RoboSats

What is RoboSats

RoboSats is an open-source, peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange built around privacy by design. As of 2026-05-30, the platform operates exclusively through Tor and uses the Lightning Network to facilitate trades between Bitcoin and national currencies without custodial intermediaries. The project describes itself as "a simple and private Lightning P2P exchange" and emphasizes that it is "fully open source and will always be."

The exchange uses deterministically generated robot avatars as temporary identities-each trade gets a unique pseudonym with its own PGP keypair for encrypted communication. This eliminates account registration entirely; no email, phone number, username, or any personal input is required to begin trading.

How no-KYC is it?

RoboSats maintains a guaranteed no-KYC stance. The platform generates random robot avatars for single-use trades with no registration step, making identity verification technically impossible. The exchange is Tor-only by default, meaning IP addresses and locations remain hidden from both the coordinator node and trading peers. Users are explicitly advised to use a different robot identity for every trade, preventing transaction graphing across multiple deals.

The official documentation states: "No registration at all. With a single click you will generate a robot avatar: that's all you need. Since no email, phone, username or any input from the user is needed, there is no possible way to make a mistake and doxx yourself."

Privacy & security

RoboSats layers multiple privacy protections: Tor-only access, single-use PGP-encrypted robot identities, Lightning Network hodl invoices for escrow, and no persistent accounts. Communication between peers is end-to-end encrypted via auditable PGP, with keys exportable for independent verification.

The platform minimizes custody through Lightning hodl invoices, which serve as both bonds and escrow mechanisms. Sellers lock trade escrow in a hodl invoice; buyers submit payout invoices. Funds release only upon trade completion, with disputes handled through the coordinator. The project notes it currently runs on an "experimental coordinator node" with a federation upgrade planned to decentralize coordination.

Security trade-offs exist: Tor's known limitations include slower speeds, sporadic DDoS-related downtime, and potential website fingerprinting risks. Users must back up their robot's secret token to recover access if Tor connections fail mid-trade.

Payments, fees & limits

RoboSats supports any fiat payment method mutually agreed upon by trading peers. The platform imposes no restrictions, though documentation references risk tiers: medium-low risk methods include SEPA Instant, Amazon eGift Cards, Interac e-Transfer, and Wise; higher-risk methods include Revolut payment links/revtags and PayPal. The Bisq wiki serves as the default guideline reference for payment method evaluation.

Platform fees total 0.2% per trade, split asymmetrically to incentivize liquidity: makers pay 0.025%, takers pay 0.175%. External fees apply separately-Lightning Network routing fees and on-chain transaction fees when applicable. Order pricing uses a relative method tied to market rates; the explicit (fixed satoshi) pricing option was removed for technical reasons and may return in future updates.

User experience & support

Access requires only a Lightning wallet and Tor-enabled browser (Brave Tor mode supported as alternative, though with warnings). The interface centers on robot avatar generation-one click produces a trade-ready identity. Trade execution aims for speed "from start to finish before the next block is mined" via Lightning settlement.

The platform offers documentation through learn.robosats.org, community channels on Reddit and Telegram, and an API. Android users can run a native APK (version 0.8.4-alpha as of recent listings). Self-hosting is possible for users running Bitcoin node operating systems like Citadel or Umbrel. The project explicitly solicits community contributions to documentation, with multiple pages marked "under construction."

Who it's for

RoboSats suits privacy-maximalist Bitcoin users comfortable with Tor and Lightning wallets who want fiat on/off-ramps without identity exposure. The asymmetric fee structure rewards market makers with liquidity to commit. Users must tolerate Tor's reliability trade-offs and take responsibility for payment method risk assessment. The platform is less suited for those needing instant, always-available service or unfamiliar with Lightning Network wallet management.