Hodl Hodl
Established
2018Service type
Non-custodial P2P Bitcoin marketplaceSupported coins
Bitcoin onlySupported fiat currencies
100+ currenciesKYC
Not required for standard tradingAML
No routine AML verification statedFees
0.75% per user; 0.5% with referral discountWithdrawal methods
Bitcoin to walletLimits
From 0.00025 BTC; user-level limits applySupport
Email and help centerPayment options
Bank transfer
Online Wallets
Debit/credit cardHodl Hodl supports Bitcoin only. The platform states that users can create offers in any fiat currency, while accepted payment methods are set by individual advertisers. It lists 100+ payment methods, which can include bank transfers, online payment systems, debit or credit cards and cash arrangements. In the CMS payment taxonomy, use Bank transfer, Online Wallets, Debit/credit card and Cash. Availability, exchange rates, order size, payment windows and other conditions vary by offer and counterparty.
Registration with an email address and password is required, but Hodl Hodl states that no identity verification or routine AML/KYC process is required for trading. The usual trading fee is 0.75% per party; users who joined through a referral link/code, or who have at least one active referral, pay 0.5% per party. Fees are deducted in Bitcoin from escrow only after a contract completes successfully. A dynamic minimum fee based on mempool conditions and transaction size also applies and should normally not exceed the equivalent of $5.
The minimum trade amount is 0.00025 BTC. Trade limits depend on the user’s account level and platform rules; the FAQ lists one-time caps from 1 BTC to 5 BTC for Levels 1–3. Hodl Hodl also offers Lightning trading through an Arkade-based escrow in beta, with separate temporary limits and a 0.75% trading fee plus a dynamic swap fee. P2P trading involves counterparty, payment-method, dispute and Bitcoin price risks. Sellers should release Bitcoin only after independently verifying receipt of payment.
Provider Metrics
Ratings are based on how crypto cards perform in real-world use, including fees, rewards, custody setup, issuer reliability, and usability. Scores are comparative and independent of partnerships.
KYC
Not requiredAML
Not requiredreviews
Composite score
Weighted across all four metricsPros and cons
Pros
Non-custodial 2-of-3 multisig Bitcoin escrowBitcoin-only P2P marketplaceNo routine KYC stated100+ payment methods statedFees charged only on completed tradesCons
Bitcoin onlyPayment methods and conditions depend on counterpartiesBuyer and seller each pay a trading feeP2P payment and counterparty risks remainTrade limits depend on user levelAlternatives to Hodl Hodl
Compare alternatives
Local Coin Swap
Frequently Asked Questions About Hodl Hodl
Yes, for standard P2P trading. Hodl Hodl requires no identity documents; sign-up needs only an email address, with two-factor authentication available for account security. In place of KYC-based limits, it uses a three-tier reputation system: trading limits expand as users complete more successful trades with more counterparties. Level 1 is the default at signup; Level 2 requires 10 completed trades with at least 5 different partners; Level 3 requires 50 trades with a cumulative minimum of 0.5 BTC.
No. Hodl Hodl's Terms of Service explicitly restrict access for US citizens, permanent residents, tax residents, and users located anywhere in the United States including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and other US territories. This is written as a hard eligibility requirement. Users based in the US who need to exchange crypto without KYC can compare Rare-rated exchange partners on Swapzone, such as ChangeNOW, SimpleSwap, or StealthEX.
Hodl Hodl's primary safety mechanism is 2-of-3 multisig escrow. Neither Hodl Hodl nor any single counterparty holds full control over the escrowed BTC, which removes the custodial exchange risk that contributed to major platform collapses. The platform has been operating since 2018 and has completed over 50,000 trades. The key risks are P2P-specific: counterparty reliability, payment method reversibility (some fiat rails can be charged back), and the absence of government regulation. Hodl Hodl operates without an investor protection fund and without financial authority oversight.
Hodl Hodl provides significantly more privacy than KYC-required platforms; no government ID is needed, and the platform is compatible with Tor for additional network-level anonymity. Complete anonymity depends on the payment method used: bank transfers and most regulated fiat payment rails create a record on the fiat side of the transaction, regardless of what happens on-chain. Users pairing Hodl Hodl with a self-custody Bitcoin wallet and a low-traceable payment method can achieve materially higher privacy than on any exchange that requires identity verification.
Hodl Hodl charges 0.5% per completed trade, split equally between buyer and seller; each party pays 0.25% on a standard transaction. Users who sign up via a referral link receive a lifetime reduced rate of 0.45% total (0.225% per side). No fee is charged on trades that do not complete. Bitcoin network fees for moving BTC in and out of escrow are paid separately by the user and vary with on-chain congestion at the time of the transaction.