The charter

Methodology

Our score reflects overall trust, not just whether a service skips ID checks. Here is exactly what goes into it.

Weights, at a glance

How the 0-10 score is weighted across five factors.

35% 20% 15% 15% 15%

KYC stance Custody model Transparency & open source Track record Operational health

§1

KYC stance

35%

Truly no-KYC services start at the top. Optional, limited or required KYC subtracts points.

§2

Custody model

20%

Non-custodial wins. Custodial services lose points unless custody is brief and trade-required.

§3

Transparency & open source

15%

Open-source code, public audits and clear policies score higher.

§4

Track record

15%

Years of operation without incidents. Past freezes or hostile policy changes hurt heavily.

§5

Operational health

15%

Uptime, working withdrawals and responsive support. Recurring problems drag the score down.

The privacy ladder

Every entry sits somewhere between L0 trustless and L5 full identity.

Trustless

No account required at all.

Anonymous

Pseudonymous access, no personal data.

Discreet

Minimal data, usually just an email.

Tiered

KYC only above certain thresholds.

Soft KYC

Light identity checks on signup.

Mandatory

Full identity verification required.

Frequently asked

Can I pay to be listed or boost my score?

No. Listing is free and scoring is editorial. There are no sponsored slots and no way to buy a higher position.

How often are services re-checked?

Uptime is monitored automatically and policies are re-read whenever a service changes something material, so a service that quietly adds verification gets re-rated.

Why list mandatory-KYC services at all?

L5 services are included as a baseline for comparison, so you can see exactly how the privacy-respecting options differ.