Broad permissions
An extension can ask to read and change the pages you visit. Many people click Allow without reading the list.
Monero wallet Chrome extension You do not need an extension to use Monero in Chrome.
A MonkStash Chrome extension is planned, but it is not in development yet. You do not have to wait: the full MonkStash wallet runs in Chrome right now, with no install and no download.
Works today.Nothing to install.Keys stay on your device.
The honest state
The shelf for Monero extensions is nearly empty.
If you have searched the Chrome Web Store for a Monero wallet, you have probably found slim pickings. There is no widely used, actively maintained Monero wallet extension. The options that turn up are mostly old projects, or tools that only work alongside the Monero command-line wallet running on your own computer.
That gap is exactly why it pays to be careful. An empty shelf is where look-alikes move in. Our own extension is planned, not built, and the web wallet already does the job.
Before you install anything
Wallet extensions are a favourite target.
Browser extensions can ask for broad access to what you do online, and in the past some crypto extensions have turned out to be malicious. Here are the four ways it usually goes wrong for the user.
Fake listings
Look-alike copies of real wallets turn up wherever people search. The name and the icon can match perfectly.
Updates that change it
Extensions update on their own. A tool that was fine last month can change what it does after an update.
Recovery word prompts
A pop-up that asks you to type your 25 words is how wallets get emptied. A real wallet only asks when you restore.
Your checklist for any wallet extension
Run through it every time. It takes about a minute, and it is the cheapest security you will ever buy.
- Know who made it. Find the maker on a site you trust, and check that site links back to the same listing.
- Read the permissions. If a wallet wants to read every site you visit, ask why it needs that.
- Look for public code. Open source does not make a wallet safe, but closed code leaves you only the maker's word.
- Do not trust ratings alone. Stars and install counts say little about safety.
- Never type your words into a pop-up. Only enter recovery words when you are restoring a wallet you chose to restore.
- Start small. Try any new wallet with a small amount before you trust it with more.
When in doubt, a web wallet you load from a bookmarked address is easier to verify.
How to spot fake Monero sitesUse MonkStash in Chrome today
Three steps, and Monero is in your browser.
MonkStash runs in the browser itself. You create or restore your wallet, your recovery words are encrypted on your device, and the wallet connects to a Monero node to find your payments. Nothing is installed, and nothing is sent to our servers.
Open the wallet
Go to the MonkStash wallet in Chrome. It is a normal web page, so there is nothing to approve or install.
Create or restore
Choose create a new wallet, or restore one with your recovery words. Then back up your words and set a password to lock the wallet.
Bookmark it
Star the page once. From then on you reach the wallet from your own bookmark, not from a search result that could be a fake. You are ready to receive and send XMR.
New to Monero? Start with how to create a wallet or what Monero is.
What the extension will add
A toolbar shortcut, built the same careful way.
A Chrome extension can make a wallet quicker to reach and can integrate with pages you visit. If we build one, it will follow the same principles as the web wallet.
- A shortcut in your toolbar. Your balance and address one click away, without opening a tab.
- The same design as the web wallet. Non-custodial, with your keys staying on your device and no tracking.
- A release only when it is reviewed. We would rather ship late than rush something that touches your money.
The extension is a milestone on the community roadmap, funded by the people who use MonkStash. We are not promising a date.
Side by side
Three ways to get Monero into Chrome.
Only one of them works today and has an address you can bookmark and check.
| What you care about | MonkStash in Chrome today | A future MonkStash extension | Unknown extensions from the store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install needed | Nothing | A store install | A store install |
| Where your keys live | Encrypted on your device | Encrypted on your device (same design) | Depends on the maker. Check first. |
| Risk of fake copies | Lower, if you use your own bookmark | Possible, as with any extension | Higher. Look-alikes are common. |
| Updates | You get the current version each time you open it | Through the store | Automatic, and can change the tool |
| Works today | Yes | No, planned | Varies. Few are maintained. |
Want the full picture of wallet types? Compare every kind of Monero wallet, or read why a MyMonero alternative is worth choosing carefully.
1Is there an official Monero Chrome extension?
There is no widely used, well-maintained Monero wallet extension in the Chrome Web Store. The options that exist are mostly old projects or tools that need the Monero command-line wallet running on your computer. Because of that gap, be careful with any extension claiming to be a Monero wallet.
2Can I use Monero in Chrome without an extension?
Yes. MonkStash is a full Monero wallet that runs in the browser, including Chrome, with nothing to install. You open the page, create or restore your wallet, and your keys stay encrypted on your device.
3Are Monero browser extensions safe?
Treat unknown extensions with caution. Browser extensions can request broad permissions, and there have been cases of malicious extensions in the past. Only install from official sources, check the permissions, and never enter recovery words into an extension you do not fully trust.
4Will MonkStash have a Chrome extension?
A Chrome extension is planned but not in development yet. We will share it if and when it is ready and properly reviewed. Until then, the web wallet gives you the same features in your browser.
Skip the store. Open your wallet.
Free, non-custodial, and ready in Chrome in about two minutes. No download, no account, and no extension to vet.