How to buy Monero without KYC

Before you start: get a wallet

Never buy Monero into an exchange account. Have your own self-custody wallet ready first, such as Cake Wallet, Feather Wallet or the official Monero GUI, so the coins go straight to you.

Write down the seed phrase and copy your receiving address. That address is all any of the methods below needs from you.

1. Peer-to-peer markets

On a peer-to-peer market you buy straight from another person, paying with a bank transfer, cash by mail or another payment method you both accept. The software holds the coins in escrow until both sides confirm.

• RetoSwap – Haveno-based peer-to-peer exchange for trading Monero against fiat and other coins.
• Haveno – Open-source decentralized exchange for Monero. Trades settle through multisig escrow.

These run as desktop apps that connect over Tor. Trades are protected by security deposits from both sides, so check what an offer asks before you take it. Bisq also has XMR markets, traded against bitcoin.

2. Atomic swaps from bitcoin

If you already hold bitcoin, an atomic swap trades it for Monero with no company in the middle. Either the swap completes, or both sides get their coins back.

• eigenwallet – Monero wallet with built-in trustless BTC to XMR atomic swaps. Formerly UnstoppableSwap.
• BasicSwap – Decentralized exchange for cross-chain atomic swaps between BTC, XMR, LTC and more. No central server.

Swaps take longer than an instant exchange, often an hour or more, because they wait for confirmations on both chains.

3. Instant exchanges

The fastest route if you already have another coin. You pick the pair, enter your Monero address, send the coins, and get XMR back, usually within half an hour. There is no account.

• b1exch – instant exchange, KYC score A
• Bitania – instant exchange, KYC score A
• CCE Cash – instant exchange, KYC score B
• Fswap – instant exchange, KYC score A
• Explace – instant exchange, KYC score B
• The Change – instant exchange, KYC score B
• EagleSwap – instant exchange, KYC score A
• xmr2cex – instant exchange, KYC score A

The risk is that the exchange holds your coins for a few minutes, and some can freeze a swap and ask for ID. That is what our KYC scores measure. Read how to avoid a held swap before you send a large amount.

4. Starting from cash or a card

If you have no crypto at all yet, buy bitcoin or litecoin first and swap it. Peer-to-peer bitcoin apps such as Hodl Hodl and Peach sell bitcoin without ID, and you can then swap it to Monero with any of the methods above.

Some people also meet local sellers and pay cash in person. Only do this in a public place, start with a small amount, and wait for the coins to arrive in your wallet before you hand over the money.

Which one should I use?

• No crypto yet: a peer-to-peer market, or buy bitcoin peer to peer and swap it.
• You hold bitcoin and want the most privacy: an atomic swap.
• You hold any coin and want speed: an instant exchange with an A or B score.

Whatever you choose, start with a small amount. Once the first one arrives safely, you know the route works.