BasicSwap review
BasicSwap is a desktop application designed for atomic swaps between coins like Bitcoin and Monero. It operates without a server or operator. You launch the client and trade without a signup, an email or an identity check, because there is no company to register with. Funds stay in your own wallets until the swap settles on both chains, and timelocks return the coins if the other side walks away. There is no protocol fee, only network fees apply. The downside is that there are no pre-built versions available yet, so users must compile it from source. In our view, BasicSwap suits technical users who want swaps with no middleman.
No ID, by design
BasicSwap never asks for ID by design, per its own pages. You hold the keys.
Latest release: V0.19.0 (2026-10-03)
Choose BasicSwap if
Who BasicSwap suits, from the values on this page.
BasicSwap suits you if
- You want to trade with no account and no ID: BasicSwap never asks for ID, by design.
- You want to keep your own keys: on BasicSwap, you hold the keys.
- You want Monero: BasicSwap lists it.
- You want open-source software that trades over Tor.
BasicSwap might not be the right fit if
- You want Lightning: BasicSwap does not support it.
Best for
Monero for bitcoin
What kycnot.me says about BasicSwap
kycnot.me is an independent directory of services you can use without ID checks. The rating and notes below are its own, not ours.
The terms rule out ID checks altogether. kycnot.me sorts services into five levels, from 0 (never asks for ID) to 4 (ID is mandatory).
Not accepted: Lightning, Fiat money, Cash.
Pros kycnot.me lists
- Atomic Swaps
- Strict no-log policy
- Non-custodial wallet
- Open source code
- Peer to peer network
- Accepts Monero
- No registration needed
- Decentralized network
- Peer to peer market
- Non-custodial protocol
- No JavaScript needed
Cons kycnot.me lists
- Currently in beta
- Active incidents
Events kycnot.me lists
- 2026Aug 28, 2026: Update. kycnot.me writes: “v0.18.5 released | update strongly encouraged”
- 2026Aug 2, 2026: Update. kycnot.me writes: “v0.17.9 released | BCH & LTC users update!”
- 2026Jul 14, 2026: Update. kycnot.me writes: “v0.17.2: security fix for adaptor-signature swaps + hardening”
- 2026Jun 26, 2026: Update. kycnot.me writes: “Version 0.16.6 released with multiple security improvements | update recommended”
Source: the kycnot.me listing. BasicSwap on kycnot.me (opens in a new tab)
Checked October 22, 2026
Inside BasicSwap
Screenshots taken November 3, 2026
What you get with BasicSwap
Yes, no or partly, from our dataPrivacy 3 of 6, 1 partly
- No IDYesBy design
- No accountYes
- Tor built inYes
- Onion addressPartlyTor built into the app
- I2P addressNoNone published
- Works without JavaScriptNot statedNot statedBasicSwap's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
Coins 2 of 4
- BitcoinYes
- MoneroYes
- LightningNo
- ZcashNo
Custody and code 2 of 3
- You hold the keysYes
- Open sourceYes
- Address screeningNot statedNot statedBasicSwap's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
When can BasicSwap ask for your ID?
Never, by design, per BasicSwap's own pages. Labels come from each provider's terms, never from our guess.
- 1Never, by designBasicSwap is on this stepNo company holds your order, so nobody can ask
- 2Only if you chooseID only for extras you opt into
- 3If a payment is flaggedNo ID by default; checks when a risk system flags you
- 4Above a limitID once you pass a stated amount
- 5AlwaysID before you trade, deposit or withdraw
If a check comes and you do not pass it
Not applicable: nobody can pause, freeze or reverse a broadcast swap; timelocks return coins if a side walks away
“no contributor or third-party can pause, censor, freeze, or reverse it”
Not stated on BasicSwap's pages: what triggers a check, fee on refusal, refund policyBasicSwap's own pages we checked do not say, checked Oct 14, 2026. This is not the same as no.
Checked October 22, 2026
What BasicSwap costs
| What | BasicSwap |
|---|---|
| Trade fee | No protocol fee; only on-chain network fees |
| No-ID limit | Not statedBasicSwap's own pages we checked do not say, checked Oct 14, 2026. This is not the same as no. |
What BasicSwap knows about you
Who sees what during a trade, and who runs it.
During a trade
No ID check does not make a bank payment private.
Network and who runs it
- Governance
- No operator: no server and no central operator; trades run between the users' own wallets
- Warrant canary
- Not published
Checked October 22, 2026
Track record and code
No theft or loss incident found; release v0.17.7 (2026-08-01) fixed an adaptor-signature flaw by which a counterparty could leave a coin lock unspendable, with automatic refund repair.
Incidents
None found
- License
- MIT
- Support
- Matrix #basicswap:matrix.org
Checked October 23, 2026
Community
Discussions about BasicSwap on Reddit (opens in a new tab) (r/BasicSwap)
More facts we checked on BasicSwap
- Onion address
- Optional: the client and its coin nodes can be routed through Tor; no published onion address
- I2P address
- Not published
BasicSwap in the US and elsewhere
BasicSwap's pages name no blocked country. That is not a promise that it is legal where you live.
In the US
US availability: Available
If you are a US person, US sanctions rules apply to you whether or not a service asks for ID.
Outside the US
Excluded countries: none named on the page we checked.BasicSwap's pages list no excluded country or group. We show no flags because the list is empty.
Regional rule: Not statedBasicSwap's own pages we checked do not say. This is not the same as no.
Where you live and the provider's terms
Many services on this page do not serve every country. Some exclude people because of where they live or their citizenship, not only where they connect from. Read the provider's terms before you send funds. If the terms exclude you, do not use the service, and do not try to get around the restriction, for example with a VPN.
Taxes
A service that does not ask for ID does not change your taxes. In the US, the federal income tax return asks a yes-or-no question about digital assets, and you must report digital asset transactions whether or not they result in a gain or loss. In the UK, you may owe Capital Gains Tax when you sell, swap or spend crypto, and you must keep your own records. Rules in other countries differ.
No KYC is not anonymity
"No KYC" here means the provider says it does not ask for ID in the cases its terms describe. It does not make you anonymous. The provider's terms may let it ask for ID later. Regulated exchanges you send funds from or to may have to collect information about who sends and who receives a crypto transfer. Your tax duties stay the same.
Funds can be held
If a provider asks for more information during a swap or a withdrawal, it may hold your funds until it gets it. Its terms decide what happens next. In the UK, a crypto business that asks for information on a transfer to or from a self-custody wallet, and does not receive it, must not pass the funds on. Read what the provider's terms say before you send. BasicSwap's terms say that if a check is requested and not completed: not applicable: nobody can pause, freeze or reverse a broadcast swap; timelocks return coins if a side walks away.
Checked October 22, 2026
Atomic swaps to compare with BasicSwap
Other active services in this category from our list. The shield shows each one's ID rule from its own terms.
BasicSwap side by side
From our privacy data, the same fields for every service| What | BasicSwap | eigenwallet (formerly UnstoppableSwap) |
|---|---|---|
| ID rule | No ID, by design | No ID, by design |
| Account | None | None |
| You hold the keys | Yes | Yes |
| Monero | Yes | Yes |
| Lightning | No | No |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
Checked October 22, 2026
Short answers about BasicSwap
From the data on this page.
Does BasicSwap ask for ID?
BasicSwap never asks for ID by design, per its own pages. There is no account.
Who holds your coins during a BasicSwap trade?
You hold the keys. Atomic-swap: funds stay in the user's own core wallets; HTLC or adaptor-signature swaps settle on the two chains; timelocks refund a party if the other walks away.
Can you buy Monero on BasicSwap?
Yes. BasicSwap lists Monero.
What does BasicSwap cost?
Trade fee: No protocol fee; only on-chain network fees.
Who checked this page
Sources, how we read the terms and our process
Sources
- api.github.com/repos/basicswap/basicswap, for license, checked October 22, 2026
- api.github.com/repos/basicswap/basicswap/releases/latest, for status and latest release, checked October 22, 2026
- api.github.com/repos/basicswap/basicswap/releases/tags/v0.17.7, for incidents, checked October 23, 2026
- basicswapdex.com, for account, checked October 22, 2026
- basicswapdex.com/about, for governance, checked October 22, 2026
- basicswapdex.com/faq, for Monero, bitcoin and I2P address, checked October 22, 2026
- basicswapdex.com/terms, for excluded countries, checked October 14, 2026
- basicswapdex.com/terms, for ID rule, what happens if a check fails, custody, custody in detail, data collected, Lightning, onion address, Tor in the app, operator, US availability, fees and warrant canary, checked October 22, 2026
- github.com/basicswap/basicswap, for open source, checked October 23, 2026
- github.com/basicswap/basicswap/tree/master, for Zcash and support, checked October 22, 2026
- kycnot.me/service/basicswap-beta, for kycnot.me rating, checked October 22, 2026
How we read the terms
We do not give privacy services a score. We record what each provider's own pages say: when it asks for ID, the limits, who holds your coins and what it costs. Labels come from each provider's terms, never from our guess. How we read the terms
Our process
We take fees, availability, licenses and coin counts from primary sources: BasicSwap's own fee schedules, terms and help pages, and the public registers kept by regulators. Every value carries the date we last checked it. The values on this page were checked between October 14, 2026 and October 23, 2026.
Not legal or tax advice. This page explains how these services work and what their own terms say. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change often. Check the rules where you live, or ask a qualified professional, before you use any service listed here.