Monero Called Oct 20, 2026 at $616.91. Since then: 0% against bitcoin. Score today: 75 out of 100 under our published rule.
| Track record | +10 |
|---|---|
| Size (top 20) | +10 |
| Trading activity | −10 |
| Coins still to come | +10 |
| Distance from peak | +5 |
What would change it: It would drop to Watch if the score fell below 72 (4 points lower). Every call is tracked on the Scorecard.
Research, not financial advice. A verdict rates the coin's health under a fixed rule; it is not a price prediction or advice for your situation. Crypto can lose most or all of its value.
What it is
Monero is a cryptocurrency built so that payments are private by default. On Bitcoin, anyone can trace how coins move from address to address. Monero hides the sender, the receiver and the amount of every transaction, using techniques such as ring signatures (your spend is mixed in with decoys), one-time stealth addresses and hidden amounts. You do not switch privacy on; every transaction gets it.
It runs on proof-of-work mining, like Bitcoin, but its mining algorithm (RandomX) is designed to suit ordinary computer processors rather than specialized machines. There is no company, foundation token sale or premine behind it. Development is done by volunteers and funded largely by community donations, and changes happen through scheduled network upgrades that node operators and miners choose to adopt.
Supply works differently from most coins. Monero's main emission curve ended in 2022, and since then the network has paid a permanent "tail emission" of 0.6 XMR per block. That means there is no fixed maximum supply, but the yearly inflation rate keeps shrinking as the total grows. The tail reward exists so miners always have a reason to keep securing the chain.
What can go wrong
- Regulated exchanges keep dropping it: Binance delisted XMR in February 2024, other major venues have removed it in some regions, and EU rules taking effect in July 2027 bar crypto service providers from offering privacy coins, so places to buy and sell it legally may keep shrinking.
- In 2025 a mining pool linked to the Qubic project claimed a majority of Monero's hashrate, and in September 2025 the network saw an 18-block reorganization, showing how concentrated mining power could be used to rewrite recent history.
- Because exchanges are scarce, newcomers are often pushed toward lesser-known swap services or peer-to-peer trades, which carry their own counterparty and scam risks.
- Its value rests heavily on privacy demand; if lawmakers in large markets move from restricting exchanges to restricting use, liquidity could fall sharply.
Before buying, check that you will have a legal, reliable way to sell later in your country. With Monero, the exit door matters as much as the entry.
Safety checks
- Track recordGoodTrading since 2014, about 12 years. It has been through at least one full market cycle.
- Trading activityCaution$178.8 million traded in the last 24 hours, 1.5% of its market value. That's thin for its size: big holders selling could move the price more than you'd expect.
- Coins still to comeGood18.8 million of 18.8 million total coins are in circulation, so about 0% or less are still to be released. Little new supply is left to hit the market. There is no fixed maximum, so new coins can keep being created.
- Distance from its peakGoodDown 23% from its all-time high of $797.73 in January 2026.
- Past yearFor context+97% over the past year, against −25.3% for bitcoin. It has held up better than bitcoin.
- Contract powersGoodThis is the native coin of its own network, not a token issued by a smart contract, so there's no owner key that can mint, freeze or tax it. Changes to the rules go through the network's upgrade process.
History of trouble and big events
- May 2022: Main emission ended and the permanent tail emission of 0.6 XMR per block began.
- Feb 2024: Binance delisted XMR; the price fell more than 15% on the announcement.
- Sep 2025: An 18-block chain reorganization occurred amid disputes over Qubic's mining share.
Holding a token on a smaller network, or got sent one you don't recognize? Run its address through the free checker. Copycat tokens often borrow big names.