Stake XMR

What Is Monero (XMR)?

Monero was launched in 2014, and its goal is simple: to allow transactions to take place privately and with anonymity. Even though it’s commonly thought that BTC can conceal a person’s identity, it’s often easy to trace payments back to their original source because blockchains are transparent. On the other hand, XMR is designed to obscure senders and recipients alike through the use of advanced cryptography. The team behind Monero say privacy and security are their biggest priorities, with ease of use and efficiency coming second. It aims to provide protection to all users — irrespective of how technologically competent they are. Overall, XMR aims to allow payments to be made quickly and inexpensively without fear of censorship.

Who Are the Founders of Monero?

Seven developers were initially involved in creating Monero — five of whom decided to remain anonymous. There have been rumors that XMR was also invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin. XMR’s origins can be traced back to Bytecoin, a privacy-focused and decentralized cryptocurrency that was launched in 2012. Two years later, a member of the Bitcointalk forum — only known as thankful_for_today — forked BCN’s codebase, and Monero was born. They had suggested “controversial changes” to Bytecoin that others in the community disagreed with and decided to take matters into their own hands. It’s believed that hundreds of developers have contributed to XMR over the years.

What Makes Monero Private?

Users shouldn't view all privacy cryptocurrencies as interchangeable or equivalent services because they don't all achieve privacy in the same way. For instance, XMR should be considered a technology that, when used properly, obscures user data on the blockchain, making it harder to identify its users.

What Gives Monero Value?

The secrecy and anonymity offered by Monero are what most users find valuable. It gives people the freedom to conduct cryptocurrency transactions anytime they want for any purpose without being concerned about being watched by the government, hackers or other outside parties. XMR coins cannot be traced, thus they cannot be blacklisted by businesses for alleged illicit connections. Investors who think that demand for privacy will rise in the future, raising the price and total market cap of XMR, may find value in Monero in addition to its use as a medium of exchange.

What Makes Monero Unique?

There are several things that make Monero unique. One of the project’s biggest aims is achieving the greatest level of decentralization possible, meaning that a user doesn’t need to trust anyone else on the network. Privacy is achieved through a few distinctive features. Whereas each Bitcoin in circulation has its own serial number, meaning that cryptocurrency usage can be monitored, XMR is completely fungible. By default, details about senders, recipients and the amount of crypto being transferred are obscured — and Monero advocates says this offers an upper hand over rival privacy coins such as Zcash, which are “selectively transparent.” Obfuscation is achieved through the use of ring signatures. Here, past transaction outputs are picked from the blockchain and act as decoys, meaning that outside observers can’t tell who signed it. If Ian was sending 200 XMR to Susan, this amount could also be split into random chunks to add a further level of difficulty. To ensure that transactions cannot be linked to one another, stealth addresses are created for every single transaction that are only used once. All of these distinctive features have led to XMR being increasingly used for illicit transactions instead of Bitcoin — especially on darknet markets. Governments around the world, especially the U.S., have also offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to anyone who can crack Monero’s code.

How Many Monero (XMR) Coins Are There in Circulation?

Monero is slightly unusual as a token sale wasn’t held for XMR — and no tokens were premined either. At the time of writing, the circulating supply of XMR stands at 18,188,773.23. This cryptocurrency is designed to be resistant to application-specific integrated circuits, which are commonly used for mining new Bitcoin. In theory, this means that it can be possible to mine XMR using everyday computing equipment. Overall, there will eventually be a total of 18.4 million XMR in circulation — and this cap is expected to be reached on May 31, 2022. After this, miners will be incentivized using “tail emissions,” with a small amount of XMR being fed into the system every 60 seconds as a reward. It is believed this approach is more effective than relying on transaction fees.

How Is the Monero Network Secured?

One of Monero’s main goals has to prevent centralization — and this network uses a consensus mechanism called CryptoNight, which is based on proof-of-work. This prevents large mining farms from becoming a dominant force.

Where Can You Buy Monero (XMR)?

Because of its nature as a privacy coin, XMR isn’t listed on some major exchanges. For example, although you can buy XMR on Binance, it isn’t supported by Coinbase. As a result, you may need to convert your fiat into Bitcoin and go through a smaller trading platform. This guide helps explain how you can convert fiat currencies into crypto with ease. As it’s use grows there has been increased interest in the XMR to AUD and XMR to EUR price pairs.

Mining on Monero

Monero uses a Proof-of-Work algorithm, RandomX, to validate transactions. The method was introduced in November 2019 to replace the former algorithm CryptoNightR. Both were designed to be ASIC-resistant. Monero can be mined somewhat efficiently on consumer-grade hardware, such as x86, x86-64, ARM and GPUs, a design decision that was based on Monero's opposition to mining centralization that ASIC mining creates. However, it has also resulted in Monero's popularity among malware-based non-consensual miners. In October of 2021, the Monero project introduced P2Pool, a mining pool running on a sidechain that gives participants full control of their node as with solo mining configurations.

Related Pages:

Find out about Zcash, another privacy coin All you need to know about the basics of crypto What is a ring signature? CoinMarketCap Blog: Interviews with top crypto influencers

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that securely records transactions across multiple computers in a verifiable and permanent way. It forms the underlying technology for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and enables transparency, security, and immutability.

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of currency that uses cryptography for security. It operates on decentralized networks, typically based on blockchain technology, and facilitates secure and transparent peer-to-peer transactions.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto. It operates on a decentralized peer-to-peer network and is used for secure, transparent, and censorship-resistant transactions.

What is the difference between Bitcoin and Altcoins?

Bitcoin is the original and most widely recognized cryptocurrency, while altcoins refer to any other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin. Examples of altcoins include Ethereum, Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and many others.

What is Staking?

Staking involves participants locking up a certain amount of cryptocurrency in a wallet to support the operations of a blockchain network. It is commonly associated with proof-of-stake (PoS) and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus mechanisms, where participants receive rewards for helping secure the network.

How Can I Stake Cryptocurrency?

To stake cryptocurrency, you typically need to choose a platform or network that supports staking. Transfer your tokens to a compatible wallet, follow the staking instructions provided by the platform, and lock up the desired amount of cryptocurrency. Once staked, you may start earning rewards.

What Are Staking Rewards and How Are They Calculated?

Staking rewards are incentives provided to participants who lock up their cryptocurrency to support the network. The amount of rewards varies and is influenced by factors such as the network's inflation rate, the total amount staked, and the specific rules of the staking protocol.

Can I Unstake My Cryptocurrency at Any Time?

The ability to unstake and withdraw your cryptocurrency depends on the specific staking protocol and network. Some platforms may have lock-up periods or unbonding periods during which your staked tokens are inaccessible. Always check the terms and conditions of the staking service.

What are the Risks of Staking?

Staking comes with risks, including the potential loss of staked funds if a participant behaves maliciously or fails to fulfill their responsibilities. Market volatility can also impact the value of staked tokens. It's crucial to thoroughly research the staking protocol and understand the associated risks.

Can I Lose Money by Staking?

While staking is designed to be a rewarding activity, there is a risk of losing money, especially if the value of the staked cryptocurrency decreases or if the staking protocol encounters security issues. It's important to consider both the potential rewards and risks before participating in staking.