Introduction to Monero (XMR) Cryptocurrency
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
LINKEDIN
By SHOBHIT SETH
Updated Jan 17, 2021
What Is Monero (XMR) Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrencies are increasing in popularity. These are virtual or digital currencies that are decentralized and can be used to trade or spend using blockchain technology. Many of them are aimed to enhance privacy and anonymity, although their success varied. A few of these currencies allow public viewing of all transactions, while others make privacy optional. And still, others keep the privacy feature strictly implicit.
When most of us think of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is usually the first one that comes to mind. It was one of the first of its kind, using peer-to-peer technology to allow users to make payments with their coins. But there's another currency that has achieved a high level of popularity and acceptance, mainly for its privacy-oriented features. This one is called Monero. This article explains the key concepts, features, and challenges of Monero.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Monero is an open-source, privacy-oriented cryptocurrency that was launched in 2014.
Its blockchain is opaque, which makes transaction details and the amount of every transaction anonymous by disguising the addresses used by participants.
Investors can mine Monero using their own CPUs, which means they don't need to pay for special hardware.
Its privacy features make Monero easy to use for illicit activities as well as for use on the dark web.
Understanding Monero (XMR) Cryptocurrency
Monero (XMR) is an open-source, privacy-oriented cryptocurrency that was launched in 2014.1 It is built and operates on the concept. These blockchains, which form the underlying technology behind digital currencies, are public ledgers of participants' activities that show all the transactions on the network.
Monero's blockchain is intentionally configured to be opaque. It makes transaction details, like the identity of senders and recipients, and the amount of every transaction, anonymous by disguising the addresses used by participants.1
Along with anonymity, the mining process for Monero is based on an egalitarian concept. This is the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal opportunities. Its developers did not keep any stake for themselves when they launched Monero but they did bank on contributions and community support to further develop the virtual currency.1
As of Jan. 15, 2021, Monero was trading at $155.94 and had a market capitalization of $2.778 billion. That's a stark difference from the closing price of $65.68 on Jan. 15, 2020. The market cap on that date was $1.143 billion.2 That's a jump of more than 137%.
How Is Monero Different from Bitcoin?
As mentioned above, Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency on the market. It works on a protocol that attempts to shield the participant's identity using pseudo name addresses. These pseudo names are randomly generated combinations of alphabets and numbers.
But this approach offers limited privacy as both Bitcoin addresses and transactions are registered on the blockchain, opening them to public access. Even pseudonymous addresses are not fully private. A few transactions carried on by a participant over time can be linked to the same address, allowing the possibility of others to become aware of an address owner's trends and their identity.3
Another advantage of Monero over bitcoin is fungibility. This means that two units of a currency can be mutually substituted with no difference between them. While two $1 bills are equal in value, they are not fungible, as each carries a unique serial number. In contrast, two one-ounce gold bars of the same grade are fungible, as both have the same value and don’t carry any distinguishing features. Using this analogy, a bitcoin is the $1 bill, while a Monero is that piece of gold.4
The transaction history of each bitcoin is recorded on the blockchain. It allows identifying bitcoin units that may be linked to certain events, like fraud, gambling, or theft, which paves the way for blocking, suspending, or closing accounts that hold such units. Imagine receiving a few bitcoins today that were previously used for gambling, and they are banned in the future, leading to a loss.
Monero has a non-traceable transaction history, which offers participants a much safer network where they don’t run the risk of having their held units be refused or blacklisted by others.4
Monero is among the top 20 most popular cryptocurrencies in the industry.
How Does Monero Improve Privacy?
Monero alleviates privacy concerns using the concepts of ring signatures and stealth addresses. Ring signatures enable a sender to conceal their identity from other participants in a group. Ring signatures are anonymous digital signatures from one member of the group, but they don’t reveal which member signs a transaction.4
To generate a ring signature, the Monero platform uses a combination of a sender’s account keys and clubs it with public keys on the blockchain. This makes it unique as well as private. It hides the sender's identity, as it is computationally impossible to ascertain which of the group members' keys was used to produce the complex signature.4
Stealth addresses add additional privacy, as these randomly generated addresses for one-time use are created for each transaction on behalf of the recipient. The use of these stealth addresses enables concealing the actual destination address of a transaction, and it hides the identity of the receiving participant.4
Ring Confidential Transactions, or RingCT, also enable hiding the amount of a transaction. After achieving success in hiding the identities of senders and receivers, the RingCT functionality was introduced in January 2017 and is mandatory for all transactions executed on the Monero network.4
Monero's Challenges
While privacy fuels the rapid adoption of Monero, it also brings with it several challenges. For instance, the non-traceability and privacy features allow them to be used for disreputable purposes and at questionable marketplaces, including those like drugs and gambling. This is one of the reasons why markets that were popular on the dark web, like AlphaBay and Oasis, showed increased use of Monero before they were shut down.5
Reports by CNBC cite the case of hackers creating malicious software that infected computers to mine Monero and send it to North Korea. Monero is essentially open to be used for illicit activities and for evading law enforcement, as it remains outside of capital controls with no traceability.6
How to Mine Monero
Monero runs on all leading OS platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD. The currency supports a mining process where individuals get rewarded for their activities by joining mining pools, or they can mine coins individually.
Monero mining can be performed on a standard computer and does not need any specific hardware such as the application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). An ASIC is a costly form of hardware that is commonly used to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Instead, you can use the CPU or GPU of your own computer to mine the currency. A full list of hardware that can be used is available on the Monero website. Users can also install certain software, which may cost a developer fee.7
According to the company's website, Monero relies on proof-of-work mining.7 This is an algorithm that provides security to certain cryptocurrencies like Monero. This system prevents problems surrounding double-spending, which can skew the supply, showing there's much more than actually available.8
Purchasing the currency is as easy as going on an exchange or looking for a seller who's willing to unload their supply. You can also buy Monero through an automated teller machine (ATM) that is enabled for cryptocurrencies.
You don't need any special hardware to mine Monero. The currency runs on all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD
Monero FAQs
Is Monero Illegal?
Monero is not an illegal cryptocurrency. Unlike others, it is privacy-oriented cryptocurrency that provides users with anonymity. This means it is not traceable. This characteristic, however, does make it very popular on the darknet and for use with certain activities such as gambling and the sale of drugs.
Is Monero a Good Investment?
If you're interested in cryptocurrencies, Monero may be a good investment. The price of the currency jumped more than 137% between Jan. 15, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2021. Additionally, it doesn't cost much to start, as you don't need any special hardware. You can actually use the CPU of your own computer to mine it, and Monero works with all major operating systems. This will save you a lot of money in fees and charges.
Where Can I Buy Monero?
You can purchase Monero through a digital or virtual currency exchange. Or you can search for an individual seller or an ATM enabled for cryptocurrencies.
How Long Does It Take to Mine One Monero?
It can take about two minutes to mine one coin, although there is no maximum block size.1
Can XMR Be Traced?
Monero, or XMR, is untraceable. Unlike other coins, such as Bitcoin, Monero has a non-traceable transaction history. This characteristic offers participants a much safer network where they don’t run the risk of having their held units be refused or blacklisted by others.
The Bottom Line
Cryptocurrencies are a very popular investment for many people. But the popularity—and price—of Bitcoin may be a turnoff. But there are plenty of other virtual currencies that you can purchase and trade that may be easier in which to invest, notably Monero.
The privacy-rich attributes have helped Monero become one of the largest cryptocurrencies in the world based on its market capitalization as of January 2021, according to CoinMarketCap. Investors can trade in Monero on leading cryptocurrency exchanges like Kraken, Poloniex, and Bitfinex. However, its important to remember that what makes Monero so popular—namely, its privacy features—can also lead to some major challenges, such as its use in illegal activities.
Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings (“ICOs”) is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein. As of the date this article was written, the author owns/does not own cryptocurrency.
эпоха ethereum bitcoin bcn
bitcoin cloud
monero ann bitcoin carding надежность bitcoin ethereum токены bitcoin yandex криптовалюта monero bitcoin ecdsa bitcoin будущее ethereum видеокарты bitcoin direct bitrix bitcoin bitcoin qiwi bitcoin ethereum исходники bitcoin bitcoin grant bio bitcoin
bitcoin rpg настройка monero торрент bitcoin bitcoin ann bitcoin зарабатывать bitcoin apple майнинга bitcoin bitcoin crane bitcoin окупаемость reddit bitcoin daemon bitcoin ethereum contracts
bitcoin balance отзывы ethereum обмен tether bitcoin plus
bitcoin кошельки StatusNimbusNimbitcoin pdf торговать bitcoin tether майнить bitcoin weekend
bitcoin 4000 3Criticismвложения bitcoin
Misconceptions About BitcoinThe public collapse of the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange service was not due to any weakness in the bitcoin system. Rather, the organization collapsed because of mismanagement and the company's unwillingness to invest in appropriate security measures. Mt. Gox had a large bank with no security guards.адрес bitcoin bitcoin genesis bitcoin all tether новости bitcoin bitcoin daily боты bitcoin
weekend bitcoin bitcoin коллектор hyip bitcoin bitcoin сервисы график bitcoin top cryptocurrency бесплатный bitcoin bitcoin golden bitcoin в
forex bitcoin ethereum install bitcoin пицца connect bitcoin bitcoin tm deep bitcoin bitcoin запрет компания bitcoin блог bitcoin buy ethereum
bitcoin atm claim bitcoin комиссия bitcoin bitcoin вложить bitcoin компания bitcoin usd uk bitcoin bitcoin word
tether cryptocurrency exchange
bitcoin автоматически bitcoin weekly sha256 bitcoin bitcoin bonus криптовалюта tether bitcoin компания bank bitcoin хешрейт ethereum green bitcoin bitcoin elena bitcoin clicks bitcoin zebra ethereum project python bitcoin ethereum акции xbt bitcoin 2016 bitcoin
bitcoin fpga auction bitcoin nicehash bitcoin bitcoin instagram bitcoin 4 кости bitcoin bitcoin start bitcoin hardfork bitcoin cz bitcoin auto secp256k1 ethereum ethereum вывод x2 bitcoin bitcoin purse moneypolo bitcoin wirex bitcoin
ethereum calculator
fast bitcoin exchange ethereum alpha bitcoin пицца bitcoin cryptocurrency forum cryptocurrency reddit ethereum android nova bitcoin bitcoin 123 bitcoin galaxy ethereum swarm bitcoin bloomberg maps bitcoin адрес bitcoin bitcoin rt книга bitcoin skrill bitcoin
исходники bitcoin пример bitcoin ethereum кошельки cryptocurrency ico ethereum info gold cryptocurrency bitcoin 4096 ютуб bitcoin mikrotik bitcoin 1070 ethereum
bitcoin swiss bitcoin png биржа bitcoin txid ethereum
обменник tether The only other major verification process in place is known as 'proof of stake.' Instead of having people use tons of resources trying to solve complex equations to verify transactions, the proof of stake model chooses who gets to verify the next block of transactions based on their ownership in a virtual currency. In essence, the more you own, the better chance you have of getting to verify transactions. With proof of stake, there is no competition among your peers and no excessive energy usage while solving complex equations, which can make it much more cost-effective.bitcoin project takara bitcoin map bitcoin space bitcoin bitcoin windows tp tether
майнинга bitcoin trade cryptocurrency часы bitcoin bistler bitcoin bitcoin kaufen фото bitcoin testnet bitcoin 16 bitcoin ethereum видеокарты rpg bitcoin bitcoin vector lealana bitcoin bitcoin net 4000 bitcoin bitcoin заработок bitcoin bitcointalk майнинга bitcoin the ethereum лучшие bitcoin bitcoin проблемы group bitcoin bitcoin change bitcoin инструкция bitcoin goldman block bitcoin dwarfpool monero
bitcoin half monero wallet bitcoin создать forum ethereum waves bitcoin tether android bitcoin bcc
bitcoin карта bitcoin q love bitcoin bitcoin mine bitcoin blender etoro bitcoin китай bitcoin bitcoin серфинг Ethereum’s creator Vitalik Buterin wanted to build a blockchain that was more advanced than Bitcoin’s. He wanted to create a platform that could do more than just be a digital currency.Litecoin Miningbitcoin 2048 ccminer monero bitcoin trader nanopool ethereum easy bitcoin anomayzer bitcoin bitcoin кран проекта ethereum bitcoin spinner ethereum browser криптовалюта monero
ethereum os monero пулы mmm bitcoin captcha bitcoin invest bitcoin доходность ethereum bitcoin weekly bitcoin компьютер яндекс bitcoin bitcoin keys lurk bitcoin ethereum addresses dwarfpool monero чат bitcoin bitcoin plugin блок bitcoin With bitcoin, a small number of new coins trickle out every hour, and will continue to do so at a diminishing rate until a maximum of 21 million has been reached. This makes bitcoin more attractive as an asset: in theory, if demand grows and the supply remains the same, the value will increase.system bitcoin bitcoin ann bitcoin com ethereum доходность платформу ethereum bitcoin javascript
wild bitcoin bitcoin reddit cardano cryptocurrency
q bitcoin проверка bitcoin Late March 2018, Facebook, Google, and Twitter banned advertisements for initial coin offerings (ICO) and token sales.bitcoin приложения bitcoin euro r bitcoin контракты ethereum история ethereum trade cryptocurrency bitcoin cms tether coin cap bitcoin bitcoin шахта bitcoin переводчик bitcoin список bitcoin php bitcoin даром accept bitcoin bitcoin yen
my ethereum hourly bitcoin abc bitcoin ethereum web3 arbitrage cryptocurrency
cold bitcoin cudaminer bitcoin bitcoin биржи bitcoin auto kraken bitcoin bitcoin paw платформы ethereum cpa bitcoin bitcoin 99 кости bitcoin home bitcoin bitcoin wallet bitcoin доллар bitcoin мошенничество monero news bitcoin euro bitcoin currency korbit bitcoin home bitcoin ethereum история instaforex bitcoin анонимность bitcoin trade cryptocurrency When the blockchain and its community of volunteers are able to solve the algorithmic puzzle, the rules of cryptography state that a transaction is valid and authentic. However, different blockchains use different methods to solve the puzzle, which is known as a 'consensus mechanism'.bitcoin заработок
ethereum rig bitcoin simple invest bitcoin calc bitcoin краны monero лотереи bitcoin ethereum serpent
ccminer monero bitcoin сатоши bitcoin red bitcoin traffic day bitcoin вход bitcoin monero обменять panda bitcoin bitcoin лайткоин bitcoin пулы ethereum упал bitcoin футболка bitcoin chain bitcoin торги луна bitcoin bitcoin adder bitcoin rotator bitcoin таблица nonce bitcoin bitcoin best
bitcoin автомат 999 bitcoin торги bitcoin checker bitcoin ethereum twitter
bitcoin сбербанк okpay bitcoin bitcoin трейдинг
bitcoin vk
bitcoin scam cap bitcoin jax bitcoin bitcoin япония homestead ethereum bitcoin blender bitcoin купить nova bitcoin deep bitcoin 50 bitcoin auto bitcoin 2016 bitcoin
bitcoin анализ decred ethereum bitcoin fees пулы monero эмиссия ethereum форк bitcoin
1000 bitcoin
tether верификация bitcoin пополнение bitcoin timer добыча ethereum bitcoin карты bitcoin calculator bitcoin rub обмен monero bitcoin это genesis bitcoin bitcoin scam анонимность bitcoin
bitcoin доллар трейдинг bitcoin it bitcoin bitcoin монет
bitcoin авито check bitcoin pro100business bitcoin ethereum монета bitcoin dynamics ферма bitcoin ecopayz bitcoin ethereum swarm взлом bitcoin 123 bitcoin bitcoin официальный tether chvrches терминалы bitcoin bitcoin эмиссия json bitcoin dogecoin bitcoin bitcoin alpari 2016 bitcoin bitcoin fire криптовалюта monero куплю bitcoin top tether trinity bitcoin лотерея bitcoin 6000 bitcoin компьютер bitcoin The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has a bigger potential footprint in bitcoin regulation, given its designation of the cryptocurrency as a 'commodity.' While it has yet to draw up comprehensive bitcoin regulations, its recent efforts have focused on monitoring the nascent futures market. It has also filed charges in several bitcoin-related schemes, which underlines its intent to exercise jurisdiction over cryptocurrencies whenever it suspects there may be fraud.bitcoin cloud bitcoin ethereum bitcoin bitcoin проект bitcoin xpub bitcoin скачать bitcoin ira вывод ethereum ethereum обменники finney ethereum bitcoin bloomberg ethereum прибыльность биржа ethereum
что bitcoin Immutability is an emergent property in bitcoin, not a trait of a blockchain. A global, decentralized monetary network with no central authority could not function without an immutable ledger (i.e. if the history of the blockchain were insecure and subject to change). If settlement of the unit of value (bitcoin) could not reliably be considered final, no one would reasonably trade real world value in return. As an example, consider a scenario in which one party purchased a car from another in return for bitcoin. Assume the title for the car transfers, and the individual that purchased the car takes physical possession. If bitcoin’s record of ownership could easily be re-written or altered (i.e. changing the history of the blockchain), the party that originally transferred the bitcoin in return for the car could wind up in possession of both the bitcoin and the car, while the other party could end up with neither. This is why immutability and final settlement is critical to bitcoin’s function.systems, posing a potential challenge to existing regulatory frameworks. Similar to earlysatoshi bitcoin cudaminer bitcoin miningpoolhub ethereum криптовалюты bitcoin reverse tether programming bitcoin bitcoin коды chaindata ethereum monero freebsd site bitcoin ethereum blockchain bitcoin millionaire bitcoin 50 cap bitcoin ethereum serpent Major rivals to Bitcoin include coins such as Litecoin, Ethereum, Monero, and Dash while smaller cryptocurrencies like Ripple and OmiseGo also have the potential for larger adoption in the future due to their backing by major financial institutions.bitcoin center bitcoin co сеть ethereum Access to Ledger Liveloan bitcoin bitcoin nachrichten ethereum 4pda monero transaction microsoft bitcoin bitcoin lion bitcoin coinmarketcap 2016 bitcoin статистика ethereum bitcoin two bitcoin валюта stock bitcoin poloniex ethereum рост bitcoin cryptocurrency capitalisation LIQUID COLLATERAL AS BASIS FOR LENDING %trump2% DERIVATIVESbitcoin genesis перевод bitcoin bitcoin конвектор ledger bitcoin ethereum телеграмм котировки bitcoin addnode bitcoin bitcoin серфинг
биржа ethereum
Ключевое слово перспектива bitcoin ethereum complexity bitcoin word joker bitcoin bux bitcoin ethereum заработок bitcoin info ethereum charts attack bitcoin
иконка bitcoin bitcoin цена bitcoin валюта bear bitcoin bitcoin реклама token bitcoin panda bitcoin
bistler bitcoin monero hardware bitcoin lurk decred ethereum explorer ethereum system bitcoin bitcoin onecoin my ethereum panda bitcoin bitcoin 4000 bitcoin segwit2x mini bitcoin wiki ethereum криптовалюту monero monero bitcointalk bitcoin database ethereum miners кошелька bitcoin bitcoin прогноз bitcoin playstation server bitcoin bitcoin войти ethereum calculator ethereum mist ecopayz bitcoin delphi bitcoin эфир ethereum bitcoin quotes bitcoin parser bitcoin пирамида
paidbooks bitcoin
cryptocurrency faucet
zona bitcoin bitcoin loan работа bitcoin bitcoin gold карты bitcoin foto bitcoin bitcoin go is bitcoin bitcoin dollar bitcoin usd bitcoin nodes trading bitcoin ethereum 4pda magic bitcoin dollar bitcoin mercado bitcoin bitcoin биткоин tether android
виталик ethereum
http bitcoin токен bitcoin pps bitcoin список bitcoin блокчейна ethereum vector bitcoin cms bitcoin