What Is Monero (XMR)? A Complete Beginner's Guide for 2026
What is Monero? A plain-English beginner's guide to XMR: how its privacy works, where it came from, how supply and mining work, and how to start safely.
8 min read
Monero, explained properly
Money that keeps your business your business.
Practical guides, honest comparisons and sourced news about Monero and financial privacy — written for people who want to understand it, not just hold it.
One of these 16 outputs is really being spent. The other 15 are decoys pulled from the blockchain. Tap any of them — can you find the real one?
A five-step path into Monero
New here? Work through these in order. Each step links to the guides that cover it.
- Understand what Monero isWhy privacy by default matters and how XMR differs from Bitcoin.
- Set up a walletPick a wallet, write down your seed and learn what a restore height is.
- Get your first XMRP2P markets, Haveno and swaps — and the trade-offs of each.
- Protect your privacyNodes, Tor and the habits that stop you leaking metadata.
- Go deeperMining with P2Pool and the cryptography behind every transaction.
Editors’ picks
The strongest guide from each topic.
12 Monero OpSec Mistakes That Undo Your Privacy (and Fixes)
The most common Monero opsec mistakes, from random remote nodes and exchange round trips to address reuse and view key leaks, with a practical fix for each one.
8 min read
FCMP++ Explained: How Monero's Full-Chain Membership Proofs Work
FCMP++ explained: how Full-Chain Membership Proofs replace Monero's rings, what Carrot adds, why Seraphis and Jamtis were shelved, and where it stands now.
9 min read
Monero FCMP++ Hard Fork Status: Where It Stands in November 2026
Monero FCMP++ hard fork status as of November 2026: stressnet v3, audits, open pull requests, the unofficial early-2027 target and what XMR users should do now.
9 min read
Best Monero Wallets in 2026: Which XMR Wallet Should You Use?
Compare the best Monero wallets in 2026: Feather, Cake Wallet, Monero GUI/CLI, Monerujo, Stack and hardware options, plus which XMR wallets were discontinued.
8 min read
How to Buy Monero in 2026: Every Route After the Delistings
How to buy Monero in 2026 after the exchange delistings: Haveno P2P, atomic swaps, instant swaps and the few exchanges left, with risks and costs compared.
8 min read
How to Mine Monero with P2Pool and XMRig: 2026 Setup Guide
Step-by-step P2Pool setup for Monero mining: run monerod, start P2Pool on main, mini or nano, point XMRig at it, open the right ports and check your shares.
9 min read
Latest guides
Monero Taxes Explained: Spending, Income and Record-Keeping
Monero taxes explained for 2026: why spending XMR can be a taxable disposal, how income from payments or mining is treated, and what records to keep.
6 min read
P2P Monero Trading Safety: A 2026 Checklist to Avoid Scams
A P2P Monero trading safety checklist for 2026: spot fake apps, support impersonators, chargebacks and payment scams on Haveno, Bisq and cash trades.
7 min read
12 Monero OpSec Mistakes That Undo Your Privacy (and Fixes)
The most common Monero opsec mistakes, from random remote nodes and exchange round trips to address reuse and view key leaks, with a practical fix for each one.
8 min read
Is Monero Mining Profitable in 2026? Real Numbers and Formula
Is Monero mining profitable in 2026? Learn the XMR mining profit formula, see worked examples for popular CPUs, and find your electricity break-even price.
7 min read
FCMP++ Explained: How Monero's Full-Chain Membership Proofs Work
FCMP++ explained: how Full-Chain Membership Proofs replace Monero's rings, what Carrot adds, why Seraphis and Jamtis were shelved, and where it stands now.
9 min read
Why Financial Privacy Matters: Monero and Fungibility Explained
Why use Monero? Learn why financial privacy and fungibility matter, what transparent blockchains reveal about you, and how Monero's privacy by default helps.
7 min read
Explore by topic
Eight areas, from your first wallet to the maths behind FCMP++.
- Monero BasicsWhat Monero is, why private money matters, and how XMR differs from Bitcoin. The best place to begin.6 articles
- WalletsChoosing, setting up and recovering Monero wallets on desktop, mobile and hardware — without losing funds.6 articles
- Privacy & OpSecNodes, Tor and I2P, KYC trails and the everyday habits that keep your financial life private.6 articles
- MiningRandomX, P2Pool and XMRig explained — mine XMR on ordinary CPUs and help keep the network decentralised.6 articles
- Buy, Sell & SwapHow to get XMR in and out: P2P markets, Haveno, atomic swaps, instant exchangers and the risks of each.6 articles
- TechnologyRing signatures, stealth addresses, RingCT, FCMP++ and Seraphis — the cryptography, in plain language.6 articles
- News & AnalysisUpgrades, releases, regulation and market moves that matter to Monero users — with sources and context.6 articles
- Use & Spend XMRPaying privately with Monero: where to spend XMR, accepting it as a merchant, and handling records.6 articles