of 4 on this site: ID on risk flag. AML & KYC policy page: "We may ask for ID, proof of address, a selfie, or other supporting documents" and "Suspicious activity may lead to temporary holds while we investigate"; the FAQ on the same site says no documents are required.

### Is ChainSwap safe to use?
ChainSwap has a Safety grade of 3.6 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 3.0 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.

### Is ChainSwap legit?
ChainSwap is a working swap service that has operated since 2021. Its operators do not publish a company or names, so nobody is publicly accountable for it. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 3.6 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.

### Is ChainSwap 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 ChainSwap. Its terms also allow it to hold a flagged deposit and ask for identity documents.

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

### What are ChainSwap's limits?
Per-pair minimum and maximum shown before the order; amounts outside the range are refunded automatically (per terms).

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

### Which cryptocurrencies does ChainSwap support?
ChainSwap supports BTC, XMR, ETH, LTC, USDT, SOL, ZEC, ZANO.

### Is ChainSwap custodial?
Yes. ChainSwap holds funds during a trade, which means it is able to delay or freeze them.

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

## Sources
- https://chainswap.io
- https://chainswap.io/term-condition
- https://chainswap.io/aml-kyc
- https://chainswap.io/about
- https://chainswap.io/faq

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