Coins field guide

Monero.

Private digital cash by default.

Monero is an open-source payment network designed to hide the sender, receiver, and amount on-chain by default. Privacy is the normal transaction mode—not an optional switch.

What it isWhy it mattersWhat can go wrongWhat to do next

NetworkRandomX Proof of Work

SupplyTail emission; no fixed cap

Birthday / launchApril 18, 2014 — Monero launched

Know the backstory

April 18, 2014 — Monero launched

Built by: A community-led open-source project; launched from the CryptoNote codebase

Monero launched in April 2014 through a public, pre-announced release with no premine or instamine. The early community rejected proposed changes from the original maintainer and continued the project under a community-led core team.

Why it stands apart

Privacy is mandatory, not a special transaction type.

Monero uses one-time stealth addresses to obscure recipients, ring signatures to obscure which output was spent, and RingCT to hide amounts. Every standard transaction uses the privacy system, helping transactions blend together instead of separating private users from transparent ones.

Bottom line: Monero is designed for fungible, private digital cash. It can reduce blockchain surveillance, but it cannot erase information leaked by your device, an exchange, a counterparty, or your own behavior.

Follow the money

What happens after you hit send.

A wallet creates one-time destination data from the recipient's published Monero address.
The wallet chooses decoy outputs and creates a ring signature so an observer cannot identify the real spent output.
RingCT commitments hide the amount while still allowing the network to verify that inputs and outputs balance.
RandomX miners order valid transactions into blocks, and nodes verify the cryptography and supply rules.
The recipient's wallet scans the chain with its private view key to detect funds intended for it.

Know the economics

Where new XMR comes from.

Monero's main emission ended in 2022. Its tail emission now creates up to 0.6 XMR per roughly two-minute block, providing a permanent mining incentive while the percentage inflation rate declines over time.

Protect the downside

The mistake you cannot undo.

Privacy is not automatic operational security. A compromised device, malicious wallet, exchange records, address reuse outside the protocol, network metadata, or a counterparty can expose identity. Verify official wallet downloads and never share spend keys or recovery seeds.

Go beyond the summary

The subject in plain English.

Monero is a separate system with its own rules, people, and trade-offs. This page explains the basics in plain English so you can understand it before deciding whether to use it.

Start with the plain version

Monero is an open-source payment network designed to hide the sender, receiver, and amount on-chain by default. Privacy is the normal transaction mode—not an optional switch.

Its birthday and backstory

April 18, 2014 — Monero launched. Monero launched in April 2014 through a public, pre-announced release with no premine or instamine. The early community rejected proposed changes from the original maintainer and continued the project under a community-led core team.

Who is behind it?

A community-led open-source project; launched from the CryptoNote codebase. Names can explain a project’s history, but they do not make an asset safe or guarantee its future.

What keeps the record

Monero uses RandomX Proof of Work. Monero combines stealth addresses, ring signatures, and Ring Confidential Transactions so public observers cannot read its ledger the way they read transparent blockchains.

Supply, fees, and incentives

The part to take seriously

What people use it for

Where this matters.

Learn how the network records activity
Understand the difference between the asset, the network, and the company around it
Recognize the correct network before a transfer
Check whether a wallet or service actually supports this asset

Before you act

Verify before you sign.

Find the project through an official link, not an ad, reply, or direct message.
Confirm the exact name, ticker, network, and token or contract address.
Do not share a recovery phrase, private key, or remote access with anyone.
Use a small test transaction before moving an amount that matters.
Treat every purchase, yield offer, or app approval as a separate risk decision.

Common questions

Clear answers before money moves.

When did Monero begin? +

April 18, 2014 — Monero launched

Who built Monero? +

A community-led open-source project; launched from the CryptoNote codebase

What blockchain does it use? +

Monero uses RandomX Proof of Work. Monero uses one-time stealth addresses to obscure recipients, ring signatures to obscure which output was spent, and RingCT to hide amounts. Every standard transaction uses the privacy system, helping transactions blend together instead of separating private users from transparent ones.

What is the safest first step? +

Read the official documentation, verify the correct network, and make a tiny test before connecting a meaningful wallet or sending a meaningful amount.

Primary sources