ABOUT MONERO
Your comprehensive guide to Monero (XMR) — the world's leading privacy cryptocurrency built on the CryptoNote protocol. Learn how the RandomX proof-of-work algorithm makes CPU mining accessible to everyone, understand the privacy technologies that make XMR transactions untraceable and unlinkable, explore the tail emission tokenomics model, and discover why mining XMR with a pool is the most reliable way to earn consistent cryptocurrency rewards.
MONERO NETWORK HISTORY
Network hashrate and difficulty since genesis block (April 2014)
Loading network history...
MONERO MARKET DATA
Market Cap Rank
—
Market Cap
—
24H Volume
—
Circulating Supply
—
24H Change
—
7D Change
—
30D Change
—
All-Time High
—
MONERO MARKETS
Market data currently unavailable
LIVE NETWORK STATS
Network Hashrate
—
Network Difficulty
—
Block Height
—
Pool Hashrate
—
Pool Miners
—
Pool Workers
—
Avg Block Time
—
Last Block Found
—
MONERO AT A GLANCE
Algorithm
RandomX
Block Time
~120 seconds
Block Reward
~0.6 XMR (tail emission)
Max Supply
Infinite (tail emission)
Privacy
Ring Signatures, Stealth Addresses, RingCT
Launch Date
April 18, 2014
Consensus
Proof of Work (CPU-friendly)
Mining Hardware
CPU (ASIC-resistant)
What is Monero?
Monero (XMR) is the leading privacy-focused cryptocurrency, launched on April 18, 2014 as a fork of Bytecoin. Built on the CryptoNote protocol, Monero was designed from the ground up to provide complete financial privacy. Unlike Bitcoin and most other cryptocurrencies where all transactions are publicly visible on the blockchain, Monero uses advanced cryptographic techniques to ensure that sender addresses, receiver addresses, and transaction amounts remain completely private and untraceable by default. There are no optional privacy features — every single Monero transaction is private. This makes Monero the gold standard for financial privacy in the cryptocurrency space and the most widely used privacy coin in the world. Monero is maintained by a decentralized community of developers and contributors with no central company or foundation controlling its development.
How Does Monero Mining Work?
Monero uses the RandomX proof-of-work algorithm, which was specifically designed to be optimized for general-purpose CPUs and resistant to ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) and GPUs. This is achieved through random code execution and memory-hard techniques that leverage the strengths of modern CPU architectures including large caches, branch prediction, and out-of-order execution. Miners validate pending transactions, bundle them into blocks, and solve the RandomX computational puzzle to add new blocks to the blockchain. When a miner successfully finds a valid block, they earn the block reward in XMR. The Monero network targets a block time of approximately 120 seconds (2 minutes), and the mining difficulty adjusts every block using a rolling window algorithm to maintain this consistent interval regardless of total network hashrate fluctuations.
Why Mine XMR?
Monero stands out as one of the most accessible and egalitarian cryptocurrencies to mine. The RandomX algorithm deliberately levels the playing field by favoring consumer-grade CPUs over expensive specialized mining hardware like ASICs. This means anyone with a modern desktop computer, laptop, or even a VPS can participate in mining and earn meaningful rewards. Unlike Bitcoin mining, which requires thousands of dollars in specialized hardware, Monero mining requires no additional investment beyond the computer you already own. Pool mining allows miners to combine their hashpower to find blocks more consistently and receive regular payouts proportional to their contribution, making income more predictable. The low barrier to entry and fair distribution make Monero mining an excellent entry point for anyone interested in cryptocurrency.
Privacy & Technology
Monero employs three core privacy technologies that work together to provide comprehensive transaction privacy. Ring Signatures obscure the sender by mixing their transaction input with decoy inputs from other transactions on the blockchain, making it computationally infeasible to determine which input is the real one. Stealth Addresses generate a unique one-time address for every transaction on behalf of the receiver, so no two transactions can be linked to the same recipient address on the blockchain. RingCT (Ring Confidential Transactions) cryptographically hides the transaction amount while still allowing the network to verify that no coins were created out of thin air. Additionally, Dandelion++ is used to obscure the IP address origin of transactions by routing them through a random path before broadcasting to the network. Together, these technologies make Monero transactions untraceable, unlinkable, and fungible by default — meaning every XMR coin is interchangeable and has no tainted history.
XMR Tokenomics & Emission
Monero has a unique disinflationary emission schedule designed to provide long-term sustainability. The main emission curve gradually decreases the block reward over time, similar to Bitcoin's halving model but as a smooth curve rather than discrete steps. After the main emission was completed in June 2022, a permanent 'tail emission' of 0.6 XMR per block began. This means Monero will continue to produce approximately 432 XMR per day indefinitely, ensuring miners always have a meaningful incentive to secure the network. This tail emission solves a critical problem that Bitcoin will face — when block rewards approach zero, network security may rely entirely on transaction fees, which could be insufficient. Monero's approach ensures the network remains secure regardless of transaction fee levels. The current circulating supply exceeds 18.4 million XMR with an annual inflation rate below 1% and decreasing over time.
Pool Mining Benefits
Solo mining Monero means you only earn rewards when you personally find a block, which can take days, weeks, or even months depending on your hashrate relative to the network difficulty. Pool mining solves this variance problem by allowing hundreds or thousands of miners to work together. When any miner in the pool finds a block, the reward is distributed proportionally based on each miner's contributed hashpower. This results in smaller but much more frequent and predictable payouts. Our mining pool provides low fees, reliable infrastructure with high uptime, real-time statistics and monitoring for all your workers, and multiple payout schemes including PPLNS and solo mining options. Whether you have a single computer or a farm of machines, pool mining ensures you receive consistent returns for your contribution to the network.
Network Security & Decentralization
Every Monero miner contributes to the security and decentralization of the network. The proof-of-work consensus mechanism ensures that no single entity can control the blockchain or reverse transactions without commanding a majority of the network's total hashrate. Monero's ASIC-resistant RandomX algorithm plays a crucial role in decentralization — because mining can be done efficiently on consumer hardware, the hashrate is distributed across a much larger number of individual miners worldwide compared to ASIC-dominated networks. This broad distribution of mining power makes 51% attacks significantly more difficult and expensive. The Monero community actively monitors for and responds to any attempts to develop ASICs for RandomX, and has historically hard-forked to change the mining algorithm when ASIC dominance was detected. This commitment to CPU mining ensures the network remains accessible to individual participants.
Getting Started with XMR
Getting started with Monero mining is straightforward. First, you need a Monero wallet to receive your mining rewards — the official Monero GUI wallet or CLI wallet can be downloaded from getmonero.org, or you can use a reputable mobile wallet like Cake Wallet or Monerujo. Next, download mining software such as XMRig, which is the most popular and efficient Monero mining application available for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Configure XMRig with your pool address and your Monero wallet address, then start mining. Our pool's How to Mine guide provides detailed step-by-step instructions with optimized configurations for different operating systems and hardware. You can monitor your mining progress, hashrate, workers, and payments in real-time through our pool dashboard.
RANDOMX ALGORITHM
RandomX is a proof-of-work algorithm designed to be CPU-friendly. It uses random code execution and memory-hard techniques to ensure that CPUs remain competitive against specialized hardware.
The algorithm requires a large scratchpad (2 GB dataset) which must fit in RAM, and executes randomly generated programs in a virtual machine. This design makes it extremely difficult and expensive to build ASICs or FPGAs for mining.
Monero adopted RandomX in November 2019 as part of its commitment to maintaining a decentralized network where anyone with a CPU can participate in mining.
CPU OPTIMIZED
Designed to run efficiently on modern x86-64 CPUs with AES-NI and large caches.
ASIC RESISTANT
Random code execution and memory-hard design make specialized hardware impractical.
GPU DISADVANTAGED
GPUs can mine RandomX but are significantly less efficient per watt compared to CPUs.
2 GB DATASET
Requires 2 GB RAM for full mode (fast), or 256 MB for light mode (slower).
MONERO EMISSION CURVE
Total supply over time, including the 0.6 XMR/block tail emission starting at block 2,641,623.
Unlike Bitcoin's hard cap of 21M, Monero has a perpetual tail emission of 0.6 XMR per block (~157,680 XMR/year), ensuring miners are always incentivized to secure the network.
XMR vs BTC vs ETH
| Feature | XMR | BTC | ETH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithm | RandomX (CPU) | SHA-256 (ASIC) | Proof of Stake |
| Privacy | Default | Transparent | Transparent |
| Block Time | ~2 min | ~10 min | ~12 sec |
| Max Supply | Infinite (tail emission) | 21M | No cap |
| CPU Mineable | Yes | No | No |
| Tx Privacy Tech | Ring Signatures, Stealth Addresses, RingCT | None (optional mixers) | None |
| Dynamic Block Size | Yes | No | Yes |
Monero History & Key Upgrades
Launched as BitMonero, a fork of Bytecoin. Community quickly rebranded to Monero (Esperanto for "coin").
Critical fix to block reward penalty calculation, preventing network instability.
Ring Confidential Transactions introduced, hiding transaction amounts on-chain for the first time.
Emergency hard fork to block Bitmain's CryptoNight ASICs — affirming Monero's commitment to CPU mining.
Replaced Borromean range proofs with Bulletproofs, reducing transaction sizes by ~80% and cutting fees significantly.
New CPU-optimized, ASIC-resistant proof-of-work algorithm deployed — the most significant mining algorithm change in Monero's history.
Compact Linkable Spontaneous Anonymous Group signatures reduced transaction sizes by ~25%.
Improved Bulletproofs further reducing proof sizes and verification time.
Main emission curve completed. Permanent 0.6 XMR/block tail emission ensures perpetual miner incentives.
Full Chain Membership Proofs will replace ring signatures, providing cryptographic privacy over the entire chain.
MONERO MINING PROFITABILITY CALCULATOR
Estimate your Monero mining earnings based on your hashrate, electricity cost and fees.
| Period | Gross Earnings | Pool Fee | Miner Fee | Electricity | Net Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading network data... | |||||
Calculations use live network difficulty and current block reward from the daemon. Actual results vary with network conditions.
Note: Mining software may charge an additional dev fee — XMRig (~1%), SRBMiner-MULTI (~0.85%). Select your miner from the "Miner Fee" dropdown for accurate calculations.
MONERO MINING BENCHMARKS
Real-world hashrate and efficiency data for Monero mining hardware.
Calculations use live network difficulty and current block reward from the daemon. Actual results vary with network conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monero truly anonymous?
Monero provides strong privacy by default through Ring Signatures, Stealth Addresses, and RingCT. Every transaction hides the sender, receiver, and amount. While no system is 100% perfect, Monero is widely considered the most private cryptocurrency available and is the standard for financial privacy in crypto.
Can I mine XMR with a GPU?
The RandomX algorithm is specifically designed for CPUs and actually runs slower on GPUs. While GPU mining is technically possible, it is not cost-effective. A modern CPU will outperform most GPUs at RandomX mining while consuming less power. This is by design — it keeps mining accessible and decentralized.
How much XMR can I earn per day?
Earnings depend on your CPU hashrate and the current network difficulty. A typical desktop CPU (5,000-15,000 H/s) earns a small fraction of XMR per day. Check the Mining Profitability Reference section above for estimates at various hashrate levels. Pool mining provides more consistent payouts compared to solo mining.
What is tail emission and why does it matter?
Monero's main emission ended in July 2022. Since then, a permanent tail emission of 0.6 XMR per block (~432 XMR/day) ensures miners always have an incentive to secure the network. This solves a fundamental problem — without guaranteed block rewards, network security depends entirely on transaction fees, which may not be sufficient.
Is XMR mining still profitable?
Profitability depends on your electricity cost and hardware. XMR mining is unique because it requires no specialized hardware — you can mine with the CPU you already own. If your electricity is cheap (or free, like in some shared hosting scenarios), XMR mining can be profitable. The low barrier to entry means you can start with zero additional hardware investment.
What is the best mining software for XMR?
XMRig is the most popular and efficient mining software for XMR. It's open-source, supports Windows/Linux/macOS, and includes advanced features like CPU affinity and huge pages support. Visit our How to Mine page for optimized configurations and step-by-step setup instructions.
Pool mining vs Solo mining — which should I choose?
Pool mining is recommended for most miners. Solo mining only pays when YOU find a block, which could take weeks or months with a single CPU. Pool mining combines hashpower from all miners and distributes rewards proportionally, giving you smaller but much more frequent and predictable payouts. Solo mining is only practical if you have very high hashrate.
Can Monero transactions be traced?
Monero uses multiple privacy layers that work together. Ring Signatures hide the sender among decoy inputs, Stealth Addresses create one-time addresses for each transaction, RingCT hides amounts, and Dandelion++ obscures IP addresses. There is no known method to reliably trace Monero transactions. This privacy is mandatory — there are no "transparent" transactions in Monero.
RESOURCES & LINKS
Market Data
READY TO START MINING XMR?
Join our pool and start earning rewards today.