Service overview
Bisq
bisq.network
Open-source desktop P2P exchange for bitcoin with no registration
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 9.3/10
Safety 8.0/10
Read the evidence
SideSwap review
Liquid Network wallet with a peer-to-peer atomic swap order book and BTC peg-in/out
Privacy score
7.7/ 10
StrongHow much you reveal
See the score breakdown Safety score
8.0/ 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.
SideSwap is a P2P exchange operating since 2021. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 7.7/10 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.
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 account needed
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
Before you use it
No warning flags found in the recorded terms. This is not a guarantee of safety.
0 incidents on recordNo test transactions published yet.
About SideSwap
SideSwap is a non-custodial wallet and trading venue for the Liquid Network, the Bitcoin sidechain. Its Swap Market is a central limit order book where every trade settles as an atomic swap between two users' own UTXOs, so there is no custodian; the site says trading is non-custodial and registration free. It also runs peg-in and peg-out between Bitcoin and L-BTC, paying peg-ins from its own hot wallet. The FAQ says the project launched in early 2021, is a Liquid Federation member and believes KYC/AML should happen at the asset level, not the exchange level. Security tokens (AMP assets) can only be transferred with the issuer's permission. The privacy policy names SideSwap Limited as the app publisher and says the app uses Google Firebase analytics and crash reporting.
Cite this review or read as plain text
NoKYC Score, "SideSwap review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/sideswap
Open plain-text review ↗The feature review
Privacy, without the guesswork.
6 / 16 features confirmed0 warnings in the recorded terms
Identity
3 / 4 confirmed
- ID never requiredNot stated
The terms rule identity checks out, or the design makes them impossible.
- No account neededYes
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email neededYes
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No phone numberYes
A phone number is never required.
Payment
0 / 3 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.
- Accepts cashNot stated
Cash by post or in person: no bank and no blockchain record.
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 / 7 confirmed
- Never holds your fundsYes
The operator never controls user funds, so it cannot freeze them.
- Refund without IDNot stated
The terms commit to refunding a stopped order without identity documents.
- Escrow it cannot spend aloneNot stated
Trades are protected by multisig or hold-invoice escrow.
- 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 namedNot stated
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operatingYes
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Warnings
0 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 requiredNot in terms
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 SideSwap 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 SideSwap's terms or documentation. Checked against its own terms.
- No account needed
- No email
- No phone number
- No ID documents
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
Limits: Swap Market order minimum 0.00002 L-BTC; peg-ins need 2 to 103 confirmations depending on size and hot-wallet balance
No identity requirement appears in the FAQ or privacy policy; the site states trading is "non-custodial and registration free". Issuers of AMP security tokens can restrict who may hold them.
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
7.7/ 10
- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- No registration +6
- No email needed +3
- No phone needed +1
- Open source +2
- Non-custodial +3
- Total, clamped to 0–100 77
Safety
8.0/ 10
- Starting points 50
- Open source +8
- Non-custodial +12
- 5+ years operating +10
- Total, clamped to 0–100 80
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 SideSwap’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 SideSwap. 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.
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Alternatives to SideSwap
All alternatives → Service overview
Komodo Wallet
komodoplatform.com
Open-source multi-coin wallet with a built-in peer-to-peer atomic swap order book
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.5/10
Safety 8.0/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Haveno
haveno.exchange
Open-source protocol for non-custodial Monero trading over Tor
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 9.2/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Mostro
mostro.network
Open-source P2P bitcoin trading protocol over Nostr and Lightning hold invoices
Non-custodialNo registration
Privacy 8.9/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
SideSwap vs BisqSideSwap vs Komodo WalletSideSwap vs HavenoSideSwap vs Mostro
SideSwap: common questions
Does SideSwap require KYC?
SideSwap is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears in the FAQ or privacy policy; the site states trading is "non-custodial and registration free". Issuers of AMP security tokens can restrict who may hold them.
Is SideSwap safe to use?
SideSwap has a Safety grade of 8.0 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 7.7 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is SideSwap legit?
SideSwap is a working P2P exchange that has operated since 2021. 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 SideSwap 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 SideSwap.
Do I need an account or email to use SideSwap?
No account needed.
What fees does SideSwap charge?
Peg-in and peg-out 0.1% plus network fee; Swap Market 0.2% for the taker (minimum 500 sats), 0% for the maker. Fees were recorded from SideSwap's own pages and can change; check before you send.
What are SideSwap's limits?
Swap Market order minimum 0.00002 L-BTC; peg-ins need 2 to 103 confirmations depending on size and hot-wallet balance.
Does SideSwap have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on SideSwap's own pages.
Which cryptocurrencies does SideSwap support?
SideSwap supports BTC, L-BTC.
Is SideSwap custodial?
No. SideSwap is non-custodial: the operator does not control user funds.
Can I use SideSwap over Tor?
SideSwap does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.