# Lightning Loop review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> Lightning Loop is a swap service operating since 2019. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 7.8/10 for privacy (strong) and 8.0/10 for safety (strong). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. No incidents are on record.

Source: NoKYC Score, "Lightning Loop review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/lightning-loop

## Key facts
- **Category:** Instant Swaps
- **KYC level:** 1 of 4: No ID mentioned
- **Grades:** Privacy 7.8/10, Safety 8.0/10
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Custody:** non-custodial
- **Fees:** Loop service fee varying with on-chain conditions, plus on-chain and routing fees; 30,000-sat no-show prepayment on Loop Out
- **Incidents on record:** 0
- **Last reviewed:** 23 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://lightning.engineering/loop/

## What it is
Lightning Loop is a service from Lightning Labs that lets a Lightning node operator swap off-chain balance to an on-chain address (Loop Out) or refill channels from on-chain bitcoin (Loop In) using non-custodial submarine swaps. It is used through the open-source loop client or Lightning Terminal alongside an LND node, and authenticates with an L402 token bought for 1 satoshi on first use rather than an account. The fee documentation lists a Loop service fee that depends on on-chain fee conditions, the miner fees, and a 30,000-sat prepayment on Loop Out that is forfeited if the swap is not completed. No identity requirement appears in the documentation read; no separate Loop terms of service were found.

## What the terms say about ID
The official Loop documentation describes L402 token authentication and no account or identity step; no Loop terms of service were found to confirm the policy (not confirmed).

## Features and warnings
- **Identity:** ID never required: not stated; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes
- **Payment:** Accepts Monero: not stated; Accepts Lightning: yes
- **Access:** Tor onion address: not stated; Works without JavaScript: not stated
- **Trust:** Never holds your funds: yes; Own liquidity: not stated; Refund without ID: not stated; 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; Passes orders to partners: 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

## Questions
### Does Lightning Loop require KYC?
Lightning Loop is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. The official Loop documentation describes L402 token authentication and no account or identity step; no Loop terms of service were found to confirm the policy (not confirmed).

### Is Lightning Loop safe to use?
Lightning Loop has a Safety grade of 8.0 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 7.8 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.

### Is Lightning Loop legit?
Lightning Loop is a working swap service that has operated since 2019. 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 Lightning Loop 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 Lightning Loop.

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

### What fees does Lightning Loop charge?
Loop service fee varying with on-chain conditions, plus on-chain and routing fees; 30,000-sat no-show prepayment on Loop Out. Fees were recorded from Lightning Loop's own pages and can change; check before you send.

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

### Which cryptocurrencies does Lightning Loop support?
Lightning Loop supports BTC.

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

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

## Sources
- https://lightning.engineering/loop/
- https://docs.lightning.engineering/lightning-network-tools/loop
- https://docs.lightning.engineering/lightning-network-tools/lightning-terminal/loop-fees
- https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop

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