---
layout: ../layouts/MarkdownLayout.astro
title: About
author: KYCnot.me
pubDate: 2025-05-15
description: 'Learn how KYCnot.me website works and about our mission to protect privacy in cryptocurrency.'
icon: 'ri:information-line'
---

import DonationAddress from '../components/DonationAddress.astro'

## What is this page?

KYCnot.me is a directory of trustworthy alternatives for buying, exchanging, trading, and using cryptocurrencies without having to disclose your identity, thus preserving your right to privacy.

## What is KYC?

**KYC** stands for _Know Your Customer_, a process designed to protect financial institutions against fraud, corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.

The truth is that KYC is a **direct attack on our privacy** and puts us in disadvantage against the governments. **True criminals don't care about KYC policies**. True criminals know perfectly how to avoid such policies. In fact, they normally use the FIAT system and don't even need to use cryptocurrencies. Banks are the biggest money launders, the [HSBC scandal](https://www.reuters.com/business/hsbc-fined-85-mln-anti-money-laundering-failings-2021-12-17/), [Nordea](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nordea-bnk-moneylaundering-idUSKCN1QL11S) or [Swedbank](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-moneylaundering-swedbank/swedbank-hit-with-record-386-million-fine-over-baltic-money-laundering-breaches-idUSKBN2163LU) are just some examples.

Chainalysis found that only 0.34% of the transaction volume with cryptocurrencies in 2023 was attributable to criminal activity. Bitcoin's share of this is significantly lower. Illicit transactions with Euros accounted for 1% of the EU's GDP or €110 billion in 2010. [[1]](https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2024-crypto-crime-report-introduction/) [[2]](https://transparency.eu/priority/financial-flows-crime/)

KYC only affects small individuals like you and me. It is an annoying procedure that **forces us to trust our personal information to a third party** in order to buy, use or unlock our funds. We should start using cryptocurrencies as they were intended to be used: without barriers.

## Why does this site exist?

Crypto was born to free us from banks and governments controlling our money. Simple as that.

When exchanges require your ID and personal information through KYC, they undermine the core principle of cryptocurrency: privacy. Not everyone possesses an ID, and not everyone resides in a "supported" country. Small businesses often struggle with the burden of compliance and the fear of hefty fines. Moreover, exchanges are [targets for hackers](https://www.reuters.com/business/coinbase-says-cyber-criminals-stole-account-data-some-customers-2025-05-15/?ref=guptadeepak.com), putting your sensitive data at risk of theft.

KYC turns crypto back into the system we're trying to escape. That's why I built this site - to help you use crypto the way it was meant to be used: privately.

## Why only Bitcoin and Monero?

**Bitcoin**: It's the initial spark of the decentralized money. A solid project with a strong community. It is the most well-known and widespread cryptocurrency.

**Monero**: If you're looking for digital cash that's truly private, Monero is it. It's designed for privacy, works like real cash (fungible), has low fees, and is supported by a dedicated, long-standing community.

While the main focus is on Bitcoin and Monero, you'll find that many of the listed services also accept other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum or Litecoin.

## User Accounts

You can [create an account](/account/generate) to suggest new services or share your feedback on service pages.

User accounts do not require any personal information. Your username will be **randomly** generated to prevent impersonation and protect your privacy.

When you create an account, you are given a **login key**. Login keys are **displayed only once**. Be sure to **store it securely**, as it **cannot be recovered** if lost. It is recommended to use a password manager like [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com) or [KeePassXC](https://keepassxc.org/).

### User Karma

Users earn karma by participating in the community. When your comments get approved, or when making contributions. As your karma grows, you'll unlock **special features**, which are detailed on your [user profile page](/account).

### Verified and Affiliated Users

Some users are **verified**, this means that the moderators have confirmed that the user is related to a specific link or service. The verification is directly linked to the URL, ensuring that the person behind the username has a legitimate connection to the service they claim to represent. This verification process is reserved for individuals with established reputation.

Users can also be **affiliated** with a service if they're related to it, such as being an owner or part of the team. If you own a service and want to get verified, just reach out to us.

## Listings

### Suggesting a new listing

To suggest a new listing, visit the [service suggestion form](/service-suggestion/new) and provide the most accurate information possible for higher chances to get approved.

Once submitted, you get a unique tracking page where you can monitor its status and communicate directly with moderators.

All new listings begin as **unlisted** — they're only accessible via direct link and won't appear in search results. After a brief admin review to confirm the request isn't spam or inappropriate, the listing will be marked as **Community Contributed**.

### Suggestion Review Process

#### First Review

- A member of the **KYCnot.me team** reviews the submission to ensure it isn't spam or inappropriate.
- If the listing passes this initial check, it becomes **publicly visible** to all users.
- At this stage, the listing is **Community Contributed** and will show a disclaimer.

#### Second Review (APPROVED)

- The service is tested and investigated again.
- If it proves to be reliable, it is granted the `APPROVED` status, which means:
  - The information is accurate.
  - The service works as described (at the time of the testing).
  - Basic functionality has been tested.
  - Communication with the service's support was successful.
  - A brief investigation found no obvious red flags.

#### Final Review (VERIFIED)

- After a period of no reported issues, the service will undergo a **third, comprehensive review**.
  - The service is tested across different dates and under various conditions.
  - The service administrators and support teams will be contacted for additional verification.
- If the service meets all requirements, it is granted the **`VERIFIED`** status.

#### Failed Verifications

If the data is not accurate, the service is a scam, or any other checks fail, the service will be rejected and will appear with a disclaimer.

### Verification Steps

Services will usually show the verification steps that the admins took to reach the verified (or not) status. Each step will have a description and some evidence attached.

### Service Attributes

An attribute is a feature of a service, categorized as:

- **Good** – A positive feature
- **Warning** – A potential concern
- **Bad** – A significant drawback
- **Information** – Neutral details

You can view all available attributes on the [Attributes page](/attributes).

Attributes are classified into two main types:

1. **Privacy Attributes** – Related to data protection and anonymity.
2. **Trust Attributes** – Related to reliability and security.

These categories **directly influence** a service's Privacy and Trust scores, which contribute to its **overall rating**.

### Service Scores

Scores are calculated **automatically** using clear, fixed rules. We do not change or adjust scores by hand. The scoring system is **open-source** and anyone can review or suggest improvements.

#### Privacy Score

The privacy score measures how well a service protects user privacy, using a transparent, rules-based approach:

1. **Base Score:** Every service starts with a neutral score of 50 points.
2. **KYC Level:** Adjusts the score based on the level of identity verification required:
   - KYC Level 0 (No KYC): **+25 points**
   - KYC Level 1 (Minimal KYC): **+10 points**
   - KYC Level 2 (Moderate KYC): **-5 points**
   - KYC Level 3 (More KYC): **-15 points**
   - KYC Level 4 (Full mandatory KYC): **-25 points**
3. **Onion URL:** **+5 points** if the service offers at least one Onion (Tor) URL.
4. **I2P URL:** **+5 points** if the service offers at least one I2P URL.
5. **Monero Acceptance:** **+5 points** if the service accepts Monero as a payment method.
6. **Privacy Attributes:** The sum of all privacy points from attributes categorized as 'PRIVACY' is added to the score.
7. **Final Score Range:** The final score is always kept between 0 and 100.

#### Trust Score

The trust score represents how reliable and trustworthy a service is, based on objective, transparent criteria.

1. **Base Score:** Every service begins with a neutral score of 50 points.
2. **Verification Status Adjustment:**
   - **Verification Success:** +10 points
   - **Approved:** +5 points
   - **Community Contributed:** 0 points
   - **Verification Failed (SCAM):** -50 points
3. **Trust Attributes:** The total trust points from all attributes categorized as 'TRUST' are added to the score.
4. **Recently Listed Penalty & Flag:** If a service was listed within the last 15 days and its status is `APPROVED`, a penalty of -10 points is applied to the trust score, and the service is flagged as recently listed.
5. **Final Score Range:** The final score is always kept between 0 and 100.

#### Overall Score

The overall score is calculated as `(privacy * 0.6) + (trust * 0.4)` and provides a combined measure of privacy and trust.

### Terms of Service Reviews

KYCnot.me automatically reviews and summarizes the Terms of Service (ToS) for every service monthly using AI. You get simple, clear summaries that highlight the most important points, so you can quickly see what matters.

We hash each ToS document and only review it again if it changes. Some services may go a long time without a new review, but we still check and scrape their ToS every month.

We aim for accuracy, but the AI may sometimes miss details or highlight less relevant information. If you see any error, contact us.

### Events

There are two types of events:

- Automated events: Created by the system whenever something about a service changes, like its description, supported currencies, attributes, verification status...
- Manual events: Added by admins when there's important news, such as a service going offline, being hacked, acquired, shut down, or other major updates.

You can also take a look at the [global timeline](/events) where you will find all the service's events sorted by date.

### Reviews and Comments

Reviews are comments with a one to five star rating for the service. Each user can leave only one review per service; new reviews replace the old one.

You can also post regular comments to share your experience, ask questions, or discuss the service.

If you've used the service, you can add an **order ID** or proof—this is only visible to admins for verification. You can also **flag** comments for issues like blocked funds or KYC requirements.

Some reviews may be spam or fake. Read comments carefully and **always do your own research before making decisions**.

#### Note on moderation

**All comments are moderated.** First, an AI checks each comment. If nothing is flagged, the comment is published right away. If something seems off, the comment is held for a human to review. We only remove comments that are spam, nonsense, unsupported accusations, doxxing, or clear rule violations.

To **see comments waiting for moderation**, toggle the switch in the comments section. These comments show up with a yellow background and a "pending" label.

## Support

If you like this project, you can **support** it through these methods:

<DonationAddress
  cryptoName="Monero"
  cryptoIcon="monero"
  address="86nkJeHWarEYZJh3gcPGKcQeueKbq2uRRC2NX6kopBpdHFfY1j4vmrVAwRG1T4pNBwBwfJ4U4USLUZ6CjDtacp8x4y8v3rq"
/>

## Contact

You can contact via direct chat:

- [SimpleX Chat](https://simplex.chat/contact#/?v=2&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F0YuTwO05YJWS8rkjn9eLJDjQhFKvIYd8d4xG8X1blIU%3D%40smp8.simplex.im%2FcgKHYUYnpAIVoGb9lxb0qEMEpvYIvc1O%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-2%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAIW_JSq8wOsLKG4Xv4O54uT2D_l8MJBYKQIFj1FjZpnU%253D%26srv%3Dbeccx4yfxxbvyhqypaavemqurytl6hozr47wfc7uuecacjqdvwpw2xid.onion)


## Disclaimer

This website is strictly for informational purposes regarding privacy technology in the cryptocurrency space. We unequivocally condemn and do not endorse, support, or facilitate money laundering, terrorist financing, or any other illegal financial activities. The use of any information or service mentioned herein for such purposes is strictly prohibited and contrary to the core principles of this project.

By using this website, you acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for your actions, due diligence, and compliance with all applicable laws. You use the information and any linked services entirely at your own risk. The operators of this website will not be held liable for any losses, damages, or legal consequences arising from your use of this site or any services listed herein.
