Monero (XMR) hides the sender, the receiver and the amount of every transaction by default. To get it, many platforms ask you to create an account and upload an ID first.
KYC means “know your customer”. It is the name for those identity checks. This guide shows the ways to get XMR without them. It also covers the wallet you need first and what each route costs you. For what “no KYC” means on our side, read crypto exchange without KYC.
HiddenSwap is crypto to crypto only. You send one coin and you get another. If you hold no crypto yet, Method 1 is not for you. Method 2 lists the other routes.
Before you start: a Monero wallet of your own
Every route ends at a Monero address, so set up the wallet first. Our Monero wallet guide covers the choices in detail. The short version:
- Get the wallet from a trusted source. The Monero project offers a GUI wallet and a command line wallet on getmonero.org. It tells you to always verify your download, because a corrupted file can lead to lost funds.
- Write down the seed. Your wallet shows a phrase of 16 or 25 words. It holds everything needed to view and spend your funds. Anyone who sees it has full access to them.
- Know what an address looks like. A standard address and a subaddress are each 95 characters long. A standard address starts with 4 and a subaddress starts with 8. An integrated address is longer, at 106 characters.
- Use a new subaddress for each sender. Your wallet can create many subaddresses. When each payer gets a different one, they cannot easily link your payments together.
- Think about the node. Your wallet talks to a Monero node. If you use someone else’s node, its operator can link your transactions to your IP address. The Monero project suggests running your own node for the most privacy.
When XMR arrives, you need at least 10 confirmations before you can spend it.
Method 1: swap crypto you already hold
If you hold another coin, a swap is the most direct way to get XMR. On HiddenSwap there is no account, no email and no ID upload. You get an order ID, and that is your only key to the swap. Our Monero exchange page lists every pair into and out of XMR that we cover.
How the swap works
- Choose the coin you send and choose XMR as the coin you get.
- Paste your Monero address. Compare the first and last few characters after you paste.
- Add a refund address for the coin you send. It is optional. If the swap cannot finish, your coins go back there. Without one, a refund goes to the address you sent from. If that is an exchange account, the refund may not reach you.
- Choose a floating rate, or a fixed rate if the pair offers one. The widget shows the amount you get, with fees already included, before you send anything. Our fees page explains how that amount is built.
- Send the exact amount to the deposit address in one transaction. Save your order ID.
- Follow the status page until the XMR arrives in your wallet.
Be clear about what happens in between. Your deposit goes to an address controlled by our liquidity partner until your XMR is sent. The parties that handle your order can link your deposit to the Monero address you gave. A swap can be held for checks, and Risk and screening explains when. A floating quote can change before your deposit confirms. So “no KYC” means no account and no ID to start. It does not mean no checks at all.
Which coin to start from
The coin you send decides most of the wait and most of the pitfalls.
Bitcoin. New Bitcoin blocks come about every 10 minutes on average. A single confirmation can still take much longer, for example when your fee is below what the network is taking. All Bitcoin transactions are stored publicly and permanently, so your deposit stays visible after the swap. Our Bitcoin to Monero swap page covers fees, slow confirmations and what to check before you send.
USDT on Tron. Make sure your USDT is on the Tron network (TRC-20), not on another chain. A TRC-20 token is a smart contract, so sending it is a contract call. That call uses bandwidth and energy. Energy has no free quota. You get it by staking TRX, or the network burns TRX from your balance to pay. A wallet with USDT but no TRX and no energy cannot send it. Our USDT (TRC-20) to Monero swap page explains the difference between sending from your own wallet and from an exchange account.
Litecoin. Litecoin targets a new block every 2.5 minutes, a quarter of Bitcoin’s average. Our Litecoin to Monero swap page covers exchange withdrawals and Litecoin’s optional MWEB layer.
A swap does not change the past. Your deposit is a normal transaction on Bitcoin, Tron or Litecoin, and it stays on that chain. Monero’s privacy applies to the XMR you receive.
Method 2: other ways people get XMR
A swap here needs a coin to start from. Mining and earning do not. Trading with a person and atomic swaps skip a service in the middle.
Mining
Monero uses a proof of work algorithm called RandomX. It is optimized for regular computer processors (CPUs) and designed to discourage specialized mining hardware. The Monero project says CPUs mine it much more efficiently than graphics cards. So an ordinary computer can take part.
There are three common ways to mine:
- Solo mining. The official GUI and command line wallets can mine with no extra software. The work is done by your own fully synced Monero node. The Monero project encourages solo mining because it makes the network more robust. The catch is luck. Depending on your hashrate, it can take months to find a block, and you earn only when you find one.
- A mining pool. Many miners combine their work and share the rewards, so payouts come more often. You pay a fee to the pool operator, and the pool controls your rewards until it pays them out. The Monero project warns that a pool with more than half of the total hashrate is dangerous.
- P2Pool. This is a peer-to-peer pool with no central server and no pool admin. There is no pool wallet. Pool blocks pay the miners directly, so nobody holds your coins. You need your own synced Monero node to use it.
Whichever way you choose, you pay for the electricity your computer uses.
Earning XMR
You can ask to be paid in Monero for things you make or work you do. The GUI wallet has a Receive page for your addresses. It also has a Merchant page where you set the amount and can watch the payment and its confirmations arrive. Give each customer a new subaddress. You then know who paid, and a payer cannot easily link your other payments.
If you can improve the Monero ecosystem, you can also propose that work on the Community Crowdfunding System (CCS). The community discusses each proposal, and donors fund the approved ones. The Core Team holds the donated XMR and releases it as milestones are completed. Funding is not guaranteed.
Trading directly with a person
Some people get XMR from another person they know. The two sides agree on the terms between themselves, with no platform in the middle.
This route has real risks. Nobody can reverse a mistake or step in if the other side does not deliver. The other person may learn who you are, where you live or how to reach you. Deal only with people you trust, and start with a small amount. Rules on this differ between countries, so check the rules where you live. HiddenSwap does not arrange trades between people.
Atomic swaps
An atomic swap lets two people trade BTC for XMR directly, with no service in the middle. A research paper published in 2020 describes a protocol for this between Bitcoin and Monero. It needs no trust in a central server or in the other person, and the paper says the funds are not at risk while both sides follow the protocol.
This route takes more setup than a swap here. You need dedicated software for both chains, and you still need to find someone who takes the other side. You pay network fees on Bitcoin and on Monero, and the swap waits for confirmations on both chains. Both sides must follow the protocol to the end, so keep the software running until the swap is done. Rules on this differ between countries too.
Trade-offs at a glance
| Route | What you need | How long it takes | Privacy notes | Main downsides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swap on HiddenSwap | A coin you hold and a Monero wallet | Mostly the confirmation time of the coin you send, then 10 confirmations before you can spend the XMR | No account or ID. Your deposit stays public on its own chain | The partner holds your deposit during the swap. A swap can be held for checks. A floating quote can move |
| Solo mining | A computer and your own synced node | Uneven. It can take months | New coins go to your own wallet | You may earn nothing for a long time. Power costs |
| Pool mining | Mining software and a pool | Regular payouts | The pool knows your payout address | Pool fees. The pool controls your unpaid rewards |
| P2Pool | Your own synced node, P2Pool and mining software | Regular payouts | No pool wallet and no pool admin | More setup work. Power costs |
| Earning XMR | Something to offer and a wallet | Depends on your customers | Each payer sees only the subaddress you gave them | Slow to build up |
| Trading with a person | Someone you trust | As fast as you both agree | The other person may learn who you are | The other side may not deliver. No way to reverse a mistake |
| Atomic swap | BTC, dedicated software and someone who takes the other side | Confirmations on both chains | No service in the middle. Your BTC stays public on its own chain | More setup. Fees on both chains. The software must run until the swap ends |
Keep your privacy after the XMR arrives
Monero hides amounts, senders and receivers by default. That protects what is on the chain. It does not hide everything around it. The Monero FAQ says Monero is not magic, and it advises common sense and defense in depth.
A few habits help:
- Remember who knows you. If you give your name to someone, Monero cannot make them forget it. A service where you have an account already knows which address it paid.
- Separate your activity. Use a new subaddress for each service or person. For full separation, the Monero docs suggest a separate wallet with its own seed.
- Keep your hot wallet small. The Monero website warns against keeping more than you want to lose in a wallet that is, or has ever been, online.
Your IP address, the timing of your payments and the place where your coins enter Monero can also leak information. Our guide Is Monero traceable? covers these leaks in detail. Our Monero coin page explains in plain words how Monero’s privacy works.
Quick answers
Can I get Monero on HiddenSwap if I hold no crypto? No. HiddenSwap is crypto to crypto only. You need a coin to send first.
Do I need an account or ID to swap to XMR? No. There is no account, no email and no signup. Keep your order ID safe. See how to exchange Monero with no KYC.
Does a swap make my old coins private? No. The coin you send keeps its public history on its own chain. Only the XMR you receive has Monero’s privacy. A no KYC swap does not make you anonymous either. Is Monero traceable? explains what can still leak.