Private and open-source alternatives to Coinbase
6 crypto exchanges rated against the same public privacy criteria as Coinbase, with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. The Exodus report finds 7 trackers in the Android app, including Amplitude, AppsFlyer, Facebook SDKs and Google Firebase Analytics.
- No ads or data sales: no. Funded by trading fees, but the privacy policy says conversion data including IP addresses is shared with advertisers such as Meta and AppLovin to target ads.
- Independent audit: no. No independent audit is published.
The alternatives
Bisq Grade B
Open source, peer-to-peer desktop app for trading bitcoin for national currencies and other assets over Tor, using multisig escrow and no central server or registration.
Bisq scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Haveno Grade B
Open-source, peer-to-peer exchange software for trading Monero with fiat and other cryptocurrencies over Tor, using non-custodial multisig escrow. Trading happens on third-party networks that run Haveno.
Haveno scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
RoboSats Grade B
Peer-to-peer exchange for trading bitcoin against national currencies over Tor, using Lightning hold invoices as escrow and a new robot identity for each trade with no registration.
RoboSats scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Peach Bitcoin Grade F
Swiss peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange app where buyers and sellers trade directly, with bitcoin held in multisig escrow during each trade.
Based in Switzerland. Peach Bitcoin scores 35 out of 100 (grade F) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: no ads or data sales.
Hodl Hodl Grade F
Non-custodial peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading platform where trades are secured by multisig escrow contracts and payments are made directly between users.
Based in the Marshall Islands. Hodl Hodl scores 20 out of 100 (grade F) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: no ads or data sales.
Kraken Grade F
Centralized cryptocurrency exchange from Payward for buying, selling and trading crypto, with custodial accounts that require identity verification.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Kraken scores 10 out of 100 (grade F) on the crypto exchanges criteria. It partly meets no ads or data sales.