Buying cryptocurrency anonymously boils down specifically to the platform you used to purchase your crypto and the payment method you used to buy.
The crypto platform you used MUST support privacy and anonymity. This way, it will not ask you for personal information and should not log any user activities.
The payment method you used MUST involve either cash or cryptocurrency so that the transaction will not be traced back to you.
This article will focus on the crypto platforms that support the anonymous buying of cryptocurrencies.
Use a wallet with crypto mixing services
After you have bought some cryptocurrency, you can use privacy software wallets like Wasabi that come with mixing services (e.g. CoinJoin) so that your Bitcoin transaction can be anonymized further.
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How to buy & sell cryptocurrency anonymously?
Here is the list of NINE (9) BEST places to buy Bitcoin (BTC) using anonymous payment methods and without going through any form of ID verification, Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process and providing any personal information during account registration.
- Paxful
- LocalCoinSwap
- Hodl Hodl
- Godex
- LocalBitcoins
- BISQ
- SideShift
- Exolix
- Crypto ATMs
1. Paxful
Paxful was founded in 2015, has a headquarters in New York and employs over 400+ employees.
You can buy Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT and Ethereum (ETH) through Paxful and the platform supports over 350+ different payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and many more.
The company is a regulated financial entity with an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policy. In addition, Paxful complies with Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) sanctions.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (40+ supported)
- Cash in Person
- Cash deposit to Bank
- Gift Cards
2. LocalCoinSwap
Founded in 2017 in Hong Kong, LocalCoinSwap is a non-custodial cryptocurrency marketplace that enables you to buy bitcoin and trade other types of cryptocurrency with other traders worldwide.
LocalCoinSwap is an on-chain trading platform with a non-custodial exchange. Users only require a valid email address to search for offers through listings and start a trade based on their preference of payment methods and price. Buyers and sellers are protected with escrow service and high liquidity without centralized exchanges.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (10+ supported, including Tether (USDT), USDC, and Bitcoin Cash)
- Cash by Mail
- Cash in Person
- Gift Cards
3. Hodl Hodl
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Latvia, Hodl Hodl is a P2P cryptocurrency exchange that allows international users to trade with each other anonymously over the internet, with the crypto funds being locked safely in a multi-sig (P2SH) escrow contract.
The escrow works by having the seller deposit Bitcoin directly to Hodl Hodl from the wallet. Then, when the buyer pays the seller the agreed price, the seller will release the Bitcoin from the multi-sig escrow directly to the buyer’s wallet.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (10+ supported, including Monero, Dash and Zcash)
- Cash in Person
4. Godex
Started in 2018 and registered in Seychelles, Godex brands itself as a privacy and anonymous crypto swapping service. It has over 200 coins/tokens to be exchanged and swapped.
The online cryptocurrency service does not require personal data and no account registration. There are no exchange limits and volume ceilings as well. When swapping for cryptos, the execution time is usually fast and varies between 5 and 30 minutes. This is because Godex tracks the best exchange rates from major exchanges like Binance, Bitfinex and many other partners in real-time.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (200+ supported, including Tether (USDT), USDC, Monero, Zcash and many more)
5. LocalBitcoins
Founded in 2012 and based in Finland, LocalBitcoins is probably one of the earliest peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto exchanges. The platform’s core service facilitates the transaction between bitcoin buyers and sellers based on location.
Sellers post advertisements on the platform, and buyers will decide on the sellers’ price, payment method, and reputation (ratings). LocalBitcoins also has an escrow in place to protect both parties. Users tend to use this platform if they want more anonymity, especially when transacting with cash in person is possible through the platform.
LocalBitcoins supports buying cryptocurrency using Paypal and other payment methods such as using credit cards and wire transfers.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (15+ supported)
- Cash in Person
- Cash deposit to Bank
6. BISQ
Founded in 2014 and formerly known as BitSquare, BISQ is a non-custodial decentralized bitcoin exchange that uses an open-source desktop application for P2P trading of bitcoin for fiat currencies and other cryptos.
Using Bisq requires no registration or centralized identity verification, and every application is a Tor hidden service. Bisq has no central servers to record users; encrypted data.
BISQ aims to provide a secure, private, censorship-resistant way of exchanging Bitcoin. It is not a company but is free software released under version 3 of the GNU Affero General Public License.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (10+ supported, including Monero, Ethereum and Zcash)
- Cash by Mail
- Face-to-Face transactions
7. SideShift
Founded in 2019, SideShift is a fully automated AI-enabled crypto swapping service that allows over 30+ coins/tokens. Swapping between coins is a fast, easy user experience. There is no account sign-up requirement.
The SideShift platform is powered by their native token SAI, which exists simultaneously as an ERC-20, a token on the liquid platform, and an SLP token.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (50+ supported, including Solana, Monero, DAI and many more)
8. Exolix
Launched in 2018 in Hong Kong, Exolix is a secure and anonymous crypto exchange service with fixed rates free of registration and limits. The platform is non-custodial by design, meaning the company cannot access your crypto funds. It supports over 495+ coins/tokens.
Exolix facilitates the exchange and trade of various types of cryptocurrency with complete anonymity. The system also fixes the exchange rate at the beginning of the transaction to protect users from unpredictable market volatility. In addition, Exolix does not have maximum limits, which allow everyone to exchange any amount of cryptocurrencies.
Payment Methods (Privacy & Anonymity)
- Cryptocurrencies (490+ supported, including Monero, Secret, Dash, Zcash and many more)
9. Crypto ATMs
You can try to search on Coin ATM Radar and select your country of residence. Most likely, there will be some ATMs near you. You can search and filter based on the type of crypto you want, for example, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, etc.
There are about 38,000+ crypto ATMs in 77 countries. The way to buy crypto using ATM is via cash deposit.
The downside? The exchange fees are very high, and you are getting a meagre exchange rate of Bitcoin for your local currency.
