If you already own Bitcoin, buying Monero is a 20-minute job: set up a Monero wallet, swap your BTC at an instant exchange, and the XMR lands in your wallet. This guide walks through it for first-timers, using swap services that are Verified on Monerica.
Disclosure: every service named in this article is a current main sponsor of Monerica.com, and some links are affiliate links. All of them are listed as Verified in the Monerica directory. Each one’s Monerica profile shows its full details and user reviews. Always start with a small test swap.
Step 1: Get a Monero Wallet
You need a wallet you control. Popular choices: Feather (desktop, light and fast), Cake Wallet (phone and desktop) and the official Monero GUI (desktop). Write down the 25-word seed (or 16-word Polyseed) on paper and keep it offline. That seed is your money. Browse wallet options in the Monerica wallet directory.
Step 2: Pick Where to Swap
| Service | Why pick it | Monerica |
|---|---|---|
| SageSwap | Plain, no-JavaScript site; Tor; 1–2% fee | Profile |
| CCE Cash | Simple automated swap | Profile |
| GhostSwap | Handy if you also hold other coins (1,600+) | Profile |
New to this? Start with SageSwap: the site is plain and script-free. Check which pays the most XMR today on MoneroPriceNow.
SageSwap
SageSwap is a crypto-to-crypto swap service built for people who care about privacy. Its site runs entirely without JavaScript, so it works in a hardened browser or in Tor Browser on its safest setting, and it has its own Tor mirror (you’ll find its .onion address on its Monerica profile or on sageswap.io). There’s no account and nothing to fill in beyond the coins, the amount and your receiving address.
It supports about 20 assets: BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, XRP, DOGE, DASH, BCH, ZANO and XMR, plus USDT and USDC on several networks (Tron, Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum and others). You choose a floating rate, settled when your deposit confirms, or a fixed rate that’s locked as long as you send within the window. The standard fee is 1–2% and is already included in the quote (swaps under $50 can cost up to 6%). If you send a slightly different amount than quoted, the swap adjusts automatically, and SageSwap says completed swap records are permanently deleted after 7 days. Reviews, deposit guarantees and full details are on SageSwap’s Monerica profile.
CCE Cash
CCE Cash is a fully automated cross-chain exchange: pick a pair, paste your receiving address and send, with no account and no email. It covers XMR, BTC, ETH, SOL and a large range of other coins across many chains, so you can usually go from whatever you hold to Monero, or back, in a single step.
Low minimums and quick, automated processing make it an easy first stop when you want flexibility and speed. Check the amount you’ll receive on the quote before you send, and compare it with the other services here. Reviews, deposit guarantees and full details are on CCE Cash’s Monerica profile.
GhostSwap
GhostSwap is a no-account swap service with one of the largest coin lists anywhere: more than 1,600 assets, from BTC, ETH and XMR to ZEC, SOL, USDT and popular tokens. There’s no sign-up and no email, and the swapped coins go straight to your wallet.
Before you send anything, the exchange box shows the live amount you’ll receive with all fees included. Along with your receiving address, it asks for the address you’re sending from, and each pair has its own minimum and maximum (for BTC, 0.00001 up to 2 BTC per swap at the time of writing). GhostSwap also has a Tor mirror (you’ll find its .onion address on its Monerica profile or on ghostswap.io) and a Telegram bot for swapping from chat, and it has been reviewed by outlets including CryptoNews, 99Bitcoins and CoinGape. Reviews, deposit guarantees and full details are on GhostSwap’s Monerica profile.
Step 3: Make the Swap
- In your Monero wallet, open Receive and copy a new subaddress.
- On the swap site, choose BTC → XMR, enter the amount, and paste your XMR address.
- Copy the BTC deposit address shown and send the exact amount from your Bitcoin wallet.
- Wait: one Bitcoin confirmation (often 10–30 minutes), then the XMR is sent.
- Your wallet shows the XMR right away; it’s spendable after 10 Monero confirmations (~20 minutes).
How Much Does It Cost?
The service’s fee is built into the quote (SageSwap lists 1–2%), plus Bitcoin’s network fee for your deposit. Compare the amount of XMR you’ll receive across services, not just the rate. Very small swaps lose more to fees, so swapping a meaningful amount at once is usually cheaper.
Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
- Swapping straight from an exchange account. Withdraw BTC to your own wallet first, then swap.
- Losing the seed. No seed, no coins. There’s no password reset.
- Skipping the test. Do a small swap first to learn the flow.
- Typos in the address. Always paste, then compare the first and last characters.
Now Use It
Thousands of businesses accept XMR. Find them in the Monerica directory.
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