What Bisq Network does

Bisq Network (formerly Bitsquare) is a decentralized peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange that launched in April 2016 and operates without a legal entity, headquartered in no jurisdiction and instead governed by the on-chain Bisq DAO. The protocol enables users to buy and sell bitcoin for fiat or other cryptocurrencies directly with one another, with no registration, no identity verification, and no central custody; funds are escrowed in 2-of-2 multisig wallets that release only on mutual signature, and every node runs as a Tor hidden service by default for network-level privacy. The codebase is Java-based and distributed as free open-source software for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, with two parallel desktop applications: Bisq 1, the legacy multisig client currently at v1.10.4, and Bisq 2, a modular next-generation platform at v2.1.11 whose first trade protocol, Bisq Easy, launched in March 2024 to serve novice buyers. The Bisq DAO — built on Bitcoin via the BSQ colored-coin token — handles contributor compensation, governance voting, and revenue distribution in place of any corporate entity; the project bootstrapped itself with no ICO and no external capital raise.

Revenue mechanics are entirely indirect: traders pay per-trade fees in BTC or BSQ (with BSQ offering a ~50% discount and a minimum of 0.03 BSQ versus 0.00005 BTC), and these fees fund contributors through DAO cycles. Go-to-market is community-led: there is no sales team, no paid acquisition, and no enterprise onboarding; discovery happens through GitHub, Matrix, Reddit, Telegram, X, and word-of-mouth among the privacy-conscious and decentralization-advocate segments. Strategic third-party support is limited to in-kind open-source licenses from JetBrains (IntelliJ IDEA) and ej-technologies (JProfiler). The network has facilitated 22,000+ lifetime trades since launch, and suffered a contained security incident in Bisq v1 in May 2026 (~11.59 BTC lost across 10 users) that was reimbursed in full via the volunteer-funded Refund Angels program.

Name

Bisq Network

Legal name

Bisq Network

Website

https://bisq.network

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bisq Network is a decentralized peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange with no legal entity, enabling individuals to trade bitcoin for fiat or crypto without registration or identity verification via a Tor-integrated, open-source desktop and mobile protocol governed by the on-chain Bisq DAO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decentralized Cryptocurrency Exchange

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Spot Crypto Exchanges (Order-Book & Matching Engine) (FSADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Controls & Policy Automation (GRC for Web3) (FSAPAJAG), Smart Contract Wallets & Account Abstraction (FSADACAF)

Keywords

• Decentralized bitcoin exchange
• Peer-to-peer crypto trading
• Open-source trading software
• DAO-governed platform
• Non-custodial exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Trading Fees (BSQ): Traders can pay trading fees using BSQ (Bitcoin-based colored coin). Using BSQ provides a discount on trading fees compared to BTC. Contributors earn BSQ for their work and can sell BSQ on Bisq for BTC.
2. Trading Fees (BTC): Traders can pay trading fees with plain BTC. BSQ burning by traders who choose BSQ payments is more efficient for the DAO than routing fees through Burning Men. Offer makers pay lower fees than takers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bisq is a decentralized peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange network that enables individuals to buy and sell bitcoin directly with each other using fiat currencies and altcoins across numerous national payment methods. The platform operates as open-source desktop and mobile software with no central authority, no identity verification, no account registration, and no custody of funds, using a 2-of-2 Bitcoin multisig trade protocol and Tor hidden services to provide security and privacy for global traders.

Product overview

Bisq Network offers a decentralized bitcoin exchange platform consisting of multiple products: Bisq 1 (original desktop application v1.10.4 with multisig protocol for larger trades) and Bisq 2 (next-generation modular platform v2.1.11 featuring the Bisq Easy trade protocol for new users and an upcoming MuSig-based protocol). The Bisq DAO provides decentralized governance using the BSQ token (colored bitcoin). Mobile offerings include Bisq Easy Mobile (full Android node) and Bisq Connect (lightweight Android/iOS client). Bisq is free/libre open-source software with no registration required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bisq 1 Original Java-based desktop peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange application that enables global traders to buy and sell bitcoin directly across 160+ payment methods without KYC or custody.
• Bisq 2 Next-generation rewrite of the Bisq desktop client built on libp2p networking with modular architecture supporting multiple trade protocols for peer-to-peer bitcoin exchange.
• Bisq Easy Simplified automated OTC trade protocol for new and less technical users that enables private bitcoin trades without security deposits or offer-book participation.
• Bisq Easy Mobile Mobile Android companion application for the Bisq Easy OTC trade protocol, enabling on-the-go private bitcoin trading via mobile devices.
• Bisq DAO On-chain Decentralized Autonomous Organization framework that governs Bisq through BSQ and BTC token voting, funds development, resolves trade disputes, and compensates contributors.
• BSQ Token Native Bitcoin-based colored-coin token used for DAO governance voting, trading fee discounts, and trade security deposits on the Bisq network.
• Bisq Connect Community-operated remote node relay service that lets lightweight clients connect to the Bisq network without running a full desktop node.
• Bisq Notifications Push notification companion service for Bisq 2 that delivers trade event alerts to users via a dedicated application.

Quantifiable outcome

• Start trading in under 10 minutes
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ej-technologiesminorOthersej-technologies provides Bisq with a gratis open-source license for JProfiler Java profiler, supporting performance analysis and optimization of the Bisq Java codebase.
• JetBrainsminorOthersJetBrains provides Bisq with a gratis open-source license for IntelliJ IDEA, supporting Java development of the Bisq desktop application and related projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HodlHodl: HodlHodl is a non-custodial P2P Bitcoin exchange using multisig escrow, closely mirroring Bisq's core value proposition of no-KYC trading with users retaining custody. It is the most direct comparable in the P2P non-custodial Bitcoin exchange category.
• Paxful: Paxful was a major P2P Bitcoin trading platform (now defunct) that facilitated direct fiat-to-BTC trades between users with no KYC for smaller transactions. It competed head-to-head with Bisq for the privacy-conscious Bitcoin buyer segment before its 2023 shutdown.
• AGORA Trade: Agora is a decentralized P2P marketplace for cryptocurrency trading using multisig escrow, operating similarly to Bisq with a focus on privacy and no KYC. It is a direct peer in the decentralized crypto exchange category with comparable escrow mechanics.
• LocalMonero: LocalMonero was a P2P exchange for Monero using multisig escrow (now wound down), serving the same privacy-conscious crypto buyer segment as Bisq but for XMR rather than BTC. Comparable in philosophy, model, and target user base.

Emerging players

• RoboSats: RoboSats is a lightweight P2P Bitcoin exchange using Lightning Network for custody and Tor for privacy, targeting privacy-focused buyers with a simpler UX than Bisq. It is an emerging competitor in the same P2P BTC-privacy niche but with a more focused, single-purpose implementation.
• Peach Bitcoin: Peach Bitcoin is a mobile-first P2P Bitcoin exchange emphasizing simplicity and self-custody for European users. It overlaps with Bisq on the privacy-and-self-custody axis but differentiates via a mobile UX and stronger European fiat payment method coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Uniswap: Uniswap is the largest decentralized exchange by volume, operating on Ethereum via automated market makers rather than P2P order matching. It is a broader incumbent in the DEX category that competes for decentralized-trading mindshare though on a different asset and model.
• Kraken: Kraken is a major centralized cryptocurrency exchange offering spot BTC trading with full KYC/AML compliance. While operating under a fundamentally different model, it competes for the same Bitcoin-buying user demand and serves as a benchmark for liquidity and execution quality that Bisq cannot match.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bisq_network
• GitHubgithub.com/bisq-network
• Facebookfacebook.com/bisqnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bisq-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bisq Network