How to Buy Monero | Buy XMR in 4 Steps (December 2023)

Monero (XMR) was one of the first privacy coins in the world. This unique cryptocurrency pioneered multiple technologies to accomplish this critical task.

To learn more, visit our Investing in Monero guide.

How to Buy Monero (XMR) in 4 Steps

The whole process can take as little as 10 minutes, and all you'll need is a smartphone or computer, photo identification, and a means of payment.

1. Compare Crypto Exchanges – We list the top cryptocurrency exchanges that offer the ability to buy Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency.
2. Create an account – Verify your email address and identity.
3. Make a deposit – Debit Card, Credit Card, Wire Transfer, or Bitcoin.
4. Buy Monero – Use your funds to Buy XMR.

We list the top 6 exchanges that offer the ability to buy Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency with a credit card, debit card, or Bitcoin (BTC).

1. Kraken

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the most trusted names in the cryptocurrency industry, with over 9,000,000 users and over $207 billion in quarterly trading volume.

From humble beginnings, Kraken now offers over 200 digital assets, including Monero (XMR). For more sophisticated investors, Kraken also offers futures and margin trading.

Kraken has continued to evolve its platform, and its commitment to the industry by being one of the first exchanges to offer buying opportunities on new tokens.

Kraken offers trading access to over 190 countries, including Australia, Canada, Europe, and is our most recommended exchange for USA residents. (Excluding New York & Washington state)

Read our Kraken Review or visit Kraken.

2. KuCoin

KuCoin is a well-known name in the industry, and one of the most competitive when it comes to fees and trading costs. The exchange has grown exponentially from its early days of offering only crypto to crypto trading.  It now offers a varied range of services, including a P2P exchange capability, and purchasing with credit or debit cards.

KuCoin currently offers Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency trading as well as over 300 other popular tokens.  It is often the first to offer buying opportunities for new tokens.

USA residents are prohibited.

Read our KuCoin Review or visit KuCoin.

3. Binance

Binance is one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The benefits of purchasing Monero (XMR) here are both lower fees than competing exchanges, and increased liquidity, enabling you to buy and sell quickly to take advantage of market-moving news.

This exchange is best for investors residing in Australia, Singapore, UK & internationally. Canadian & USA residents are prohibited.

Read our Binance Review or visit Binance.

Use Discount Code: EE59L0QP for 10% cashback on all trading fees.

4. Gate.io

Established in 2013, Gate.io has grown into a reputable trading platform.  While it is not the most popular exchange, it provides users with an easy-to-use interface for beginners while maintaining robust and advanced charts for various skill levels – including technical traders. The exchange boasts a large number of altcoins, including Monero (XMR), and is often the first exchange to add new tokens. Notably, Gate.io maintains a strong stance against any type of market manipulation.

This exchange currently accepts Australian & UK residents.

USA & Canada residents are prohibited.

Read our Gate.io Review or visit Gate.io

5. HTX

Established in 2013, HTX has since become one of the world’s largest digital asset exchanges, with an accumulated trading volume of US $1 trillion. Having once accounted for half of the world’s digital asset transactions, HTX now serves more than 5 million users in over 130 countries around the globe. It should be noted that HTX currently does not accept USA or Canadian residents.

HTX is one of the top exchanges that currently offers Monero (XMR) trading opportunities.

Read our HTX Review or visit HTX.

6. WazirX

Launched in 2018, WazirX is India’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange with over 6,o00,000 users, and is expanding rapidly. It is one of the most reputable exchanges to currently offer Monero (XMR) trading opportunities and currently accepts clients from all over the world. This exchange is part of the Binance Group, which ensures a high standard of quality.

USA residents are prohibited.

Read our WazirX review or visit WazirX

What is Monero (XMR)?

Monero is a decentralized, open-source cryptocurrency, which was established in 2014.  This digital currency is widely known as the most popular ‘privacy-coin’.

What does it do?

Monero provides its users with a means to efficiently transfer value, through the use of privacy-centric digital coins under the ticker ‘XMR’.  Its development, and launch, were widely due to deficiencies in privacy on the Bitcoin network.

Unlike various rivals, privacy features on the Monero blockchain are inherent, and cannot be turned off – Every transaction is as private as the one before it.

How does Monero work?

Much like many other popular cryptocurrencies, Monero relies upon a ‘proof-of-work’ structuring to underpin its network.  Notably, developers who contribute to Monero have worked to keep mining of this asset profitable on GPUs.  While ASIC devices are required to be profitable on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Monero regularly adapts its mining algorithms to dissuade their use.

While the use of Monero is much the same as most cryptocurrencies, it achieves its unmatched privacy in a unique manner.

• Ring signatures
• Fungibility (No identifying factors between coins)
• Stealth Addresses (Untraceable history)

Projected developments?

The development of Monero is community-driven, rather than solely a small group of dedicated developers.

Arguably, the biggest development on the Monero roadmap is the implementation of second layer solutions.  A prime example of this would be the usage of the Lightning Network.  By utilizing this solution, Monero would then benefit, primarily, from the ability to complete atomic swaps.

Underlying Ideology?

There is one clear ideology that has driven the development of Monero – privacy.  In a world becoming increasingly connected, society has less privacy than ever.  Undoubtedly, this is the driving appeal behind Monero, as it is able to give back some of what we have lost in recent years, in the name of connectivity.

Acceptance and Controversies?

Due to the nature of Monero, there are various governments that do not condone its use.  This is due to the privacy afforded to the user, essentially, making this attribute a double-edged sword.

This is a difficult issue to overcome. On one hand, people are entitled to privacy, while on the other, some may abuse Monero for illicit activities.

Regulation?

While the majority of nations have stayed silent on their view of Monero, there are a select few that have spoken against its use.  The most prominent example of this is in Japan. As a result, various exchanges looking to maintain licensure in the nation have delisted Monero and similar coins.

Who Made It?

Monero is widely believed to have been created by 7 individuals.  Keeping in line with their privacy-focused creation, 5 of these individuals have not revealed their identities, to this day.  The other two are as follows,

• Riccardo Spagni
• David Latapie

Interestingly, there is a growing belief that the author of the original Monero Whitepaper, Nicolas van Saberhagen, may be the infamous Satoshi Nakamoto.  This belief is founded on the past writings known to be Satoshi, which detail ideas such as ring signatures, stealth addresses, etc. – the very unique traits that were imbued within Monero a mere 3 years after Bitcoin came into existence.  This belief, however, has not been proven to be fact but simply conjecture at this time.