In this article we compare and summarize six of the most popular KYC-free cryptocurrency exchanges, including Elude, eXch, Exolix, FixedFloat, Infinity Exchanger, and Majestic Bank.
With over a dozen options currently available, 2023 is set to be the year of KYC-free cryptocurrency exchanges. Such exchanges contain several advantages over traditional exchanges: they rarely require the creation of a user account, they do not collect identifying documentation from their customers, and they streamline the trading process, ditching traditional market/limit buy orders and account deposits in favor of far simpler coin swaps. They often provide users with the exact rates they will be getting when initiating a swap, requiring only the provision of a deposit address.
On the downside, such exchanges often charge higher rates than their KYC-demanding counterparts, can be somewhat limited in trading options, and are usually not regulated by any entity. Their customer service can vary tremendously, and there is little recourse for the user if an exchange does not go according to plan. Regardless, many KYC-free exchanges have developed a reputation for adhering to good business practices and are generally regarded as reliable services. For many cryptocurrency users, the ease of use which they provide has made them a favorable alternative to traditional exchanges.
Below is a comparison and simple summaries of six of the most popular KYC-free exchanges which have demonstrated trustworthiness and technical soundness throughout the course of their existence. They all share the commonality of being focused on providing as simple an exchange process as possible while also protecting user privacy.
Comparison of Six Popular KYC-Free Exchanges
The following cryptocurrency exchanges all support Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR), among other coins. Users of these exchanges may have different goals in mind and will thus find the information provided below useful in determining which exchange is right for them.
| Exchange Name | Tor URL? | Clearnet URL? | # of Coins | Fixed Rate Fee | Floating Rate Fee | Min. Deposit | Account Required? | JavaScript Required? |
| Elude | Yes | No | 3 | 4%-8% | N/A | $25 | No | No |
| eXch | Yes | Yes | 8 | 1% | 0.50% | N/A | No | No |
| Exolix | No | Yes | 395 | ~2.5% | ~1.25% | $50 | No | No |
| FixedFloat | No | Yes | 58 | 1% | 0.50% | $9 | No | Yes |
| Infinity | Yes | No | 4 | 3% | N/A | $12 | No | No |
| Majestic Bank | Yes | Yes | 4 | ~0.5% | N/A | $20 | No | No |
What is the Difference Between a Fixed Rate and a Floating Rate?
Some of the exchanges listed above offer the user the ability to complete a swap using a fixed rate or a floating rate. A “fixed rate” means that the user will know the exact amount of coins they will be receiving as the result of a swap. This is the preferred option for users who need to receive a very specific coin amount in their deposit address. A “floating rate” means that the final amount of coins to be received by the user will vary slightly based on the exchange rate at the exact time of the swap. This is for users who don’t mind the prospect of receiving slightly more or less coins that the offered rate. Fixed rate swaps are usually more expensive than floating rate swaps in that a higher fee is charged.
Are There Any Additional Fees for Coin Exchanges?
Yes. The exchanges listed above will almost always tack on a network (miner) fee to pay for the cost of the transaction. The general size of this fee can often times be specified by the user in selecting whether they want an expedited transaction (confirms faster, more expensive fee), a standard transaction (fee matches current network average), or a slower transaction (takes longer to confirm, cheapest fee). Additionally, some exchanges (such as Elude) charge a variable service fee which they claim serves to help anonymize the type of transaction being performed, and some exchanges (such as Majestic Bank) vary their fee based on the amount of coin reserves they have for the coins being exchanged.
Elude
Highly trusted by the darknet community, Elude is one of the oldest Tor-only KYC-free crypto exchanges and one of the first to support Monero, adding it as an option in 2018. It supports BTC, LTC, and XMR. Elude allows the user to split up a swap in up to five different deposit addresses, specifying the delay they want in receiving coins at each address. Although it only supports three cryptocurrencies, the exchange takes user privacy very seriously while also offering great customer support in case problems should arise during a transaction.
eXch
Available on both Tor and the clearweb, eXch is a privacy coin-focused swapping service that supports BTC, XMR, LTC, ETH, DASH, USDT, USDC, and DAI. Its fees are quite competitive, advertising an average swap time of one minute (minus network confirmation times) and offers its users a fair degree of flexibility when performing swaps. The only drawback to eXch is that it often has a low reserve of Monero on hand, which means it may not have enough XMR for swaps over $300 or so. The exchange compensates for this by offering discounted fees to customers depositing XMR, which are as low as 0%.
Exolix
One of the biggest and most thriving exchanges of the six, Exolix supports swaps between almost 400 cryptocurrencies, including many coins pegged as tokens on different blockchains and a whole host of different stablecoins. It claims to service hundreds of customers and thousands of swaps on a daily basis. Rates on Exolix can vary significantly, and it has a higher minimum deposit, of about $50. While its true Exolix is among the more robust and versatile KYC-free exchanges, they have been known to hold up swaps in the past, asking users to submit documentation verifying the source of their funds. It is not known whether they continue to engage in this behavior today.
FixedFloat
As the name implies, FixedFloat allows users to swap coins using a fixed rate or a floating rate, providing a decent amount of versatility and exchange options for its users. It supports swaps between almost 60 cryptocurrencies in all and is one of the only KYC-free exchanges to support deposits from the Bitcoin Lightning network. FixedFloat is tremendously active, claiming to service thousands of customers daily and hosting a regularly-updated blog in which they describe ongoing additions and changes being made to the site. They also have a highly active presence across several social media sites.
Infinity Exchanger
Infinity Exchanger is a Tor-only cryptocurrency exchange that supports swaps between BTC, XMR, LTC, and BCH. What it lacks in supported coins it makes up for in swapping options, allowing users to split their received funds among all four blockchains. For instance, a user can deposit BTC and receive funds in the form of XMR, LTC, BCH and BTC (it also acts as a mixing service), or any one coin or combination thereof. Infinity Exchanger charges a flat 3% fee when calculating exchange rates with a smaller service charge to cover network fees. It goes out of its way to provide users with a piece of mind in terms of helping them retain their privacy to the fullest extent possible.
Majestic Bank
Majestic Bank supports fixed rate swaps between BTC, XMR, LTC, and WOW, a fork of Monero named Wownero. The exchange charges a fee of 0.5% on average although fees can fluctuate between 0% and 2%, based on their current reserves of coins being exchanged. Unlike most similar exchanges, Majestic Bank provides users with up-to-date information regarding average rates, average swap processing times, coin reserves on hand, and the overall status of their system. They also support BTC SegWit deposits and withdrawals to help users save on transaction fees.
Final Considerations
While all of the above exchanges have proven themselves to be fairly trustworthy during their course of operation, it is good to keep in mind that these are unregulated entities, and as such they do not answer to any overseeing body that has the ability to enforce claims. This means the user will have no recourse if an exchange should fail to process a swap properly or at all, or if an exchange should suddenly disappear altogether. With this in mind, it is recommended that users limit deposits to the above exchanges to amounts they can afford to lose, keeping swaps on the small side at least until they are comfortable with using them.
It is also good to remember that the anonymity of coins being received in a swap cannot be guaranteed, meaning that users run the risk of triggering an anti-money laundering (AML) detection measure when depositing these coins to a traditional exchange. Some exchanges are more stringent in this regard than others, but if you have any doubts, use a coin mixing service or at least deposit the coins to a personal wallet before sending them to a traditional exchange. Most KYC-free exchanges mentioned above have excellent customer service and support ticket services, and it is worth taking advantage of them in case any questions or problems should arise.