Guide · 4 min read
When does a no-KYC swap still ask for ID?
By the AltoSwap team · Reviewed and updated · Editorial policy
Short answerA no-KYC swap asks for nothing up front. But exchanges screen every incoming deposit automatically, and a small share are flagged. What happens then depends on the exchange: some never ask for identity, some refund without documents, and some hold the deposit until you verify. The KYC rating of a route, from A to D, tells you which before you send anything.
What gets a deposit flagged
Screening tools score the history of the coins you send. A deposit is flagged when that history leads back to addresses the tools associate with theft, sanctions, darknet markets or mixing services. The check is automatic and looks at the coins, not at you.
Coins withdrawn from a large exchange or mined directly are rarely flagged. Coins that arrived from an unknown source a few steps back are flagged more often.
What each rating means when that happens
| Rating | If your deposit is flagged |
|---|---|
| A | No identity verification is asked. |
| B | Verification is rare, and a refund is made without it. |
| C | Verification may be requested. |
| D | The deposit may be held until verification is completed. |
How AltoSwap routes around it
The swap form starts with routes rated A. Only when none of them can do your swap does it move to the next rating, and it says so, with what that rating means, before you agree to anything.
If you are asked anyway
- Ask for a refund first. On A and B routes a refund does not need documents.
- Keep your swap ID and contact support. The case can be passed to the exchange that holds the deposit.
- Do not send more coins from the same source to the same route.
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