Is Monero legal in the United States?
Legal to own and trade; few large US venues offer it, and none is barred by a specific rule.
| Owning XMR | Legal |
|---|---|
| Local exchanges | Limited |
| National rule | No specific rule on privacy coins |
| Regulator | SEC; CFTC; FinCEN; IRS; state regulators |
| Last reviewed | 25 October 2026 |
The legal situation in the United States
No US federal law bans owning or trading Monero. Coinbase does not list XMR and its CEO cited regulatory concerns in 2020, while Kraken still offers XMR to US clients according to an October 2026 tracker, and Kraken's co-CEO said in October 2026 that 'XMR stays listed'. The IRS has paid for Monero-tracing research, and in December 2025 the SEC Crypto Task Force held a public roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy.
Key facts
- 2020-07-29: Coinbase CEO said the exchange would not list Monero over regulatory concerns.
- 2020-09-30: IRS awarded up to $1.25M to Chainalysis and Integra FEC for Monero-tracing tools.
- 2025-12-15: The SEC Crypto Task Force held a roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy.
- 2026-10-20: The GhostSwap delisting tracker reported that Kraken does not include the US among its XMR-restricted regions and that US clients can trade XMR.
- 2026-10-24: Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi withdrew customer questionnaires about Monero withdrawals and said 'XMR stays listed'.
- Tax: Crypto is property; short-term gains are taxed at ordinary rates (10% to 37%) and long-term gains at 0% to 20%.
What this means for you
Owning Monero and keeping it in your own wallet is legal as far as we could find. Pick a wallet from our best Monero wallets list, read how to buy Monero, and keep records for tax.
Sources
bitcoin.tax, cryptoslate.com, cryptoticker.io, decrypt.co, fxstreet.com, ghostswap.io, sec.gov.
Sources are listed by publisher so you can look them up yourself; we do not link out.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Check the regulator's own website before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monero legal in the United States?
Legal to own and trade; few large US venues offer it, and none is barred by a specific rule.
Can I buy Monero on a local exchange in the United States?
Only in limited ways: few or no licensed local exchanges list XMR.