Why Monero is the Privacy Standard
Monero (XMR) was created in 2014 by a group of developers building on the CryptoNote protocol. Unlike Bitcoin, where privacy is an afterthought requiring extra tools, Monero's privacy is mandatory and automatic — every transaction on the Monero blockchain is private by design.
The core privacy technologies in Monero are:
- Ring Signatures: Your transaction is cryptographically mixed with 10+ other transactions, making it impossible to identify which inputs were truly spent
- Stealth Addresses: The sender generates a one-time address for every payment, so your wallet address is never published on the blockchain
- RingCT: Transaction amounts are hidden using Pedersen commitments — observers see that inputs balance outputs, but cannot see actual values
- Dandelion++: Transactions are initially propagated in a privacy-preserving manner to prevent network-level surveillance from linking transactions to IP addresses
The result: a cryptocurrency where every transaction is untraceable, unlinkable, and amount-hidden — without the user needing to take any additional steps.
Step 1 — Choose a Wallet
Your first step is selecting a Monero wallet. Never use exchange wallets to store XMR long-term. Use self-custody solutions:
- Monero GUI Wallet — Official desktop wallet from the Monero Project. Full node support. Best for privacy.
- Feather Wallet — Lightweight desktop wallet, excellent privacy features, connects to remote nodes over Tor.
- Cake Wallet — Mobile wallet for iOS/Android. Open source. Good for everyday use.
- Monerujo — Android-only mobile wallet with Tor routing support.
Step 2 — Buy XMR Without KYC
The best privacy outcome comes from purchasing XMR without identity verification. Options include:
- LocalMonero — Peer-to-peer marketplace for XMR trades. Cash trades are the most private option.
- Bisq — Decentralised Bitcoin exchange (trade BTC for XMR). No KYC, no account required.
- FixedFloat — Non-custodial swap service for converting BTC, ETH, and others to XMR. No registration.
- Trocador — Aggregates non-KYC swap services. Accessible via Tor. Excellent for privacy swaps.
- Bitcoin ATMs — Purchase BTC with cash, then swap to XMR via a non-custodial service. Check ATM locations at coinatmradar.com.
Warning: Never buy XMR from a KYC exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance) and send directly to a darknet market. The on-chain trail from a verified identity to a market wallet is sufficient evidence in most jurisdictions. If you must start from a KYC exchange, use at least two XMR-to-XMR transactions (churning) before use.
Step 3 — Receive and Send XMR Privately
After setting up your wallet and acquiring XMR, follow these practices:
- Generate a fresh subaddress for every incoming transaction
- Never reuse wallet addresses — Monero supports unlimited subaddresses
- Run Feather Wallet or Monero GUI over Tor (built-in option in Feather)
- Wait for at least 10 confirmations before considering funds settled
- Use the "churn" feature to send XMR to yourself before sending to a market wallet — this adds ring signature distance from the original acquisition source
Step 4 — Funding Your WeTheNorth Wallet
When depositing XMR to your WeTheNorth Market wallet:
- Log into WeTheNorth via Tor Browser (see our access guide)
- Navigate to your account wallet section and generate a new deposit address
- Send XMR from your self-custody wallet to the generated address
- Wait for confirmations (typically 10–20 minutes for 10+ confirmations)
- Funds are now available for market purchases
Step 5 — Withdrawing XMR from WeTheNorth
When withdrawing profits or unspent balances, send to a fresh subaddress in your self-custody wallet. Never withdraw to an exchange wallet, especially a KYC one, as this directly links your market activity to your identity.