A few years ago, there were many cryptocurrency exchanges that didn’t require users to complete a KYC (know your customer) identity verification process. Due to pressure from regulators, however, most exchanges now won’t allow users to trade crypto if they don’t verify their identity.
However, there are still some options available to users who want to buy Bitcoin without ID. In this article, we’ll show you how to buy Bitcoin anonymously and give you some useful tips on how to enhance your privacy when transacting with Bitcoin.
Use peer-to-peer (P2P) Bitcoin marketplaces that don’t require KYC
Peer-to-peer (P2P) Bitcoin marketplaces are platforms where buyers and sellers can arrange deals to buy and sell Bitcoin directly with each other. The major advantage of P2P marketplaces is flexibility, as the buyer and seller can choose the price and payment method that best suits them.
While most of the major P2P marketplaces for Bitcoin now require users to verify their identity, there are some platforms that don’t request any information from users. However, if you’re very concerned about privacy, it’s not enough that you use a P2P marketplace with no KYC. You also need to use a payment method that preserves your privacy (for example, paying with cash in person).
Here are our picks for the best P2P marketplaces that allow users to buy Bitcoin without ID:
- Bisq – P2P crypto trading platform with very strong privacy
- Hodl Hodl – Bitcoin-focused P2P marketplace with no identity verification requirements
- LocalCoinSwap – No KYC P2P marketplace for Bitcoin and altcoins
1. Bisq – P2P crypto trading platform with very strong privacy
Bisq is a decentralized platform that allows users to sell Bitcoin in exchange for fiat or other cryptocurrencies. Bisq places a lot of emphasis on privacy and security, making it a popular option for hardcore Bitcoiners. The platform doesn’t require any identity verification from its users, and all user data is stored locally on the user’s computer.
Users install Bisq as a desktop app, and every Bisq node is configured to function as a Tor hidden service. This provides a much greater degree of privacy than using a standard web app to trade cryptocurrency.
Bisq is non-custodial, which means that users remain in control of their private keys at all times. The platform facilitates trades through a 2-of-2 multisignature wallet escrow. To prevent fraud, both the buyer and the seller are required to provide a security deposit.
Key features:
- A decentralized platform enabling Bitcoin sales for fiat or other cryptocurrencies, focusing on privacy and security
- The platform operates as a Tor hidden service through a desktop app, offering enhanced privacy compared to standard web apps
- Trades secured via a 2-of-2 multisignature wallet escrow, requiring security deposits to prevent fraud
2. Hodl Hodl – P2P marketplace that allows you to buy Bitcoin without verification
Hodl Hodl is a non-custodial Bitcoin trading platform that can be used to buy Bitcoin anonymously since it doesn’t have any identity verification requirements. The Hodl Hodl marketplace is based on peer-to-peer trading and supports over 60 different payment methods.
Hodl Hodl has a reputation system that allows users to quickly check the reputation of the user they are looking to trade with. This feature goes a long way towards preventing fraud, which is, unfortunately, a risk with all peer-to-peer cryptocurrency marketplaces. Similarly to Bisq, Hodl Hodl also implements multi-sig escrow addresses to facilitate trades.
The Hodl Hodl platform has been in operation for more than seven years and has handled more than 50,000 deals between users.
Note that, unlike Bisq, the Hodl Hodl platform only supports Bitcoin (and various fiat currency payment methods). So, if you’re also interested in buying altcoins, Bisq is a better option.
Key features:
- A non-custodial Bitcoin trading platform offering anonymous buying without identity checks and supports over 60 payment methods
- It features a user reputation system to mitigate fraud risks and uses multi-sig escrow addresses for trade facilitation, similar to Bisq
- Operating for over seven years with 50,000+ deals, Hodl Hodl exclusively supports Bitcoin, making Bisq preferable for altcoin transactions
3. LocalCoinSwap – No KYC P2P marketplace for Bitcoin and altcoins
LocalCoinSwap is a peer-to-peer crypto marketplace with no KYC requirements. The LocalCoinSwap marketplace supports a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Celo, and TRON (as well as a variety of tokens issued on these blockchain platforms).
You can use LocalCoinSwap to buy and sell cryptocurrency for fiat currency through a variety of payment methods or make swaps between different cryptocurrencies.
Like the other two peer-to-peer marketplaces we’ve featured in this article, LocalCoinSwap also employs a non-custodial design that allows users to retain control over their crypto when using the platform. LocalCoinSwap also provides escrow protection to reduce the likelihood of fraud.
Key features:
- KYC-free, peer-to-peer crypto marketplace supporting multiple cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others for trading and swaps
- It enables users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies for fiat using various payment methods, and also facilitates crypto-to-crypto swaps
- The platform is non-custodial, allowing users to control their crypto, and incorporates escrow protection to minimize fraud risks
Use a Bitcoin ATM that only requires basic information
Besides using a peer-to-peer Bitcoin marketplace with no identity verification requirements, another way that you could potentially buy Bitcoin anonymously is by using a Bitcoin ATM.
The effectiveness of this method will depend on which Bitcoin ATM provider you are using and the country you live in. This method of buying Bitcoin with no ID will likely become less accessible in the future, as regulators are also putting pressure on Bitcoin ATM operators to introduce stricter KYC controls.
Some Bitcoin ATMs will allow customers to purchase up to $1,000 worth of Bitcoin by only providing a name and a phone number. In some cases, you might be able to input a random name and use a temporary phone number instead of your own phone number.
You can find a list of Bitcoin ATMs near you using tools such as Coin ATM Radar. Then, you can check if any of the Bitcoin ATMs near you allow you to purchase Bitcoin anonymously.
Please keep in mind that using a Bitcoin ATM is one of the least efficient methods of buying Bitcoin in terms of value for money. Most Bitcoin ATMs charge massive fees, in some cases as high as 20%. So, we recommend you avoid using Bitcoin ATMs if possible.
Privacy-enhancing Bitcoin wallets
If you put a lot of emphasis on privacy when purchasing Bitcoin, you probably also want to have as much privacy as possible when actually using your BTC coins. Thankfully, there exist Bitcoin wallets which are designed with a strong focus on privacy.
Here are our picks for the best privacy-focused Bitcoin wallets:
- Samourai – BTC wallet with a coin mixer integration
- Wasabi Wallet – Built-in transaction anonymizing features
- Electrum – Lightweight privacy-focused BTC wallet
1. Samourai – BTC wallet with a coin mixer integration
Samourai is a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet with a feature called Whirlpool. Whirlpool makes it difficult to track the origin of your BTC coins by using the CoinJoin technology.
With CoinJoin, coins from different people are mixed together in one transaction. After this process, everyone still has the same amount of BTC (minus fees), but on different addresses. This makes it difficult for any external observer of the blockchain to determine who the original owner of the BTC coins is.
The Whirlpool implementation of CoinJoin involves multiple quick and small CoinJoin cycles instead of a single slow CoinJoin cycle, which makes the entire process faster. When using the Whirlpool feature, users are charged with a flat fee, which means that you’ll be paying the same regardless of the amount of Bitcoin you want to mix.
Key features:
- A privacy-centric Bitcoin wallet featuring Whirlpool, utilizing CoinJoin technology to obscure BTC coin origins
- CoinJoin mixes coins from different users in a single transaction, distributing them to new addresses, complicating traceability
- Employs rapid, smaller CoinJoin cycles for efficiency, charging a flat fee for mixing any amount of Bitcoin
2. Wasabi Wallet – Built-in transaction anonymizing features
Wasabi Wallet is a Bitcoin wallet with built-in support for CoinJoin. Wasabi Wallet is an example of a non-custodial wallet, which means that the user is responsible for managing their own private keys.
CoinJoin transactions through the Wasabi Wallet incur a 0.3% coordinator fee. Of course, users also have to pay the fees required by the Bitcoin network to send a transaction. A nice perk is that the Wasabi Wallet waives the coordinator fee for if you want to anonymize less than 0.01 BTC through CoinJoin.
By default, all network traffic to and from the Wasabi Wallet goes through the Tor network for additional privacy. However, the user can turn this setting off.
Key features:
- A non-custodial Bitcoin wallet with integrated CoinJoin, giving users control over their private keys
- CoinJoin transactions in Wasabi Wallet have a 0.3% coordinator fee, plus Bitcoin network fees, but fees are waived for under 0.01 BTC
- It defaults to using the Tor network for enhanced privacy, though users have the option to disable this feature
3. Electrum – Lightweight privacy-focused BTC wallet
Electrum is a Bitcoin wallet emphasizing security and speed. It ensures private keys remain encrypted on your computer, supports the recovery of funds through a secret phrase, and utilizes servers for instant access to the Bitcoin blockchain, negating the need for downloading it. The wallet supports SPV for transaction verification, offers cold storage options, and facilitates multisig setups.
Moreover, Electrum is customizable with third-party add-ons, including for support with hardware wallets like Ledger and Trezor. It’s an open-source platform, released under the MIT License, underscoring its commitment to transparency and community involvement.
Key features:
- Stores the private keys on your device and encrypts them; it supports two-factor authentication and multisig wallets, which require multiple private keys for additional security
- Open source design allows for community scrutiny and contributions, enhancing security and trustworthiness
- Can be used for cold storage, allowing you to store your private keys offline and sign transactions in a secure environment.
Additional tips for crypto privacy
In order to protect your privacy when using any of the anonymous methods to purchase Bitcoin, we strongly recommend that you use a completely fresh Bitcoin wallet that isn’t associated with any other Bitcoin wallets. For example, if you use a wallet that you have already used to withdraw Bitcoin from a KYCd crypto exchange account, that would defeat the entire purpose of buying Bitcoin anonymously.
Besides using a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet such as Samourai and Wasabi Wallet, you could also increase the privacy of your on-chain transactions by using a Bitcoin mixer service. However, Bitcoin mixers charge extra fees and often use centralized, trust-based setups, so it’s difficult to recommend them.
If you put a lot of value on privacy, Bitcoin is not really the best option. If it’s not absolutely necessary that you use Bitcoin, consider using privacy coins such as Monero or Zcash instead.
The bottom line
Compared to the early days of Bitcoin, buying Bitcoin anonymously has become significantly more difficult. However, there are still some options available on the market for users who want to purchase Bitcoin without providing ID.
If you’re looking for more tips on buying BTC, make sure to check out our ultimate guide to investing in Bitcoin.