How to get Monero.
Follow the money.
You want XMR in your wallet. The useful question is who gets control of your money on the way there.
Someone starting with bitcoin has different options from someone holding cash in a bank account. Here is how I compare the routes, what each one asks you to trust, and why a cheap looking quote can cost more by the time it arrives.
This guide contains a PegasusSwap referral link. I may receive a benefit if you use it. That relationship does not change the custody and risk distinctions below. Availability depends on your country and the service’s rules.
Start with what you already have
Already own crypto?
Compare atomic swaps with instant swappers. The word “swap” alone tells you nothing about who holds the funds.
Starting with ordinary money?
A P2P trade connects you with a seller. The payment method determines what the seller and payment provider can see.
Prefer an exchange account?
Check identity requirements, local access and XMR withdrawal status before depositing. A trading balance is still held by the platform.
Choose how XMR reaches your wallet. Atomic swaps use a protocol, Haveno trades use shared escrow, and exchanges hold a platform balance until withdrawal.
First, have somewhere to receive it
A Monero wallet manages the keys that let you spend XMR. An exchange balance is a claim on the exchange. For self custody, create a wallet whose recovery information you control, store that information safely, and copy a receiving address from the wallet.
The Monero project’s downloads page lists its GUI wallet and other wallet options, with instructions for verifying downloads. A swap service needs a receiving address. It never needs your recovery phrase. If you want the mechanics behind the address, read how Monero receives a payment.
For decentralized swaps, look for the actual protocol
In a BTC to XMR atomic swap, software coordinates the two sides so that following the protocol leads to the exchange completing or the relevant refund or recovery path becoming available. You do not deposit into an exchange’s trading account. The Monero project explains the underlying idea.
EigenWallet and BasicSwap are projects to investigate for supported swaps. Check their current documentation, supported direction, available offers and recovery procedure. You still depend on software, network confirmations and someone offering the other side of the trade. You need the starting cryptocurrency first, and both chains can add fees.
My preference is to acquire XMR through decentralized swaps. That means checking how the swap settles, rather than treating every website with a swap box as decentralized.
Haveno: buying from another person
P2P means peer to peer. You trade with another person. Haveno provides software for arranging the trade over Tor and coordinating Monero escrow. Haveno itself does not run or endorse a mainnet network. Its project site explains this distinction; RetoSwap is an independent network listed in the Monero exchange directory.
- Agree on an offer. Check the price, payment method, deadline and network’s trading rules.
- Lock the XMR. The trade uses a 2 of 3 multisignature wallet shared by the two traders and an arbitrator. One key alone cannot spend the escrow.
- Make the external payment. The bank transfer or other agreed payment happens outside Haveno. The seller checks receipt before release.
- Complete or dispute. The traders normally cooperate to release the XMR. A dispute can require an arbitrator and payment evidence.
Protocol details: Haveno trade protocol.
There is a catch for a first purchase: ordinary offers typically require an XMR security deposit, even for the buyer. Fees and deposit requirements depend on the offer and network. Some no-deposit buyer offers exist, with limits and weaker financial deterrence against failed trades. Read the funding instructions before assuming you can start from zero XMR.
Monero’s on-chain privacy does not erase a bank’s records. Your chosen payment method can identify you to the seller, bank or payment provider. Reversible payments also create chargeback risk. Compare Haveno’s payment method documentation, not just the price in an offer. A private conversation with a stranger is not a substitute for a defined escrow and dispute process.
PegasusSwap: convenient, but a different trust model
Open PegasusSwap Referral link ↗
PegasusSwap is an instant crypto swap service. Its terms say you send funds to an address it provides, then it sends the output to your chosen wallet. Those terms describe temporary routing through infrastructure controlled by PegasusSwap or its liquidity partners. This is a service relationship, with counterparty risk, rather than the atomic swap model above. The published terms do not identify a legal operating entity or governing jurisdiction, which leaves the route for legal recourse unclear.
Its FAQ advertises no KYC but also describes AML risk assessment and possible additional risk fees. Treat the marketing claim as the operator’s statement. Read the current terms, quote and refund conditions before sending, and keep the swap ID. I cannot certify its reliability or promise that a particular swap will complete without delay.
Why I prefer KuCoin for selling
My preference is to get XMR through decentralized swaps and use KuCoin when I want to sell, where my account and local rules allow it.
Moamen Basel
KuCoin is a centralized custodian and requires identity verification. Available services depend on your account and jurisdiction.
KuCoin’s public data showed an XMR/USDT market and enabled XMR deposits and withdrawals when this page was checked. That can change. Verify your account’s live deposit instructions and network status before sending anything.
A sale on XMR/USDT gives you USDT, a stablecoin. It is not the same as receiving money in a bank account. Any later conversion or withdrawal has its own availability, fees and checks.
KuCoin does not guarantee that proceeds are free of illicit history. Its AML policy describes identity and transaction checks. Its terms place source-of-funds obligations on users and do not guarantee users or transactions. Screening can reduce some risks; it cannot certify provenance or promise that another exchange or bank will accept a withdrawal. This is a platform preference, not a “clean money” service.
Compare what lands in the wallet
Compare offers for the same starting amount at roughly the same time. Include the spread, service charge, network fee and any withdrawal charge. Ask whether the displayed receive amount already includes each fee so you do not subtract it twice.
Quote A
0.500 XMRless a 0.010 XMR withdrawal charge0.490 XMR receivedQuote B
0.495 XMRno further deduction in this example0.495 XMR receivedB delivers more XMR, even though A advertises the bigger amount.
Before sending, confirm the destination network and address, minimum deposit, quote expiry, and how a failed trade is resolved. Start with an amount you can afford to lose while checking the route. A successful small transfer checks the process; it does not guarantee the next one.
The Monero exchange directory is a useful starting list, with its own non-endorsement notice. Check the chosen service’s current country restrictions and withdrawal status directly.