The short answer
To swap BTC to XMR with no KYC, make a new subaddress in your own Monero wallet, paste it into the BTC to XMR swap with a Bitcoin refund address, send the exact BTC amount in one transaction, and follow your order until the XMR arrives.
There is no account, no email and no ID. You get an order ID, and that is your key to the swap. This guide covers each step and the checks to make before you send. For live quotes and Bitcoin fee notes, see the Bitcoin to Monero exchange page.
Ways to get XMR from BTC
| Route | Account needed | Typical time | Custody during the swap | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-account swap service | No. You give only your addresses | Bitcoin confirmations, then the XMR payout | The swap service holds your BTC until your XMR is sent | A floating quote can move. A wrong address cannot be undone |
| Atomic swap software | No | Confirmations on both chains, often longer | Your BTC is locked by the protocol, not by a company | More setup. You need someone on the other side, and the software must run until the end |
| Peer-to-peer software | Usually no, but you deal with a person | As long as you and the other side need | Depends on the tool. Some lock funds in a shared contract | The other side may not deliver. They may learn who you are |
| Exchange account | Yes, usually with an ID | Deposit, trade and withdrawal each take time | The platform holds your coins in your account | Your account links your name to your addresses. Many platforms no longer list XMR |
An atomic swap removes the company in the middle. A 2020 research paper describes a protocol for it between Bitcoin and Monero, but it asks for more setup and patience. Our guide on how to get Monero without KYC also covers mining and earning XMR.
Step by step: BTC to XMR on HiddenSwap
1. Set up a Monero wallet and make a subaddress
Use a Monero wallet that you control, such as the Monero GUI wallet, Feather or Cake Wallet. Get it from the project’s own website, write the seed on paper and let the wallet sync. Our Monero wallet guide covers each step.
Then create a new subaddress for this swap. A subaddress starts with 8 and has 95 characters. The Monero docs say a subaddress should be your default for receiving. Give it a label, such as the date, so you can find the payment later.
2. Have a Bitcoin refund address ready
Copy a receive address from your own Bitcoin wallet. This is your refund address: if the swap cannot finish, your BTC goes back there. It is optional, but without it a refund goes to the address you sent from. If you send from an exchange account, that refund may not reach you.
3. Open the swap and enter the amount
Go to the BTC to XMR swap and enter the amount of BTC. The swap box shows the live minimum and the XMR you get, with all fees already taken off. These numbers change with the market, so check them each time.
4. Choose a floating or a fixed rate
A floating rate follows the market until your deposit is confirmed. You may get a little more or a little less than the estimate. A slow first confirmation gives the market more time to move.
A fixed rate keeps the rate until the timer on the order page ends, if the pair offers one at that moment. Send the exact amount before the timer ends to keep it. Fixed and floating quotes are separate offers, and either can be higher. Compare both in the swap box.
5. Paste your addresses and create the order
Paste your Monero subaddress as the address for your new coins. Open “Add a refund address” and paste your Bitcoin address. Create the order and save the order ID in a safe place. You can open the order again from the track page.
6. Send the deposit in one transaction
The order page shows a Bitcoin deposit address made for this order alone. Send the full amount to it in one transaction. Do not split the amount, and never reuse an old deposit address. For a floating rate, send within 24 hours. For a fixed rate, send before the timer ends.
7. Wait for confirmations
Most of the wait is on the Bitcoin side. A new Bitcoin block comes about every 10 minutes on average, but the gap between blocks is random. Your deposit is credited once it has the Bitcoin confirmations it needs, and then your XMR is sent.
When the XMR reaches your wallet, it shows in your balance first. It unlocks after 10 Monero confirmations. A Monero block comes about every 2 minutes, so this takes about 20 minutes. This lock is a Monero network rule. It applies to every incoming payment, not only to swaps.
8. Follow the order to the end
The order page shows each step until your XMR is sent. If the payout does not show in your wallet, let it finish syncing and check its restore height.
Checks before you send
A Bitcoin payment cannot be reversed, so check these first.
- The Monero address. After you paste, compare the start, the middle and the end with your wallet. Malware can swap an address on your clipboard.
- The network. The deposit address is a Bitcoin address. Send native BTC on the Bitcoin network only. Wrapped BTC on another chain is a different asset and cannot be sent to it.
- The amount. Send what the order asks for, and send it once. If your wallet takes the fee out of the amount, the deposit can arrive short.
- The fee rate. Bitcoin fees follow the size of the transaction in bytes, not its value. Pick a fee rate that fits the network at that moment. If the first confirmation stalls, raise the fee with Replace-By-Fee rather than sending a second payment. The Bitcoin to Monero page explains how.
Privacy habits for this swap
- Use a fresh subaddress for each swap. When every sender gets a different subaddress, they cannot easily link your payments together.
- Do not reuse addresses. This goes for your Bitcoin refund address too. A new one for each order keeps your orders apart.
- Remember that the Bitcoin side is public. Your deposit is a normal Bitcoin payment. Anyone can see it on the Bitcoin chain, along with the coins it spent. Send from a wallet you control, and use coin control if your wallet has it, so the deposit does not tie unrelated coins together.
- Keep the XMR in your own wallet. Monero hides the sender, the receiver and the amount of each later payment by default. Your IP address and the services you use can still reveal things. Our guide Is Monero traceable? lists the habits that help.
What can go wrong, and how refunds work
When a swap cannot finish, the rule is simple: your coins go back to your refund address. If you added none, they go back to the address you sent from.
These are the usual causes, and how to avoid them:
- The deposit is below the minimum. The swap cannot finish, and a refund is not guaranteed. Always check the minimum in the swap box before you send.
- The amount is different from the order. With a floating rate, a different amount above the minimum is usually swapped at the rate when it confirms. With a fixed rate, a larger amount is not swapped automatically.
- The fixed rate timer ended. Send before it ends, or pick a floating rate.
- Two deposits to one order. Each order takes one deposit. Contact support with your order ID if this happens.
- The deposit waits for a long time. This usually means the fee rate was too low. Raise it in your wallet rather than sending again.
Our refunds page explains how a refund is sent. If something looks wrong, contact support with your order ID.
Quick answers
Can I swap BTC to XMR without an account? Yes. The BTC to XMR swap needs no account, no email and no ID. You paste your Monero address, add a refund address if you want one, and send your BTC.
How long does a BTC to XMR swap take? It depends mostly on the Bitcoin network. Your deposit needs its Bitcoin confirmations before it is credited, and Bitcoin blocks come about every 10 minutes on average. Then your XMR needs 10 Monero confirmations, about 20 minutes, before you can spend it.
What is the minimum amount? The minimum changes with the market and the network fees. The swap box shows the live minimum. Check it before you send.
Which Monero address should I use? Use a new subaddress from your own wallet. It starts with 8 and has 95 characters. Our Monero coin page explains all three address types.
How do I go back from XMR to BTC? Use the Monero to Bitcoin swap. It works the same way in the other direction, with a Bitcoin address to receive and a Monero refund address.