# Monero

> Source: https://fuckyc.org/services/monero/
> Website: https://www.getmonero.org/
> Categories: Privacy coins
> KYC: none — Cryptocurrency protocol; no accounts. KYC is a property of the venues you trade XMR through, not of Monero itself.
> Status: active
> Jurisdiction: protocol — independent open source
> Fiat on-ramp: no
> Payment methods: crypto
> Founded: 2014
> Open source: yes
> Custodial: no
> Last verified: 2026-01-01

## Verdict

Monero is the privacy-coin reference implementation: ring signatures, stealth addresses, RingCT, no opt-out. Its privacy properties are protocol-level, not policy-level; that is the property that makes it useful and the property that causes regulated venues to delist it. Liquidity routes — instant swappers, P2P, a small number of remaining CEXes — are how you cross between XMR and other assets.

## Strengths

- Privacy by default: ring signatures hide the sender, stealth addresses hide the receiver, RingCT hides the amount.
- Mandatory privacy — there is no opt-out; everyone in the anonymity set is everyone using XMR.
- Active, decentralized development.

## Caveats

- Several major CEXes (Binance, Kraken in some jurisdictions, OKX historically) have delisted XMR or restricted it; on-/off-ramp options narrow accordingly.
- View keys allow auditing if voluntarily shared, but seizure agencies do not get them without your cooperation.
- The "no privacy is unconditional" caveat applies — chain analytics firms publish hypothetical attacks; the protocol's response is mostly mature.
- Facts need re-verification by operator (last seeded 2026-01).

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## What Monero is

A cryptocurrency with mandatory-privacy transactions. Sender, receiver, and amount are obscured for every transaction.

## Threat-model fit

The default privacy-coin choice when the cryptography of the chain is what you are relying on.

## Sources

- [getmonero.org — About](https://www.getmonero.org/resources/about/) — accessed 2026-01-01
- [Monero Outreach](https://www.monerooutreach.org/) — accessed 2026-01-01