Its better than how bisq does it. And I agree there needs more obfuscation which they have recently mentioned they will update to be better. Now go hassle bisq.
Discussion
Centralization of XMR market and tracking every transaction
Recent research conducted by the Weizenbaum Institute, TRM Labs (San Franciso) and TU Berlin indicate that Retoswap, formerly known as Haveno-Reto, does not provide the privacy protections it advertises. Despite its marketing claims, this platform functions as a sophisticated decoy. The narrative of being non-custodial and decentralized is a carefully crafted illusion designed to attract unsuspecting users and foster a false sense of security.
https://xcancel.com/noosphere888x2/status/1922044150716715102#m
Darknet operators who assume Retoswap is suitable for laundering should reconsider. Their activities are under constant surveillance. The supposed privacy offered by Retoswap is an illusion.
Retoswap Trades Are Fully Traceable
> To test our findings, we logged Haveno trades for two weeks and executed five test trades within the observation period. For all five transactions, we successfully identified all XMR transactions.
Additionally, we demonstrate that Haveno trades leave detectable on-chain footprints, allowing cross-chain transaction linking.
Source: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.02392
> Haveno has been discussed in greater detail as it evolved to one of the most prominent exchanges in the context of Monero. While strong promises claim privacy with every transaction and independence from any central authority, the current implementation raises uncertainty. Our analysis showed detectable on-chain patterns and weaknesses in the platform that can be exploited to match transactions across chains.
It is noteworthy that some of the most active dark web exchanges, administrators, vendors, and key figures may have already utilized Retoswap to launder illicit gains or transfer substantial amounts of BTC and XMR. These individuals often believe their anonymity is safeguarded due to the platform’s purported decentralization. However, all Retoswap crypto-to-crypto transactions are inherently traceable.
Retoswap has apparently handled over 50 million dollars in transactions, which is pretty impressive considering it’s been around for less than a year. It looks like big players like hackers, darknet admins, and other underground groups are already using it to move big amounts of money.
Source: https://xcancel.com/RetoSwap/status/1930953817228481022#m
While speculative, there are reasons to suspect that recent LE actions may not be coincidental. Authorities have tracked down major operators, likely due to the on-chain trail left by Retoswap activities. According to haveno.markets, approximately 90% of liquidity involves BTC-XMR swaps, transactions that are fully traceable. Every transaction is publicly recorded on-chain with exact timestamps, amounts, and payment methods, leaving a permanent digital footprint.
> While trade statistics provide valuable metrics for users, their network propagation should be obfuscated to preserve trade privacy.
Source: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.02392
In summary, admins of coin-swap services can easily monitor BTC to XMR trades. But usually, it’s not a big deal because users trust these providers not to share details like timestamps, amounts, or other info. On the flip side, with platforms like Retoswap, anyone can potentially track transactions, it’s not just the admins. That’s because haveno.markets openly shares trade stats, making it easier for third parties to analyze and follow the transactions.
May freeze or seize funds
Retoswap runs on Haveno, which is a decentralized, non-custodial multi-sig exchange. That’s true because your private key is generated locally, so only you have access to your funds in the Haveno wallet.
However, to publish a sell offer, a vendor must lock up coins (15% security deposit and the trade amount). These funds can potentially be frozen or seized because the admin can easily have two keys required to sign a transaction. The haveno FAQ suggests that the admin/arbiter only has one key, but in practice, anyone can become a taker, there is practically nothing preventing the admin from possessing two keys.
Some users have spoken out about this openly on platforms like Nostr, Reddit, and others, raising concerns about potential exit scams in how the system is set up. So, it’s worth being aware of these issues before jumping in.
https://rl.bloat.cat/r/Monero/comments/1h4icot/is_haveno_anymore_secure_than_trading_with_a/
Centralization of XMR market and tracking every transaction
Retoswaps objective appears to be the centralization of XMR liquidity through their unique setup with pre-funded offers. Furthermore, Woodser (developer associated with Haveno) has not addressed the rugpuller bot issue that I initially identified six months ago. This is not due to incompetence but rather suggests a lack of independence, as the Reto guy has accepted donations from questionable sources. Such actions raise concerns about the integrity of the haveno development process.
Source: link to shortwavesurfer about donations
Quote mister_monster:
> So, Reto has basically no fees right now. They don’t really benefit financially from being the only haveno network with liquidity. Yet, [b]it does seem that they do want to have a monopoly position within our community[b].
Source: https://monero.town/post/5172146
Amazon used the same tactic to take over the market, operating at a loss and funded by questionable sources until competitors were pushed out. Now, this new platform is promising decentralization, non-custodial transactions, and privacy. But the reality is, none of that seems to hold up. It's all about crushing the competition and cornering the XMR market, and tracking every transaction? That's not exactly a recipe for trust. It might not be a honeypot, but it sure smells a lot like one. Proceed with extreme caution.
Discuss on dread: http://dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion/post/be82f1a0c5e0f79f6dbb
#Privacy #Markets #HiddenService #News #Work #Monero #Crypto #Hacking #HarmReduction #Guides #Bisq #cakewallet #haveno #retoswap #trading #p2p #escrow #localmonero #dex #cex #moneroju #xmrbaazar #security #agorism #cypherphunk #rugpull #transparency #stats
