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The Monero library
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Plain-language guides and explainers for every step: understand Monero, set up a wallet, send and receive, fix problems, and get paid. Grouped by what you want to do.
53 guides and explainers.
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New to Monero? Begin with these.
How to Use Monero (XMR): The Complete Guide for 2026
How to use Monero, step by step: set up and back up a wallet, receive and send XMR, understand fees and confirmations, and fix common wallet problems.
Read 21 minStep by stepHow to Create a Monero Wallet Online (Full 2026 Guide)
Create a Monero wallet online in about two minutes: the exact steps, how to back up your recovery words safely, and how to receive your first payment.
Read 9 minThe complete guideWhat Is Monero (XMR)? The Complete Guide for 2026
What is Monero? A plain-English guide to XMR: how it hides who paid, who got paid and how much, how it compares to Bitcoin, and how to start safely.
Read 22 minUnderstand Monero
What it is, how it works, and how it compares.
How Does Monero Work? The Privacy Explained Simply
How does Monero work? Ring signatures, stealth addresses, and hidden amounts hide who paid whom, explained in plain English with no heavy math.
Read 10 minThe big upgradeFCMP++ and Carrot: What Monero's Biggest Upgrade Changes for You
Monero FCMP++ replaces rings of 16 with proofs over the whole chain, and Carrot keeps your address. No mainnet date yet. What changes and what to do.
Read 10 minComparisonMonero vs Bitcoin: What Is the Real Difference?
Monero vs Bitcoin: both are proof-of-work coins built for different goals. How they compare on privacy, fees, speed, mining, supply and where to spend them.
Read 9 minPrivacy coins comparedMonero vs Zcash: Privacy, Technology and Trade-offs
Monero vs Zcash compared fairly: default vs optional privacy, ring signatures vs zk-SNARKs, supply, mining, wallets and exchanges, with sources.
Read 11 minSafetyIs Monero Safe to Use? An Honest Guide
Is Monero safe? The network is mature and well tested, but your safety mostly depends on how you handle your wallet and recovery words. What to watch for.
Read 9 minSet up your wallet
From nothing to a wallet you can trust, backed up properly.
Monero Wallet Backup: How to Back Up Your Recovery Words
Monero wallet backup made simple: write down your 25 recovery words, store them safely, test the backup, and avoid the mistakes that lose money.
Read 8 minThe complete guideMonero Seed Phrase (25 Words): The Complete Guide for 2026
Your Monero seed phrase is 25 words that hold your whole wallet. Learn what they are, how to store them, restore with them and keep them from thieves.
Read 21 minWatch without spendingMonero View Only Wallet: How to Create One (and What It Shows)
Create a Monero view only wallet with your address and private view key. See incoming payments without spending, and learn why the balance can be wrong.
Read 10 minKeys, explainedMonero View Key: What It Is and Is It Safe to Share?
A Monero view key shows the payments coming into your wallet but cannot spend them. See what it reveals, what it hides, and when sharing it is safe.
Read 9 minSend and receive
Move money with confidence, and check or prove a payment.
How to Send Monero (XMR) Safely: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to send Monero in about a minute: the exact steps, what the network fee is, how long a payment takes, and how to avoid costly mistakes.
Read 8 minStep by stepHow to Receive Monero (XMR): Addresses, QR Codes and Privacy
To receive Monero, share an address from your wallet. Learn the steps, why a fresh address per sender helps your privacy, and when the money is really yours.
Read 8 minBalanceHow to Check a Monero Balance (and Why an Address Alone Is Not Enough)
You cannot check a Monero balance from an address alone. Here is what works: open the wallet, watch it with the view key, or prove one payment.
Read 8 minReceiving privatelyMonero Subaddresses: What They Are and When to Use One
A Monero subaddress is an extra address from the same wallet that starts with 8. Why use one per payer, and how it differs from integrated addresses.
Read 9 minCosts and feesMonero Transaction Fee: How Much It Costs and Why It Is Low
The Monero transaction fee is usually a tiny fraction of an XMR, set by transaction size and network use, not the amount sent. How fees and priority work.
Read 9 minTiming and confirmationsHow Long Does a Monero Transaction Take? (Confirmations Explained)
How long does a Monero transaction take? It shows up in seconds, confirms in about 2 minutes, and is spendable after 10 confirmations, about 20 minutes.
Read 9 minCheck and prove a paymentMonero Transaction Lookup: Check or Prove a Payment
Monero transaction lookup explained: what a block explorer shows, how to check a tx ID, and how to prove a payment with a tx key without losing privacy.
Read 10 minRecover and restore
Get your wallet back from your words, including from MyMonero.
How to Restore a Monero Wallet From Seed (Recovery Words)
Restore a Monero wallet from seed: enter your 25 recovery words on any device, set a restore height for a fast sync, and fix a wrong balance.
Read 8 minLeaving ExodusExodus Dropped Monero: How to Get Your XMR Back
Exodus ended Monero support on 18 August 2025, but your XMR is still yours. Restore your 12 Exodus words in another wallet and check the address matches.
Read 8 minFormer MyMonero usersHow to Restore a MyMonero Seed (13 or 25 Words) After the Shutdown
Restore a MyMonero seed after the shutdown: your money is still on the Monero network, and MonkStash restores both 13-word and 25-word phrases.
Read 11 minRestoring, explainedMonero Restore Height: What It Is and What to Use
Monero restore height is the block where your wallet starts scanning. Pick one at or before your first payment, or your balance may come up short.
Read 9 minFix a problem
Stuck sync, no connection, missing balance, antivirus alarms.
Monero Wallet Not Syncing? How to Fix It
Monero wallet not syncing or showing the wrong balance? It is almost always a node, connection, or settings problem. Here are the fixes, in order.
Read 9 minTroubleshootingMonero Wallet Not Connecting to Daemon? Fixes by Symptom
Monero wallet not connecting to daemon? Most cases are a down node, a wrong port or network, or an SSL mismatch. Fix it in minutes, step by step.
Read 10 minTroubleshootingMonero Wallet Not Showing Balance? Why It Shows Zero
Monero wallet not showing balance? Your funds are not gone. Check syncing, restore height, locked funds, the network and the account, in that order.
Read 10 minTroubleshootingMonero Unlocked Balance: Why Part of Your XMR Is Locked
Seeing "amount is more than unlocked balance"? New funds and your own change stay locked for 10 blocks, about 20 minutes. Here is why and what to do.
Read 7 minAntivirus alertsMonero GUI Wallet Virus Warning: Is It Safe? How to Check
Monero GUI wallet virus warning? Antivirus tools often flag official Monero software. Here is why, and how to check your download is the real one.
Read 9 minHow the privacy works
Who paid, who got paid, and what stays hidden.
Monero Ring Signatures Explained: Ring Size, Decoys and FCMP++
Monero ring signatures hide the real sender among 15 decoys, a ring size of 16. See how decoys are picked, what key images do, and what FCMP++ changes.
Read 11 minPrivacy deep diveMonero Stealth Addresses: How One-Time Addresses Protect You
A Monero stealth address is a one-time address made for each payment, so your public address never appears on chain. See how it works and why it matters.
Read 9 minPrivacyIs Monero Traceable? What the Research Actually Says
Is Monero traceable? It is built to be hard to trace, but it is not magic. See what blockchain analysis can and cannot do, and how to stay private.
Read 10 minNodes and light wallets
Who your wallet talks to, and how to run your own.
Monero Node: Full, Pruned or Remote? The Complete Guide for 2026
What a Monero node does, full vs pruned vs remote, what each one can see, how to run your own, and where mining fits in. Plain English, no hype.
Read 21 minNodesMonero Remote Nodes: How to Choose and Use One Safely
A Monero remote node lets your wallet work without downloading the blockchain. Here is how to pick a reliable one, connect, and keep your privacy.
Read 9 minWallet typesMonero Light Wallet: What It Is and How It Differs From a Remote Node
A Monero light wallet lets a server scan the chain for you using your view key. Compare it with full node and remote node wallets on privacy and trust.
Read 9 minRun your ownHow to Run a Monero Node (Full or Pruned), Step by Step
How to run a Monero node: what it costs in disk and bandwidth, the official download, the monerod command, sync times, and connecting your wallet.
Read 12 minSmaller node, same jobMonero Pruned Node: What It Is and When to Use One
A Monero pruned node saves about two thirds of disk space (roughly 95 GB vs 280 GB) and still works with wallets. Flags, trade-offs and how to convert.
Read 9 minBuy and mine
Where your first XMR comes from.
How to Buy Monero (XMR): The Complete Guide for 2026
How to buy Monero safely: six ways to get XMR, ID checks, fees, the scams to avoid, and how to move your coins into a wallet you control.
Read 21 minGet MoneroHow to Buy Monero Without KYC in 2026 (Honest and Dated)
Buy Monero with no ID check: RetoSwap and Haveno, atomic swaps, instant exchanges and cash, with honest trade-offs, real incidents and dates.
Read 10 minGet MoneroHow to Swap Bitcoin to Monero (and Back)
Three ways to swap BTC to XMR, and back: atomic swaps, Haveno and instant exchanges, compared on trust, time, privacy and what can go wrong.
Read 9 minMiningHow to Mine Monero: A Plain Guide to RandomX and XMRig
How to mine Monero with a regular CPU: what RandomX is, the honest costs, solo, pool and P2Pool options, and where your mined XMR is paid.
Read 11 minMiningP2Pool Monero: How the Decentralized Mining Pool Works
P2Pool Monero explained: a decentralized mining pool with no operator that pays you straight from the block. Main, mini and nano, setup and privacy.
Read 10 minStay safe and legal
Avoid the fakes, and know the rules where you live.
Monero Wallet Phishing: How to Spot a Fake Wallet in 60 Seconds
Monero wallet phishing explained: how fake wallet sites and apps work, a 60-second check, and what to do if you already typed your seed words.
Read 10 minRules and accessIs Monero Legal? Country-by-Country Guide (2026)
Is Monero legal? In the 15 jurisdictions we checked, rules mostly target exchanges, not owners. Dated, sourced table for the US, UK, EU, Canada and more.
Read 10 minRules and accessMonero and the EU's 2027 Rules: What Changes and What Does Not
From 10 July 2027, EU exchanges may not keep accounts that allow anonymity-enhancing coins. What the AMLR says, and what it leaves out about you.
Read 10 minGet paid in Monero
Payment links, a till for your counter, and shop checkout. MonkStash for business
How to Accept Monero Payments (XMR): The Complete Merchant Guide
How to accept Monero payments in a shop, online or by invoice: the setups, confirmations, pricing in your currency, refunds and records, with no middleman.
Read 17 minInvoicesMonero Payment Link: Invoice in XMR or EUR, Paid From Any Wallet
Create a Monero payment link or invoice in seconds: set an amount in XMR or your currency, share the link or QR, and see it marked paid. Private by design.
Read 7 minFor shops and cafesMonero POS: Accept XMR at Your Counter with a Free Browser Till
A free Monero point of sale in your browser: type a price in your currency, the customer scans, the screen turns green. No server, no account, no app store.
Read 8 minFor online shopsMonero Payment Gateway: Self-Hosted, Non-Custodial (MonkStash Pay)
A Monero payment gateway you run yourself: invoices, a checkout page and signed webhooks, with a view-only wallet that cannot spend. How it works and compares.
Read 10 minWordPress pluginMonero WooCommerce Plugin: Accept XMR on WordPress, Non-Custodial
A Monero WordPress plugin for WooCommerce: a fresh address per order, prices in your shop currency, and orders that complete themselves.
Read 7 minChoose a wallet
Honest reviews and comparisons. Compare all Monero wallets
Safest Monero Wallet: Match Your Setup to Your Amount
The safest Monero wallet depends on how much you hold and who you worry about. A ladder from web wallet to hardware and offline signing, by amount.
Read 11 minWallet reviewCake Wallet Review: Monero Features, Safety and Trade-offs
Cake Wallet review: an open source, non-custodial wallet for Monero and other coins on Android, iOS and desktop. Features, swaps, MyMonero and who it fits.
Read 9 minWallet reviewFeather Wallet Review: Features, Safety and Who It Fits
Feather wallet review: a free, open source Monero desktop wallet with Tor, Polyseed and Ledger and Trezor support. Features, trade-offs and who it fits.
Read 9 minOfficial wallets comparedMonero GUI vs CLI: Which Official Wallet Should You Use?
Monero GUI vs CLI: the GUI is the point-and-click wallet with simple and advanced modes, the CLI suits scripts and servers. Who each fits, side by side.
Read 9 minReady to do it
Read enough? Try it.
Open the wallet and make your first address in a minute. Nothing to install, no account.