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Layer 1

Monero

The privacy chain where amounts, senders and receivers are hidden by default.

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By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this5 min readReference
The short answer

The privacy chain where amounts, senders and receivers are hidden by default. Every other chain is a public ledger. Monero hides amounts with ring signatures and stealth addresses, so balances are private by default.

Live market data

LiveCoinGecko
Price
$540.52
-0.17% 24h
Market cap
$10.17B
24h volume
$132.89M
Rank
#14
All time high
$797.73

Prices as of September 29, 2026, replaced by live figures as the page loads. Prices move constantly and are for orientation only.

What Monero is for

Every other chain is a public ledger. Monero hides amounts with ring signatures and stealth addresses, so balances are private by default.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 1
Launched2014
ConsensusProof of work with RandomX
ThroughputLow
FinalityAbout 20 minutes
Native tokenXMR pays fees and rewards miners

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

Cake WalletFeather WalletMonero GUI

What to be aware of

  • Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
  • Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Other networks at this layer

Same job, different tradeoffs. Each of these has its own page covering what it is actually for, who runs it and where it struggles.

Common questions

Is Monero legal to own?
In most countries yes, and several exchanges have delisted it under regulatory pressure, which makes it harder to buy and sell. Rules differ by jurisdiction and are worth checking where you live.
Can Monero transactions really not be traced?
They are private by default rather than optional, using ring signatures, stealth addresses and hidden amounts. No system is beyond analysis forever, and it remains the strongest widely used privacy design in production.

Where to go next

New to Monero?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.

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