XMR 1337

The first question that freedom loving people who are finding out about XMR have mostly the first time is how they can buy XMR without KYC. Given the fact that it got delisted from most bigger CEXs and is just remaining on obscure KYC-less CEXs that are risky to use as well as on a few DEXs, this question is a fair point. To perform KYC in order to buy XMR defeats the whole purpose of Monero.

In this chapter I will give you a detailed rundown on trusted platforms and tactics you can employ in order to purchase XMR without giving up your personal information. Of course, different methods come with different pros, cons and risks, which I will evaluate for you too though.

The Non-KYC Exchange Arsenal

◆Top Picks From kycnot.me

KYCnot.me is like the Yellow Pages for privacy-focused crypto exchanges (CEXs and DEXs) as well as services. Currently there are more than a dozen exchanges listed through which you are able to swap other cryptocurrencies to XMR, a lifeline for anyone who often needs to do exactly that – here my TOP5 of KYCnot.me listed exchanges:

◆TrocadorApp

TrocadorApp is an exchange aggregator that scours many exchanges to secure the best possible rates for your trades, without the need to create an account on any of them.

Meanwhile, Trocador increases the privacy of their users through working with optional Java Script, to improve user experience, earlier there was no JS used, at all. The whole script can be checked, as it's fixed code and doesn't communicate with any servers.

Earlier it was also possible to use the I2P and TOR version of TrocadorApp, however, almost all exchanges / partners of Trocador are prohibiting its usage nowadays – you can still use the clearweb website via TOR though.

Moreover, trade details are deleted after 14 days, even earlier upon request. Specific partner exchanges might request information in very rare cases, but the TrocadorApp team consists of XMR OG's / true Cypherpunks whom I trust to handle those requests with utmost care.

◆Exolix

Exolix is rather unknown amongst most people, despite the fact that this non-custodial cryptocurrency swap service is working since 2018 already and supports more than 390 cryptocurrencies, including XMR, and works without any KYC or registration.

There are no upper limits for swap amounts, exchange rates are fixed and the swaps itself are fast and anonymous. Just be aware that the spread will be around 0.5% - 1%, depending on market conditions.

◆BasicSwapDEX

BasicSwapDEX enables anyone through atomic swaps to swap one cryptocurrency for another, without the involvement of any third-party, and of course without any KYC needed.

Users can create or accept orders on a distributed order book, allowing for secure, trustless, unrestricted, and private swaps, all without incurring trading fees. Their protocol can be integrated into any Layer-1 blockchain that supports atomic swaps.

Currently, the following cryptocurrencies are available: XMR, BTC, PART, DASH, PIVX, FIRO; with more to be added over the next months; Navio (formerly Navcoin), is already on testnet.

The underlying BasicSwap protocol, developed by the Particl project, is open-source. This enables developers to create their own DEX with unique features or services on top of it, or to seamlessly integrate the swap and trading features into decentralized applications (dApps).

◆Haveno

Haveno is a Peer-to-Peer exchange built on Monero and TOR, designed to be a successor to platforms like Bisq, with a complete focus on XMR trading.

Users don't have to perform KYC, it is non custodial, fiat-to-XMR is possible as well as crypto-to-XMR, comes with Monero-based escrow for enhanced security and is also open source.

The platform is still pretty much in development, hence for example the trading fees aren't standardized yet, however, they should be around 0.2% - 0.5% excluding the common XMR network fees.

◆Cash ⇔ XMR Networks

Cash FIAT money is still the ultimate untraceable payment solution – hence it is no surprise that the most used currency for illicit purposes is still the US-Dollar. If you want to convert cash to XMR, you can, even though it comes with extra risks.

One method is to use peer-to-peer cash networks, send $1K to a seller in a tracked envelope with UPS for $10, wait for it to arrive and to receive the XMR; seller profile needs to be trusted, volatility might arise and overall you pay a hefty premium anyway.

The last two points can be avoided if you do in-person deals, but that's not for anyone.

◆Darknet

The Darknet has embraced XMR for a longer time already, since most Darknet Market Operators (DNM's) started to fully switch from Bitcoin to Monero, as Bitcoin offers no real privacy whatsoever.

Hence there is also an emerging XMR OTC culture in Darknet boards such as Dread, where people often offer XMR for gift cards, hardware, other crypto, or the other way around.

◆OTC Brokers

'OTC' stands for 'Over-the-counter' trading, but what it really means is effectively 'Under-the-Counter', as one is bypassing common exchanges, dealing directly P2P with XMR, cash and other assets, without a middleman. This way your level of privacy is automatically increased, also the speed in which transactions can be facilitated is hypothetically way faster. Let's dig into the options you have when you want to trade XMR OTC.

OTC Brokers: They are not necessarily public, as they want to operate without popping up on any radar, if possible, but there are certain XMR brokers that are, for the people in the know, known for facilitating XMR OTC trades, often selling / buying XMR for cash. Transactions are usually completed within 24 hours; you send the XMR, they deliver the cash, often with a 2-3% fee - the price you pay for freedom. Depending on location and agreement it can be an in-person meeting or a cash drop.

Social Media: If you are actively using social media (well, I mean, X) and have some legit contacts in the crypto-sector over there, it makes always sense to network with people in the first place, but also to ask around if anyone is interested in OTC deals; especially when you are in a country in which you have never been before, this can help you a lot. Personally I was able to facilitate such deals during my time in Mexico and Ecuador; of course, OpSec is of the utmost importance when doing this. How 'dangerous' it is also always depends on the amount in question. For connections in Central- and South America, as well as Georgia and South East Asia, feel free to contact me, as I might be able to help you.

Conclusion: Not everyone is cut out for the OTC game, in particular when it comes to XMR which is supposed to be 'private' by nature. There are no polished platforms, it is more about dealing directly with humans, which also means that you have to be more careful than with any other XMR trading solution. Always check as much as possible on your potential fellow trading partner or broker.

Step-by-Step: Buying XMR Anonymously

Here's a detailed breakdown of five methods that allow you to buy XMR anonymously:

◆1. From BTC to XMR via No-KYC-CEX

Scenario: You have 0.03 BTC (worth $2,400 at $80K/BTC) and want to buy XMR, but on a CEX.

Setup: Use a No-KYC-CEX. Connect via Mullvad VPN to mask your IP.

Deposit: Initially you have to send your 0.03 BTC to the No-KYC-CEX. Depending on the state of the Bitcoin network it can take either 30 - 60 minutes, or, if the network is under stress (= processing many transactions) even a few hours; just be patient, the digital pet rock isn't that fast.

Trade: Swap ~0.0295 BTC (after fees) for 8.8 XMR at $200/XMR via the XMR/BTC pair.

Withdraw: Never. Keep. Funds. On. CEXs. Send it to a mobile or desktop wallet; you can observe the transaction status via moneroexplorer.org.

Time: In total you will need 1-3 hours to convert BTC to XMR, with the XMR ending up in your self-custody wallet.

Pro Tip: Split it into two 0.015 BTC trades across separate wallets. This breaks the transaction linkage, making it harder to trace.

◆2. Using TrocadorApp Like a Pro

Scenario: Swap 0.02 BTC ($1,600 at $80K/BTC) for XMR, still via CEXs, but with enhanced privacy (no account, no KYC, no IP Log).

Tool: Use TrocadorApp (trocador.app), one of my favourites, as it is an aggregator that puts focus on offering privacy-enhanced trading solutions, with optional JavaScript and other measures. It aggregates exchanges / swap services like FixedFloat, ChangeNOW, and SimpleSwap.

Process: Select BTC-XMR. Filter the exchanges / swap services shown to make sure KYC won't be needed. Once you found the right exchange (Fixedfloat always works the fastest for me) confirm the transaction after entering your XMR wallet address, afterwards send the BTC to the BTC wallet shown in the next step; that's it. The transaction status will update itself.

Options: FixedFloat (0.5% fee, 10-min), ChangeNOW (1%, 20-min), SimpleSwap (0.8%, 15-min). You can either use fixed rates or floating rates.

Pro Move: If you are using TrocadorApp the first time and want to gain confidence, test with 0.001 BTC ($80) or something like that first.

◆3. Cash Buy Walkthrough

Scenario: Buy XMR with $1,000 cash in Phnom Penh.

Contact: DM me (CR1337) -"$1k cash for XMR, today." Get a quote, FIAT/XMR comes with a 4% premium.

Meet: Cafe somewhere in the city center or BKK1, a busy spot for cover; bring a burner phone with CakeWallet installed as well as the cash.

Trade: You show the cash, you present a QR code and receive the XMR. Verify on moneroexplorer.org (5-15 min max.). Hand over $1k, leave.

Time: 30-40 minutes.

◆4. OTC via X

Scenario: Sell 5 XMR for cash in Bali.

Post: Tweet, "WTB 5 XMR, Bali, cash only, DM." A user responds to sell you XMR for 5% under spot.

Meet: Choose a public market at noon, always the best time to ensure it is crowded and safe. UV-check the cash, you send 5 XMR via QR. Verify, get cash in hand, done.

Time: 24-72 hours from post to payout.

Crypto TXs: Avoiding Common Traps

◆Blockchain Analysis Risks

In the introduction we have already talked about 'blockchain analysis' and what it means for your privacy. To recap it, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), they all have one thing in common, which is that they are basically transparent blockchains that are offering no real privacy whatsoever.

For instance, if you buy 0.1 BTC on an exchange like Binance, which requires Know Your Customer (KYC) and is tied to your Social Security Number (SSN) and then swap it somewhere to Monero (XMR) for privacy reasons, blockchain analysis services like Chainalysis can, of course, still tie the initial BTC to your identity.

It becomes even more tricky if the BTC you are holding can be tied to darknet markets, hacks or other illicit activities, as those are getting flagged more and more after 'AML Checks' etc. performed by exchange platforms.

Monero, on the other hand, is 100% fungible, that means every XMR coin is indistinguishable from another. Afterall, the weak point is the moment you bridge your (KYC'd) BTC to XMR, and you should tread carefully.

◆Telegram Scams

If you are looking for XMR OTC trade opportunities on Telegram, especially in groups, you might find them, but be aware of the fact that a.) most of them will be scams and leave you with nothing and b.) that even if you find somebody legit, take all possible precautions and the deal goes through, that you still might be tracked by Telegram itself; Pavel Durov bent the knee during his detention in France. Telegram itself is no safe channel to conduct business like this.

◆Counterfeit Cash and Bad Actors

When you are facilitating cash OTC trades, you always have to factor in the risk of receiving counterfeit bills in case you are the one selling for cash.

Educate yourself about the most common signs on how to detect counterfeit banknotes, USD and EUR in particular. Also, get yourself a simple UV pen for pocket change, in order to spot USD fakes; real $100 bills glow blue under UV light, if it doesn't glow, you don't want it.

That said, never forget to rub the right shoulder of Benjamin Franklin, if you can not feel the perforation, it is a fake, too.

◆Exit Scams and Mitigation

Always use Escrow if possible, as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) trades can go south fast. There is nothing you can do if this happens. Legal action? Forget about it. You lost your funds because you made a mistake, nobody will help you out when you have entered a failed XMR OTC trade.

◆Platform Risks

When you are dealing with CEXs (if possible you should always avoid doing so in the first place!), there are a variety of problems that can occur, such as delayed withdrawals, DDoS attacks, frozen funds, or sudden forced KYC compliance. You can use a platform 100 times and it will be fine, but at the 101st time you might get fleeced. Know your risk!

If you are traveling a lot, or even live like a digital nomad just like myself, in which case you are often crossing borders, crashing in Airbnbs or hotels and have to dodge thieves (pickpockets and the tax man), you have to be serious about securing your XMR.

In Chapter 2 we will dig into what to be aware of when crossing borders, extended Operational Security (OpSec) measures and more.

XMR Wallet Setup

◆Cold Storage Options

In general I am always recommending a cold storage option in order to secure your XMR stack, untouchable and set up for the long haul, and here you have basically two options:

The first one is a simple seed that you can set up easily, before hiding copies in different places:

• Visit https://web.getmonero.org/generator/ and download the paper wallet generator, copy it to a USB stick.
• Unzip and open the paper wallet generator (wallet-generator.html) with a web browser.
• Keep in mind that for best security you should do this on an air-gapped device, meaning a computer that is either new or has had a clean OS installation.
• What will be generated is the Monero public address, a mnemonic seed, spend key and view key.
• Print the wallet on paper; save it as a PDF on an encrypted USB stick; burn it to CD/DVD with password protection; facilitate steel plate backups such as 'Cryptosteel'; you have many options, choose 2 - 3 and hide copies in different locations.
• At the end, delete all data that is connected to the previous process from your device.

If you want to spend some more money on securing your XMR stack you can get a hardware wallet, such as the Ledger Nano X, which supports the Monero GUI v0.18.3.

Mobile Wallets

◆Cake Wallet

When it comes to XMR mobile wallets, Cake Wallet, a non-custodial, open-source wallet initially designed for Monero is currently my absolute favourite. It is available on both, mobile (iOS and Android) and desktop (macOS, Linux, Windows -Beta-) and is regarded as one of the crypto wallets with the best user experience.

CakeWallet offers full Monero supporting, including sending, receiving and storing XMR; you can generate unique subaddresses for each transaction to enhance your privacy level, swap XMR with other cryptocurrencies via in-built TrocadorApp support, connect to different nodes as you wish and use TOR routing in order to obfuscate your XMR transactions even more.

Due to its non-custodial nature you are always in control of your coins, your private keys and seed phrases are stored locally on your smartphone. All wallet data is encrypted by default. All CakeWallet code is open-source and publicly available on GitHub.

Pros

• User-Friendly: Intuitive interface suitable for both, beginners and advanced XMR chads
• Desktop & Mobile: CakeWallet is available for smartphones and desktop, offering you flexibility
• Multi-Chain: Beyond XMR, supports BTC, LTC, and others, swaps can be performed directly in the wallet
• Privacy Features: TOR browser is supported and custom node options for XMR are available
• Regular Updates: Actively maintained with new features on a regular basis

Cons

• Mobile-First: Desktop version is still in beta mode, UX on mobile is better so far
• Third-Party Exchange Risks: Built-in swaps rely on external services, such as TrocadorApp
• Resource Usage: Running Tor or syncing with custom nodes can be resource-intensive on lower-end devices, keep that always in mind, i.e. when you want to use an older smartphone as hot wallet

◆Feather Wallet

Feather Wallet is a lightweight, open-source desktop wallet designed exclusively for Monero and is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Tails. Easy-to-use wallet as it has a focus on simplicity, privacy, and minimal resource use, as you probably can already tell from the screenshot above.

As it was specifically built for XMR, you can be sure that it has full compatibility with all privacy features, like generation of subaddresses for each transaction. Moreover, it comes with 'TOR-by-default' and automatically routes connections through the TOR network, hence enhancing anonymity. All of the FeatherWallet code is publicly accessible via GitHub.

Pros

• Privacy-Focus: The TOR-by-default integration and coin control make it a top choice for you if you are aiming for maximum privacy
• Lightweight: Fast sync time, doesn't need much resources, making it ideal for older systems and devices
• No KYC Swaps: XMR-to-BTC swaps within the wallet are KYC-free

Cons

• Desktop-Only: No mobile version, accessibility is limited for Monero users who are travelling a lot
• Monero-Only: No multi-currency support, unlike Cake Wallet; not important for most of us though
• Learning Curve: Coin control and advanced features may confuse beginners

◆Monerujo

Monerujo, my personal favourite after CakeWallet, is an open-source, Monero-only wallet designed for Android. It comes with full support for any XMR privacy feature, including subaddress generation, syncing with remote nodes, so there is no need for you to download the whole blockchain, 'street mode' that hides wallet balances and transaction history and also a hardware wallet integration via Ledger Nano X for cold storage. All of Monerujo's code is available on GitHub.

Pros

• Usability: One of the best XMR mobile wallets for everyday use
• Privacy Features: 'Street Mode' and 'PocketChange' add practical privacy
• Hardware Wallet Support: Ledger integration enables cold storage on a mobile wallet; rare feature
• Community-Approved: Endorsed by Monero developers and many users for its reliability; I got it recommended by several people I trust back in the days

Cons

• Android-Only: No iOS or desktop support, likely this will also not change, afaik
• Complex Features: CrazyPass and advanced options may overwhelm beginners or lead to errors if used the wrong way, make sure you know what you are doing

◆Conclusion

Let's do a little recap, in order to give you a tl;dr that helps you to select the best wallet:

• Cake Wallet: Great choice if you are looking for a flexible, cross-platform and blockchain wallet with XMR support alongside other coins, such as BTC and LTC. Easy to use, highly recommended for newbies.
• Feather Wallet: Perfect for desktop users prioritizing privacy and lightweight performance. Their TOR integration and coin control are really more for advanced users, also it's less convenient for mobile needs; keep that in mind.
• Monerujo: The go-to choice if you are an Android user looking for a mobile XMR wallet with robust features. Its hardware wallet support and privacy tools stand out.

All three wallets are secure (non-custodial, open-source), but your choice depends on your platform preference, privacy needs, and whether you want multi-coin support or not.

For maximum security, pairing any of these with a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor is recommended for large XMR holdings that you intend to hold long term. With none of those wallets I have ever experienced any issues.

OpSec Essentials: Secure Your Shit

Operational Security (OpSec) is defined as risk management process that protects your sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands and involves a.) to identify what data is critical, b.) assessing potential threats in which this data could be stolen or compromised and c.) to implement certain measures to make sure nobody gains unauthorized access. While it is originally a military concept, it is nowadays widely used by businesses, governments and individuals like us as well.

For example, it might mean encrypting the backup of your wallet seed, or encrypting your sensitive communications, limiting who knows key details, or avoiding public discussions of plans.

The goal is to disrupt the attackers ability to gather and exploit information, ensuring operations remain secure and effective. In short, OPSEC is about staying one step ahead by controlling what others can learn about you.

This chapter is all about securing your XMR, locking down your devices, avoiding social engineering scams, staying aware in sketchy streets, and more; let's dig in!

◆Most Important Areas of Operational Security (OPSEC) & Countermeasures

Information Protection

• Encrypt sensitive data to prevent interception.
• Use secure communication channels (e.g., VPNs, encrypted email).
• Shred or securely delete unneeded documents to avoid recovery.

Secure Private Environment

• Conduct background checks to vet trustworthiness; if I meet a girl somewhere you can be sure I will check every publicly available information.
• Limit need-to-know access to reduce insider threats; don't tell anyone everything, ever.
• Train people who are always around you on recognizing phishing and social engineering tactics.

Physical Security

• Lock sensitive areas with keycards or biometric access if you settle somewhere for a longer time.
• Install surveillance cameras on your premises to deter unauthorized entry.
• Store critical assets in safes or other secure facilities.

Digital Security

• Update software regularly to patch vulnerabilities.
• Use strong, unique passwords with multi-factor authentication.
• Monitor networks for unusual activity to catch breaches early.
• Never use public Wi-Fi's.
• Never, ever download .exe files that are sent to you by random people who are pretending to offer a job, something that has happened many times in recent years.

Behavioral Awareness

• Avoid oversharing on social media about plans or locations.
• Use disinformation to mislead potential adversaries.
• Rotate routines to prevent predictable patterns from being exploited

XMR-Specific OpSec

◆Encrypting Your Seed Phrase

Whenever we talk about OpSec regarding cryptocurrencies in general, not just in the case of XMR, the first thing that should come to your mind is 'I have to secure my seed phrase!', as you simply have to guard it with utmost care. If you lose your seed phrase, you can wave goodbye to your XMR, forever.

Personally, especially when you travel a lot, I recommend purchasing a USB stick (64 GB) for around $20 and set up VeraCrypt and use the AES-256 encryption algo which is military-grade and virtually uncrackable. It's set up within 15 minutes, and afterwards you have a 500 MB encrypted container (picture a virtual safe) on your USB stick, in which you can store your seed phrase in .txt format before locking it away securely.

Optionally you can add another layer of protection, via GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) and run the command gpg -c seed.txt in the command line, in order to encrypt the .txt file with a strong passphrase and generate an encrypted output file.

Once everything is done, delete the original unencrypted .txt file via shred -u command to overwrite it, then it is not possible to recover it ever again.

A more 'creative' / 'advanced' solution would be to etch your seed phrase in a steel plate (or a more sophisticated solutions based on the same concept, i.e. 'CryptoSteel') with a dremel tool. Takes some time, but it's kinda fun, you'll feel like a special agent in the field. Store the steel plate somewhere tamper- and waterproof. I'd make suggestions on where to hide it, but then again, I'd rather not.

What you should never do: Store it on a loose paper that you just put somewhere in your home, as there is always the risk of water damage, a fire, etc. – also, never store it in the cloud, a Google document, or anything else like that.

◆VPNs and Tor for Transactions

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are part of the globally active surveillance system, betraying their users by logging their IP addresses and often selling data to federal agencies; such as Comcast did, selling user data to the government in a $100K deal.

In order to shield your Monero activities you should rely on VPNs and the TOR network; a VPN tool that I can recommend and that you can pay for with XMR is 'Mullvad', which keeps no logs and offers a SOCKS5 proxy for browsing without leaving any trace. If you want more control, you need to self-host a VPN on a Linode VPS, which costs around $5 per month.

If you don't want to spend money on it, you can use TOR, but generally speaking a VPN is always recommended when carrying out any sensitive tasks.

◆Device Hardening

'Device hardening' is the process of securing a device, no matter if laptop, desktop computer or smartphone, by reducing attack vectors, eliminating software that isn't needed and implementing robust security measures to protect it against unwelcome guests and data breaches. The device you use for your XMR-related activities, such as trading and storing Monero, should be a fortress; configuring firewalls, stripping telemetry, encrypting storage; all of this takes time, but trust me, you will sleep better at night.

My main laptop runs on Ubuntu (22.04), my favourite Linux Distribution as it has a great balance between usability and security. First thing you should do on Ubuntu machines is to enable the 'Uncomplicated Firewall' (ufw), which simplifies firewall management. After you activate it (sudo ufw) you have to enable and configure it to regulate the incoming and outgoing traffic. For example, if you are running your own Monero node, you have to allow port 18080 as it is the Monero-default via the sudo ufw command.

Afterwards enable 'AppArmor', an access control framework that is pre-installed already, via sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/* to restrict what rights you give to single applications.

If you are using an Android phone, the measures to be taken are a bit more drastic, as data collection is basically baked into it. First you need to be rooting your device, for which you can use Magisk, an open-source tool that costs $10. By rooting you can gain 'superuser access' to be able to replace the standard OS with LineageOS, a Google-free alternative. Once installed, you can enhance your privacy-level by downloading apps from F-Droid, an open-source alternative to the Google PlayStore.

Still rocking a Windows OS in 2025? Well, it is a telemetry nightmare, as it will still 'phone home' despite certain actions taken by the user. You'll need to run TailsOS, a live operating system designed for maximum anonymity, which you set up inside VirtualBox on a machine with at least 4 GB allocated for the VM (Virtual Machine). Through TailsOS, all traffic is routed through TOR, leaving no trace on the host and thus sidestepping the constant leaking of Windows. The setup takes about one hour.

◆Physical Security

Especially if you are travelling a lot with all of your equipment and hardware, physical security is important in order to protect them from theft, loss or environmental damage; all things that happen in the real world, snatched laptop in a hotel lobby, a fire destroying your device, sudden water damage in an Airbnb, or even a border guard seizing your smartphone.

• In accommodations, secure your laptop with a 1-2m cable lock, costing around $10-20, for example a Kensington model and loop it through a desk or bed frame
• Set up a strong password, even for your BIOS
• Encrypt your SSD with LUKS if on Ubuntu, during installation or later via cryptsetup
• Install 'Prey', an anti theft service, on your phone(s), it allows you to trigger a remote wipe when stolen
• Have a decoy / fake seed phrase written in a notebook that you are carrying with you to potentially mislead thieves
• Etch your real seed onto a steel plate, keep it somewhere safe, tamper- and waterproof
• Always carry a dummy wallet with as much funds as you think you need to make a thief 'happy'

💡Always expect the unexpected! In German we say, 'Ich hab' schon Pferde kotzen sehen!' which translates to 'I have seen horses puking!'

Useful Services & Resources

◆Information Protection

• SessionApp: Free, decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging - https://getsession.org
• Tuta: Secure email with free tier - https://tuta.io
• BleachBit: Free file shredder for digital cleanup - https://www.bleachbit.org/

◆Secure Private Environment

• Google Lens: Reverse image search for vetting - https://lens.google/
• Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email's compromised - https://haveibeenpwned.com/

◆Physical Security

• Ledger Nano X: Hardware wallet - https://www.ledger.com/
• Trezor Model T: Hardware wallet - https://trezor.io/
• Cryptosteel Capsule: Steel key backup - https://cryptosteel.com/
• Wyze Cam: Affordable surveillance - https://www.wyze.com/

◆Digital Security

• NordVPN: Reliable VPN - https://nordvpn.com/
• Mullvad VPN: Privacy-focused VPN - https://mullvad.net/
• Bitwarden: Free password manager - https://bitwarden.com/
• Authy: MFA app - https://authy.com/
• Malwarebytes: Anti-malware scanner - https://www.malwarebytes.com/
• VeraCrypt: Free disk encryption - https://www.veracrypt.fr/

◆Monero-Specific

• GlassWire: Network monitoring - https://www.glasswire.com/
• Bitcoin OPSEC Guide: Practical crypto security tips - https://bitcoinops.org/
• Hitchhiker's Guide to Online Anonymity: https://archive.org/details/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-online-anonymity_202307

Border-Proofing Your Funds

◆What to Do at Checkpoints

From an OpSec point of view, crossing international borders itself is a nightmare, considering customs agents wielding X-Ray machines, sniffing dogs and demands like 'unlock your phone, Sir!'.

While I personally never have been asked any questions, I was always prepared. First step is to have a 'dummy wallet' on your smartphone, i.e. CakeWallet, with just minor XMR holdings, to have something to show, but also to have plausible deniability; 'That's all I've got!'.

Secondly, if you want to be serious, you wipe your devices clean before crossing a checkpoint, i.e. DBAN (Darik's Boot And Nuke) from dban.org, for a three-step erasure of your laptop's hard drive. This process takes around three hours.

Your smartphone can be reset to factory settings with LineageOS in just 10 minutes, leaving no trace of any cryptocurrency (-wallet) activity. After crossing the border you can restore your funds.

◆Splitting Funds For Safety

You should never store all of your XMR in one wallet, as it is a death sentence for security.

Instead, divide them strategically between, for example, a 'hot' wallet facilitating CakeWallet on your mobile phone for daily usage, a 'warm' wallet with a significant part of your holdings, but not the major part, on a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet for OTC cash trades and a 'cold' wallet with the major parts of your long term holdings, locked away for years.

Moreover, a decoy wallet, as previously mentioned, is always useful, not just for misleading thieves, but also customs at border crossings, if needed.

◆Border Control Technology Measures

X-ray machines scanning your bags? A steel plate tucked in a tin, passed off as a 'souvenir' won't be suspicious.

Laptop search? Boot from a Tails USB with no hard drive installed; tell them it got broken.

Phone pinging cell towers? Slip it into a Faraday bag and swap in a burner SIM - no signal, no trace.

In contrast to BTC, people are actually using XMR, not just stacking it, while this is of course a valid thing to do, this chapter will be about spending and cashing out Monero, as well as the emerging circular economy.

Right now there are way more ways to spend your XMR than most people are aware of - time to change this for you personally!

Where Monero Works: 'XMR Spots' Worldwide

Monero is more widely used than most people would expect; it's not just existing as the abstract privacy-focused cryptocurrency, no, you can actually use it as private cash in many places of this world, both online and offline; below any radar of the traditional financial system.

In Cambodia you can easily facilitate over-the-counter (OTC) trades in Cafes in Phnom Penh's Riverside area near the Mekong river, paying around 4-5% premium on a cash out. OTC trades here are mostly dealt with in USD on the FIAT side, as the local KHR (Khmer Riel) is not the strongest currency and USD got adopted, too.

Same goes for Chiang Mai in Thailand, the digital nomad hotspot, as I have heard from friends. You can not just find willing OTC partners, but also pay with XMR and other cryptocurrencies in some places.

At the end of the day it is important to mention that you have to act pro-active in order to find all the spots / people who are dealing with XMR; it is not necessarily widely communicated by actors in this space, because, well, they value their privacy and often want to stay under the radar.

Online Vendors That Accept XMR

Over the past years, more and more vendors and service providers shifted to offer XMR as a payment option, catering to privacy-focused customers.

One of the most prominent examples is Mullvad VPN, an outfit from Sweden that runs several hundred servers around the world to offer their clients a reliable VPN-service. You can visit mullvad.net, generate a QR code, scan it with your wallet and pay around $40 for a 1 year pass and pay with XMR - simple.

There are also web hosters who accept XMR, such as Njalla, a service registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, where you can grab a hosting / domain service starting at $15/month. The process is as easy as it is on Mullvad.

A platform that deserves a special mention at this point is XMRbazaar, where you can buy and sell goods and services and pay with / receive XMR. This is truly needed for a legit circular economy; check it out, maybe you will get inspired on how to make some XMR, whether by selling stuff you don't need anymore, or providing a valuable service.

For a comprehensive list with more than 700+ places where you can spend your XMR, visit monerica.com

Staying Under The Radar

◆Avoiding Bank Deposits

Banks are certified snitches, simple as, and will forward any bigger financial transaction not just to authorities in your own countries, but globally to many, many countries; countries that all have signed and implemented the so called 'CRS' (Common Reporting Standard) agreement.

Deposit a few thousand USD from a XMR cash deal and you can be sure that your bank will ask questions regarding a proof of 'origin of funds'. But luckily, there are ways around it (while still using a regular bank account), if you really want to; more about this in the next chapter, paragraph 'Evading Global Nets'.

◆Digital Footprint Killers

Whatever you do when you trade OTC, steer clear of services like PayPal or Venmo, as both report transactions to tax authorities and also had issues with data breaches exposing users' identities in the past.

Also, create single-use E-Mail addresses for every single OTC deal; it doesn't matter how private XMR is when you are facilitating trades via your Googlemail account.

Yes, you can 'minimize' your taxes when using XMR. No, I don't think that it is wrong to not pay criminal governments a good chunk of your income and capital gains:

First: Not paying a significant amount of your income to a government, a government that you maybe don't want to have anything to do with in general, is not just 'ok' it is natural. Show me the copy of the 'social construct', one of the most delusional concepts ever, that you signed.

Second: Do you really contribute to society with your tax money? Are you actually not contributing money 'against' society, as governments worldwide use your hard earned money to finance wars, often foster high-level crime operations, spending it on illegal immigrants, while neglecting their own citizens?

Third: Just because you aren't forced to pay a share of your income for (legit) purposes that increases the standard of living of everyone, that doesn't mean you can't contribute to society voluntarily. Wherever I traveled and lived over the last years, I always made sure that I contributed, not because I am forced to do so, but because it is the right thing to do.

Let's dig into how Monero screws the taxman!

Why Monero Screws the Tax Authorities

◆Untraceable by Design

Monero (XMR) is the ultimate nightmare for tax authorities, engineered from the ground up to defy any tracking through ring signatures, confidential transactions and stealth addresses. Nobody can tell who sends whom XMR and how much, contrary to Bitcoin, Ethereum and others, where every move is forever stored in the specific public blockchain; open for anyone to see who is looking.

With the upcoming FCMP++ upgrade XMR's privacy will get on an even better level – making it truly impossible for tax authorities to go after you and your hard earned money.

◆The Tax War

In the coming years we will see what can just be described as a 'tax war' as more and more individuals will start to refuse paying bogus taxes, facilitating privacy-preserving currencies such as XMR; origin of this war will be of course in the western world, led by the U.S. and EU authorities. At the end of the day, they simply cannot stop it. When crypto was banned in China, guess what coin continued to thrive in the underground? That's right, XMR!

◆Historical Precedents

A great historical precedent is the Silk Road takedown that took place in 2013, in which many Bitcoin transactions were traced back, ultimately landing SR1 operators (vendors, mostly) in jail – with XMR this wouldn't have happened and is also a major reason that more and more Darknet Markets nowadays go 'XMR-only'.

OpSec for Tax Optimization With XMR

◆No Digital Paper Trail

The most important part in order to protect your financial privacy and 'optimizing' your taxes with XMR is to not leave a 'digital paper trail', also called 'digital footprints', as we have previously discussed in the OpSec chapter already.

Traditional crypto cash-out methods are almost always tied to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, binding your real world identity to every single transaction that you have ever done.

In order to take care of your taxes, prioritize over-the-counter (OTC) trades conducted entirely (!) in cash. To manage these trades effectively, all communication must be equally untraceable. Set up burner email accounts (examples), using services that encrypt your E-Mails end-to-end, in the best case disposable addresses that self-destruct after a certain time frame.

When coordinating the in-person meeting, rely on privacy-focused messengers such as Session, something you don't need a phone number for in order to create an account. Delete all chats daily, don't use cloud backups, leave no important data on it, at all.

◆When (And How) to Declare Nothing [Legally]

If you want to optimize your taxes legally, it is crucial to know when, and how, to report absolutely nothing. In the United States you can exclude up to $120K of foreign earned income from taxation, in case you spend at least 330 days outside of the U.S. in any given 12-month period.

Also, who says that your XMR holdings are income and not just 'personal savings'? No blockchain ledger exists to contradict your story, leaving tax authorities with no legal option to threaten you, at all. In Europe you can use the Schengen Area visa rules, which permits visa-free stays of 90 days per 180-day period for non-residents.

That allows you to bounce between countries, for example, Portugal to Spain to Poland every 90 days, ensuring to not become a tax resident in any country. Nobody can prove that you have taxable income. They have no basis to challenge you.

If shit really hits the fan, and the amount in question is worth it, consider hiring a lawyer who specializes in cryptocurrency cases. Their job isn't to win a court trial, no – their job is to bury the case asap, as best as possible, until the tax agency gives up.

◆Audit Defense

A tax audit is the ultimate test for your OpSec measures, and Monero's privacy features your ace up your sleeve. When tax authorities demand to 'prove your income' they're fishing for a paper trail, consisting of bank statements, exchange records and blockchain data – but with XMR, those materials simply don't exist, leaving the auditors empty-handed.

But this technological shield offered by XMR is not to be mistaken with a 'free pass'. You have to take audits seriously, as it is a high-stakes game that needs to be properly prepared. The key is to craft plausible alibis that have nothing to do with cryptocurrencies at all, in order to explain your resources without inviting the auditors to dig deeper.

Tell them that those $5K were a gift from a relative; attribute $2K to 'personal loans' from friends; while always keeping the details deliberately vague, don't give them anything useful. Your explanations have to be believable, yet be barren, providing nothing concrete. No receipts, no names, no specifics.

Monero is your ultimate defense, a cloak that hides your assets as you see fit. But in order to wield it effectively you have to be smart, it requires cunning, preparation and the willingness to play the long game with the auditors, if necessary.

◆Tax Agency Countermeasures

Of course, tax agencies will do everything within their power to get what they like most - YOUR money. They wield sophisticated tools, i.e. Chainalysis and other blockchain analysis solutions, however, they simply can not crack Monero; and without dates, amounts, wallet addresses they simply stand in front of a brick wall.

◆Evading Global Nets

Global surveillance nets are widespread and aren't easy to avoid, with the CRS and FATCA agreement being the worst ones.

The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) Agreement was launched by the OECD in 2014 and has been adopted by over 100 countries since then. It is a global tax transparency pact that you simply can not ignore when you are living as a digital nomad, but most people have never heard of it, at all.

Through this agreement, financial institutions, from banks over tax authorities to regulated crypto exchanges in participating nations, report account details of accounts with $50K+ automatically among each other, including balances, interest, dividends and sales proceeds to your tax residency country.

FATCA stands for Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and is a U.S. federal law that was enacted in 2010 as part of the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act, with the primary goal to combat tax evasion by U.S. taxpayers who are holding accounts and assets in foreign financial institutions (FFIs) and specific non-financial foreign entities (NFFEs).

Same as the CRS Agreement it requires foreign financial institutions to report information regarding accounts held by U.S. taxpayers directly to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In order to enforce compliance, FATCA imposes a 30% withholding tax on U.S.-source payments such as dividends or proceeds from the sales of assets) made to non-compliant FFIs or NFFEs.

Every U.S. citizen, resident / green card holder who is living abroad must report their foreign financial accounts, depending on certain thresholds, on an annual FBAR (Foreign Bank Report) and in some cases also fill out Form 8938 under FATCA; anyone who is not complying is facing hefty penalties.

For citizens of countries that have signed the CRS agreement there is a way out, meaning that it's possible to open a bank account in non-CRS countries, such as Armenia, Cambodia, Guatemala, North Macedonia, Belarus or the Philippines. Personally I am facilitating bank accounts in Cambodia, as some of them allow me to top it up with USDT. It takes me around 20 minutes to go from XMR → USDT via TrocadorApp → Top Up → Conversion to cash available on my bank account.

Running Your Own Node

◆Portable Node Setup

Running your own node is always a great thing to do, as you are directly contributing to Monero. Every active node (you can check them on monerohash.com) strengthens the network.

When you are looking for a solution to create a portable, low-cost Monero node, look no further. The first things you'll need: A Raspberry Pi 4 with an alternative remote option via a Virtual Private Server (VPS). This way you have all the tools needed to keep your Monero node running – let's dig in!

◆Hardware Assembly for the Raspberry Pi Node

You can get a Raspberry Pi 4 (Model B, 4GB RAM) for around $50; in case you didn't know already, a Raspberry is a single-board computer that offers sufficient processing power and memory to handle the requirements of the Monero blockchain.

You can pair it with a 256GB microSD card, i.e. Samsung EVO Plus, Class 10, UHS-1, with 130MB/s read/write speeds, to ensure you have enough memory for the blockchain data. Add a plastic case for protection, a 5V 3A USB-C power adapter including a 3-foot cable and a micro HDMI-to-HDMI cable for connecting it to a monitor and you are all set. Overall the costs will be around $120, making it affordable for most.

◆Software Installation And Configuration

After initially setting up your hardware it is time to install the software. First, visit gemonero.org and download the latest Monero software version, as of March 2025 that's 0.18.3.3.

Select the Linux ARMv8 binary as this version is tailored for the Raspberry Pi's architecture. On your laptop you need to download 'Balena Etcher' in order to flash an OS on your microSD card. Insert the 256GB microSD card into a USB card reader and then download the Raspbian OS Lite image from raspberrypi.org. Using Balena Etcher, install the OS image onto the microSD card; overall this will take you around 20 minutes.

In the next step, run this command in your terminal: tar -xvf monero-linux-armv8-v0.18.3.3.tar.gz, which should take around 2 minutes, revealing the Monero daemon executable, 'monerod', which you have to transfer to your USB stick before plugging the stick into your PI. Insert the flashed microSD card into the Pi aswell, connect it to a power source and boot it.

Due to the initialization process the first boot can take a few minutes, be patient. In order to interact with the Pi you'll need the keyboard and monitor. Once the system booted, open a terminal on the Pi, navigate to /home/pi where the 'monerod' lies and launch the node via ./monerod

◆Powering The Node On the Go

For maximum portability you can power your Raspberry Pi with a portable solar charger; a good option is the 'Anker PowerPort Solar', with an 5V 3A output via USB-A. It is foldable, 6x10 inches and weighs just 1.2 lbs, making it ideal for a nomadic setup.

The 10,000mAh battery needs 8 hours of direct sunlight to be fully charged, so if you are living in England or Scandinavia, you better think twice about this setup.

◆Remote Node Option: VPS Setup

If you are rather looking for a reliable remote setup you can rent a Virtual Private Server (i.e. from Cloudzy.com, pay with XMR). When it comes to the specs, you are fine with 100 GB storage, 2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM and solid bandwidth. While the Monero blockchain is around 150 GB you can shrink it to 10 GB by pruning it via special command.

Once you have your login details, connect to the VPS using SSH (PuTTY on Windows, Terminal on Linux), update the system, download the Monero software and start your node. The time needed to sync depends on your bandwidth.

◆Node Security

Secure the Pi by installing 'Uncomplicated Firewall' (ufw) via sudo apt install ufw, which takes around 2 minutes. Afterwards run sudo ufw allow 18080 (the Monero P2P port), sudo ufw deny 22 (block SSH) and sudo ufw enable–1-hour lockdown.

For VPS, generate an SSH key on your laptop, upload it to the server, disable the password login, restart the system and install fail2ban.

Mixing Strategies

Monero's default privacy is unmatched, but in order to make transactions even harder to trace you can use 'mixing strategies', meaning creating layers through extra transactions to confuse anyone trying to follow your money. Think of it like shuffling a deck of cards; you shuffle your money with decoys, hiding where it's really going.

◆Fake Transactions For Additional Privacy

What Are Fake Transactions and Why Use Them? To be fair, 'fake' isn't really the right word, as it is a real transaction that you send to yourself to mix your XMR with other people's transactions, even more than by ring signatures in default mode. By sending XMR to yourself (as many times as you wish) you add layers of decoys, hence making it almost impossible for third parties, such as blockchain analysts, to figure out what's happening.

Churning: Split and Recombine. To add more confusion you can 'churn' your XMR, which describes the process of breaking your transaction into smaller pieces and sending them back to yourself.

Take 5 XMR and split it; go to 'Send', enter 1 XMR, use your own address and send it. Wait until the TX is fully settled and repeat; now you have already split 2 XMR in 2 x 1 XMR chunks for not even $0.50 in fees. Create a new wallet and send both 1 XMR chunks there to have them in one place again.

You can do this as many times as you like, as each hop adds more decoys.

◆Timing Your Moves

Why Timing Matters. The more XMR transactions are happening at once on the blockchain, the harder it is to pick your ones out.

It's like hiding in a crowd, so you should do transactions when the Monero blockchain is busy to better blend in.

In order to see how many transactions are currently happening, visit monerohash.com.

◆Mixing Tools

Why Use Tools. While it works with wallets like Monero GUI works, other tools make mixing easier and / or cheaper. Let's explore two options:

1. Feather Wallet. As mentioned before in the Wallet Section of this guide, Feather Wallet is a lightweight and user-friendly Monero wallet which you can download from featherwallet.org.

Click on 'Send' → 'Advanced' → Churn and it will automatically split and recombine your XMR with decoys for a minimal fee, around $0.20 per transaction.

2. CLI (Command Line Interface). Download "monero-wallet-cli" from getmonero.org. Open a terminal, navigate to the folder, and run ./monero-wallet-cli --wallet-file mywallet.

Type sweep_all <your_address> to send everything to yourself manually. Fees are even lower than with Feather Wallet, 0.0005 XMR ($0.10) per transaction.

Earning XMR

One of the greatest things you can achieve is to develop a skill set that will allow you to earn XMR instead of ever buying it.

But, how to do it exactly?

This is what this section is about; whether you are a tech geek, a marketeer, an artist, or just someone with a bit of spare time and curiosity, there are more options than you might think. Let's dive into this treasure chest of opportunities!

◆Score Freelance Gigs, Get Paid in XMR

The best way to earn XMR is to score freelance gigs, provided you have a suiting skill that you can get paid for, ideally by crypto projects, as they'll rather agree to pay you in XMR than a company that has nothing to do with cryptocurrencies at all. There are many areas you can work in:

Business Development: An often overlooked area, even though it's growing, is business development; if you have worked in this area before, not necessarily in a crypto-context, it is a great skill to have in order to apply for BD positions.

Web Design: Professional web designers are still needed, even in days of powerful LLMs. If you have a feeling for great UI's (User Interfaces) and can take care to deliver a great UX (User Experience), both very important for any online product but crypto platforms in particular, you can be sure that you will find some work that pays in XMR.

Coding/Development: Programming is the gold standard, not tied to any location, well paid and in endlessly growing demand. Landing remote jobs can easily net you more than $100K per year; even more if you can create smart contracts with Solidity, $200K per year are more common than you might think, especially when you are working as an smart contract auditor on the side.

Marketing: Besides cringe influencers most projects are lacking a basic online marketing strategy and execution. 'Build it and they will come' is a romantic view and yes, most garbage projects use 'marketing' to pump their charts. Still, for legit projects it is important to get the work out. If you have experience, your chances are high to fit in somewhere.

Community Management: Community managers take care of moderating Telegram, Discord and other social media channels, answering questions, engaging with the community, etc. - if you have social skills and are knowledgeable it is very easy to get a job.

Editing / Copywriting: Good content is always needed, be it for the website, blogs or Medium accounts. There are a lot of people, especially developers, who really don't have the urge to write content, at all. Helping hands are often needed.

Translations: We are an international industry, borders don't really exist. For this reason it is great to be a translator. Translations of websites and white paper contents in languages like Spanish, French, Russian, Korean, Chinese are pretty common. Perfect if you speak multiple languages, including English, to translate from English to 'x'.

Of course, you have to find those opportunities, don't expect that you won't need to invest some time. Here are some general options how to reach out to potential clients:

1. Website Contact-Form: Most projects and companies have a contact form on their website and in many cases they also list the available jobs. This is pretty much the standard way to make first contact, but it can take some time till you get an answer.
2. Social Media Channels: Having an active X account is worth so much when it comes to reaching out to projects. If you don't have one, go and start one today! A lot of projects have their DM's open, or you can check if you can find the profiles of people already involved. Besides Twitter you can also jump into their Telegram or Discord. Just don't spam in multiple ones, it's about genuine outreach. Not this YouTube marketer style in which people post the same 'proposal' into hundreds of project TG's.
3. 'Vitamin B': If you didn't understand already - contacts just hurt if you don't have any. A big network with crypto-people all over the world opens a lot of doors. Most people underestimate this; networking itself should be a fixed part in your schedule.
4. Cold Outreach: If there is no info re: open jobs available, don't worry. Just reach out and ask. Almost never experienced an answer like 'nah we are looking for nothing'.

◆Mining XMR

Besides earning XMR as a freelancer, the next best way to earn XMR is to simply mine it. Unlike Bitcoin, which relies heavily on specialized hardware (ASICs), Monero uses the RandomX algorithm, designed for regular CPUs. You can start mining XMR with any decent computer (AMD Ryzen; Intel Core i5/i7), a reliable internet connection and, of course, a Monero wallet.

The best option for beginners is to use Gupax, as it simplifies the whole process and comes with a user-friendly graphical interface, facilitating P2Pool using XMRig.

To get started, first download Gupax from gupax.io, where you have the option to download the software for Windows, MacOS or Linux. When you launch Gupax after the installation is completed, you will see a straightforward interface.

Go to the 'P2Pool' tab, paste your Monero address into the designated field, choose a remote Monero node from the dropdown list, in order to connect to the network; click 'Start' to activate it, switch to the 'XMRig' tab to adjust the number of CPU threads you want to dedicate to mining XMR.

In general you should start with 50% of your total CPU threads in order to avoid overloading your system. After clicking 'Start XMRig' you are mining XMR on P2Pool and can expect frequent payouts, without relying on a central server. The 'status' tab delivers you all necessary information, like your hash rate and estimated payout times.

◆Arbitrage Trading

Through arbitrage trading you can exploit price differences across cryptocurrency exchanges; it is something that is commonly done with BTC, ETH and other crypto-assets with a high market cap and high liquidity, but not so much for XMR, as its liquidity is nowhere near the level of BTC & Co.; still, it is possible to make some decent profits, even if it's on a smaller scale.

To get started you will need accounts on different exchanges. It is up to you if you want to use centralized exchanges that might require KYC or if you want to stick to no-KYC solutions (DEXs in particular); in the latter scenario you will have way less liquidity, but are always in control of your funds.

Via Coingecko, Coinmarketcap or other price aggregator tools you can monitor the XMR price in real time. If XMR trades at $210 on exchange A and at $207 on exchange B, you'd buy on exchange B and sell on exchange A, pocketing the price difference, minus fees. Besides the usual trading fees you'll also have to factor in withdrawal fees as well as transfer times.

Using Monero gives you the unique opportunity to keep your wealth private – but it also demands care and responsibility, because, as always in life, things can go wrong. You could lose your funds or access to your funds by mistake, get tricked by a con artist, or even face a hardware failure – shit happens. In this chapter we will look in detail into things that can go wrong and how to fix it.

Common Screw-Ups and Fixes

◆Lost Keys, Bad Trades, Scams, Low Fee TX's

What if I told you that the biggest threat to your XMR stash aren't hackers, but your very own slip ups. Losing your seed phrase, not caring enough about maintaining your hardware, messing up a transaction, falling for a scam that wipes out your funds in an instant, those are all very real possibilities – but they are also preventable if you know what to do, and why to do it.

As you have already learned in Chapter 2, the most important thing for XMR users is to secure your seed phrase properly. At this point I can just repeat that you have to make sure to always be in control of it, while keeping it as safe as possible.

Same goes for OTC trades, make sure that you are not rushing; stay in control. When doing in-person trades, check prices on the spot, never blindly believe the quoted price of your counterparty.

Also, make sure to not fall for OTC scams. Never give out funds first when handling XMR ←→ Cash deals. If possible, use a reputable escrow service.

Never meet in places / surroundings that you aren't familiar with. Never meet at night time or in places that aren't crowded. Don't take huge risks for small deals.

An annoying thing that happens quite often is when XMR users are setting their transaction fee too low, like, 0.0001 XMR instead of the usual 0.001 XMR. Then, the transaction simply won't go through for quite some time, as miners obviously will process transactions with higher fees first. In order to fix it you can use the Monero CLI wallet from getmonero.org. Via your terminal you have to run ./monero-wallet-cli -- wallet-file, adding your wallet filename. Type 'sweep_all', insert your address again, set the fee to 0.002 XMR and hit send, so it'll resend all your XMR with higher priority.

◆Wallet Bugs

As with any software, also Monero Wallets can contain bugs – glitches can happen all the time, i.e. the syncing process is stalling, the app is simply crashing, or funds aren't shown. Don't worry too much too fast, most of the time those are simply hiccups, an issue with the nodes or outdated software.

In case you are experiencing a syncing issue, the first thing in order to fix it is to change the node, as the default node might be overloaded or offline. If you are for example using Cakewallet, you can simply switch nodes via settings, let the syncing continue with the new node, and your funds will appear again in no time.

◆User Error

As previously mentioned, we aren't robots, but humans, and humans make mistakes. Typing in the wrong address, making a mistake while pasting it, not double checking it, setting a too low fee, screwing up a backup, all those mistakes can be very expensive.

At first, you should never, ever, manually type in a XMR address. Copy/paste is much safer, especially when you are always checking the first and last four characters, but in order to have the best assurance you should use QR codes whenever you can.

Hardware Fails

When you are mining or managing XMR, or running a node, your hardware is never immune to failure, no matter if we are talking about hardware wallets like Ledger & Trezor, or a Raspberry Pi running your XMR node. All of these devices can malfunction, break or simply stop working; but don't worry, for most cases there are fixes!

◆Ledger Nano

If your Ledger screen goes dark and the device refuses to be turned on again, the culprit is often a dead battery; so simple to fix with a reliable USB-C cable and a 5V 2A charger. Connect your Ledger to the charger, plug it in and let it charge for 2 hours, afterwards it should come back to life and you can recover your wallet with your seed phrase.

◆Trezor

Also a Trezor hardware wallet can have issues; such as refusing to sync with the Monero network, leading to frozen funds. Often it's a firmware issue that can be fixed with simply running an update. Plug your Trezor into your computer to display your device on screen; there you can check the firmware version, if it's outdated simply click 'Update Firmware'. In the future, just check every few weeks if there is a firmware update available.

◆Raspberry Pi Node Crash

If your Raspberry Pi that runs your XMR node is crashing, for example when a power surge zaps your device and frys the SD card, your funds are still safe in your wallet, however, the node will not run any longer.

First, order a replacement SD card, download the Raspberry Pi OS Image, flash the image onto the new SD card with Balena Etcher (balena.io), insert the SD card into your Pi and boot it up before connecting it to your monitor, keyboard and, of course, the internet.

In the next step you'll have to reinstall Monero before launching the Monero daemon (monerod) and let it resync. After a few hours your node will be up and running.

Bugging Out With XMR

We live in chaotic times, when you bought this guide, well, I probably don't even have to tell you this. You don't need to be a criminal to potentially be forced to run one day. It could be anything, really, a government sanction, threatened by shady individuals, chaos starting in form of (civil) wars – it is always better to have a Plan B, which is exactly why you should prepare for different scenarios:

◆Scenario 1: Government Crackdown - Thailand Bans Monero

Imagine a sudden regulatory change in a country where you are just living as a tourist / digital nomad, i.e. Thailand, and one day the Thai government announces a ban on Monero, imposing penalties for the possession or use of XMR. While it's not probable, it could happen overnight, leaving you with not much time to react.

If you haven't enough cash on hand (you should have in general, exactly for reasons like this) your first step would be to convert XMR to cash, as fast as possible. One option to do this is via a peer-to-peer XMR ↔ cash network; filter by country, 'Thailand', and see the offers available:

Make sure that you are picking a trusted buyer, in the optimal case he offers cash via machine deposit / to be withdrawn by you at any ATM in Thailand. Be ready to lose some % on the way, standard practice.

Once you have cash on hand, cross the border to Laos or Cambodia, depending on where you are exactly. I.e. from Chiang Mai in Thailand, take a bus ao Vientiane in Laos; from the moment the ban is announced, to facilitate the trade, catch the bus and reach Laos (from Chiang Mai), it shouldn't take you longer than 12 hours.

◆Scenario 2: Physical Threat – Hostel Break-In and Theft

A more personal crisis would be to have a break-in in your hotel paired with theft, potentially compromising your laptop and phone, maybe also exposing your Monero wallet, making a quick reaction critical.

Whenever one of your devices is stolen, you have to assume that the wallet is compromised. Purchase a cheap smartphone from a small shop, pay in cash, set it up with a fresh SIM card and download CakeWallet. Restore your wallet using your secured seed phrase, wait for the sync to finish and create a new (!) XMR wallet afterwards, to which you send your funds. From phone purchase to full configuration of the new wallet should take you 2 - 3 hours.

◆Scenario 3: Natural Disaster – Flood in Phnom Penh

Natural disasters can occur almost at any time; just recently there was a heavy earthquake in Thailand and Myanmar, trapping many people, who suddenly had to fear for their lives.

Here in Cambodia it was all good; but here, different disasters can occur, including flash floods, as it has happened in the past already. With flooded roads and growing chaos, the most important thing, besides having cash on hand, is to have an escape route ready; a waterproof bag would come in handy as well. OTC cash trades can be facilitated quickly, or even better, you have a Cambodian bank account that you can top up with USDT (XMR → USDT via TrocadorApp → Top Up Bank Account).

Next step is to try and book a flight. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any platform that still offers XMR as a payment method, as Travala and Alternativeairlines.com both paused their XMR-support. Check for flights to Bangkok or Ho Chi Min, both destinations that have flights on a regular basis from Phnom Penh airport. If there are no flights available, you can try to take a bus or even hire a private driver, but this obviously depends on the flood-stage / feasibility to drive, at all.

Staying Ahead of The Game

◆Evolving Threat: 'XMR is For Terrorists!!111'

Whenever a new technology evolves, so too do the threats it faces from other technological forces, as well as from regulations and the market itself.

In the near future we will see governments labeling XMR 'terrorist money', and accordingly, XMR users 'terrorists'; something I have already warned about on X, you have to be ready for that. Governments can not stand it that there is a globally used P2P currency that they can't trace; they hate it, really.

Especially in the USA, Canada and the European Union the measures such as Anti Money Laundering directives will introduce stringent requirements. However, as long as the Monero community sticks together and works on decentralized solutions to trade and use XMR, they can't do much more than threaten us.

When it comes to the technological threats, the most prominent one is of course quantum computing, as quantum computers could eventually undermine privacy features.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no other cryptocurrency that can do what XMR does. A truly private-by-default, digital P2P currency, that can be used by anyone on this planet, no matter what the law says or will say in the future. It protects your financial privacy and if used in the right way, enhances your personal freedom in general.

However, the coming years might get tough, due to the fact mentioned in the previous paragraph. It is important that we come together, build together, envision and realize a truly circular economy based on XMR, that circumvents the TradFi goons and their henchmen entirely.

Never forget:

💡XMR is your shield. Your sword. Your ticket to stay free.

1. 1.Monerica

   A directory for a Monero circular economy, listing merchants, businesses, communities, education resources, exchanges, wallets, and more, aimed at fostering a network of Monero-accepting entities.

   https://monerica.com/ →
2. 2.Monero Graphics

   A collection of Monero-themed graphics freely available for public use, designed to promote the cryptocurrency through visual art and branding materials.

   https://monero.graphics/ →
3. 3.MilkRoad Hidden Service (Darkweb Music)

   A Tor-based hidden service hosting hacker music, including a significant collection of Monero-inspired tracks (e.g., "The Orange Album"), available for free download.

   http://milkroadlxxivkmsm.onion/ (Accessible via Tor network) →
4. 4.The Open Economy Initiative

   A project envisioning a future where money is free from control by individuals, institutions, or nations, providing resources and guides for merchants to accept Monero payments.

   https://openeconomy.cc/ →
5. 5.The Monero ATM Project

   A do-it-yourself (DIY) automated teller machine project running free software, enabling users to build their own Monero ATMs for buying and selling XMR.

   https://moneroatm.cc/ →
6. 6.Coin Payments

   A payment gateway allowing merchants to accept Monero (and other cryptocurrencies) via integration with e-commerce platforms like Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, and OpenCart.

   https://www.coinpayments.net/ →
7. 7.CryptAPI

   A service enabling website owners to accept Monero payments instantly using just their crypto address, simplifying cryptocurrency transactions for merchants.

   https://cryptapi.io/ →
8. 8.Cryptocurrency Checkout

   A payment gateway that integrates with platforms like BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, and WC Marketplace, allowing merchants to accept Monero and other cryptocurrencies.

   https://cryptocurrencycheckout.com/ →
9. 9.LitePay

   A payment solution for website owners, developers, and merchants to accept Monero and other cryptocurrencies easily, without requiring personal identification.

   https://litepay.ch/ →
10. 10.Monero WooCommerce Extension

    A WordPress plugin by mosu-forge and SerHack that enables WooCommerce stores to accept Monero payments directly, searchable and installable via the WordPress admin interface.

    https://wordpress.org/plugins/monero-woocommerce-extension/ →
11. 11.NanoGPT

    A service providing access to advanced AI models like ChatGPT and Claude without subscriptions, accepting Monero payments with a 5% discount for users.

    https://nanogpt.io/ →
12. 12.PayPerQ

    A pay-per-use AI chatbot service featuring models like GPT-4o and Sonnet 3.5, accepting Monero for its polished and functional interface.

    https://payperq.com/ →
13. 13.3rDegree Co Link

    An art project by street artist 3rDegree offering unique works for sale, with Monero accepted via email arrangements (not directly at checkout).

    https://3rdegree.art/ →
14. 14.projectVONA

    An audio engineering studio providing mixing, mastering, and ADR services for music and podcasts, accepting Monero payments through its contact page.

    https://projectvona.com/ →
15. 15.Autotek

    A car service business for all vehicle brands, offering repairs, reconstructions (e.g., off-road and camping cars), and custom builds, accepting Monero payments.

    https://autotek.ch/ →
16. 16.Independent Crypto Coaching

    A service offering crypto self-custody courses and individual coaching on privacy and security, providing a 5% discount for Monero payments.

    https://independentcryptocoaching.com/ →
17. 17.TOR66

    A Tor-based search engine designed for privacy-focused users, accepting Monero for donations or services to support its operations.

    http://tor66sezptuu2nta.onion/ (Accessible via Tor network) →
18. 18.Monero Observer

    A news and analysis platform focused on Monero-related developments, accepting Monero donations to sustain its coverage of the ecosystem.

    https://monero.observer/ →
19. 19.LocalMonero

    A peer-to-peer trading platform for buying and selling Monero directly with other users, similar to LocalBitcoins, facilitating private transactions.

    https://localmonero.co/ →
20. 20.Monero Jobs

    A job board where employers can post gigs payable in Monero, connecting freelancers and businesses within the Monero community.

    https://monero-jobs.com/ →
21. 21.Kevinhq

    An automation expert offering back-end process streamlining and custom system development, accepting Monero at an hourly rate of 0.07 XMR.

    https://kevinhq.com/ →
22. 22.JobsOnBlocks

    A crypto job board designed to streamline earning cryptocurrency, including Monero, by connecting job seekers and employers for crypto-based transactions.

    https://jobsonblocks.com/ →