Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal data Tether.mv collects when you use our exchange, instant sell services, gift cards, apps and bots, why we collect it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.
The short version
- We collect what we need to run an exchange: your mobile number, identity documents and selfie for verification, bank account details, and your order and payment history.
- We use it to settle your orders, verify who you are, stop fraud, meet anti-money-laundering law, and support you.
- We never sell your data. We share it with banks, verification tools, messaging providers and authorities only as needed.
- Blockchain addresses and transaction hashes are public by nature and cannot be erased.
- Identity and transaction records are kept for at least five years after your account closes, as the law requires.
- You can ask to see, correct or delete your data, and you can opt out of marketing at any time.
This summary is for convenience only. The full policy below is what applies.
1 About this policy
Tether.mv ("we", "us") is an independent digital-asset exchange service operated from the Republic of Maldives. This policy covers the website tether.mv, the instant sell services at instant.tether.mv and novausdt.com, our Telegram channels and bots, our WhatsApp and SMS messaging, and the related mobile applications (together, the "Service").
It forms part of our Terms of Service. Our KYC Policy describes the verification process in more detail. The CoinTrack MV price-tracking app has its own privacy notice in the app stores.
2 What we collect
| Category | What it includes | When |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Maldivian mobile number, name, email where you give it, password (stored hashed), one-time codes, login history. | When you register or sign in |
| Identity verification | Full legal name, atoll, island and address; photos of your Maldivian national ID card (front and back) or passport; document number and expiry; a live selfie; your answers on source of funds, purpose of trading and whether you trade for yourself; a bank account in your name; any follow-up answers we ask for. | When you verify (KYC) or we ask for more information |
| Orders and payments | Orders, amounts, rates and fees; your receiving wallet addresses; deposit addresses we assign; blockchain transaction hashes; bank transfer references and the account name and number used; receipts you upload; payout records. | Every time you buy, sell or get paid |
| Instant sell | Mobile number, the bank account you save, and the order and transaction details above. No account is created. | When you use instant.tether.mv or novausdt.com |
| Gift cards and rewards | Gift card orders and the codes delivered to you; loyalty points, redemptions, referrals and promotion entries. | When you use those features |
| Messages and support | Messages you exchange with us by email, WhatsApp, SMS or Telegram, and your Telegram username and ID when you use our bots or groups. | When you contact us or use a bot |
| Technical | IP address, approximate location derived from it, device and browser type, app version, pages visited, timestamps, security and error logs, and cookie or local-storage identifiers. | Automatically, whenever you use the Service |
| Fraud prevention | Blockchain addresses, bank accounts, identity document numbers and phone numbers that we or our partners have linked to fraud or abuse. | From our own records and from reports we receive |
We do not collect card numbers (we do not take card payments), and we never ask you for your wallet seed phrase or private keys.
3 How we use it
- To run your orders: quote, match your payment or deposit, send assets or money, deliver gift cards, award points, and keep your order history available to you.
- To verify your identity and meet anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing obligations, including checking documents, comparing your selfie to your document, assessing source of funds, and monitoring transactions.
- To prevent fraud and abuse: detecting scams, stolen funds, duplicate accounts, promotion abuse and attempts to evade limits, and maintaining our internal watchlists.
- To communicate with you: order status, payment and payout confirmations, security alerts and verification updates by SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, email, push notification or in the Service.
- To support you and resolve complaints and disputes.
- To operate and improve the Service: security, debugging, capacity, usage statistics and product decisions.
- To comply with the law and respond to lawful requests from banks, regulators, courts and law enforcement.
- Marketing, only with your consent, such as news about promotions. You can opt out at any time.
4 Why we are allowed to
We process your data because it is necessary to perform our contract with you (your orders and account), to comply with legal obligations (identity verification, record keeping, reporting), for our legitimate interests in running a secure service and preventing fraud, and, for marketing, because you have given consent. Where you decline to give data we need for verification or payment, we will not be able to complete the related service.
6 Blockchain data is public
Every blockchain transaction, including the sending and receiving addresses, the amount and the time, is recorded on a public ledger that anyone can read and that nobody, including us, can edit or delete. When you send assets to a deposit address or receive assets from us, that record exists independently of our Service. Do not use the Service if you are not comfortable with that.
7 Cookies and local storage
We use cookies and browser storage that are necessary for the Service to work: keeping you signed in, protecting forms against cross-site attacks, remembering preferences such as your chosen theme or network, and keeping an instant sell session open. Our pages do not currently carry third-party advertising or analytics trackers. Where a form is protected by Google reCAPTCHA, Google sets its own cookies under its policy. You can block cookies in your browser, but you will not be able to sign in.
8 Where data is processed
Our systems are operated from the Maldives, but some providers listed in section 5 (for example cloud verification tools, WhatsApp, Telegram, email and content-delivery services) process data on servers outside the Maldives. We choose providers that commit to industry-standard security and confidentiality, send them only what they need, and keep identity documents on our own systems except for the automated checks described above.
9 How we protect it
- All traffic to the Service is encrypted in transit. Sensitive values such as gift card codes, credentials and integration secrets are encrypted at rest; passwords and API keys are stored only as hashes.
- Administrative access is restricted to a private network, limited to staff who need it, protected by two-factor authentication, and logged.
- Identity documents can be viewed only by our compliance reviewers, and only inside the review tools.
- We monitor for suspicious logins and transactions, keep backups, and have procedures for handling security incidents. If an incident affects your data in a way that puts you at risk, we will tell you.
- No system is perfectly secure. Keep your password and one-time codes to yourself; we will never ask you for them.
10 How long we keep it
- Identity verification and transaction records (including bank and blockchain details) are kept for at least five years after your account is closed or the transaction completed, as anti-money-laundering record-keeping rules require, and longer if an investigation or dispute is open.
- Account data is kept while your account is active and then as above.
- Instant sell data is kept on the same basis as transaction records.
- Support messages are kept for as long as needed to handle the matter and any follow-up.
- Technical logs are kept for a short period for security and debugging, typically a few months.
- Fraud-prevention records are kept for as long as they are needed to protect the Service and other customers.
When data is no longer needed we delete it or anonymise it so it no longer identifies you.
11 Your rights
You can ask us to:
- Show you the personal data we hold about you and how we use it.
- Correct data that is wrong or out of date. Some corrections, such as your name or bank account, require re-verification.
- Delete your data or close your account. We will delete or anonymise everything we are not legally required to keep; verification and transaction records stay for the retention period in section 10.
- Stop marketing messages at any time; transactional messages about your orders and security continue.
- Complain if you think we have handled your data badly. Contact us first and we will respond within 30 days.
To make a request, contact us from the mobile number or email on your account, or through the Service. We will verify that the request comes from you before acting on it, and we may refuse requests that are manifestly unfounded, repetitive, or that would require us to breach the law.
12 Children
The Service is for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone younger. If we learn that an account belongs to a minor we will close it and delete the data we are not required to keep.
13 Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services, providers or the law change. The current version is always at tether.mv/privacy with the date at the top, and material changes are announced on the Service. Continuing to use the Service after a change means you accept the updated policy.
14 Contact
Questions, requests or complaints about your data? Reach us on any channel below. Include the mobile number on your account so we can find your records.
Privacy requests
We reply within 30 days, usually much sooner. Never share your OTP or password with anyone, including us.
Tether.mv is an independent cryptocurrency exchange service in the Maldives. Not affiliated with Tether Limited, Circle, or any token issuer or blockchain network.