Privacy coins
Monero
Monero is the privacy-coin reference implementation: ring signatures, stealth addresses, RingCT, no opt-out.
- Website
- getmonero.org
- KYC
- no KYC — Cryptocurrency protocol; no accounts. KYC is a property of the venues you trade XMR through, not of Monero itself.
- Status
- active
- Fiat on-ramp
- no
- Payment
- crypto
- Jurisdiction
- protocol — independent open source
- Founded
- 2014
- Open source
- yes
- Custodial
- no
- Last verified
- Sources
- 2
Overview
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.
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).
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.
FAQ
- Does Monero require KYC?
- As of Jan 1, 2026, Monero does not require KYC for normal use. Cryptocurrency protocol; no accounts. KYC is a property of the venues you trade XMR through, not of Monero itself.
- What payment methods does Monero accept?
- Monero accepts: crypto.
- Where is Monero based?
- Operating jurisdiction listed as protocol — independent open source. This is best-known information; corporate structure can be opaque.
Sources
- getmonero.org — About · accessed
- Monero Outreach · accessed
Mentioned in
Guides
Quick answers
Recommended in country pages
- United States (US) Privacy coin for spending
- Germany (DE) Privacy coin
- France (FR) Privacy coin
- United Kingdom (GB) Privacy coin
- European Union (overview) (EU) Privacy coin
- Switzerland (CH) Privacy coin
- Netherlands (NL) Privacy coin
- Australia (AU) Privacy coin
- Russia (RU) Privacy coin
- India (IN) Privacy coin
- Brazil (BR) Privacy coin
- Italy (IT) Privacy coin
- Spain (ES) Privacy coin
- Canada (CA) Privacy coin
- Japan (JP) Privacy coin (not on local exchanges)
- Mexico (MX) Privacy coin
- Argentina (AR) Privacy coin
- Turkey (TR) Privacy coin
- South Korea (KR) Privacy coin
- United Arab Emirates (AE) Privacy coin
Alternatives to Monero
- Decred none kyc · protocol
- Firo none kyc · protocol
- Pirate Chain none kyc · protocol
- Zcash none kyc · protocol
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