How to buy Monero without KYC
Most big exchanges dropped Monero, and a few of the sites people used to recommend are now dead or seized. Here is what still works, from easiest to most private.
Move your Monero to your own wallet the moment a trade finishes. Everything here can freeze or lose your funds while they sit with them, and one option was seized by police in 2025.
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Which method for you
- Already hold crypto? Swap it. An instant swap for small amounts, an atomic swap for larger ones.
- Only have a bank account? Buy Bitcoin or Litecoin somewhere, move it to your own wallet, then swap it to Monero.
- Want it in two clicks and don't mind ID? A few exchanges still sell it. They will know you hold Monero.
Instant swaps
Paste an address, send a coin, get Monero back. No account. This is the fastest way in, and for small amounts it usually just works.
The catch: "no-KYC" means "no-KYC until the fraud bot flags you." Any of these can freeze a swap partway through and demand ID, most often on privacy coins and larger amounts. kycnot.me rates them all about the same:
Where to buy, no KYC → Which no-KYC venues are up right now, how their escrow works, and their verified links.
| Service | kycnot.me | KYC risk |
|---|---|---|
| eigenwallet (atomic swap) | 10/10 | Guaranteed no KYC |
| StealthEX | 4/10 | Can freeze & ask for ID |
| ChangeNOW | 4/10 | Can freeze & ask for ID |
| Exolix / SimpleSwap / FixedFloat | ~3–4/10 | Same freeze-on-flag model |
To lower the odds of a freeze: pick a fixed-rate quote, set a refund address, keep the amount modest, or use an aggregator like Trocador to choose a low-risk provider. Cake Wallet's built-in Swap does the same from inside a wallet.
Use instant swaps for pocket change, not your savings. For anything you would hate to lose, use an atomic swap instead.
Atomic swaps
A direct Bitcoin-to-Monero trade with no company in the middle, so there is nothing to freeze. The tool is eigenwallet (formerly UnstoppableSwap), which kycnot.me scores 10/10, "guaranteed no KYC." You need Bitcoin first, it uses timelocks so it is not instant, and it is still beta, so test small. This is the one to use for real amounts.
Buy from an exchange
A few big exchanges still list Monero: Kraken (US customers), MEXC, KuCoin, and Gate.io. This is the easiest path by far. Deep liquidity, buy with a card or bank transfer, done in minutes.
You verify your ID, and the exchange keeps a permanent record that you bought Monero. That link between your name and XMR does not go away when you withdraw. If you are buying Monero for privacy, this defeats the point. If you just want some and don't mind being on record, it is fine. Withdraw to your own wallet right after either way. Availability shifts by region, so check first.
Peer-to-peer & cash
Buying from another person, sometimes with cash. Harder than it used to be since LocalMonero closed.
- Bisq — non-custodial, long track record. Its Bitcoin market is the active one, so many buy BTC here and atomic-swap to Monero.
- RoboSats — buy Bitcoin with cash or bank transfer over Tor, then swap.
- Haveno / RetoSwap — the closest thing to old LocalMonero, but it was drained twice in 2026. Confirm it is patched and back online before trusting it, and keep amounts small.
Mine it
Monero mines on an ordinary CPU. Point a machine at a pool like P2Pool and earn small amounts with no signup and no ID. Slow, and only worth it with cheap power, but it is the one way to get Monero without buying it from anyone.
What to avoid
Dead or seized. Ignore any guide that still lists these:
- LocalMonero / AgoraDesk — offline since November 2024.
- TradeOgre — seized by the RCMP in September 2025.
- Majestic Bank, eXch — both shut down in 2025.
Lookalike domains for any of them are scams.
Safety checklist
- Move Monero to your own wallet right after any trade.
- Prefer fixed-rate swaps over floating.
- Always set a refund address.
- Test with a small amount first.
- Double-check the address, first and last characters, by QR if you can.
- Not sure about a service? Look it up on kycnot.me first.
FAQ
Is buying Monero legal? In most countries, yes. Regulators pushed exchanges to delist it, which limits where it is sold, but does not ban owning it. Check your local law if unsure.
Why did my swap freeze? The service's fraud system flagged it, held the funds, and wants ID. Atomic swaps avoid this because no company holds your coins.
Which no-KYC option is best? An atomic swap through eigenwallet, if you want something that cannot freeze you. The instant swaps are roughly interchangeable; a good or bad experience mostly comes down to whether your swap trips a flag.