Anonymous Donation Platform on Tor Hidden Services: Crypto Giving Without KYC

Two main approaches for .onion donation platforms. Option A: BTCPay Server is a self-hosted Bitcoin and Monero payment processor with a donation button feature. BTCPay handles payment detection, confirmation, and receipt generation. Its Docker-based deployment integrates Tor hidden service support. For a donation use case, configure BTCPay's Crowdfund app which provides a donation thermometer and goal tracking. Option B: custom minimalist donation page. A static HTML page with a Monero wallet address and a QR code, served via Nginx on a .onion, requires no server-side code - maximum simplicity, minimum attack surface. Donors copy the address, send XMR from their wallet, and the transaction is visible on the Monero blockchain (with ring signatures protecting transaction linkage). Option A provides richer features (real-time confirmation, multiple campaigns, email receipts with configurable information). Option B provides maximum simplicity and operational security.

Monero is the recommended primary cryptocurrency for anonymous donations. Transaction privacy by default: ring signatures hide sender, stealth addresses protect recipient, RingCT hides amounts. For the donation platform: generate a Monero receiving address from a Monero wallet (Monero CLI or Feather Wallet). Publish this address on the .onion donation page. For tracking donations, use a Monero view key: monero-wallet-cli --generate-from-view-key allows generating a view-only wallet that can see incoming transactions without spending capability. This can be used on the server to display real-time donation totals without risking the actual spending key. For notification of incoming donations: run the view-only wallet on the server, poll for incoming transactions, and trigger an internal notification via Tor-routed messaging when donations arrive.

Bitcoin (BTC) provides broader accessibility than Monero - more users have Bitcoin than Monero. For a donation platform that values accessibility alongside privacy: accept both Monero and Bitcoin. Bitcoin privacy caveats: BTC transactions are publicly traceable on-chain. Advise Bitcoin donors who want privacy to use Wasabi Wallet (CoinJoin) or to send from a privacy-preserving exchange before donating. For the donation platform: generate a fresh BTC address per donation campaign (not per donor - fresh per campaign avoids dust linking). Publish via the .onion page. Lightning Network donations provide near-instant confirmation with lower fees: configure BTCPay Server's Lightning integration to generate Lightning invoices with configurable amounts. Lightning payments are harder to trace on-chain than regular BTC transactions.

An anonymous donation platform should not require donor identification. Receipt handling: for Monero donations, no receipt is technically possible unless the donor provides an email address. Make email optional, not required. For donors who do request receipts: collect their email via a secure form on the .onion page, send confirmation via an .onion-accessible email service (ProtonMail over Tor). Avoid collecting billing information, physical addresses, or any identifying data. For organizations that must issue tax receipts (US 501(c)(3) charities): this creates tension with anonymous donations. Tax receipt issuance requires donor identification. Consider a two-tier system: anonymous donations (no receipt) and identified donations (full receipt) with clear disclosure of which identification is required for receipts.

Recurring donations (monthly giving programs) are challenging without subscription payment platforms that require billing information. Options for .onion-native recurring donation programs: (1) Donor self-scheduling: instruct donors to set up a recurring payment from their Monero or Bitcoin wallet to the donation address on their own schedule. No server-side subscription management needed. (2) Subscription tokens: donors pay a one-time Monero fee and receive a token (random string) that they include in a memo field for subsequent monthly donations. The platform tracks tokens without linking to donor identity. (3) Promissory pledge with periodic invoicing: donors pledge a monthly amount, the platform emails a monthly payment reminder to a provided (optional) anonymous email address. Each payment is voluntary, not automatically billed. Document these options clearly in the platform's donor FAQ.